Day 1 – Hit the Ground Running

It is always interesting to arrive in a new country whether it is just leaving home or one stop in a multi leg trip. It is an instant shift in values, assumptions, personalities and language. Though I typically read a bit about the country before arriving I rarely have planned any of my trips before arriving in country. This means that I hit the ground running and spend the first couple of hours tracking down free tourist maps and getting local advice about where to go and what to see. I’ve found doing this requires an instant departure from my comfort zone and American bubble.

Though I was meeting Kim in Melbourne, Australia was no different. I was instantly marked as a hapless tourist and people were very gracious and bent over backwards to make sure I had a map of the city, knew the best places to see and caught the right bus into town. I have yet to visit a country where this hasn’t happened.

After meeting Paulette (Kim’s best Aussie friend) and her two wonderful children Max and Harriett we were off to a picnic and birthday party of one of Paulette’s friends. It was a little strange to jump into a social scene and have more conversations than I have had in a week.

Later that night Kim and I went out on the town and ate at a great Italian restaurant. Melbourne seems to come alive at night. The city is famous for its wide variety of restaurants and the eclectic food choices available. It is also Australia’s center for new musical talent. On any one night there are many different places to listen to live music. There also seems to be a pub just around the corner from everyone’s house. All of this creates a lively atmosphere that takes on a life of its own when the sun goes down.