Good on Ya

This weekend was one full of mountain views and epic waterfalls, so by every measure a freaking good ass weekend. On Friday we met up with Joey (our Aussie adventure friend that took us to see some epic waterfalls a few weekends back) and she showed us around the Dandenong Ranges which are the closest mountain ranges to Melbourne. We started the day off with an adrenaline rush. No not by jumping off cliffs... but by feeding wild Cockatoos. Beautiful birds, but scared the living crap out of me to have them land on me. Can't explain it but here's to finding new fears and attempting to conquer them. From there we explored waterfalls, mountain lookouts, short hikes and huge gardens. It was the perfect day, full of all of my favorite things. Zipping through the tree canopied roads and exploring random sites with a bad ass local was just what I needed. Later Joey had us over to her house for pizza. It was so nice to be welcomed into her home and meet her family. I am so overwhelmed with the kindness I have experienced from Joey and her willingness to put up with us and show us around Melbourne. Having a local take us around and share her favorite spots has made this experience that much better. 

Now you all know that I couldn't only see one mountain range a weekend! So on Sunday with a group called New to Melbourne, 20 of us international students from Swinburne joined in on a bus trip to the Grampians National Park and OMFG it was amazing. I had heard about the Grampians before I came to Australia and knew that I needed to get there during my time here and they did not disappoint. While we didn't get to hike much since we were on a big bus, the stops we made were incredible. We started at McKenzie falls and then headed to a variety of different lookout points. Every were we stopped there were mountain views stretching in every direction for kilometers and kilometers, my favorite thing in the entire world. At the end of the day we stopped at Halls Gap, an area where Kangaroos hang out and you can go up and take pictures with them. Hella touristy but hella cool and the most Australian thing I have done so far. It was a perfect day spent in a beautiful place with a group of rad people that I feel so lucky to have become friends with. Here are some pics of the epic views of the weekend, caution there is alot (musings continued after):

5 amazing waterfalls, 10+ epic views, 1 tour bus, 7 rainbows, 8 random down pours, 9 plays of Vengaboys, 5 kangaroo friends, 1 epic sunset, 2 drinks of homemade Vodka, and 700 pictures later I am feeling full of love for Australia and the outdoors. Being surrounded by so much fresh air and so many amazing people and adventures has me feeling light as air and I can't stop smiling. Can I live the rest of my life exploring new places and meeting new people?

Cheers - keleniak

p.s. Before this experience I promised myself I would do one new/possibly scary thing a week: This week that was feeding a Cockatoo. Didn't think that would be a scary experience, but here's to finding new fears and trying to conquer them

Frothin'

This weekend was full of mountain shreddin' and city explorin' - the best of both worlds. Saturday with Real Australian Adventures (a tour group for students in Melbourne) I headed out to Mt Buller with 20 other Swinburne students and three super rad staff members from Real. We left bright and early at 5am and headed to the mountains (HECK TO THE YA). The early morning wake up was well worth it to see a phenomenal sunrise out the bus window that broke through the fog to reveal a backdrop of breathtaking mountains on the surrounding countryside. Once at the slopes, we got to rent some super sick ski gear before spending the day shreddin' some Australian pow. It felt so insanely good to snap on some skis and hit the slopes and had me reiminsing to when I was a kid and would spend every weekend in the winter with my family up in Banff on the slopes. It is where my love for the mountains and the outdoors really started and it hit me this weekend how important those memories are to who I have become and the things I really treasure. It was the perfect day, with some bad ass views and people. On Sunday we started it off right with some amazing brunch by campus and then spent the day wandering around Fitzroy, a neighborhood of Melbourne. Fitzroy is for sure my favorite place in Melbourne that I have wandered around this far. It is overflowing with vintage clothing shops, niche boutiques, gardens, cafes, and so many other eccentric shops and peoples.

Alrighty, now here is the sappy part of this post, proceed with caution: Being over a month in I figured it was time to do some reflecting. Before I left for Australia I made a list of what I wanted to accomplish personally while here. All stemming around the idea of finding myself (bum bum bum), no small task, that shits gonna take a lifetime. I truly believed that throwing myself into a situation where I knew no-one in a new country would be a quick way to do that. However, I have discovered that I don't need to find myself, I have been here all along, DUH. I just haven't had the confidence to completely own that. In every day life it is so easy to compare yourself to others successes and failures and mentally tear yourself down for not living a certain way or being happy 24/7. Yet that is not realistic or healthy, you need to live your life for you and do what makes you happy. I don't think I needed to come to Australia to have this break-through, but being around so many people here that live fearless lives in insanely inspiring. They live unapologetically doing what they love and following their dreams and passions. For me, while I may still not know 100% who I am or what I want to do for the next 150 years (yes, I'm going to live for a very long time), I have realized that being myself and living my life starts with doing just that, being myself and living my life. I know I am happiest when I am exploring new cities, climbing mountains, going on road trips, meeting new people, photographing amazing landscapes, laughing my butt off, being with my family, and so many other things. If I focus on these passions and doing what I love I know I will look back at my life when I'm 170 and have no regrets. So with that I resort to: Find what I love, let go, follow my dreams, and go for it, unapologetically. I've only got one life to live, so why not live it? 

Here's some pics from this weekend (less sappy musing continued after):

5 epic wipe-outs, 1 rad sunrise, 2 crappy rental skis, 360 views of mountains, 1 amazing donut, 2 sunburnt cheeks, 1 order of addicting pancakes, and 5 vintage clothing shops later I am starting to finally feel like a local in Melbourne. I am getting a hang of public transit and can help direct people that stop me in the middle of the street (YIPEE). This weekend was a good one full of adventuring and life reflecting - for those of you that made it through that reflection, thanks for tagging along, here's a cyber high-five. 

Cheers - keleniak

p.s. Before this experience I promised myself I would do one new/possibly scary thing a week: This week that was skiing on some Australian pow - while I may have chucked some solid pizza turns out there it felt good to ski again. The only thing that would have made it better would have been having my fam out on the slopes with me.  

Road Trippin'

This past weekend was one for the books. Not only did I get to drive on the opposite side of the road, which felt surprisingly normal, but I got to see a bunch of Australia's coast line and go on a rad three day road trip. With only our car, hostels, and an end location of Adelaide planned, the weekend led to some amazing sites and memories. On Friday we headed out of Melbourne mid-day toward Torquay to begin our journey along the coast. From there we hopped on the Great Ocean Road, a highway that follows the coast of Australia. Along the way we stopped at view points, random beaches, and drove past small surf towns, beautiful canopied trees, and amazing ocean views. We made it to Port Campbell, a tiny coastal town made up of only one street with a few shops and restaurants, by about 8 that night. The hostel we stayed at was one of the nicest I have been in, 10/10 would recommend.

On Saturday we woke up at the crack of dawn to catch the sunrise over the Twelve Apostle's (a sunrise view is always worth an early morning wake up call and this sunrise did not disappoint). From there we continued down the coast stopping at other iconic Australian places such as London's Bridge, the Gorge, the Grotto, Blue Lake, and so many other beautiful sites. It was a full day of adventuring and driving and was my favorite day of the trip. When driving that night, we pulled over to look at the stars. It was a surreal moment, in the middle of no-where with no light pollution and a clear sky. The stars stretched all around us and seemed so insanely close. It was my favorite moment of the whole trip, one that made me feel small and at peace in the universe. We made it to our hostel in Adelaide around 9 that night and got checked in by a DAAP grad (WHAT, small world), working in Australia for a year. It was a wonderful day and night with great company.

On Sunday we drove around Adelaide before heading to Glenelg, a vibrant seaside town, to walk around the pier and grab some breakie before heading back to Melbourne. It was the perfect end to the perfect weekend before hopping in the car and driving the 9 hours back to Melbourne. As you can see from the pictures below Australia does not disappoint (musings continued after):

3 chocolate bars, 10+ jam sessions, 3 successful games of 20 questions, 5 overtaken cars, 4 spilled boxes of Shapes, 2 rad sunsets, and 500+ km later I am feeling overwhelmed with love for the beauty of Australia and still can't believe I get to call this place home for the next few months. Also shoutout to my rad road-trip pals. There is something about being in a car with a group of people, with nothing but a destination planned that is unlike anything else. I am so thankful for the wonderful people I have met during my time here and their love for adventure and new experiences, I can't wait to see what adventure comes next. 

Cheers - keleniak

p.s. Before this experience I promised myself I would do one new/possibly scary thing a week: This week that was driving on the left side of the road/right side of the car, an nerve-wracking/exciting experience, but one that felt surprisingly normal. 

Rug Up

If you know me, you know that nothing clears my head or fills my soul more than lacing up my hiking boots and hitting the trail. This weekend thanks to 2 bad ass Aussies, I was able to do just that. When I read a post on a Melbourne Adventurer's group on Facebook about checking out Trentham Falls, I eagerly responded, anxious to get out of the city. Joey and Tamara, graciously decided to meet three strangers and show us some amazing sites off the tourist path (heck to the freaking ya). We met before the crack of dawn and spent the day exploring beautiful places, swapping stories, and singing way too loudly to 90s tunes. So a huge shoutout to Joey and Tamara, for picking up three random girls and giving us a bad ass day of epic adventures and new friendship. As you can see in the images below - the outdoors here are what dreams are made of (musings continued after):

2 meat pies, 1 Bali planning meeting, 3 incredible waterfalls, 1 booked flight to Sydney, 4 rad Aussies, and countless hours of adventure later I am feeling alive and refreshed. Life is starting to finally seem real here as the shock of actually being in Australia wears off. It is crazy that it has already been 3 weeks, it has flown by. So here's a reminder to myself to slow down, take it in, smell the roses, and let go. 

Cheers - keleniak

p.s. Before this experience I promised myself I would do one new/possibly scary thing a week: This week that was going to a footie (AFL) game. So freaking entertaining to watch - youtube that ish, we need to bring it to North America. 

Koalification

This past week was my first week of classes at Swinburne and let me tell you, professors with Australian accents make lectures 100x more interesting. Then again I probably spent more of the class listening to their accents then really paying attention to what they were saying (whoops). As much as I love DAAP, I am excited and eager to have a semester learning in a new place and hopefully gaining a different perspective on design to channel into my work.

As for adventures, this Saturday we spent the day wandering around the city. Starting in the botanical gardens, we explored monuments and buildings before ending with a sunset over the ocean. Melbourne is full of art and culture and every time I set out I discover something new down random side alleyways and streets. Sunday, we headed out of the city to Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary where we got to see platypus, koalas, emus, kangaroos, dingos and more of Australia's wildlife. We spent the day driving around the Yarra Valley and learnt how to throw a boomerang (it ain't that easy) and an Australian football, stopping to taste some of the local wine and chocolate. It was a perfect weekend full of city and countryside adventures, check it out below (musings continued after).

1 solid session of neon mini golfing, 3 koalas, 7 kangaroos, 10 games of pool, 1 Bali booked flight and 17 extended views of mountains later, I am feeling happy and so at peace in Australia. Seeing glimpses of mountains this weekend made my heart yearn to hike them and I can't wait to get out there and experience more of what Australia has to offer. Also it feels so dang good to pick up my camera again and have it strapped over my shoulder wherever I go, don't know why I ever put it down - never give up on the things you love. 

xo - keleniak 

p.s. Before this experience I promised myself I would do one new/slightly scary thing a week: This week that was seeing some of Australia's wildlife. And let me tell you Koalas are just as cute in person. 

p.s.s. Turns out that throwing yourself into a new situation, in a new country, where you know no-one can turn out to be pretty rewarding. Everyday I try to push myself out of my comfort zone, to let go and to do stuff for myself and it has already taught me a lot... and its only day 21, WHAT. #heckyaaustralia

'Stralia

This past week has been full of new adventures and friendships in the most livable city in Australia, Melbourne. It is still crazy to believe that I am living and studying here for the next 5 months. A couple of weeks ago it felt like an impossible dream and now I am here and boy oh boy is it everything I dreamed of and more. It's like the first day of university all over again with new faces and a whole new world of possibilities and opportunities ahead of me. 

This past week has been jammed packed with activities. I arrived on Thursday, July 20th at the ripe time of 5:45am. I took the day to get adjusted, check in to the res hall and wander around the areas by campus. Over the week, Swinburne put on a bunch of Res events for all the students living on campus. Through everything from trivia, to free dinners, and dress up parties, I got to meet a ton of other local and international students and quickly started to feel more and more at home. The international office also planned different activities for all the international students, my favorite being a scavenger hunt that took us all over the city, allowing us to experience the city we will be calling home for the semester. I have always loved being in new places because it pushes you to explore and get out there in the short time you have in a place. This week did not disappoint as you can see from the photos below (musings continued after).

1 week, 3 beaches, 2 gnarly blisters, 5 free meals, 50+ miles later, I am happy and worn out in the best way possible. I can already tell this semester will be one I remember and cherish for the rest of my life. Here's to weekend trips, rooftop bars, long walks, new friendships, and a crap ton of laughter.

Xo - keleniak 

p.s. Before this experience I promised myself I would do one new/slightly scary thing a week: This week that was introducing myself to a stranger, which I did about 100 times. Sometimes pushing yourself out of your comfort zone can lead to some amazing experiences and friendships. So from the tall Canadian/American studying Graphic Design, shoutout to all the people I got to awkwardly introduce myself to this week, you all rock. 

p.s.s. How to speak like an Australian - Abbreviate EVERYTHING. Breakfast = brekkie. Afternoon = arvo. McDonalds = Maccas. Definitely = defo. I think you get it.