The Traveler Struggles

When I was younger, I always said I would retire in a ranch style home with a wrap-around porch in a small town where everyone knows each other and the local pub knows your order as soon as you walk in the door. Until the week of camping, I had not been out of a city for more than a night, in the past 5 years, and I was okay with that. As much as the camping was fun, the hustle bustle of the city is where my soul (or lack thereof) thrives. 

Arriving back in Melbourne was like landing back home after a vacation where you leave your cell phone and computer off the entire week. It was so refreshing to be back between tall buildings and purposeful strides. I booked an airbnb for the night in a woman’s quaint hippie esque home, and Joe and I got some much needed rest on an actual mattress!

Cause headless monks make great decor 

The following day, we were s.o.l. though, as a three hour long stolen-wifi fueled search led us to the conclusion that the cheapest available accommodation was over $100 for the night. The Australian Open was at the semi-final level in the city’s state-of-the-art tennis facilities, so every hotel was booked full. We decided to hit up the local Couchsurfing meet-up and thankfully met two incredibly generous New York expats that let us crash on their couch that evening.

There's a rampant skateboarding rhino population in Melbourne

We met up with our previous Melbourne roommate, Ben, for breakfast and he let us steal his super comfy couch that evening. We left his place Sunday morning to meet up with two travelers who were selling a car....and decided to buy it! It is the cheapest overall option since we can sell it back before we fly out and it gives us free range to go see all the beautiful sights that lay just outside all the city centres. Best of all, it is a station wagon, so fold the back seat down, thrown in a mattress, and boom - instant carbed!

(just like the one my big bro had as a kid ha)

We had to get a permit to drive the car back to Brisbane, where we wanted to register it, and needed a couple more nights to get everything in order. My father’s cousin Bill and his wife Lynne were so welcoming and opened their extra bedroom to us for two sleeps. They shared their family dinner, fed us breakfast, and made sure we felt right at home. I am so thankful to be part of such a hospitable and warm family!

Oh and my family has incredible taste in art (that's a signed Banksy print fyi)

We drove to Sydney throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, and the adventure continues! And so we go.