Victoria

Ever since watching Finding Nemo and Steve Irwin as a child, I wanted to travel to Australia and experience the great Land Down Under. Getting the opportunity and confidence to do at age 20, I wound up on the adventure of a lifetime as I opted to study abroad in Melbourne, Australia. It was a milestone in personal growth: I learned I could do just about anything I could put my mind to, and discovered for the first time just how big this world was and how much I wanted to see. Australia had all I could dream of: the bustling city life of Melbourne, cuddly kangaroos, gorgeous beaches, opportunities to grow and explore everywhere... Australia changed me in more ways than I can imagine, and I'm incredibly lucky I got to document so much of it here.

Highlights

Brighton Beach

Gallery

Info

Known For-

THE BIRDS

TRAMS

KANGAROOS

The Best Of Victoria-

Cool History

*Ned Kelly (famous outlaw)

*Penal Colony

*First Capital (check out Parliament House)

*Aboriginal Culture/History

Food

Lord of the Fries

Churros

Father's Office!! (speakeasy and restaurant)

Encore Pizza

Baker's Delight

Grill'd

Melbourne

* Walking around the CBD

* Visiting the State Library (I could sit out here for hours)

* Touring the museums or the aquarium

* Walking along the Yarra

* Flemington Racetrack (don't root on the horses)

Sounds

Trams clacking and bells dinging across the city,

Heaps of bird calls- parakeets, magpies, ravens

The ripper accents (which I defo still use here and there)

Out in the Bush

* Hanging out with adorable kangaroos in Ballarat

* Seeing the beautiful Healesville and sampling Australian wine

* Embarking on The Great Ocean Road

*Chilling at Brighton Beach

Nature

Lots of cool birds from pelicans to wedge-tailed eagles

Kangaroos, koalas, wombats, and other marsupials

Snakes and spiders (almost none of them live in the city)

Rainy Day

Dinner/hanging with the mates (chicken parms!!) , hit up the mall, go to the Library, write or do homework, go for a walk anyway (you're in Australia, might as well)

New Skill I Picked Up

I learned how to throw a boomerang and get it to come back!

I also tried surfing, and was not very good at it

Memories

01.

Petting Kangaroos in Ballarat

When you think of Australia, you think of kangaroos, and I knew that seeing some up close was something I had to do. A sanctuary in Ballarat was the perfect spot to get up close and personal with a huge variety of Aussie animals- emus, crocodiles, and my favorite, kangaroos. As it turns out, they're just like dogs (except bouncier), and love getting fed and pet (Toby in particular was our fav). Just beware the emus. Those blokes are scary.

03.

Random Walks across Melbourne

It's not always the big things that make adventures grand. Sometimes, it's the little things like talking walks on the river or in the city. Listening to the exotic birds in the trees, watching the water bounce on the shores, making your way into the city and immersing yourself in a new world. Whether it be a quest to get food in the city, a stroll on the river between classes, or walking to Coles cause you ran out of milk, there's something calm and peaceful about a walk in this magical world.

02.

Flemington Racetrack

I've never been to a horse race before, but with campus being super close to the world famous Flemington Racetrack, I figured now was the perfect opportunity. I did not fit in at all- everyone was dressed up, I had no clue how to bet, and I had no idea that when you "root" for a horse in America, it did not translate the same here. That said, it was a ton of fun, and the excitement you feel cheering on the horses is second to none.