Lost in the Land of Traffic Control

I quit my 60 hour a week job as a traffic controller last week. My last day was on Saturday.  For most of the past year I have worked for the same construction company, Ganellen. I am not really sure what inspired me to stay at this job for so long. I reason it's because I got along with many of the workers at the construction site. I worked at two different sites, a 22 storey condominium project in North Sydney and a new Woolworth's and shopping centre in Double Bay. The Double Bay job site was 10 minutes walk from our apartment.  At Double Bay, I was in charge, managing the entire traffic control situation around the entire site, which was as large as an entire city block. I never intended to work as a traffic controller for almost an entire year when I first came to Australia, but that is just how the cookie crumbled.  When I was first looking for a job in Oz, many other backpackers told me that traffic control is a very easy job to get and is very well remunerated. On their advice, I took a one day course that cost $250 and the next day I started working at a job I found online.  Most days I would stand in the same place from 7 am until 4:30 pm, or sometimes even later, and after that I would have to help clean the site toliets for 45 minutes. I would have two breaks, one 15 minute 'smoko' at 9:30 am and a half hour lunch break at 1:00pm.  Many times I had to wait to take a break because no one was available from the construction site to take my place.  Needless to say I had grown frustrated and weary but tried to keep a smile on my face because this was the highest paying job I have ever had, no joke.

 I could spend an entire day reciting stories of traffic management. One time I was almost run over by an impatient old lady with severe gout, she was running late to her doctor appointment(she completely destroyed my start/slow sign). Then there was the crazy guy that stood in the middle of the road brushing his teeth like he was in is own restroom.   Most days were not as interesting. Because I usually started work at 6:30 or 7 am I, would see many people from the neighbourhoods walk to a train or bus station on their way to work.  And more often than not I would see the same people return from work later in the afternoon,my entire work day overlapping theirs.  I did not mind the long hours but once I had returned from New Zealand last June, I was on a student visa and I am required to attend class for 20 hours a week.  I averaged 60 hours a week at my job, which included Saturdays, so between work and school, I was barley at home.  I would try to sleep in and relax on Sundays, only to freak out when the sun started peaking through the windows of the bedroom because I thought I was late for work, when in fact I had a rare day off.  I asked my self several times if this is why I traveled to Australia in the first place, and the answer is unequivocally no.

After finishing work this past Saturday, I worked at a bartender for one day at the Australian Hotel Craft Beer Festival for Balmain Brewery.  My girlfriend gave me one of her shifts and I enjoyed the work.  This week I have also taken a barista and latte art class, something I have been wanting to do for a long time. I'm not sure I could make a good barista, I have very shaky hands pouring milk, ha ha.

I am very excited for the upcoming summer and cant wait to get back to home for Christmas too. Emily and I are leaving Australia for the good old USA on December 8th and are returning to Sydney on January 7th.  This will be my first trip home in over 3 years.  I am extremely excited to see my family and friends again.  I just home I don't get lost in the land of the free and then home of the brave the way I was lost in the land of traffic control.