My morning was met with a leftover meal from, some three hours earlier. Dinner for breakfast: within that moment I knew my sleeping pattern was fully distorted. Nearly 11,000 kilometers over Darwin, my first day in Australia officially begun with the sun’s light within mere hours of sight.

Upon arrival I stopped at a currency exchange within Melbourne airport to cash out my funds, and lost almost 15% due to the poor value of the American Dollar! The currency felt so foreign, so alien, subtly new and fresh.

After acquiring my baggage, I had made my way out to be greeted by overcast and a slight warmth. I quickly discarded my jacket, then purchased a bus ticket to Southern Cross Station. This was the first experience I have encountered with riding public transportation, other than primary school buses.  I found it quite pleasant.  Not being obliged to drive is something amazingly simple I could take pleasure in. As the bus escorted me through the colorful new scenery I had little to no knowledge what awaited me there.

I made my way from the bus to the ground level of the train station and waited not long before the train coming to platform four would take me to my new residence, my new life. I arrived to the Glenferrie station around nine in the early hours of the morn and was met with great hospitality and a room key once stumbling upon my Unilodge.  I lugged my luggage through the hallways, up the elevator and into my room. It was there I found refuge on my bed.

After an afternoon of sleep, unaware of the hour, I decided to clean up and venture out into an unknown city. Adjacent to my residence is an exorbitant amount of cafes. It was a little shop near the intersection where I had the pleasure of dining on my first meal, which happened to be a traditional meat pie. I manage to wander off down the streets and landed upon the edge of the CBD.

Prior to my trip I had researched and found that Melbourne had one of the best art districts in Australia. There it was, Federation Square: a true testament to art and architecture collaborated within the spirit of the city.  It was unlike anything I ever had the experience of witnessing. The CBD seemed so much more thrilling than downtown Houston or Miami Central.  The transportation is by far the most impressive I’ve been involved in.  Another fascinating occurrence I noticed was how easy it is be within one quaint suburb, then in an instant be in the CBD.

The climate, much like Florida I thought, had changed numerous times throughout the day. It had seemed I experienced all the seasons amongst the short twenty four hours. A million thoughts had passed my mind within those few hours after arriving:

• The slight culture shock in little amenities
• The idea of meeting completely new people
• The prospect of future job opportunities; and
• Anticipating what university will be like.

I was fascinated by the duration of the sunlight – the sun had barely broken the horizon at early nine in the evening. On my first Australian dusk, a mere three hours prior to midnight, the substantial and minute differences and occurrences enthralled me.

I would have to sum up the whole experience of traveling the globe, experiencing a city, and meeting new welcoming faces with one quote from Lao Tsu: “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”

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What did you do in your first 24 hours in Australia?

Tell us about your experiences!

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