CAIT AROUND THE WORLD

February 2, 2023 — Melbourne, as I discovered over the next few days, is not the warmest spot to spend an Aussie summer. I hit a little bit of a bad patch as well, I think, but this morning dawned with the threat of rain. A check of the weather indicated that it was going to rain off and on for the next few days.

On this particular day, it was supposed to be warmer (and dry) in the morning, then rain in the afternoon. It fulfilled its promises. I decided to take advantage of the dry morning and took the tram to St Kilda on the coast. This is the oceanfront area of Melbourne, and it really gave me Ocean City, New Jersey vibes. There’s a boardwalk and an old Luna Park, as well as the St Kilda sea baths, which is a complex with a pool and spa and a bunch of little cafes and eateries.

I walked around St Kilda for about an hour before I decided to head back to the city as it was quite windy and a bit chilly.

Back at the hostel, I had the rest of my Brie for lunch and then packed up my laptop and went to the library. I was in search of a coffee shop but wasn’t really able to find one that called to me and I also just wanted to head to the library to get some work on the blog done. Weakling that I am, I went to Starbucks for an iced caramel macchiato, but it really was delicious.

At the library, I sat and sipped on my caramel macchiato with a bunch of university students surrounding me, equally lost in their own world of work. I loved the vibes as it reminded me so much of working in the student centre at university.

When I walked out of the library, it was teeming rain, just “chucking it down.” I ran/walked my way back to the hostel and settled up in my bed for a little bit of a movie.

That evening, my plan was to head to Backpacker Night at Heroes Bar. I made my way over and had a nice rum and Coke, but since I was the only one at the bar, I decided to head out from there and went to ShanDong MaMa Mini for dumplings instead. This is one of the spots that was recommended on my walking tour and it was delicious! If I was reading the postings on the walls correctly, they are also rated as one of the best Chinese restaurants in the world!

I had a wonderful third dinner out all by myself. I sipped my Coke, had delicious dumplings, and texted with my little brother the whole time. I love doing these dinners out by myself because, even though being alone can get old, I always leave the restaurant feeling accomplished and proud of myself. I went out and did something that I would normally never do at home — and am in fact doing in a foreign country — all by myself. I’m always nervous at the beginning, but by the end, I’ve had good food, got to watch people come and go, and just occupied a little bit of space in the world for a little while. There’s something so rewarding and freeing about eating out alone. I highly recommend trying it.

I walked back from dinner, high on that feeling of accomplishment, and delighted in seeing Melbourne all lit up for the night. I actually walked past one building that was literally illuminated for the night (see below).

Back at the hostel, I showered and settled in for the night, another day gone by.