Being a Nomad

So for the past few days, my schedule has been something like this: Wake up at 5:30 while its still dark, force myself back to sleep until about 7:30, get up and Skype with everyone who has it set up, butcher cooking eggs, and then leaving the apartment with absolutely no plan or clue as to where or what to see. It's been awesome actually and I realized that now I know what it must have felt like to be a nomad. All I need to do is make sure I eat, sleep and not die, and I've done my job for the day. My expectations will change come next week, as I will be trekking out on an Aussie job hunt, though from what people have been telling me, I shouldn't have too much difficulty landing on my feet somewhere. Worst case scenario, I can always be an American con man.

My day yesterday was quite an eventful one. I finally made my way over to the beach, which was the right idea considering it was 70 degrees and sunny. The beach I went to was St. Kilda beach, and I will be frequenting that area a lot I'm imagining because there are some great bars and restaurants, and the views of turquoise water always seem to pull me like a tractor beam. I added some more pictures, so check them out. Seeing this beach was actually the first real time I felt like I was in Australia, or at least, what I expected of Australia because so far, the city and downtown area has left me feeling like I'm in a large European city. The trendiness of the people, the cooler spring weather, the architecture, and just the general pace of life is that of a bustling bohemian metropolis. It wasn't until seeing the bluest of blue water, people drinking beers outside, and weather so nice you'd never want to sit in a cubicle that it truly felt like the land down under. That being said, I obviously partook in the day drinking, sipping back a few Fat Yak beers and taking in the view.

As I walked to catch a tram back, a few clouds rolled in, and before I knew it, there was a terrential downpour the likes of which I've never seen in such a short time. It wasn't even humid, so it caught me completely off guard. I boarded the next tram even though it wasn't the one I needed and watched through the windows in awe as lightning and buckets of water fell from what was just a pristine blue sky. I asked a nice old Aussie woman about the weather, and she gave me the response that helped me understand why Melbourne has such erratic weather, and that's because it's the very first place that gets hit with any wind or cold air from Antarctica; another crazy reminder that I'm not in Medford anymore.

I stayed on this random tram for almost 45 minutes, not dressed appropriately for the downpours, and not sure if the neighborhoods I'd be entering were safe for obvious American tourists. I have STA insurance, but I'm not positive if getting stabbed falls under the coverage. Also, the tram car I was in was inundated with young students as I passed a school district, and it was quite awkward as they were all in uniforms, with thick accents, and I couldn't help but wonder if I was somehow near Hogwarts. To my own pride, I eventually hopped off at a familiar sounding street, took the right tram and found my way back without much of an issue.

Also, quick note...If you ever get a chance to see a movie in a Gold Class Cinema, do it. Run, don't walk. You pay a little extra, it was 18 bucks for us to see "Taking Pelham 123," but in return you get a fully reclining Laz-E-Boy Sofa and a waitress who brings cocktails and food if the need arises. We each had a cocktail and split a bottle of wine, making this average movie a superb experience, and it was in a the Crown Casino, so the buffet was phenomenal as well, mixing thai and Australian cuisine for only twenty big ones, and my appetite certainly helped me get my money's worth.

Now I'm off to catch another tram to go in a different direction to see where the day takes me. More updates to come.