Week 1: And so it begins…

After an endless streak of hours flying, navigating airports, and substituting real nutrition with vending machines, I finally landed in Melbourne.

My first few days were mostly about getting settled and pretending I knew what I was doing. I “learned” the train system, got a gym membership, explored the city, and slowly adjusted to the fact that Australia is both very familiar and just different enough to make me second guess basic tasks without seeming painfully American. Crossing the street? Different. Ordering coffee? Different. Grocery shopping? Somehow also different. My sleep schedule? Completely cooked.

Overall, Melbourne has made a pretty strong first impression.

One of my first stops was the State Library of Victoria, which is easily one of the coolest libraries I’ve ever been in. I walked in expecting a nice study spot and instead found a giant cathedral of books, desks, balconies, and people looking way more focused than whatever I was pretending to do. It is the kind of place that makes you want to open a leather-bound journal and larp academia vibes.

I also wandered around the city center, checked out the State Library steps, and spent some time just people watching. Melbourne has this funny mix of old buildings, glass towers, street noise, coffee shops, museums, and parks all packed together. It feels busy without feeling impossible. I’ve already accepted that I will probably spend too much money on coffee while I’m here, but I’m calling that cultural immersion. My matcha was $15. RIP.

Later in the week, I went out at night and got to see the skyline from near the river. And wow, just wow. The city lights, the river, the cold air, and the fact that I was very far from Gainesville made it feel kind of indescribable. It was one of those moments where I realized I wasn’t just passing through. I’m actually here for a good bit.

I also somehow made it to an art gallery. I stood there for a while trying to pretend I was thinking something profound, but truthfully I was just trying to wrap my head around the scale of the pieces. Some of them were massive, dramatic, and looked like they deserved their own ancient mythology course. Very academic of me, I know.

One of the best parts of the week was meeting Fin, a British professional rugby player who has somehow become my unofficial Australian cultural ambassador. He took me to an AFL practice, which was sick because I barely understood what was going on but immediately respected the chaos. It felt like a mix of soccer, football, conditioning punishment, and organized violence.

So naturally, I was intrigued.

We also found out we both love techno, which led us to a small venue later in the week. It was dark, loud, packed just enough to feel alive, and exactly the kind of random night that makes traveling fun. There is something very funny about landing in a new country, barely knowing how to use the train system, and then a few days later ending up at a tiny techno spot with a British rugby player. No complaints.

The biggest thing this week, though, was just learning how to be here. Figuring out where to eat, how to get around, where to work out, how to not look completely lost, and how to build a little routine in a place where I started with almost zero bearings. There is something weirdly humbling about moving across the world and immediately needing to solve questions like, “Where do I buy laundry detergent?” and “Why is this tram situation more stressful than the MCAT?”

Research-wise, this week was the beginning of getting oriented with Dr. Zengin’s lab and the work I’ll be doing at Monash. I’m excited to learn more about bone health, muscle strength, and clinical research in people with multiple sclerosis. It feels especially meaningful to be here because this experience started as an idea that felt almost too big to be realistic. Now I’m actually in Melbourne, starting the project, and trying to absorb as much as I can.

This weekend, Isabel and I are heading to Sydney for the long weekend holiday, which I’m extremely excited for. The plan is to see the city, hit some beaches and national parks, and somehow make the most of a short trip without completely exhausting ourselves. We’re also planning to climb Mt. Bogong, because apparently I cannot go more than a few days in a new country without trying to find the nearest mountain. Very on brand.

So week one was a mix of jet lag, city exploring, coffee, trains, galleries, skyline walks, techno, AFL practice. I’m here to learn, work, meet people, and hopefully come back with a much better understanding of research, medicine, and maybe Australian public transportation.

So not a bad start you reckon(working on my Aussie)