Nine weeks later, I’m reminiscing over when I first landed
on Australian soil and was overwhelmed by everything: finding a place to live,
a job, friends and the fear that salted caramel hadn’t yet caught on in this
foreign land of bronzed hunks and cuddly creatures in trees. It’s nice to think
of how much things have changed since then and how relieved I am that it all
worked out. I’ve found a place here and have discovered that strangers can turn
into family, some of the most beautiful art in the world can be seen on the
walls of undiscovered alleyways and although Australians have found a love for
salted caramel (insert sigh of relief) they have something even better:
honeycomb. Australians are known to have a really high standard of living and
their cities constantly top lists of the best places in the world to live. I’m
so thankful to have the experience to confirm that this is not just a claim,
it’s true. And the best part is that this is only the beginning…
Backpacking in Oz: Where it all began
I spent some time backpacking around Australia to decide
where I wanted to settle down. I had heard so many different opinions about the
largest cities in Australia and wanted to see for myself which would fit me the
best. I started in Sydney and was welcomed by impossibly beautiful blue skies
and perfect weather. I was so stunned by Sydney! Seriously, what a babe! It
really had the best of everything: amazing, clean city beaches, beautiful
harbors and an exciting first-class city full of things to do and places to
explore. The only word used to describe it was impressive. I spent a few days
there and kept thinking to myself “wow, I could really live here!” I especially loved taking the ferry across the
harbor to Manly beach and seeing the skyline. I left Sydney completely
understanding what all the hype was about and when I flew to Brisbane I didn’t know
how it could top what I had seen. 
Brisbane was a pleasant city with a really different vibe
and it was nice to be able to compare Sydney to somewhere else. I was able to
see one of my friends that I met when I was working in Greece and she showed me
around the city. It was so nice catching up and we even met some good lookin’ new
friends :)
Melbourne: Finding Home
My last stop was Melbourne. Interestingly the majority of
people I had talked to told me that was where they would live so I was really
intrigued. I arrived and my first thought was that I was cold! What the heck?!
I never imagined I would feel that way in Australia because of the image we all
have of sun, sand and surf. And no jackets in sight. And god forbid a scarf! It
was a dreary, drizzly day and my first impression wasn’t as I’d thought. From
there, though, I ended up falling for Melbourne a little more each day,
creating the best kind of love. I found myself extending my stay a few days at
a time until I realized I just didn’t want to leave. Unlike Sydney where
everything amazing is right in your face, Melbourne you really have to dig
into. And if you do, you end up finding so many amazing treasures and you
realize why it is so spectacular. Melbourne is home to amazing street art,
music, food, café culture and coffee. It’s very European-esque and I think it has
a lot of hints of California. There are tons of cool neighborhoods, from the
hippest hipster to the swankiest business district to funky St. Kilda with its
beach. People call it the cultural capital of Australia for a reason. The only
downside is the weather, which to be frank, is totally whack. Lonely Planet
says it well: “If you’ve ever experienced Melbourne’s inclination to plummet
from searing heat to drizzling rain in the space of an hour, you’ll understand
that this must be the true definition of unconditional love”. Amen. 
A big reason why I found myself loving Melbourne so much was
because I met so many awesome people right in the beginning and we all know people
make the place. I stayed at a hostel with a mix of travelers and people on the working
holiday visa and it reminded me of being in a college dorm again. A dangerous
amount of fun! There was always something going on, from bbqs to pub crawls to
endless park sessions and it was so nice to have new people always around to do
something and familiar faces to come home to. I still consider most of the
people I met there my closest friends here and I’m so thankful for that. I also
hadn’t ever stayed at a hostel where I felt so at home. I’ll always remember it
and smile and I miss the hostel living a lot (not the career snorers though. I
don’t miss them at all. Nope.)
I got a job working at a flower shop in a northern suburb,
which is a world away from Melbourne. I have found it really interesting
because working in a commercial shop is so different than what I’m used to. I’d
never even wired flowers before and now I’m a pro! I spend most of my time with
giant piles of flowers making as many bouquets as I can (sometimes over 100!)
and running the front counter. I really love flowers and am learning a ton. Australians
also have really high wages so I have no complaints about the money! The only
bummer is that it’s only part time, but it has left me with lots of time to
explore this awesome city. I’ve also fallen in love with an 81 year-old man
named Ernie who works a few days a week for a couple of hours. He calls me darlin
and brings me muffins while I’m working :) What more could a girl ask for?
Anna and I were also really lucky to meet a kind, generous
and fun family here in Melbourne. They have been so incredibly nice and helpful
and we have found ourselves with a little adopted family, which is beyond
awesome. They are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met traveling and a true
testament to Australian hospitality. We’ve learned a lot about Australian life by
staying with them, which is a really cool experience not all backpackers are
lucky enough to have. They also love Jackson, which automatically makes them
amazing! Anna and I can’t thank them enough.
Tasty Treats
Aussies know how to create some food addictions. Here are
some that top the list (I’d like to take this moment to send out a special
shout out to the Brits for throwing all your prisoners over here. You left some
good food traditions with them!):
Tim Tams
Addicting little chocolate covered cookies that come in a
variety of flavors and make eating the whole box in one sitting ridiculously easy
and guilt- inducing
Pies
If I were famous, I would do everything in my power to
become sponsored by Pie Face. I would become the Face of Pie Face. I would
proudly represent flaky pastry with delicious fillings and mashed potatoes and
gravy on top.
Pavlova
A meringue crust layered with heaps of whipped cream and
fresh fruit that melds into a soft, delicious treat #winning
Crumpets
The irresistible love child of an English muffin and a
pancake. Hallelujah!
Cider
Come on USA. Get with it. Cider is the best beverage in the
whole world. Why would you not have any?! For a special treat on rare occasions,
I buy the $12 passion fruit flavor :)
Kangaroo
I accidently ate a kangaroo burger without knowing it at a
barbie. I thought it tasted a little odd and when it was confirmed that what I
ate was not beef and in fact a cute marsupial, I still found I had pleasantly
enjoyed it and continued on to have kangaroo on other occasions. While in
Australia do as the Australians do, right?!
The bats of Melbourne constantly fascinate me. Every night
when the sun goes down, they start roaming the skies and are GIANT! These are
no Wyoming bats. The whole sky has them all over and it’s so cool to me because
I’d never seen anything like that before. If you find yourself inspired by the
bats and are feeling particularly zoologist-like you can go through any of the
parks and examine possums in their natural habitat. If you are really lucky,
you can even see a backpacker or ten wasted off of goon too! How fun is Oz?!
Anna Banana!
I’d like to add a special shout out to my friend Anna who
came to Melbourne a few weeks after I’d arrived. It’s been so amazing having
one of my closest friends here and we have had so much fun cooking, laughing,
high-fiving, playing volleyball, enjoying hours of Game of Thrones, having
spontaneous dance parties in random locations, being basically hilarious in
textual form, eating tasty cheese and heaps of other things. I’m so glad to
have her here. If you don’t know her, get to know her because she’s way cooler
than me.
Future plans
I hope to master the art of looking the right way before
crossing the street and to perfect an Aussie accent. Ask anyone, I’m really close.
Like scarily close. (Only kidding. Every time I try, somehow it creepily morphs
into a southern American accent and I don’t even know how it happens). On a
more serious note, Anna and I plan to head to the east coast to work, hopefully
in a small surf town. It will be so hard to leave this beautiful city but we
are in search of the Aussie cliché. I’m thinking half-naked men on the beach
smothering vegemite on themselves surround by koalas riding kangaroos while Men
at Work’s “Down Under” plays in the background. We will see if it happens, there
is a small chance I’m setting my hopes too high.
*Goon is “wine packaged as a bag-in-a-box. Most people in Australia know
it and most backpackers drink it almost daily. On one side it is a cheap
alcoholic drink that ice-cold or mixed can taste pretty good. On the other
side, it can be disgusting and might contain remains of fish and eggs. Some
optimistic mates say: ‘well then it’s like a whole meal’.”
