A balanced lifestyle, if I have to, I guess...
I mean in magical land where there are unicorns, I could eat everything I wanted and stay fit and healthy. Reality, not so much. Staying active and healthy were huge components of my life at home, so I really wanted to maintain this during my transition over . I just function better mentally and physically with a good sweat session. I had a hard time leaving my gym at home (anyone who goes to Transcend would know why), as I was nervous I wouldn't find a close knit local gym like Kristine and Simon's. The gym I joined definitely has a sense of community, but it is much bigger and definitely less personable. With this said however, everyone there has been very friendly, and the instructors (who are teaching mainly Les Mills classes) have been great. Plus they do a one on one session with a trainer to get you familiar with the space and equipment. The club is Re-Creation Gym in Carnegie, which I think is the right fit for me! Plus two weeks free and $15/week (student rate) for a weight room, spin studio, boxing room, circuit area, and classes. No car = walking/busing everywhere I also walk way more than at home, whether it is out for a stroll in the morning or after dinner - it is their summer so I should probably take advantage of the amazing weather; or walking to catch the bus or to school, I am definitely on my feet more than at home. With that said, I am off to walk to the grocery store before class this evening! If you have any questions, or are looking for a post on a particular aspect of Monash/Melbourne, let me know! I am staying in an more eastern suburb called Ashwood for the next 10 days, in a wonderful house with a mom/son. The area is quiet and they have a passionfruit vine! I had no idea how they grew to be honest. I had one for breakfast with some mango this morning, OMG so good! Hope everyone is having a great Sunday at home! Kathryn
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Still some adventuring this week, despite settling in to do some school work and moving Air BnB's (till my apartment is ready). Carnegie I would have to say I love the variety of shops and eateries of Koornang Road (main street of Carnegie). I finally got in to try Paradai Thai, Huff Bagelry and Split Milk (a cute coffee nook at the end of the street). None of these places disappointed! Paradai Thai I had chicken pad thai, super good! I would say though Sonny and Yoon at Cafenara give this place a run for their money!
Fitzroy Louise and I headed to the vegan capital of Melbourne - Fitzroy - and it did not disappoint. Hipster central could also be another nickname for this area, or heavenly location of all things delicious in the world. We started with a drink at Damask - this beautiful rooftop bar/lounge, followed by dinner at Veggie Bar. The restaurant itself is beautiful, this place was packed too (but amazingly did not affect the service or time to get the food - which were both great!). We sat at the "communal table" which offered a large dining room table for about 10 people. We were one of 4 groups clustered around this central location - love this! Plus it gave us a good view of other peoples food, aka what we should order ;) We had vegan mushroom stuffed Gyoza to start, Louise had a Buddha Bowl, and I opted for a tofu and quinoa burger with sweet potato fries! Choosing our dishes was so hard, the menu was amazing! I would definitely go back! Reality...
Despite all this wonderful food, my day usually consists of finding sales at the grocery store. Meat I have found to be (even more) expensive than home so I definitely look for what is on sale and base my meals around this. Most of the produce is grown in Australia which is neat, as so much of our stuff at home comes from overseas. Basically whatever is left in the fridge is what is for dinner, as eating out is far too expensive for every meal! Cheese however is cheaper so that is a definite bonus, haha. Also a good cider on a hot day goes a long way! This is us! Monash's 2017 Master Students for the Environment and Sustainability Program My people, my course, my future
This is going to sound insanely cheesy - but honestly, I have never been more excited or felt more "this is exactly where I am supposed to be" educationally before. Within the first hour of orientation I knew that this was where I needed to be to fulfill my educational pathway towards a career in sustainability. I told you, cheesy ;) I think the coolest thing about the first day was learning about everyone else, this really is a diverse and wonderful group of people (I look forward to meeting everyone throughout the year). For example, I met people studying from Sri Lanka, Russia, India, Columbia, Brazil and Australia. The range of global perspectives that will accompany group discussions is blowing my mind! Staff Supporting Students It became apparent very quickly that our course directors, teachers and staff would do anything within their power to support us during the journey through our degree. Something that stuck with me, which is something I struggled with in my undergrad, was the support for the individual (student) if they felt overwhelmed or down about the content of the course. Studying environment and sustainability I have definitely had moments of extreme sadness, frustration and hopelessness. This may sounds strange, but constantly looking at the state the world climatically and environmentally (which in many cases is not good), can be rather doom and gloom. Knowing there were people to support me if I was feeling this way makes a huge difference. My course director and specialization professor have also been willing and open to one-on-one meetings to discuss coursework and career pathways. My biggest regret of my undergrad was not utilizing the resources of professors and the university to learn as much as I could, so I am trying to change that in my graduate program. Because really, how often will one have access to the knowledge and expertise of these people/professors? Prepare, Prepare, Prepare I spent about 6-8 hours preparing for my first week of classes by completing my readings prior to this week's sessions. For our postgraduate degree it is expected that 40 hours of reading/studying will be done independently out of class time. I am taking three classes - one 12 credit course, and two 6 credit courses, with approximately 10 hour of class time between the courses per week. One does not spend *ahem* thousands of dollars to study abroad if they are not going to do the work! Plus, you get out (of the course), what you put into it. Also - many of you know I have an obsession with jumping photos (i.e. all of my travel photos). So when our cohort was asked for volunteers to jump in our class photo I was sold on the university ;) 1 of 70,000 Monash University is host to an impressive 70,000 students (just over 10,000 studying at overseas campuses). Crazy to think this is approximately 3.5 times more people than the Greater Terrace Area!!! Obviously not everyone is on campus the first week, but man did it feel like it! The campus was definitely a buzz with new students exploring campus, returning students catching up with friends, and more clubs and societies set up on Clayton Campus that one could imagine. Student Card, Bank Account, Phone Plan Those three things pretty much account for my daily survival, so I was determined to have those sorted right away. The folks at Monash Connect (see link below) were very friendly and set me up with my student card in less than 10 minutes. Make sure to bring proof of enrolment, they need this information in order to proceed with issuing your student card. Money, Money, Money
If you are living in a country for longer than a vacation, I always think it is important to set up a bank account. Less hassle and less charges on exchange rates. Typically they will also ask for a permanent address when setting up your accounts, I used my Air BnB account for the initial set up, and they were happy to take this on the basis I returned with my confirmed address once I had a permanent place to live. It is my understanding there are four major banks in Australia: Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, National Australia Bank (NAB), and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ). I will confess, I actually just went to the one I saw first, which was Westpac. It was centrally located in the Campus Centre, and they set up my bank account right then and there. Most banks have good student bank account options, that have no transaction or monthly fees. Needless to say, I am so happy I went to Westpac, I had the most lovely Personal Bank Advisor Menoji, she was so kind and chatted to me about the city, what I was studying and provided me all the tools I need to set up on-line banking and wire transfers from my Canadian bank. Within a week I had my debit card and money transferred over. Australia also has this bonkers and amazing "Card-less Withdrawal" feature, where once set up, the bank generates a PIN number (which gets sent to your phone - locked by password and touch ID) and you put the PIN into the bank machine and boom cash! This was great for me, as before my bank card arrived I could still access my funds! Seriously, Canada you need to get on this - GAME CHANGER! Dear Canada: Your cell phone rates are too high!!! Love, Kathryn Next was my phone! I initially got a new SIM card when I entered the country last week with a pay as you go starter plan. As Optus has a shop on campus, I decided to check out what I more permanent option might be. Well, it turns out Australia is also killing the cell phone game. With the 10% student discount, on a 12 month plan, I only pay $36/month (taxes included), for unlimited texts and calls in Australia, 300 international minutes and 12G (like actually) of data per month. I was delightfully shocked. Other than housing, those were the main things to check off my "must do" list right away. The quicker they are done the less stress and hassle I think! Dear Miss Goodwin, we are writing to inform you that you have not be accepted into student housing...
I definitely had a small moment of panic when I originally found out I would have to fend for myself in the Melbourne housing market. During my undergrad I living and worked in student housing for 4/5 years, with my final year in a shared house recommended by a friend. This is to say, I have ZERO experience finding accommodation in a big city. We all know living in Terrace that one can usually find somewhere to live through friends, friends of friends, or Terrace buy and sell or the rental Facebook page. I did some initial searching while I was still at home, but ultimately decided it would be important to meet the people and inspect the apartment before I signed a lease. I would definitely recommend applying for student housing, if I had the chance that would have been my first choice! I'm sorry it costs how much a month to live in Melbourne? Well, let's just say the rental prices between Terrace and Melbourne are very different. I mean I expected them to be higher, but I am still in shock (and will be looking for a job very soon to help with the cost of living). Depending on the type of accommodation you want - shared or living alone, it will obviously cost different amounts. Typically it may range from 800-1200$ a month for a room in a shared house, and over this for a studio apartment (I know right?!?). *As fate would have it* I found the Air BnB I am currently staying at by chance. The cost was reasonable and the place (and host) looked friendly and inviting! During my first few days I chatted with the other flatmates about possible housing options in the area, and which rental sites were best to search for roommates. Although Gumtree, Flatmates Finder and Realtor.com.au were all good sites, I definitely found the most luck with flatmates.com.au, it was easy to navigate and there were lots of postings. I paid the extra 35$ dollars to receive early bird access to properties, I thought it was worth it as some properties are only listed under this function. With 7 days left until I had to leave my Air BnB, one could I say I was again definitely panicked on where I would be living long-term. However, as fate would have it, a room was opening up at my current Air BnB for a full-time renter in a few weeks. On more than one occasion, I have had some weird *it must be fate* moments on this trip - this being one of them. So I will now being temporarily moving to another Air BnB on Sunday until my space opens up! Hallelujah!!! At the end of the day I am a firm believer that everything will work out (even if it wasn't what you originally imagined). Everyone has their favourite part of travelling. Maybe it's the architecture of a new city, the tourist monuments, the culture, or the climate. Mine is the food. Don't get me wrong, I love everything about new cities/towns but I'm always on the hunt for the best places to eat! That, and grocery shopping - it's always neat to see what brands are sold in different countries, and what type of new products you can find. So, with a few recommendations from friends (thanks Molly!!!), and bloggers I was off in search of Melbourne's epic food scene. Week 1: Carnegie I am staying in a suburb called Carnegie (it is central to both Caufield and Clayton campus) and is close to shops and restaurants. As I am trying to budget, I have yet to try the Thai food down Koorang road near my place, but it is supposed to be unreal. This will go on the list forsure! There is also this place called Huff's Bakery that has amazing bagels (my flatmates sell me it's a must). St. Kilda I am lucky enough to have a friend living in Melbourne (we met during our exchange year in England during 2010/2011). Even better, the girl loves to try new restaurants! Of course this means we needed to meet for brunch at the earliest of conveniences, so Saturday at 10:00 am in St. Kilda it was! Although I am not vegan or vegetarian, I am interested in plant based eating, and am always amazed at the creations of vegan/vegetarian cooks! Louise is vegetarian so we decide to check out Sisters of Soul, a plant based restaurant by the beach. OH.MY.GOSH - SO GOOD! I never thought vegetarian chorizo would be so tasty. The waitress recommended the chorizo tacos (she was from Whistler so knew where Terrace is - so cool/small world!), so tacos it was! They also had a selection of milk alternatives including almond, coconut, and hazelnut for your coffee, it was nuts (*wink*). Chadstone Shopping Centre Did you know that Melbourne is home to the largest mall in the southern hemisphere? Neither did I. But my gosh it is massive! During my wanders here I came across this ice cream stand that sells those cool rolled up ice creams plastered all over Instagram these days. So obviously I had to try one. Basically they pour the cream mixture over a cold slab, mix in your choice toppings and ta-da, delicious creation. Yes is was $9 dollars (insert heart palpatation) was it good, yes; would I buy it again, no; was it worth it, definitely! So good! Queen Victoria Market Sunday brought time for a rainy adventure to downtown Melbourne. I had been down here before during my brief visit in 2013, but didn't get to explore as much as I had hoped. I figured this would be a good time to explore again. The Queen Victoria Market offers fresh meats, cheeses, preserves, wines, pastas, spices, fruits, vegetables, and probably anything else you could think of in one location! It is amazing! I strolled around the shops, got a quick bite to eat (a lamb bread creation), and made note of what I would be coming down to shop for in the future. I am sure I will be back many times over the next 18 months. The Liam Hemsworthy My gosh, I could I forget about the vegan donut. Ok, so let's just say this donut looked like a regular donut, had the texture of a regular donut, tasted like a regular donut, but was vegan. HOW DO THEY DO THIS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!!??!!? All I can say is that it was amazeballs, and I wish I could eat one of these everyday. Also...the name is pretty epic. Ok, saving over $500 dollars was not a mistake, but when your flight time is over 30 hours it definitely feels like it.
Soooo, I booked my flight from Terrace to Melbourne on points, I have literally been saving since 1996 (no joke), and this seemed like the perfect time to utilize this! Really, it was. Although my flight path was..*ahem* a bit sporadic, I did save lots of money in airport taxes and didn't have to pay for the plane ticket. What was my flight path you may ask? Terrace-->Vancouver (makes sense) Vancouver-->Brisbane (also makes sense) Brisbane-->Auckland, NZ (does not make sense) Auckland-->Melbourne (finally!) Estimated travel time: 33 hours (ha) Stretch, hydrate, and get an aisle seat These three things made a huge difference for me during the flight(s). When I could, I got up and stretched, as to reduce the size of my cankles (lack of circulation my friends); always say yes when they come by with water (hydration is key on long flights, seriously); and for me I hate waking people up and also like to get up and move around so I always get an aisle seat. If I didn't do this, and wanted to sleep, window all the way! Just pay the extra money for the taxi, trust me. If there is one thing I have learned during my time travelling, is if you don't know where you are going, its late and you don't know the public transportation system really well, PAY FOR THE TAXI!!!! Going on the subway the wrong way, falling asleep on public transport, catching the wrong bus, can all lead you to a place not ideal for young travellers in the middle of the night. If you feel comfortable with taking public transportation because you know exactly where you're going, definitely do that, but if you don't, pay for the taxi. Did my taxi cost $100 dollars, yes it did, but I (and my parents and boyfriend) had peace of mind knowing I would safely be taken to my Air BnB on the opposite side of town. Heck - I had so much luggage, even if I knew the public transportation system well in the day light, I would have still taken a taxi. Anticipate and save the extra money for the taxi, its worth it. Always have the number of the contact person for the residence, apartment or hostel you are staying at prior to arriving at your destination. Arrive at the Air BnB, safetly get inside, can't find the apartment number. Shit. Turns out there was an unmarked door that led to a second floor, thank goodness I had the contact phone number of the Air BnB girl. In case you get lost, or can't get into your accommodation always have a phone number you can use in an emergency. I actually made my taxi driver wait for me until I knew I was in the building. In the event I couldn't get in, I knew he could transport me to another set of accommodation (hotel) if I needed it. Plan B is always a good idea. Once inside, I feel asleep for a solid 10 hours. Thank goodness for a comfortable bed in a clean apartment. Cheers, Kathryn It's February 7, and I have 20398833 things to do, and I leave for Australia in a week..
Literally for a solid three weeks before I left I was a mess emotionally (a big change regardless if it is 100% the right decision, and what you want to do, is hard!). The one thing I can say is PLAN PLAN PLAN as much as you can before you go, and as early as possible. The more you have in place earlier on, the more you can focus on spending time with those you love before you go. Honestly, without my parent's nagging me (sorry guys) for months before I went, I wouldn't have been as prepared as I was (ok, ok, thank you for nagging). There is definitely more to think about than just signing up for classes. Things to consider include:
That's all I can think of right now, you will have your own list, but these are some things that definitely came up for me! Cheers, Kathryn One could say the road to my Master's in Environment and Sustainability has been a long time coming (about 6 years to be exact). Late in 2010 I realized that in order to get where (I anticipated) I needed to be for my career, a postgraduate degree would probably be necessary. It took a few more life events: the completion of my undergraduate degree in 2012, some travelling, and almost four years working in municipal government, to FINALLY lead me back to school. After (a tonne) of research for graduate programs in the sustainability field offered in England, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, I finally found the perfect course at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. The course offered all the components I felt would provide me with the best education and professional opportunities, plus Monash is ranked in the top 100 universities globally! As coincidence would have it, during the time I was preparing to head to Monash, a new partnership was being formed between our local educational institution, Northwest Community College (NWCC) and Monash University. Their new International Experience Program enables local students to start their degrees (two years) at NWCC, then transfer to Monash University for three years, in which they will complete both their undergraduate degree AND a master's degree (ummm, can you say amazing!!!). Although I am not part of this particular program (though I wish it had been an option for me after high-school) I will be documenting what the transition is like from growing up and living/working in small town Terrace to the big city of Melbourne! Cheers, Kathryn |
AuthorHi everyone! I'm Kathryn, a Master's student at Monash University in Melbourne. This blog outlines the experiences and transition of my life in small town Terrace, BC to the sites and sounds of Melbourne, Australia! Archives
July 2017
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