Our first experiences!

Hi Everyone! As Lauren said, we made it! We love it! We got here at 11 a.m. Friday morning and were absolutely wired! Something was in the air or maybe it was just AUSTRALIA, but it had a mesmerizing effect on us! We took a taxi from the airport to La Trobe, the cab driver was from Asia and had an Australian accent; we had an interesting conversation with him.

“Where are you girls from?”

“The states!”

“Oh really, where in the states?”

“Texas!”

“Is that in New York or California?”

So far this has been the only person here that is completely obvious about Texas, or the states in general!

We got to La Trobe and unloaded our luggage, totaling five suitcases and two back packs! We were dropped off at my dorm, Glenn College, and we were walking around with all of our luggage and apparently looked as lost as we were because two girls walked up to us and asked if we needed anything, “yes please” was our answer! They took us to a nearby room and we dropped off our luggage then they walked us to the residential living center and helped us check in. One of the girls ended up being my RA and lives only a few doors away from me! They were so so so sweet and accommodating to us! They both live on the coast, one on the relaxing beach part and the other on the surfing part. They invited us to come and stay with them! They said we could take a train or something between their houses! How cool is that? They also want to take us to the Great Ocean Road! They were amazing! My RA took me back to my dorm and showed me around and gave me her phone number! Mine and Lauren’s dorms are about 4 blocks from each other.

looking out of my dorm window

Lauren and I met back up in less than an hour after being taken to our dorms. We were showered and ready to explore our new campus and town! We walked to the agura which is where the shops and stuff are on campus. We got smoothies, despite not knowing how to pay with our new money! We walk basically not knowing anything around campus for about an hour. We looked at all of the signs and were pretty sure that we could find the tram, but we didn’t have a tram map or any clue as to where to go once we got on the tram! So we had to go back to my dorm room and look through the guidebook that Mallary gave me for Christmas. We decided that we wanted to go to Federation Square, but we still didn’t have a clue as to how to get there! Look up the tram system it’s a friggin rubric cube at first (and 42^nd) site! So we leave the dorms and walk back the way we came in with the cab driver. When we get off campus (still heading in a estimated direction) we are walking in a parking lot hoping that it ends in Kingsbury drive. There is a neat looking walking path under the street so we take it and end up on a sporting field. Hmmm, so we walk along the parking lot beside it, it is separated from the street by a chain-link fence. We walk in the direction that we estimate the tram stop to be, toward Kingsbury drive. This parking lot was several blocks long and we could not see the end, a car on the street parallel to us honked and waved at us, which was exciting. The bugs were annoying the crap out of us; they really haven’t stopped yet actually! I just took a shower with a spider that I couldn’t reach to kill and every drink that I have had has had a fly in it! Anyway, back to this adventure to find the tram. We walk several block and the parking lot finally ends and Kingsberry drive is at the end of it! Perfect, except the parking lot seems to be enclosed by this fence! We are probably 50 yards from the end of the parking lot and just staring at the stupid fence that has enclosed us! We stood there for several minutes laughing and trying to decide what to do! Then Lauren sees that there is a small gate! WHEW! We leave the parking lot and at the Kinsbury drive intersection there is a tram stop! We go to this tram stop and have no clue how to get on or pay. We read the signs and scratch our heads… It seems that we can get a tram pass at a bus stop and there is one across the street! BOOM we got this guys, we got this! We walk across the busy intersection (crossing streets is a whole new story, THEY DRIVE ON THE WRONS SIDE OF THE ROAD! Don’t worry we wrote letters to the government to explain the situation) and we walk around the buss stop still scratching our heads. There is no tram information or any pay stations. We decide to ask for help. We approach a guy that is about our age.

“Is this where we buy tram passes?”

“You girls aren’t from here are you?”

“Haha no”

“Ok, well I don’t know anything about the tram where are you wanting to go?”

“Federation Square we think, we don’t know much.”

“Just jump on the tram and go into the city. I wouldn’t worry about paying just ask when you get on, they will know that you aren’t from here.”

“Which way is the city?”

This guy was very helpful, we would have gone the wrong way on the tram even! We go back to the tram stop and there is a tram there in perfect timing! The doors open and several people get on and they all swipe a card. Lauren steps in then shoots backwards!

“I don’t know what to do! That guy is watching!” –L

“Ok, lets get the next one!” –A

So we sit back down on the bench and wait on the next tram. I can only imagine the people watching us; we had to have looked dumb and American! Several minutes later another tram comes and we get on it and sit on the first bench inside and avoid eye contact! 

About 30 minutes later we finally arrive in the city, La Trobe is in the suburb of Bundoora. We get off the tram and walk to a small pub that looks good. We ordered an appetizer platter with squid, calamari, mushrooms, chicken wings, and salad. It was amazing! Although, we are still not sure if we ate the right part of the squid! The thing was pulled out of the ocean and fried! It still had eyeballs and all of its legs and skin! At this tavern there was a game playing (either soccer or footie something about the league that it was not sure, a guy tried to explain it to us and I still have no idea) it looked like a really rough game of hot potato… They used a nerf football looking thing and they threw the ball, kicked the ball and tackled each other and stomped on each other’s heads. The men in the bar were going nuts though! They would chant in unison and cheer and yell! Girls were wearing their jerseys and the whole bar was so invested! We stuck out just a little. This was especially exciting because we were now the legal drinking age! We ordered a beer just because we could, the bar tender scrutinized our IDs and poured us beer, crazy right? It was awesome and 11 whole dollars... We didn’t drink any more beers... We hung out in the city staying by the tram until dark! We then went back to campus and after being lost for quiet a while we found my dorm room and decided to stay together since it was our first night and dark!

That was day one! It was an adventure and we loved it!

Currently it is the end of day two! 10 o’clock Saturday night! Today we walked around for literally hours! We found the tram that takes us to the beach! We sat there (in dressed and skirts) for about 45 minutes! (My back is burned and other than my roots my hair is halfway blond) Tomorrow we plan on going to the beach better prepared and staying most of the day! I am sure we will blog about that as well as tell more about today’s adventures!

Love you y’all! We are being safe I promise! 

Here are a few pictures I took today!

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