Throughout the first few weeks adjusting to the culture, the accents even the traffic patterns, I felt as though this country could really be my second home. Settling into this city came so naturally to me. The people were so friendly, the street style was inspiring, and the food was fantastic! I never felt like an outsider or a tourist when living in Melbourne.

I was able to go shopping and see brands similar to stores I was used to back home in New York. The CBD or center city became such a fun exploring destination for my friends and me. We were able to interact with the locals by taking public transportation, like trams and trains, around to the local suburbs and just observe and take part of the everyday life of a Melbourne uni student as class began to pick up.

The food reminded me a lot of food you would find in a larger city back home such as parts of Manhattan or Philadelphia. As I am from a very small town in upstate New York, variety isn’t really an option. But in Melbourne, they have a saying, “if you cannot find what you are looking for it, either doesn’t exist or your just not hungry.” I am a vegetarian and I never felt as though I was “settling” for the non-meat option because there were so many options to choose from.

Every individual I met young or old within the first few weeks of my stay in Australia I felt so comfortable and welcomed. They were so curious about where I was from and many were willing to provide some of the more authentic Australian spots to check out while exploring the city. It was such a simple and smooth transition into daily Australian life as soon as the first week was under my belt. I knew I had chosen correctly for my study abroad experience when everything from going to get groceries to complimenting the person next to me on the train without fear of judgment, came so naturally to me.