I’ve spent hours trying to put my thoughts into words and I’m having a lot of difficulty so please bare with me. Guess what! There are struggles to moving to a new country! After months of living here I am actually allowing myself to admit that I have had struggles. I do love my life – don’t get me wrong, but it isn’t perfect. My biggest struggle has been finding comfort in the social part of my new life. I haven't exactly been an extremely social person since moving and as much as I am okay with being on my own, it is starting to get the best of me. The hardest part of this entire journey has been making friends. I have never had trouble making friends before and it's only starting to hit me that I don't really feel like I have anyone here that I can run to when I need to. Yes, I have made friends, but I don't feel as though there is anyone in this entire country that genuinely thinks of me when they think about the friends in their life. There is also a voice in my head telling me that the rest of the world is watching me on this journey and they expect me to be making friends, being social, going out, etc. The reality of it is that moving somewhere new is hard – especially if you’re not the most outgoing person in the world. I have been on my own a lot in the last 7 months. I always have considered myself to be a social person, but moving has really revealed a lot to me about my social life. Something that I never really knew about myself is that I am socially anxious. I mean, I’ve never been completely outgoing – I am quite reserved and not a loud person what-so-ever, but I never considered it an anxiety. I don’t want to label myself as having social anxiety, simply because I have not been diagnosed and I know there are serious cases of it far more difficult than I could ever imagine. Throughout my life I have always had close friends, but I have never felt completely secure. I have always had that voice telling me that nobody liked me as much as I liked them - but for the most part, I was comfortable.  It wasn’t until I left my comfortable life in Canada that being alone became the norm for me. I mean I’ve never been a “social butterfly” or a dominant personality, but I never felt fear when it came to being social. As the months have progressed, social situations have become more and more terrifying to me. I’m not saying that I haven’t made friends; it’s just that the idea of being social seems more exhausting than fulfilling to me now. At the same time though, avoiding social situations doesn’t make me feel lame or lonely. Being on my own is where I am the most comfortable. Even when I do go out to do things I like being on my own. I like going to the beach alone, I like shopping alone; I am genuinely okay doing most things alone. I think this is also a large reason that I don’t feel the need to have a boyfriend, to my mother’s dismay. My entire family can’t figure out what’s wrong with me (NOTE: being single does not mean there is something wrong with you – please forgive my family for being judgmental. Thank you.), but I think it’s pretty simple. Meeting new people makes me anxious, I definitely haven’t met the right person yet, and I really enjoy being alone. Also I haven’t met Harry Styles yet, so…

I read an article a few weeks ago about being an extroverted introvert and I have never felt such a connection to a piece of writing before. I have never considered myself either because I am definitely not an extrovert, but I’m also not completely an introvert. “You’re resilient and sensitive at the same time. Very social butrarely out. You enjoy being the center of attention - there are days whenyou think out loud, and you rarely care. And then there are days when youover-think everything, rarely thinking out loud, your annoying inner monologuekicking in. The entirety of your being is a conundrum.” I didn’t really know that other people felt this same way, and it was so comforting to know that there are others who think the way that I do. It has been hard for me to actually put into words how I feel, and this article did exactly that. Our minds are terrifying places that can lead us to believe that we are the only ones going through what we’re going through.

Being alone doesn’t make me lonely. I don’t dread the nights where I lay in bed watching countless hours of Netflix; I genuinely enjoy them. I truly am my own best friend and I wouldn’t want to change that. As much as my anxieties about being social have increased since I moved here, my relationship with myself has gotten even stronger. A lot of people have told me that I am so brave and confident to move across the world but I don’t see myself like that at all. The initial move was honestly the easiest decision I’ve ever made. The hard parts of the move are just starting to reveal themselves and I don’t feel brave or confident in any way. Yes, I am comfortable with myself and who I am but no, I haven’t overcome my social anxieties. I am simply doing my best to not let them get the best of me. As much as I wish I could be a bit more outgoing, and a bit more comfortable outside of my own bubble, I am so thankful that I am okay on my own.

* I don’t know if any of this made sense but neither does anything that’s going on in my head at this moment I just had to get it all out. Social anxieties suck! But loving yourself rocks!

** Also in no way am I a spokesperson for those with anxiety. I know there is a lot more to it and I didn't go in depth about everything that goes on inside of my head. 

If you haven't already got the hint from the title of this blog, I love the ocean. As much as I would love to live in or close to the city, the South Coast of NSW is home to some of the best beaches and ocean views, and I am so grateful that I'm starting off my life in Australia here. If you come to Australia for the beach experience please don't think Bondi is the best there is. Don't get me wrong - I love Bondi and the whole atmosphere of it. But it isn't what I would consider a real beach. I'm here to give you the inside scoop on where the real beaches are. My aspirations definitely include living in Sydney, but the South Coast is home for now.. and hopefully one day I'll have a holiday home down here. A girl can dream, okay? The fact that even now I can say that I have "local" beaches is still crazy to me. Beaches have always been a holiday destination to me but now they're apart of my daily life. I still get excited when I see the ocean, and I literally see the ocean every single day.

I'll start of with my favourite area, Jervis Bay. My Aunt might kill me for revealing our secret little spot in Jervis Bay, so I'll just address the entire area in general. Jervis Bay is home to the most beautiful white sand and glistening blue ocean. Since it is in a bay there is rarely any wind so you don't have to worry about being covered in sand. Also, the waves are quite calm for the most part so it's easy to just have a relaxing dip in the water without getting tossed and tumbled. There are tons of beaches throughout Jervis Bay - the most popular being Hyams Beach. During the holidays it does seem a bit like Bondi with all of the people. You just have to make sure you get in early to claim your spot. But, any other time of year the beach is empty. 

Some other beaches in Jervis Bay are Caves Beach, Blenheim Beach, Greenfields Beach, and Steamers Beach. Some of these are part of the National Park so they do require payment upon entry but it really is worth it. I haven't been to Caves or Steamers in years (they are part of the National Park) but I do remember them being some of the most beautiful beaches. If you are looking for a beach to just relax with a little slice of paradise, definitely look into Jervis Bay. You won't be disappointed.

Next up is Kiama. Kiama in general is just a really cute town on the coast. I feel like if you lived there you would walk down to the main road in the mornings for breakfast, everyone would know your exact order, and then you would head down for a walk along the boardwalk. I have never actually been to the beach in Kiama, but the environment itself is the epitome of beach town. If you want to spend a day in a town and not just on the beach - Kiama is the place for you. There are tons of shops, restaurants, cafes, and then plenty of ocean views to fulfill your beach quota. I love exploring new areas so when I first step foot in Kiama I was in my element. There's tons of coastline to walk along, and the Kiama blowhole which is the main tourist attraction in the area. 

If you're looking for somewhere to have a nice walk, or even run, along the beach you should definitely check out Gerroa, or better known as seven mile beach. I have never personally walked the full seven miles but I have walked my fair share of the beach. Seven Mile isn't the best lay down to relax beach - that's what Jervis Bay is for. This is more of a "let's go for a morning walk" sort of beach. I mean you totally can spend the day there and relax but the waves are a bit harsher and it can get quite windy. But there are still amazing views. If you go to the Kingsford Smith lookout at the entry of Gerroa you get one of my favourite views on the south coast. It's the view that has me thanking God for the amazing life that I live. 

Finally, there is Werri Beach in Gerringong. If you want to go for a surf, or simply just watch people surfing (or check out hot surfer guys) then Werri beach is the place for you. It's another nice beach for a walk, as well as some rock pools to explore, and a lot of space to just sit and relax. The wind, like Gerroa, can be quite harsh sometimes so just make sure you figure out what direction the wind is blowing before deciding to head to Werri. Even so, Gerringong is another cute beach town with shops, restaurants, cafes, and amazing ocean views so if the wind blows you off the beach you have something else to do. 

As I said, I can't believe all of these beaches are so close to home. Honestly if you live in Australia or are visiting Australia, head to the South Coast of NSW. You will not be disappointed. There are tons of small towns along the way to stop in and check out - some more exciting than others. But it really does show the culture of Australia outside of the big cities. I love the South Coast. It truly is one of the most beautiful places in the world - and extremely Instagram worthy. 

I think I say this every year, but how is it already the end of the year?? 2015 has been an amazing year for me and as cliche as it sounds, it has truly changed my life. 2016 has a lot to live up to but I am quite excited for what the new year has in store. My plan for New Years Day is to lay on the beach all day so I mean the year is already going to start out strong. Anyways, back to 2015. The year that truly changed my life.

I started 2015 quite miserable. My vacation in Australia was coming to an end, and I was getting ready to head back to my home, Toronto. The forecast was -22 degrees celsius and I was not looking forward to it at all. Before I left Australia, my Aunt had told me that I could apply to University in Australia and move in with her. I kind of laughed it off, not really taking her too seriously, and continued reluctantly packing my bags to go home. As I was leaving Australia, I made a decision with myself that 2015 would be my year to make things happen. 

Part of a journal entry I wrote in February, 2015. 

On my way back to Toronto my connecting flight between New York and Toronto was cancelled. I was travelling alone, had been awake for about 36 hours, and all I wanted was to be in my own bed. Let's just say at that point in time 2015 was looking like the absolute worst year of my life. 24 hours, a $200 hotel room, and a few tears later, I finally ended up on a flight back to Toronto. Once I got to Toronto I wasn't even happy to be home because it was freezing cold and I slowly sunk into a deep sadness. I was absolutely miserable. I woke up every morning with zero motivation to do anything, but had to find my way to work or school. That's when I remembered what my Aunt had said as I was leaving Australia. So, within a week of being back in Toronto I had applied for a transfer to the University of Wollongong. I didn't really think anything would come of it, but I applied and then continued on with my miserable, freezing life. 

About a month later I received an email from the University of Wollongong telling me that I had been accepted as a transfer student, and that they were willing to give me enough credits that I would only have to do 2 years of the program. Again, I kind of laughed it off thinking that there was absolutely no way I could just move to Australia. I began to tell a few of my friends that I might move to Australia, and they also laughed. There was no way I was actually serious. But, as the Canadian winter took its toll on me, I really began to take it seriously. By March, I had officially made my decision to move to Australia. 

The rest of the year, between March and July at least, revolved around my preparation to move to Australia. The first step was telling everyone. It was amazing to see the reactions of my friends and family. My favourite though was the reaction from people I barely knew. Even they knew moving to Australia was my biggest dream and were sharing their excitement with me. I had never really done anything "big" in my life, so this was crazy to see the reaction from those around me. 

Once I had made it official that I was moving, two of my best friends, Maddie and Tori, and I planned a trip to New York. In May we flew to New York for 3 days. You can see my posts about that here and here. I made an internal plan with myself in 2012 that I would go on an airplane at least once every year, and I was definitely living up to that in 2015. 

I did a lot of sight seeing around Toronto, visiting friends and family, and pretty much doing everything there is to do before you move to a different country. On top of that I was working A LOT so that I could save as much as possible for the move. The month before moving I was crazy busy, but I was the happiest I have ever been. 

Finally the time came. July 8th, 2015. The day I moved to Australia. 

I don't want to go into depth of every single thing I've done since that day because I have written blog posts about it all, and by the time I type it all out 2015 would be long gone. So, I'll just keep it really simple. Ever since I moved things have been falling into place. The program that I transferred to at Uni is exactly what I want to be doing. I got a marketing internship which I absolutely love. I have moments where I just sit back and think about how happy I am to be here. I spent the beginning of 2015 in absolute misery, and I have not even felt the slightest bit of that since stepping foot on Australian soil.

2015 really has been the best year of my life... so far. I moved to Australia, got an internship, it was my first full year of being vegan, I got to cross Mumford & Sons off of my concert bucket list, and I even stopped biting my nails! Most importantly I have gained a lot of self confidence this year and have become comfortable with myself. I have spent a lot of my life fighting off insecurities and I never really loved myself, but 2015 has been huge for my own personal growth. Hopefully it will all pour into 2016, making it an even better year.

I think I'm ready... bring on 2016.

This year I had a very small Christmas. My only immediate family in Australia is my Aunt and Nanna, so it was just the three of us spending Christmas together. My Nanna is usually the one cooking for the family and she often gets quite stressed and flustered when she is under pressure like that. So, my Aunt and I offered to cook this year. And since I'm vegan, we decided to steer away from the traditional roast dinner because I would just be eating a plate of potatoes (which I am honestly fine with, but it is a lot more fun when there are options). We all decided that Thai food would be something that we would all enjoy, so with the help of Pinterest I came up with a menu. For all of you fellow vegans out there, or just anyone who is okay with skipping meat once in a while, here are a few options you can try for your next family gathering, or just for yourself. All of these recipes were really easy. Honestly if I can cook them, anyone can.

First we wanted to do some rice paper rolls. We were going to make them all ahead of time but then realised it would be easier to just chop up the veggies and let everyone fill their own so they could put what they like into each roll. The recipe we used was from The Rawsome Vegan Life. They were SO delicious, fun to make, and the tahini chilli dipping sauce was absolutely to die for.

Next on the menu was a Thai Cashew Coconut Rice with Ginger Peanut Sauce. I am a huge fan of coconut rice so was really excited for this recipe. I pretty much just made the rice and then layered all of the veggies on top, then put the dressing on the side so everyone could add as much as they wanted. This recipe was from Host the Toast. The sauce was quite sweet and added a really great flavour to the rice.

Our final main dish was a Thai Peanut Noodle Bowl from She Knows. At first we were a bit hesitant because we thought the dishes might taste the same since they were both peanut based. But, they ended up tasting extremely different, and were both equally delicious. This one was a more savoury peanut sauce than the one used on the coconut rice. Also, we used a thicker rice noodle instead of thin noodle like the recipe calls for.

And last, but certainly not least, a Mango Turmeric Cheesecake for dessert. This was my job and I made it the night before so it had time to sit. This recipe was from Be Good Organics. My Aunt is subscribed to their email list and got the recipe months ago, so we had been looking forward to this for a long time coming. I have made a few different vegan cheesecakes, but this one truly takes the cake. First of all, mangoes are my favourite fruit; I could eat them all day, everyday. And second, cheesecake is my favourite dessert. So naturally, this cheesecake was absolutely amazing. I used to be terrified of recipes like this one because I thought they were super complex and time consuming. Yes, it did take a bit of time, but it was so easy. I am most definitely not a chef, so honestly anyone could make this.

This truly was an amazing Christmas. It was my first away from my parents, but my Aunt and Nanna made me feel at home. They were so open to eating vegan (although they did have a few prawns on the side of the table to add to their dishes). Usually I am left with whatever vegetables are on the table at holiday dinners, so this made me feel very special. It was also a lot of fun to cook and see these recipes come to life. I guess I will spend 2016 scouring Pinterest for new recipes to try at Christmas 2016.

If you are vegan and feel like nobody really considers your choices during holiday meals, offer to do some of the cooking so that you can make food that you can enjoy! It really is a lot of fun, and really rewarding when people actually enjoy the food you made.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

** just a quick note: most of these recipes ask for honey so i just used agave nectar instead!

Something I have learned from writing travel posts: condense them as much as possible so a month after a trip you aren't still trying to complete the posts and remember every detail. Hey, this is all a learning curve.. so here goes day 3, also the final day that I am going to write about. Day 4 was just a bit of shopping and then flying back to Sydney, and I'll briefly talk about it at the end of this post.

Day 3 was a big day. Jackie and I booked a day tour of the Great Ocean Road which took us from Melbourne to the 12 Apostles. This post is going to be mainly pictures because it is so much easier to just show you what we saw rather than talk about it all. Also I don't remember the names of everything.

We started our day at 7am where we headed to Torquay, a surfing town in Victoria. It's very different from being in Melbourne, because Melbourne is very much a city. The trip brought us through a bunch of small towns along the Great Ocean Road. I am currently living in a small town on the South Coast of NSW, so it was interesting to see all these small towns that were a lot like where I live. Beach towns are great to visit and you will find the best beaches in these areas. City beaches are cool, but beaches down the coast are the best beaches.

As we made our way out of Torquay, we ended up at the entrance of the Great Ocean Road. The famous arch way where people risk their lives standing in the middle of the road to get the perfect tourist photo.

Our next stop was at a caravan park which had a large koala population. We were told that we would get to spot a bunch of koalas. We ended up only seeing one, and it really just looked like a blob in a tree. Once I got back on the bus I realised I didn't even take any pictures of the blob. There were also tons of birds flying on people's heads and shoulders. I am absolutely terrified of birds so I was scared for my life. I just wanted to see a koala I didn't sign up for my worst nightmare!!! (Disclaimer: it actually wasn't that bad - no birds landed on me as I ran away every time one came near me).

Here is Jackie being extremely brave and becoming one with nature. Namaste. 

Next was a rainforest walk which was actually really cool. I felt like I was on the set of survivor.
There were ferns everywhere - it was truly a botanists dream. So much vegetation!

I can basically hear Jeff Probst telling me that my tribe has spoken. 

Finally, we ended up at the 12 Apostles - which actually turns out to be only 8 or 9 apostles? False advertising much, Victoria tourism? In all seriousness though the apostles are sooooooo beautiful and I definitely think everyone should make the trip out to see them. It is a huge tourist attraction so be prepared for the selfie sticks and having to push your way through to get the perfect Instagram photos.

Okay so the apostles are actually like a pale beige but the sun made them look black. I now understand the whole white/gold, black/blue dress debate. Thank you rock formations. 

After the apostles we got to explore the different cliffs and gorges and other rock formations (?) Unsure if I'm describing this correctly so here are pictures! Yay for erosion!

This beach was so cool it was a little cove - refer to next picture for birds eye view of this same cove. I am all about the different camera angles. 

Hey - here is the cove from a different view.

Just loving the erosion. 

Eventually we made it back to Melbourne and decided that it wasn't time to end the day yet. It was our last night in Melbourne so we went to a rooftop bar called Madam Brussels. It was pink and garden-y and basically everything I could ask for in a rooftop bar. We ordered this really yummy drink with vanilla and watermelon? I think? It was a month ago, okay, I don't remember all the details. This is truly blogging at it's finest. Anyways, they also had these cute umbrellas so of course I had to take a million selfies.

Here I am. 

Then came day 4, our final day in Melbourne. We had a few hours to kill before we had to head to the airport so we went to Chapel Street in South Yarra to do some shopping. It's just outside of the CBD and took about 10 minutes to get to by train. They have all of the classic Australian stores that you would find in any shopping centre, as well as a few independent boutiques. Then finally, it was time to say goodbye to Melbourne. Overall it was a great trip. We saw a lot of the city, and surrounding areas, but still have a lot more ground to cover on another trip. Melbourne really is a great city - I just don't think I like experiencing all 4 seasons in one day.

The tour we went on was by Go West Tours. It was an awesome tour, and our guide was so funny and lovely. She taught us a lot about the history of Great Ocean Road and made the long drive super enjoyable.

I figured I should probably get onto my Melbourne posts because it just took me 10 minutes to remember what I did on day two. Clearly I need to start vlogging or something so I don't have to remember things on my own. *Insert zoella's vlogmas intro here but pretend it says Melbourne Day 2 and has a cardboard cut out of me*

Day two began with a search for a cafe for breakfast and a stroll up Brunswick street. Brunswick street is like the Newtown of Melbourne and pretty much every vegan cafe on my list was located there. We already had plans to meet up with our friend, Bella, at Vegie bar so we just wanted to find somewhere to grab a quick breakfast. Unfortunately, Smith and Daughters, the place on my list that I really wanted to try was closed on Mondays. Struck again by the Australian business model of needing to be closed all the time. We ended up at a cafe called The Black Cat on Brunswick Street. It was extremely aesthetically pleasing which is the first thing I look for in a cafe. Aesthetics first, food second. They were just putting up the menu and had a vegan option so I was sold. I totally forget what was inside of it, but it was a wrap of some description. Here's a really boring photo of it. Anyways, it was really good!! They seemed to change the menu everyday though so if you are looking to try it, it might not be on the menu, but I'm sure they have lots of other delicious options as well.  

Ok so I guess there was like cucumber... lettuce.... some red sauce? I should've written this down. 

This was our bench at the cafe.. felt like we were in a rainforest. Amazing aesthetics.

After breakfast we continued to make our way up Brunswick street, checking out a bunch of cute boutiques. We came across a book store called The Book Grocer that had all books for $10. Books in Australia are way more expensive than in Canada, so this was like a gift from heaven. Unfortunately I couldn't find the two books that I wanted - Why Not Me by Mindy Kaling and #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso - but I couldn't just leave empty handed. I ended up buying The Taxidermist's Daughter by Kate Mosse. It's a gothic fiction and looked really intriguing so I thought I would give it a go. I really want to get back into reading a lot so if you do have any book recommendations please let me know. The Book Grocer has an online store which I am definitely going to try out soon. They also have a few locations throughout Melbourne so if you are in the area and keen for a cheap book i definitely recommend checking them out. I promise this isn't sponsored or anything I just love book stores - especially cheap ones.

Heaven is a place on earth. 

After going into just about every shop on Brunswick street we finally reached Vegie Bar and met up with our friend, Bella. This was our first time meeting her outside of Twitter so it was super exciting. Internet friends are so fun because when you meet them it's really just like old friends catching up. Unfortunately, I was still full from my meal at The Black Cat but I couldn't possibly be in a vegan restaurant without ordering a single thing. So, I just ordered a Matcha Milkshake which was really yummy and refreshing. It was a toss up between that and a Coconut Choc Milkshake - but I knew I would probably regret the chocolate one because a lot of the time my eyes are bigger than my appetite. I actually made a poll on Twitter to try and decide. Most people went for Coconut Choc so naturally I chose the opposite. Next time I'm in Melbourne I will definitely go back to Vegie Bar and I will make sure I don't eat a thing before I go.

Sooooooo yum.

We tried so hard to take a pic without sun spots we were truly standing behind a bus shelter and still failed.

Melbourne is known for it's alleyways and graffiti. As I mentioned in my last post there are tons of hidden bars and cafes, and a lot of these are in the alleyways. We decided to go on a hunt for the graffiti alleys, hoping to enhance our Instagram photos, of course. The most famous alleyway is Hosier Lane so we went to that one first. We then just continued to make our way through Flinders Lane checking out any graffiti we came across. This is definitely something I recommend checking out if you're ever in Melbourne. It's pretty cool because people are constantly creating new artwork so you'll likely never see the same graffiti twice if you visit more than once.

Waiting for Senpai. 

Just your everyday George Costanza-inspired graffiti. 

And finally, we ended our day by going down to the harbour and checking out Crown Casino. This is well, a casino, and also the hotel where pretty much every celebrity who visits Melbourne stays at. Remember a few weeks ago when Kylie and Kendall were in Australia and were staying in a massive penthouse? Yeah, thats where they were staying. We just decided to walk through the casino, and once I saw Nobu Sushi I knew it was where Kylie and Kendall had stayed. Don't worry - one day when I'm rich and famous I'll stay in that same penthouse. We then headed back to our Airbnb as we had a super early morning the next day - but more about that later.

My amazing, totally not blurry, photography. 

Hi... remember me? I'm that girl who moved to Australia and started a blog about it... but hasn't blogged in almost 2 months. I could write an essay apologizing and telling you how busy I've been but let's face it, we're all busy we all have a lot on our plates and nobody wants to read about anyone else's busy life. So I'm just going to say hi, please forgive me, and let's get started on this new post.

In all of the vacations I've taken to Australia throughout my life I've done a little bit of travelling to see family, but somewhere that I had never been before was Melbourne. Everyone has told me how much I would love Melbourne so naturally, my friend Jackie and I booked a trip. I finished exams on the 13th of November and on the 22nd I was off to Melbourne for 3 and a half days. Hopefully these next few posts about Melbourne can give you some ideas about what to do or see if you ever visit, or if you don't plan on it, you can just sit back, relax and enjoy.

I can tell you this: everyone was right. I fell in love with Melbourne in a matter of minutes. The 14 degree temperature (in celsius btw) that met us upon arrival wasn't exactly ideal, but the culture of the city was enough to let that pass. Melbourne isn't just a city, it has its own personality. I didn't feel like I was in a big city where people were rushing to get where they had to go. It was a lot more laid back, like everyone was taking their time to enjoy the city surrounding them. When we first got there we were starving so we thought it would be easy to find a cafe to have brunch at. Unfortunately, Melbourne falls under the classic Australian ideal of nothing being open on Sundays. After walking through the CBD for a while we finally came across The Grain Store, a busy cafe on Flinders Lane. I guess when you're one of the only cafe's open on a Sunday you're bound to be busy. I got the toasted carrot falafel with quinoa tabouleh - it was the only vegan option on the menu, but I was not disappointed. It was a bit on the pricier side but it was a delicious meal and I would definitely recommend.

The carrots were dehydrated which was so cool it was like chips on a salad. Amazing.

We then headed off to the Queen Victoria Market. I think we would have enjoyed it more if we didn't have to carry our luggage around with us. Unfortunately we couldn't check into our Airbnb until 3pm, so we were wandering around with luggage, and we were not in the best mind set. The QVM reminded me a lot of the St Lawrence Market in Toronto. It was a great place to get local produce, old books and records, or some souvenirs to bring back home with you. I would definitely want to go back to check it out again, but without my luggage this time. Finally we gave up and just headed to our Airbnb in hopes that we would be able to get in a few minutes early. Fortunately on our way there we got a message from the host telling us we could check in.


Our Airbnb was probably one of the best parts of the trip. It was located in Fitzroy which can be compared to Newtown in Sydney or West Queen West in Toronto. If you have never been to either of those places then let's just say it's the alternate part of the city with different types of cafes and boutiques. If I still used the word hipster I would say it was the "hipster" part of town. Also if you're looking for somewhere with tons of vegan options - Brunswick street in Fitzroy is the place for you. But, more about that in the next post. The apartment itself was super cute, had GREAT lighting (perfect for selfies), and was in a perfect location for our trip. If you read my NYC post a few months ago you would know how much I loved my experience with Airbnb then, and I still love it now. If you want to sign up for Airbnb and get a discount off of your first trip, use this link! It's honestly much cooler experience than staying in a hotel, and can be a lot cheaper too.

Excuse the mess I made within seconds of checking in but how cute is this place?!

After dropping off our luggage, charging our phones and refreshing ourselves after a day of travelling and walking, we headed back into the city to check out Bourke St Mall. The road is closed off to traffic, only the trams can get through, so it's easy to walk through and go to all of the different shops. We went to stores like Zara, Glue, and the biggest H&M I have ever seen. H&M has just recently ventured over to Australia so it is a big deal here. The second one literally just opened a few weeks ago in Sydney. I grew up living 5 minutes from an H&M so it was funny for me to see how hectic people were over the store.

Everyone was shopping madly while I was taking pictures of the entire store

After shopping for a couple of hours we met up with one of my old family friends, Blake, who lives in Melbourne. His girlfriend suggested we go to the Night Noodle Markets as they had come to Melbourne for a few days. Unfortunately she wasn't feeling well and couldn't make it but we still met up with him. The Noodle Markets were in Birrarung Marr Park, just a few minutes walk from Flinders St Station. There were tons of people, and tons of noodles. I found a vegan friendly stall and got a noodle dosa which is basically noodles in a crepe. It was super delicious. If you live in Australia and the noodle markets come to your city I definitely recommend going. There are also tons of lanterns and dangly lights which are one of my top 10 favourite things in the world.

Finally, Blake took us to one of the many rooftop bars in Melbourne, Goldilocks, which he heard about from a friend. Something cool about Melbourne is that a lot of the bars and cafes are hidden and you have to be told about them ahead of time to know that they exist. To get to this bar we had to walk through a Chinese restaurant, get on an elevator and go to the top floor. The rooftop had some good views of the city, and was the perfect place to be as the sun set on our first day in Melbourne.

Stay tuned for day 2 coming at you soon! And for more pictures you can check out my Instagram: @tessbald