Our first stop in Sydney isn’t the Opera House or Bondi Beach. Rather, it’s a private club in a quiet part of city’s suburbs. Neon lights illuminate a fancy-looking building that feels more at home in Sydney’s central district than here.

I’ve long wanted to visit Australia, with its kangaroos and beaches and a vague sense of Down Under adventure. But there’s another reason I, along with my parents, sisters, and two family friends, have crossed down the equator, and there she is, sitting on the lobby: Ninang Jas.

She and my mom hug, and in that embrace, their tears fall, It’s heartbreaking but also comforting, sharing a familiar feeling they’ve known their whole life out here in this chilly, foreign city.

Ninang Jas is turning 75 this year. She’s my mom’s best friend in high school and college, and for a while they were also coworkers. But life had different plans for them. Ninang Jas soon migrated to work, first in New Zealand before eventually settling in Sydney. Meanwhile, my mom migrated to Canada but returned to the Philippines, married my dad, had three kids, and retired. They occasionally kept in touch, but in recent years, those communication became more often when Ninang Jas was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and was given at best a few years to live. Without a partner or children, she’s currently living at a nearby retirement home and is preparing herself for her inevitable departure from this world.

Sydney is an 8-hour direct flight from Manila, but the differences in the environment and culture make the city feel much farther, which makes this meeting bear more weight. We make our way to the dining area, where Ninang Jas orders for us. Ninang Jas’s illness has affected her hearing, so she uses a phone app that transcribes what we’re saying. But the app can’t understand Filipino, so we converse in English.We volunteer to at least split the bill, but she chides us. “It’s my treat,” she tells us. “I’ve saved my money for this occasion.”

After dinner, we accompany her to her nursing home, and she shows us her room. She talks about how the Australian healthcare is in a much higher level than the one we have in the Philippines. But it’s also a sobering moment when she saws us a box of her belongings she plans to send to her relatives back home once she’s gone.

Deeper into the night, we bid our farewells to rest for tomorrow’s trip. We booked a private tour around Sydney’s center, and we ask Ninang Jas to come with us.

Ninag Jas can’t come with us. The excitement of seeing us last night probably was too much for her increasingly weak body, so today she says she isn’t feeling well. Nevertheless, we press on. Our guide and driver, Andrew, picks us up from our apartment in Surrey Hills and starts driving us.

We pass by a couple of landmarks around the Hyde Park area, and it’s here that the cosmopolitan aspects of Sydney reveal themselves. Skyscrapers line the grid of roads, and Andrew doles out a series of anecdotes to put some context on what we’re seeing outside the van.

Past the Hyde Park we reach the Rocks, one of the most historic areas of Sydney. The Rocks is the site of the first European settlement in Australia, established in 1788. Many of the original buildings and streets here were constructed by convicts sent from Great Britain, and these rough beginnings are reflected in the area’s cobblestone streets and historic sandstone buildings.

Our first stop is at the world-renowned Sydney Opera House. The clear blue sky and azure sea provide a striking contrast to the building’s off-white color and its distinctive roof, composed of a series of large, white, sail-shaped shells. Andrew shares personal anecdotes about the house, such as him having a short career as a singer there when he was young, and his wife being a professional violinist who regularly performs here as well. Their son, too, used to be part of a choir who performed in the Opera House.

Shortly after, we head east to Rose Bay, where we take a coffee and potty break at a tranquil seaside café. The place is a bit above our ideal price range, but it nonetheless has some nice views of the bay. We savor our brunch while watching people go about their late weekday morning affairs. The tranquil atmosphere of Rose Bay is a perfect counterpoint to the bustling cityscape.

Our tour continues further east with Andrew continuing to display his knowledge of local history as he recounts tales of maritime navigation. As we head to the suburb of Vaucluse, we pass by the Macquarie Lighthouse, Australia’s first and longest-operating lighthouse. Initially constructed in 1818 under the direction of Governor Lachlan Macquarie, the lighthouse was originally designed by convict architect Francis Greenway. Due to deterioration, it was replaced by the current structure in 1883, designed by colonial architect James Barnet.

The lighthouse has played a crucial role in guiding ships safely into Sydney Harbour, a vital task given the treacherous coastline and the importance of Sydney as a port city. Perhaps the most notable tragedy to have occurred in the area was the sinking of the Dunbar on the night of August 20, 1857. On its second voyage to Australia, the Dunbar was caught in a severe storm as it approached Sydney Harbour. In the darkness and heavy seas, the ship struck the cliffs near The Gap, just south of the harbor entrance and about 500 meters north of where the Macquarie Lighthouse stands. Of the 122 passengers and crew on board, only one survived. The sole survivor, James Johnson, managed to cling to the rocks and was rescued the following day. The wreck of the Dunbar was one of the worst maritime disasters in Australian history. Today, it’s immortalized in Gap Park, a scenic coastal park where the dramatic cliffs and breathtaking views bear irony to its tragic history.

About 5 kilometers south of the lighthouse by road is the quintessential seaside Sydney: the Bondi Beach. The large crashing winter waves are a major deterrent for swimmers, and the place has that tranquil beach atmosphere, a far cry from the raucous vibe I’m imagining. Only a couple of photographers with oversized lens are walking along the beach. A handful of fitness buffs are doing weightlifting and crunches at what seems to be a mini outdoor gym.

As our four-hour tour supposedly nears its end, Andrew realizes that we had actually booked the eight-hour tour. Instead of heading back to our apartment, he enthusiastically suggests we continue our drive around the city. We cross the iconic Harbour Bridge, heading north to Georges Head. The vantage point offers breathtaking views of the harbour and the city skyline. This site, though, has a rich military history, serving as a strategic defense site from the early colonial period through World War II. The area was fortified to protect Sydney Harbour from potential attacks. The headland features several historic gun emplacements, underground tunnels, and fortifications. These structures were built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and are part of Sydney’s coastal defense system.

Just before sunset, we stop at the Harbour View Lawn 33. This spot in the sprawling Royal Botanic Garden has great views of Sydney Harbour, including the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, and the city skyline. Coupled with the warm golden rays of the late afternoon sun, it makes for a romantic backdrop, perfect for a photoshoot with my parents who are about to celebrate their wedding anniversary the next day.

Finally, Andrew takes us to Harry’s Cafe de Wheels, a legend in Sydney’s food scene, renowned for its pies and hot dogs. Harry’s Cafe de Wheels was founded in 1938 by Harry Edwards, a former boxer. It started as a simple pie cart near the Woolloomooloo naval dockyard, serving up hot pies and snacks to sailors, dock workers, and night owls. Over the years, Harry’s has expanded, but it has retained its original charm and quality. The flagship location in Woolloomooloo remains a popular spot, often visited by celebrities, the pictures of some of whom are displayed on the establishment’s walls.

Wanting to explore Sydney a bit, I spend one morning doing a walking tour of the Rocks once more. Many of the buildings in The Rocks are constructed from local sandstone, giving the area its distinctive look. Notable examples include Cadmans Cottage, which dates back to 1816, and the Argyle Stores. But the area mixes it in with modern architecture, with old buildings seamlessly blending with newer developments, the Museum of Contemporary Arts being one of the most prominent examples. Originally housed in the Art Deco-style Maritime Services Board Building, the museum underwent a major expansion and refurbishment completed in 2012.

On our last night in Sydney, Ninang Jas meets us at a restaurant beside our hotel near the airport. We have a relatively large meal, with Caesar salad, baby back ribs, lamb rumps, and grilled salmon served on our table. The servings are large, which as we’ve learned the past few days, is fairly standard in Australia.

Travel is all about entering other worlds, but they’re often temporary. You immerse yourself in this unfamiliar environment but return to where you are originally. We’re about to leave Australia, go home. Ninang Jas isn’t — she’s on the ultimate journey, a one-way ticket. She’s here to stay, embraced by the the warmth and hospitable Aussies.

“I’ve come to terms with my life,” she says, her large smile belying the loneliness she might have felt for the past few years, battling her sickness with no one to share her plight but other senior citizens in the nursing home. “I want to go home, but I would have a more difficult time in Manila and would burden my loved ones more.” She pauses. “So I’m better off here.”

She doesn’t have to say anything more. We understand why she chose to be here. Home is okay, but Sydney is pretty and chill and filled with promise and hope. It provides her comfort and gives her a sense of ease and freedom in a way that only the city can.