Grampians Pt. 2

Home sweet home. I never expected to find so many people and places in Australia that gave me such a sense of home. Coming back to the Grampians was the best feeling, especially after feeling a little lost in Malaysia.

After a quick night at the YHA in Melbourne, a long train ride to a bus - I made yet another bus driver best friend (For those that don’t know, I’ve had 3 bus drivers ask me out in DC, an occurrence that no other friends have experienced. Something with my eye contact or ability to chat with strangers?! Unclear). This time, the driver ended up giving me a special tour around town after dropping two other girl’s off at their campground, making me a little late to the hostel, where the family stood outside eagerly awaiting my arrival. As we pulled around to a drop-off point the family has never seen the bus use before, they laughingly crossed the street and pulled me into hugs. Home.

This return to the Grampians was inspired by the request to come act as relief managers of the hostel so Kellie, Gary, and the kids could go on a two week holiday. My month here ended up being extremely focused on working, a bit different than the rest of my time so far! But definitely good for my bank account.

In addition to managing the hostel, I picked up a job at a local cafe, Livefast. They serve breakfast and lunch, made with local ingredients whenever possible and are well known for their amazing dishes and delicious coffee. I helped at the register, dishwashing, bringing food to tables - the only thing I didn’t do was barista, my latte art wasn’t up to par (actually, it’s just a non-existent skill). Another benefit was a free meal each shift, and I successfully made it through the entire menu during my month of work!

Becs and I were able to sneak in a few hikes to our favorite places in between housekeeping, reception, and hours at the cafe for me, restaurant for her.

Once the family came back from holiday, we spent time catching up over whiskey I brought from Taiwan, playing games with the kids, and eating lots of BBQ and biscuits. I plan to return to the Grampians once more before leaving Australia!