Lets live in Melbourne

Melbourne is one of the friendliest, most accommodating cities that we've ever visited. In addition to its great atmosphere, it offers vibrant nightlife, several unique shopping  that satisfy any taste, and there's more than enough to do.

In between day trips or other getaways since we got here (i.e. Port Douglas, Tasmania, and Sydney this Friday), we'd spend the extra time exploring the city of Melbourne. The public transportation system here will take us from the very outer suburbs to the very inner city. And there's no switching trains like New York. Hop on and hop off 2o minutes later.

Plus, we have two stations to choose from. There's one a few blocks down the road, and a bit further (about 2k), there's another station. When we get on the train at the far station it's less expensive. So we've been able to save a few dollars and get a nice brisk morning walk in on the days we go to the city. 

Our train cards also work for the bus and tram. If you're a tourist and want to get to the 15 city hot spots? Take the free shuttle bus that makes a loop to the most recognized or historic or happening areas of the city. Hop on or off the bus whenever you want to stop. Or there's a free city circle tram every Saturday as well.

The other day when I was looking at a map next to the tram station, a nice young bloke asked me if I needed help. Aha - he could tell I was a somewhat clueless American and looked a little lost. Little did he know that Jamie is good with directions and navigating around an unfamiliar city. Anyway, the point to this story is that the bloke is hired to ask confused people if they need help. Hello, NYC... Where are your friendly guides?

There are other people that wander the city in red sweat suits that do this same thing. Except they go one step beyond the bloke I met. They're almost like information boxes you'd get in a museum. You can ask them about the history, coming events, or best places to eat and stay in the city. Pretty cool, huh? 

The people here are also very nice. Everyone we meet takes a genuine interest in our holiday. The first question we're asked is, "Are you American or Canadian?" (Who knows where they get the Canadian stuff.) But then they also ask where we've been here, where we're going, etc. It's safe to say that I have never met a mean Australian! 

The other reasons why Melbourne is great is because there's always something to do here. Within the past month or so, when we go on exploring trips, this is what we've found:

1.) The Royal Botanical Gardens. It's an area filled with greenery, flowers, and exotic plants. We took a stroll through it one afternoon.

2.) Lygon Street. Kind of like Melbourne's little Italy. Sat outside and split a piece of tiramisu and had a long black (coffee.)

3.) The homeless world cup. Homeless people playing soccer from 56 nations for over a week right in Melbourne's historic Federation Square. It's a huge fundraising thing for homeless people that attracts a major crowd and is pretty entertaining! The homeless people are awesome at soccer, and I sat amongst many ethnicities: Polish, Scotish, Kyrgystan (might have spelled that one wrong), etc. US lost on the first day 10-1. Darnit.

4.) Bakeries, Bakeries, Bakeries. One thing the US most definitely lacks is bakeries. Upon every corner I find myself looking into the window of these bakeries like a sad puppy dog wanting all the homemade treats inside. However, in planning this trip, I didn't allot money for sugary midday snacks. We usually pass up the bakeries and say, "next time!"

Maybe in Sydney there will be some really great, famous bakery that we'll both just have to splurge on an unforgettable danish... or two. ;) We'll be there Friday night and get back to Melbourne Monday night. Friday we're staying with a friend from college, Emily Mitchell, who is from Indiana, Pennsylvania, and she now works in Sydney. Also a former journalism/PR major at Scripps. Shout out to Emily! We're pumped to see her.

What else is new in the states? We get back Dec. 15 but have yet to hear comments from a lot of you. An update would be oh so appreciated because I know I'm feeling a bit behind on life there!

P.S. Notice the title of this post? Well, we aren't actually going to move to Melbourne because it's way too far away from the good old US and all that we know and love already. However, if there were a city like this in the states, I think we'd both relocate there ASAP!