Dear Sydney: We need to talk

Dear Sydney,

We need to talk. I know, you've received a lot of these letters from people saying the same thing and I swore a while ago that they were idiots. I swore I would never write a letter like this to you but lately Sydney, I feel like we're in a lot of trouble. I feel like we've been in a relationship for the last ten years and right now all you're doing is taking without giving.

You know we've been here before. You know that we've broken up a few times. Back in 2008 I accidentally moved to you. How does a person accidentally move? Well basically in 2006 the idea was put into my head and then two years later, after someone I know was murdered and a couple of people I knew moved to Sydney I thought, sure, why not. I'll move to Sydney and I did. I spent four months in King's Cross and it was great but it was missing one thing. It was missing my friends and I had a horrible employer with a toxic culture so I left you. I said I'd be back though.

18 months later back in December 2009 I decided I wanted to give you another chance as my friends had moved to Sydney and I was glad we were back together Sydney. I was stoked. We were together longer this time around but I wasn't getting where I wanted with work and the money was average, and once again, I missed my friends. By August 2010 they'd left and Sydney isn't the easiest place to make new friends in.

I spent four months back in Auckland, yes you'll have noticed there's a pattern. It's like you're the abusive boyfriend that's so captivating that I'm so drawn to and so attracted to and Auckland is the faithful husband (and funnily I actually did marry Auckland on January 20th 2006 at Cafe Cima on High Street in Auckland City, I lost our marriage license though) but I wasn't feeling it, so a few months later I went back to Sydney.

This time I did things differently.

I went back with a job lined up and another friend had also moved to Sydney but we fell out so once again I was on the outer. Long story short, that job wasn't for me and then I had a bad run so once again, I went back to Auckland.

Auckland was okay to me. I had a job I loved in Auckland but the department started announcing redundancies so I knew it was time to get back to you and I started applying for jobs. In the end I got a job offer but it fell through so I had to stay in Auckland. Luckily I'd been with my employer for nearly three years so when I asked for a transfer to Sydney the answer was yes and so I moved back. That was Christmas Eve 2013 and I felt like I'd come home. I was relieved to be back living in you Sydney.

But over the last few years you've shown yourself to be cold and heartless. You may know to party on New Year's Eve and you may have awesome beaches and a harbour, but when it comes to character and soul Sydney, sadly, you have none. At first I thought it was just one of my friends (yes one of the few friends I've made here) but it's not. It's YOU Sydney. You're the problem. You're the one who is cold. You're the one who doesn't care about people. You're the one who chews them up and spits them out. You're the one who abuses everyone who lives in you.

And well Sydney, I hate saying this because I still love you but part of me really wants to break up with you and get back together with Auckland. Auckland's not perfect, not by a long shot and there are still a lot of things I love about you Sydney but you just have no heart. You're not happy. I've spoken to a few Aucklanders over the last couple of weeks and I've been amazed at the warmth and friendliness they've shown. They actually smile. They actually laugh. They're human. You're not.

I get that you're international and you want to be the best, but it is actually possible to be the best and to have a heart, but you don't seem to understand that Sydney.

Then there's the guys. I dated a lot of guys in Auckland and I mean A LOT, and I never struck what I've struck here. Now I may be pickier but Auckland guys don't expect you to drop everything and they actually make an effort. They actually care. They're not arrogant and don't get me wrong Sydney, arrogance can be appealing in a lot of ways. It's one of the reasons I love you but lately it's starting to become more like abuse.

You haven't given me any good memories that don't involve my friends from Auckland and you haven't shown me any warmth.

I don't want to break up with you Sydney. I do still love you and I know you have a lot to offer but unless you make some changes then I'm going to have to break up with you because this isn't good for me. I need a city that's always there for me, that I can trust and Auckland has always shown himself to be trustworthy. Even though I often break up with Auckland he's always willing to take me back and right now he and I are talking about getting back together. We're just working out whether or not we want to give eachother another chance.

So Sydney, what I'm saying I guess is this, you need to make some changes and be kinder and more human or we're going to have to break up.