Landing in Australia

Getting There: London to Melbourne

On September 15th I left my best friend Damian’s apartment in London and began my journey to Melbourne. It had been almost a year since I had been granted my one-year Australian work and holiday visa, and it was time for a new chapter for me. 

Approximately 32 hours later, the pilot announced that we were touching down at the Tullamarine International Airport, located a short drive outside of Melbourne. It was finally happening!

My entire journey, while lengthy, was not as terrifying uncomfortable or overwhelming arduous as I’d imagined it would be. That being said, there’s a reason why this region has been nicknamed ‘Down Under’, or ‘Down Unda’ if you’re talking to an actual Aussie. It is very far away from most other places.

By most flight-standards - unless you’ve traveled to the moon lately - the flight to Australia is usually seen as a gruelling one. Between the timezone changes, usually expensive ticket, and lengthy duration, the trip make for an overall rather serious investment on all counts.

 Luckily, through SkyScanner, one of my favorite discount flight-finding sites, I was able to find an affordable ticket (approximately $700 USD, one-way) and a flight path with two short (45 minutes and 1 hour, respectively) layovers, which allowed the passengers ample time to stretch our legs before continuing the journey. Regardless of the ease of the trip, I was in the air for 24 hours in total and landed on September 17th at 5:45 AM, an absurd amount of time from start to finish when you consider it.

Friends on the Plane

Once I gathered my backpack and coasted through customs and immigration, I had a cup of coffee with Dan, a 25-year-old friend I had met on the plane. Originally from England, he has been living in Melbourne for the past eight months, but had to return home briefly. As we sipped our much needed caffeine, we exchanged Facebook information to keep in touch and promised to hang out in the near future. My first Melbourne based friend!

As I finished my coffee and Dan’s ride arrived, I began looking for Ron, Stephanie’s father, who generously offered to pick me up from the airport.

My Pre-Arranged Australian Home

Let me back up here. 

This story begins with my best friend, Damian. I often include him in my blog posts; most recently I posted about our adventure in Dingle, Ireland last August. We met during in our university years at Georgia Tech in Atlanta and have been great friends ever since. Last October, Damian accepted a job offer that took him from Atlanta to London. 

In London, he found roommates through Flatmates.com, one of whom is a lawyer named Stephanie. She is originally from Melbourne, and is fantastic. Their doorstep in Notting Hill is one of my favourite doorsteps to find myself upon across the whole of our lovely planet, but back to my story.

When Steph heard that I was moving to Melbourne, she didn’t offer, but rather insisted, I stay with her parents while I overcame jet lag, explored the city, found a job and generally got settled in Australia. 

It was one of the most generous gifts I have received during my travels and a twist of fate that truly changed my life. I will never begin to express my gratitude for their welcoming home, comfortable bed, their absolutely lovely family, and the immediate “home base” I was given.

Long story short: I had a base and a family who had my back immediately when I landed in Melbourne, even though we had never met one another. Steph’s father, Ron, even showed up with a sign to the airport. The members of the Davis family are all rock stars, including their newest addition, Lenox the pup!

My First Days in Melbourne

After I found Ron at the airport, we made our way home and I showered a very necessary shower and snuggled into bed for a few hours. I tried to wake myself up after a “quick” nap, but my internal schedule was outrageously out of whack and I slept most of the day away. In the afternoon when I finally pulled myself together, I headed to the city to explore.

I caught the nearby tram from their home into the CBD, or the central business district - what Americans would term the “downtown” or city centre of Melbourne. I decided to get cracking on a handful of “to-do” items to get myself settled: opening a bank account, setting up an Aussie phone number, and getting a myki (Melbourne public transport card) registered.

I had it all finished in less than two hours, and most of that time was spent wandering around the city. I was shocked at the ease of relocating and settling in Australia as a work and holiday visa holder. Soon after my short adventure, I was exhausted. The time change (from London it is plus 9 hours) was wrecking me and my aspirations to explore the city, but for a first day in Melbourne, I was proud of my accomplishments.

RSA & Day Drinking with 'Locals'

The following morning I explored a bit more after a first, confusing night's sleep. I explored a bit and enjoyed dinner with Steph's parents before calling it a night. The day was a bit of a wash in terms of getting to know Melbourne at large, but the perfect weather made a park day necessary and exploring their neighborhood was fun.

On my first Saturday here I completed my RSA course, which is the Responsible Service of Alcohol course mandatory for working or serving alcohol in the state of Victoria. The 6 hour course ($40 AUD) was straightforward and uneventful. 

Through my countless chats with locals and those who had worked in Australia before, it was recommended that I attend the course "as soon as possible once I arrive" as it is a basic requirement for almost any position in the hospitality industry. I had signed up for it a few days prior while I was still in Europe and was excited to be capable of beginning my job search with the necessary credentials on my resume.

After the RSA class, I met up with Dan on Saturday afternoon, and we created our own pub crawl throughout the CBD area. He showed me a few of his favorite watering holes, which were usually centered around cheap beer as well as students and travellers. After a handful of hours of drinking beer in the fantastic Melbourne spring weather, I had to show myself home. I was still greatly at the mercy of the time change and I was in bed by 8 PM on my first Saturday in Melbourne. Because I’m a party animal.

Whiskey for the Win: Tinder Style

Unfortunately for my sleep pattern, I woke up in the middle of the night that same night - maybe it was the time difference, or maybe it was the fact that I had already gotten 7 hours of solid sleep… 

Finding myself bored and exhausted after searching for a new home on the phenomenal Flatmates.com website for an hour or so, I decided to re-download Tinder, a dating app of sorts.

After spending the summer in Dingle, I had lost faith in Tinder. My remote location on a conservative peninsula in western Ireland - shockingly! - didn’t offer much in terms of potential dates or love interests. I think most of the single men around that area would have been subscribed to FarmersOnly.com instead of a silly urban app like Tinder. 

But whatever the case, Melbourne more than made up for my lack of options from the summer. 

Let me just say: So. Many. Man buns! That's in reference to a popular hair style, not pictures of asses, but there were a bunch of asses, too.

I spent far too long that Saturday night (technically Sunday morning) swiping left and right. Every now and then a new chat would pop up, though it was quite clear that many of these said gentlemen were not quite finished with their Saturday night and were far from looking at a productive Sunday morning. That was until I got a particular message around 7:22 AM… 

After chatting endlessly through the day, Adam and I agreed to meet for pho that same night. He was exhausted from being in class for his graduate program all day, and I was lost and confused at where I was, which caused me to be a half hour late after literally running 3 KM to meet him. I showed up smelly and sweating, defeated and exhausted. 

A few days later, he mentioned that he would usually leave if someone was running that late, but decided to let it slide for some reason. Lucky me! 

We’ve been dating and spending significant time together since that fateful day, and I have made a significant effort to be on time to our plans. But it’s the thought that counts, right? 

Looking Like a Mess at 'The Mess Hall'

After my first weekend in Melbourne, I printed off my resume and wandered the streets to bars and cafes looking for a job. During this particular day, it suddenly began to downpour, which prompted me to pop into a small restaurant called The Mess Hall. 

I ordered a coffee and defeatedly asked if they were hiring, while I pulled a stool up to their bar. I was utterly exhausted and feeling quite vulnerable; the place was quite busy which made me feel even more overwhelmed and hopeless in my current state of questioning. Like my first date with Adam the night before, I didn't expect a call back.

I spoke briefly with one of the Italian managers, Alessandro, who seems to be a few years older than me, and he offered me the coffee for free; like I said, I felt defeated and probably looked the part. I smiled and accepted his generous offer, assuming that it was the most that he would offer a temporariy burnt out, frizzy haired ginger. 

As I sipped my coffee, I chatted with the barista, Geordi, who had some local suggestions for bars and cafes that might be hiring. The last thing Alessandro mentioned was that they were fully staffed and currently not looking for anyone, but he would be in touch. 

Now enjoy your free coffee and get out of here, little American! Ciao, bella! 

After my short, luckily gratis pick-me-up, I was off to continue the job hunt. The weather cleared and with my unemployed status, blatant cafe inexperience, new list of suggetions, and overwhelming confusion at this new city, I felt oddly empowered. 

Shockingly, the following day I got a call from Alessandro and was offered a serving position at the restaurant. He asked when I could begin, which ended up being the following day, as did my second date with Adam. Things were looking up!

Upon my trial shift at the Italian restaurant and cafe, Alessandro promised he would train me as a barista over the upcoming weeks, which is one of the skill sets I was hellbent on acquiring during my time in Melbourne. The coffee scene here is extremely competitive (and delicious!), and I look forward to learning more about coffee and how to properly make cafe beverages. Either way, I had a job!

Emotional Goodbyes

In additional Globetrotting Ginger news, my laptop died recently. It went to sleep one morning during my last week in Dingle, and never woke up again. 

I like to think it died with a smile on his hard drive while looking out over the rolling hills of West Kerry, but in reality he probably died with a blogging draft and some senseless, outdated Facebook feed on his Safari browser. For that, I am sorry.

It was a surprising, shocking, and overly emotional moment, which threw a wrench in my writing and blogging over these past few weeks. I miss my old laptop and decided to honor our two year relationship with a love letter to my late MacBook Air which is coming soon.

I reluctantly purchased its successor during my first few days in Melbourne after a lengthy internal debate - being a sheep is damned expensive! At least the Australian dollar and trading in my devices worked in my favor. This choice was made after endless hours at the Apple stores in London and Melbourne. Did I mention that I'm a complete sheep?!

More positively, my shiny, new laptop came with an Australian charger. You know what they say, home is where you don’t use a converter. As painful or exciting as it may be for my family and friends at home, I think Melbourne might be my new home for quite a long time...

My New Apartment

After sorting myself with the bare essentials - job, bank account, boyfriend - I shifted my focus to my housing hunt. I visited a few apartments and houses I had connected with via Flatmates, and I eventually found my current abode. It's perfection in apartment form.

I share the apartment with a fantastic artist/student/model/DJ/badass named Leila. She has lived in Melbourne for a few years (in this particular apartment for two-plus years) and is currently finishing up her degree. Every time we have an evening together we find that we have more and more in common, and I just generally enjoy when we hang out.

Our apartment has fantastic energy, and we both enjoy writing by day and getting weird by night. She's become a great confidant and open-minded sounding board for all of my thoughts from potential careers to friend situations to fun cafes and venues to visit.

We live in a building that is close to a major tram line and in a neighbourhood that is particularly diverse and openminded called East Brunswick. Think artsy, open-minded, hipster community with endlessly diverse restaurants, boutiques, cafes, and bars. Oh wait, that's the whole of Melbourne...!

Second Date & Beyond News

In other exciting news, Adam surprised me with a vintage bike. He is really into biking and went out of his way to find and buy a super cute, high-quality bike for me in a nearby neighborhood.

It is absolutely adorable and I could not imagine a more perfect bike - and guy! He's been so much fun to spend time with and has already become a very natural friend, confidant, and partner in my life.

We’ve explored the city here and there, and after he finishes his masters program in the next few weeks we have plans to further explore the state of Victoria. It's crazy how quickly I've established a routine and paused my endless travel pace of the past two years. It's been an exciting change, to say the least.

This past weekend we went to a toga party at a friend's house and next weekend we are going to carve pumpkins and dress up to celebrate Halloween, a holiday that is  -unfortunately - rarely acknowledged here. That is a picture of me waiting at a bus stop with my pumpkin; I couldn't make it home carrying all of my items. I need to start lifting!

Longer term, I have offered to recreate my favorite holiday from home, Thanksgiving, for my new friends here. Most Australians - rightfully(?) - don't know what our Thanksgiving holiday is all about, and I'm excited to share the story and tradition. We'll see how that goes, as I've never personally prepared a turkey...

This was Adam searching for the best kangaroo option for our kangaroo cookout two weeks ago. It was...interesting. Worst case, we can make kangaroo instead of turkey for Thanksgiving next month!

I have finally found 'my city' in the world

When I came to Australia I wasn't sure how I would craft my ideal lifestyle, but within the span of a month, it seems to have created itself. I couldn't be happier, more comfortable, or more content with my choice to live and work in Melbourne.

Through generous friends and connections via Facebook and email, I have met up with people intermittently and begun to expand my own network here. I’ve become friends with people at work and genuinely enjoyed my time serving at The Mess Hall.

Through Adam, I have been introduced to a new group of friends and found myself in a ‘new normal’ that I never expected in my wildest dreams. Last Thursday, a new friend named Claire, who I met through Adam, invited me for drinks and to attend the popular ‘David Bowie Is’ exhibition that is currently on in Melbourne. 

It was a great night and while I was heading home I kept thanking my lucky stars for her invitation and newfound friendship. It felt surreal.

Through my work, I have learned intricacies about the Australian culture, especially the hospitality industry; all I will say is that a 'no tipping' culture makes for incredible team work and a significantly laid back, yet efficient work environment. 

As I mentioned, I have met and made friends through my work buddies, most of whom are international transplants as well. I'm the only American working there, but swapping stories and experiences is the norm for our short breaks, which is always exciting and interesting to me.

Because of the fantastic weather and endless festivals at this time of year, I have spent afternoons wandering through the city, one of my favorite spots being the Royal Botanical Gardens. I have been soaking up the city views while growing the freckle count on my face and falling more and more in love with Melbourne. 

In two weeks, I have plans to attend the Melbourne Cup, which is one of the biggest horse races in the country and is held each year in November in the city. Through friends of friends from home, I've connected with a new friend, Leah, who invited me along on a day-long tailgate and race-day adventure. It's a great time to be in Melbourne!

Additionally through classes and volunteer opportunities I found online, I have been enrolled in an intermediate wheel-throwing pottery class at a local studio. I've completed the first two weeks and have a month left of that class; it's been humbling since I have lost my center for wheel throwing, but it's been fun and I hope I get back to my previous levels of comfort from my high school years. I've loved getting back on the wheel and meeting likeminded locals in the process.

I have applied as a TEFL volunteer with AMES, an Australian organization focused on assisting immigrants with getting settled in the state of Victoria. I will spend the rest of my life repaying the generosity of Steph's family and have experienced firsthand the frustrations and unnecessary abuse that migrants can endure. This program focuses on assisting new and recently arrived refugees with settling in and around Melbourne. From English lessons to grocery shopping, I am excited to get involved and begin to give back to this always hopeful and hardworking, yet sometimes overwhelmed population.

Setting up my new room; far from being a displaced migrant.

Finally, I have enrolled in a creative writing workshop set to take place in mid-November. I am nervous and excited about making a more substantial investment in my writing journey. I am looking forward to learning more about developing my passion for writing and maybe even into a potential career. As always, I hope to meet new friends and network in the process.

Super SparkNotes

I'm finally settled and am thrilled for my future here in Melbourne - so let me know if you're in town and want to meet up! Stay tuned for the next few chapters, and as always thanks for following along.