Back to Solo, Taking on Melbourne

Back to traveling solo - after a long weekend on the Great Ocean Road, Danica & Molly jetted off for another 8 weeks of travel before they head back to Reno, NV. I was pretty excited to have some solo time (something I’m surprised to say!) – our first 3 weeks were amazing but definitely jam packed with a lot of moving parts. The month of December had been busy with lots of family and friend time, so I was ready to relax and move at my own pace again.

Victoria State Library | Melbourne, VIC

Melbourne as a city is the perfect place to wander and explore. I spent a lot of time finding the perfect reading spots – from a blanket at the Royal Botanical Gardens to a towel on St Kilda Beach to a carousel at the State Library Victoria.

Some people associate memories with a certain song or certain smell. I connect with the book I was reading at the time. I have a clear memory of sobbing on the bus on my way to work in Washington D.C. as I learned that a favorite character was diagnosed with a terminal disease. Or feeling sketched out in an Italian train station after I finished my book and suspected a man to be following me, leading to moving from crowded platform to platform until my own train arrived (psychological thrillers and traveling solo aren’t the best combo for me).  My goal this year is to read 75 books, so I’ll be making lots of memories with both new and old books.

The two hostels I stayed in Melbourne were not my favorites – one in the CBD and one in St Kilda. I struggled with the major backpacker party scene and struggled to connect with the others staying there. At one, the place was too big with a ton of people. You would think that would be easy to make friends, but it seemed people were already in groups or kept to themselves. It wasn’t easy to recognize someone and the common spaces weren’t the best for relaxing. In St Kilda, the hostel was smaller, but again there wasn’t a good space to just be at night other than in your room. I felt awkward that I wasn’t drinking “goon” which is Australian slang for cheap white wine. In some ways it was good as it encouraged me to go out and explore more, but I had a bit of a panic moment that I don’t know how to make friends!

Mural at Habitat HQ Hostel | St Kilda, VIC

I moved from the CBD (Central Business District, central part of the city with the most restaurants, businesses, museums, etc.) to St Kilda (neighborhood just outside the city, right by the beach) just in time for St Kilda Fest, an all-day free music festival. The festival came at the perfect time and was exactly what I needed. The day came with discovering local Melbourne band The Northern Folk, watching beach volleyball, and making new friends (phew, I do know how!). We danced up a storm at a beachside bar and then accidentally wandered into a metal performance with shooting flames on stage. I was impressed when the night ended how quickly volunteers and clean-up crews took to the streets, the next day you never would have guessed that over 400K people had been there.

I now understand the Aussie love affair with BBQs, although my first included zero Australians. The parks are set-up with outdoor grills that are free for anyone to use. AMAZING. One afternoon I wandered to the Brighton Bathing Boxes and loved the bright colors and murals painted on each mini house. A summer evening concert series brought me Broadway songs in a park. I tried to balance trying the amazing cuisine at each and every restaurant with cooking in the hostel kitchens.

All in all, I think I’d love the city if I was living in a share house but I’m still looking for the hostel that feels right. There are still more neighborhoods and areas to explore, so I’m looking forward to coming back.

St Kilda Fest, Main Stage | St Kilda, VIC

Luna Park | St Kilda, VIC

Brighton Bathing Boxes | Brighton, VIC