Arriving in Melbourne was ridiculous. I was so ecstatic to see Ash but so nervous as well - it'd been so long! I wasn't wearing my contacts so I didn't even recognize him at first, he saw me staring at him but not reacting for a significant amount of time and then I ran towards him and jumped on him. It was the weirdest feeling I can't even say. So much anticipation, 6 months worth! I was like sobbing without tears and so shaky, like nervous jittery shakes.
We drove into Melbourne together and it was just so exciting being together again. When we got to our new place it wasn't exactly what I imagined. Our room is the first one inside and we share an enormous kitchen with 7 other apartments - but now there's only people in 3 of the other apartments so its a pretty big place to ourselves. Nobody uses the kitchen so it's pretty much just Ash and I cooking up a storm every night. The bathroom is a little scary to get to. It's through a semi-outside courtyard, but the shower room is really nice. I was slightly skeptical until I discovered our UNBELIEVABLE location. I am legitimately 5 mins from my school and our house is on the corner of two streets one big main one and a tiny alley. Well, the alley leads to Lygon St. - a really busy city street with hundreds of restaurants, bakeries and shops. Actually a 15 second walk from my doorstep it's insane. Then on Rathdowne the big street my house is on, there is the Melbourne Museum which is a massive rubix cube type building as well as an enormous IMAX theatre and beautiful park. Ash and I went for a long run through the park today and it was lovely. We also live minutes from a gym, grocery store and anything else you could possibly ever want. I've never loved my location more. Before dinner we will just walk to the grocers like 2 mins away and grab stuff. Walking home or to school is amazing, I get to pick up dessert on the way home or grab a bagel on my way, it's such a bustling area and so nice. You can also walk to the legitimate DOWNTOWN part of Melbourne too. We've just been doing a lot of walking and it's so nice, everything is so close and centralized I LOVE it.
On my first night in Melbourne, Ash surprised me by taking me to this beautiful hotel in the city. We walked there and stayed in this really nice room and ordered room service. It was such a introduction to Melbourne! On the way home the next day we walked by the state library and through this park in the city core of Melbourne. A race was just ending and we watched it. It was a beautiful cool but sunny day and I was SO happy to be where I was. We moved into our new place and I LOVE it. The first day in the kitchen I walk to grab some water and there is a girl, standing in my new place, in the kitchen, in AUSTRALIA wearing a University of Western Ontario hoodie. I was like actually what are the chances. Turns out her brother goes to Western and she goes to Carlton and is from Sarnia and we have mutual friends!!! What a small world. She moved out today which was too bad because she and her room mate seemed amazing, but I look forward to meeting the new tenants - looks like after only a week, Ash and I will be the vets of this place!
Miss you all but LOVE Australia,
xo
Sarah
