This week in Australia, I got to learn more about the Australian identity and over the weekend we went on a trip to the city of Melbourne. I feel like I am starting to get used to the weather here. It is always humid in the morning but generally sunny and hot in the afternoons. It rained for the first time yesterday which was a welcomed change in temperature. I am almost halfway through my time in Australia, and I feel like there is still so much to do. Sydney itself was not a planned city so much of its layout is (and feels) very random. Finding new places is easy because one wrong turn can lead you to a part of the city you didn’t even know existed.
On the other hand, Melbourne was a planned city and is much different than Sydney in many ways. We got to Melbourne on Friday night and left on Monday morning. On Saturday, we went on the Great Ocean Road tour. During the tour we stopped at many historical and beautiful sightseeing locations. My favorite was the 12 apostles, which was a breath-taking view of a cliffside and self-standing rocks. On Sunday we got a walking tour of the city. During the walking tour I learned that Melbourne has the most café seat per capita in the world. They are known for their coffee, and I can confirm that it is delicious. Furthermore, it is very easy to find a place to eat, there are restaurants everywhere. One of my favorite parts of the walking tour was the laneways. A laneway is just another word for alleyway, but in Melbourne many of these places have been turned into a cafes and restaurants. The Melbourne laneways were supper cool and there was anything from shop to cafes to restaurants all a couple of feet from each other.
Sunday afternoon, after the walking tour, we got to have lunch with Bucknell alumni Jonathan Black. Jonathan graduated from Bucknell in 2008 with a degree in accounting. After getting his PHD from the University of Colorado in 2015 he become an accounting professor at Purdue University. Jonathan and his family moved to Melbourne 6 months ago as he got a job as a senior lecture at the University of Melbourne. It was great to hear about his career path and how it landed him in Melbourne.
All in all, this week was a lot of fun. Although I love Sydney, I think Melbourne has a lot more uniqueness. From the endless restaurants and café to the street art filled laneways, the city had so much to offer. This upcoming week is the last week of our first block of classes, and I am gearing up for my final exams. I hope my next classes are just as interesting as the ones I am taking now.
