Having been in Melbourne for over two weeks, I’ve finally decided to start a blog. This first post is a bit long and somewhat dry - mainly a summary. But future ones should hopefully be more interesting.

The flight in went well. I managed to fit most important stuff into two suitcases, a laptop bag, and a backpack. Although in retrospect, I should have bought a bigger suitcase (one was really big, the other was smaller – the advantage being that one fits inside the other for storage) and evaluated a bit more adequately what to bring and what to leave. And I should have started packing much earlier. Word to the wise – if you’re moving overseas, give yourself more than three days to pack. But all in all, I’ve got a lot of stuff in my parents’ garage, and I think I have everything here I need.

Getting back to the flight, it went pretty well. Had quite a few transfers – went from Minneapolis to Denver to LA to Sydney to Melbourne. Fortunately, my procrastination paid off to some degree. I was up all night packing before the flight, so I was pretty tired and had no problem sleeping on the plane. So that went alright. The only flight delay was at Sydney, when everyone’s carry on bags were checked for toothpaste, shampoo, etc. That was the first I heard of the recent terror plot, and apparently the new regulations (prohibiting toothpaste) went into effect the night before.

Since the first email, a number of things have changed. I’ve moved into an apartment in downtown Melbourne, shared with another student. I had been living in a dormitory style accommodation next to campus. The location was good, but I’m glad to be out. It was more expensive, and it was essentially just a dorm room. It also included meals, which was nice. When I arrived, they told me the meals were “buffet style”, but then I noticed a sign saying that you could only take one tray of food each meal, a far cry from the buffets to which I’d grown accustomed at home. And on my penultimate day there the lunch lady told me that I wasn’t allowed to have two plates on my tray – just one plate and one bowl. But enough of that.

Searching for an apartment was an interesting experience. It’s very much a landlord-friendly process. Each apartment is open for “inspection” for about 15 minutes on one day. If you miss that inspection, the landlord/realtor will generally not show you the place. Maybe it’s because realtors show you the place, not the landlords. But maybe not. Anyway, it was quite different from back home – I remember my landlord bringing about a dozen people through my old place at all times of the day.

I’ve also had a chance to check out the city. Melbourne has a very vibrant nightlife. Although I did get carded at one of the bars. Which in itself wouldn’t be noteworthy, except that the legal drinking age here is 18. And later that night, I won $300 at the casino.

When I arrived in Melbourne, I was still on the waiting list at NYU. I had been on the list since February. However, I was recently downgraded to the “Rejected” pile. I wouldn’t have left Australia if I got in at NYU, but I was just curious to see how it would play out. But MBS lets students go on exchange to NYU or Columbia, so maybe I should take that route. That way I can foil their efforts to keep me out. It’s all about being resourceful.

Enjoy the following pictures. More to follow.