I have spent most of my first week in Melbourne wandering through the Central Business District and taking advantage of the city’s many free museums and attractions, always with my camera handy. It has taken some time to adjust, and I find that the culture shock I experience has less to do with moving to another country and more to do with moving to a big city – a city of millions that’s many times larger than any I have ever lived in.
The city has countless futuristic-looking skyscrapers rising above the old buildings and ranging from any size and shape imaginable. And for how many different styles of architecture there are, there’s a sort of strange cohesion to the Melbourne skyline, and it often feels as if I have stepped into another world entirely.
And just as the city is filled with skyscrapers, there seem to be just as many new ones under construction. The city certainly appears to be in a period of economic growth, and I imagine a construction job would be very lucrative here.
The city is mostly clean and well-maintained, which is surprising given the population density, and very safe as well. I have never felt uncomfortable wandering the city by myself, even at night.
Melbourne is called the culture capital of Australia, and it’s easy to see why. Many of Australia’s prominent musicians come from Melbourne. The city is adorned with unique architecture and beautiful street art. There are countless shops and restaurants on every corner, and many of them seem to be stacked up on one-another for conservation of space. It’s very different from the Midwest, where buildings are a lot more spread out and property seems to develop outwards instead of upwards.
At the suggestion of another backpacker in the hostel, I went to the Victoria State Library to see its free museum upstairs. The library is open to the public and high-speed WiFi is available throughout the complex. I will no doubt be taking advantage of that for the purpose of keeping up with this blog in the future.
Almost by accident I discovered the armor of Ned Kelly, the famous bushranger-turned-outlaw known for having his final confrontation with the police while wearing a suit of crudely-crafted steel armor. I encountered the suit of armor in an exhibit in the upper floors of the library.
Every day I find something fascinating to look at while I wander this city. On my way back from the library, I walked past several late-afternoon street performers. I saw both street musicians and street magicians, as well as numerous performance artists who did skills ranging from juggling to balancing multiple objects on their heads to pretending to be statues.
There are thousands of restaurants in this city as well. A few of them are chain restaurants, but many are locally owned. American food is popular here, as evidenced by the presence of McDonalds, Hungry Jack’s (Burger King), KFC, and Subway. Asian food is just as popular, as there are many places to find curry and sushi. The air always smells of food, and just walking through the streets you can hear a vast blend of different languages and dialects. This is a city of immigration, and the migrant population appears to contribute immensely to the city’s diverse culture.
Americans are uncommon here – I’ve heard from word of mouth that there are a lot more of them up in Sydney this time of year. But there are many Germans staying in my hostel – I’ve met more Germans during my time here than I have Australians. It’s gotten to a point that during social events you can practically assume that the tall, pale-skinned person standing next to you is a German, or from a neighboring country like Austria or Denmark. I had no idea that this city was such a popular travel location for northern Europeans; perhaps they are all looking to escape a cold winter as well.
On my second night I went to a pub crawl with the hostel tour group and had a wonderful time getting to know the mostly-German crowd. The conversations I had and the people I met have played a huge part in helping me adjust to the new, migratory lifestyle I have chosen. We also went to the St. Kilda Beach festival together, an event open to the public with live-music, rides, and thousands of tourists. It was easy to be separated from the group in the shifting tides of the crowds.
I have been making a lot of friends in the hostel and having a great time getting to know so many interesting people. Every day I see something new, and every day I meet someone new as well. I find that the whole experience is making my head spin, and I often have to remind myself that I am in no hurry and that travel is much more enjoyable when it is relaxed.
I plan to stay in Melbourne for the remainder of the month while I look for work. Whether or not I find work will determine if I stay in the city even longer. Everything is in flux and I have no idea what I will be doing or even where I will be next week. But as of right now I can confidently say that things are looking up for my travel endeavors.
Vagrant Bucket 