OMG I, Like, Totally Love Summer

As I mentioned in a previous post, Bondi Beach is swarming with tourists (or as I put it earlier, shoobies) from all over the world.  In the peak of the summer holiday months, one can hear four different languages being spoken in their personal hearing radius while mindlessly lounging on the beach.  From Brazilians to Germans, to Russians and South Africans, Bondi Beach is the most diverse and touristy beach I have ever been to.  When I am in relaxation mode on the beach, I enjoy the mishmash of languages around me, most of which I can’t even make an educated guess of where they are from (although I try).

But there is one language that is so distinct, so very familiar and loud that anyone on the beach would be able to pinpoint the origin.  These tourists tend to travel in big groups, usually being lead around by one or two individuals that claim they “like so totally know where they are going” – these boisterous travelers are The Americans.

As I soak up the Australian sunrays, I can’t help but eavesdrop on the American tourists, not only because I love eavesdropping and it is undoubtedly one of my favorite beach activities, but also because it is almost impossible to drown them out.  I have overheard Americans on the beach many times this summer, but the most enlightening eavesdropping experience was when I tuned into a very large group of students obviously in Sydney for their study abroad. As they boasted about how jealous their friends back home were of them because they were enjoying summer in Australia while their homies were left fighting the bitterly cold winter, I learned a few things about this group of Americans:

• They use “guy in the black Speedo” and “chick wearing the fedora” as prominent landmarks to define their location on the beach
• The South Park insult, “You’re a towel”, is still a very amusing and crowd-pleasing comeback
• "Literally” does not actually mean “literally”. But they literally said “literally” twenty two times during one conversation
• They miss Chipotle (and REAL Mexican food) as much as I do
• They also have an obsession with Hungry Jacks – more specifically, they are huge fans of Hungry Jack’s limited time summer offer of $1 large frozen Cokes (in which, they reminded me to swing by HJ on the way home…)
• They love Kings Cross. Of course they do - it’s three blocks of filthy nightclubs and cheesy bars, and I bet $100 that majority of these ‘Mericans were under 21 years old and that they are fully embracing the 18+ drinking age
• And, they needed just one more person to commit to climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge to get the bulk discount. I was about to volunteer except 1) I’ve already climbed the Bridge with my parents last time I was in Sydney in 2012, 2) it is a very expensive activity (but totally worth doing if you can make room for it in your budget), and 3) the group would think I was super creepy for wanting to join, while at the same time I would have blown my cover and would have to admit that I was eavesdropping – which would be super awkward...

This group of Americans were loving life on the beach, and I couldn’t help but smile because they reminded me so much of myself when I first lived in Australia back in 2012.  Oh the glory days… Being able to go to the beach (or in my case, the Southbank lagoon in Brisbane) in between classes, talking about how holding a koala was a life-changing experience, and developing lifelong friendships with other adventurous students like you.  Although the group of Americans made me miss the fun times I had when I studied abroad, it also made me realize how much I have grown and how I have successfully immersed myself in the Australian culture.  Obviously I still think holding koalas and lounging with kangaroos is freaking awesome, but I have also learned that there is so much more to life in Australia than Hungry Jacks and overpriced beer.