Melbun is the new Melbourne

I'm not exactly known as being spontaneous Rosalie. I am good at adapting and being creative but last minute decisions and impromptu trips isn't exactly my thing. I can't help it, I like having a plan and being organized. So when my co-worker asked me to present at an agency meeting in Melbourne, I was shocked at my decision - I decided to be spontaneous. I pinged my partner-in -crime Steph and within 10mins, we booked our flights to Melbourne with 4 days notice! OMG. What has Australia done to Rosalie right?

Melbourne was always on my "Must Visit" List. In Australia, people say Sydney is like Los Angeles and Melbourne is like San Francisco. Since I was a tad bit homesick going to Melbourne seemed like the perfect remedy for my SF blues. There was just one hitch - the weekend we were in Melbourne there was a big rugby match. Apparently, rugby is a big deal in this country. And when there is a rugby match between rival teams, it is an even bigger deal. So we learned the hard way that Rugby + Melbourne = No Hotel Rooms. Total tear. It was like the universe telling me that being spontaneous is not for me. I was so stressed out looking for a hotel room, I barely got any sleep the night before my flight. You name the site, I tried it. You name the hotel, I contacted them begging them for a hotel room. After hours of research, the only option we had was staying 25mins outside the CBD, aka Central Business District. It was something but not ideal. We had lots of walking, shopping and eating on our agenda so we had to be in the center of town to make the most out of our limited time. Thank goodness our friend/co-worker Lisa understood our plight. She wanted us to have a great weekend and decided to contact her travel agent friend. 1-2-3 and bam, we had a hotel room in the CBD within our budget. Thank you universe for reinstalling my faith in spontaneity. Hip hip hooray for our Melbourne angel Lisa!

It's hard not to fall in love with Melbourne. It is a magical city full of secret treasures. We walked everywhere (Fitzroy is awesome). We shopped our hearts out (random alleys had the best shops and The Rose Market was full of fantastic treats). We ate our way through the city (love Gills Diner, Cumulus for brekkie and Little Cupcakes for sweets). And we even managed to pronounce Melbourne properly. It was a grand trip and I can't wait to go back and do it all again...minus the hotel stress. Thank you Melbun for being so good to us and for making me feel at home in Oz.

Next up on the Blog: Aussie 101 - Ordering Coffee the right way in Australia!