To Wander

My first day in Australia I spent by myself, exploring the city of Perth. The dorms weren't open until the next day, so I had some time to kill. I checked into my hotel, took a much needed shower after spending so much time in an airport and on a plane, and headed out with a map in one hand and a camera in the other.

The first thing I did was head towards the water. Swan River runs right through the middle of the city, and provides opportunities for really awesome riverside parks, boat docks, restaurants, and piers.

Perth is also home to one of the most unique bell towers I've ever witnessed during my travels, surrounded by some crazy art, and a twist on the classic lock bridge that is all over Europe.

I continued to wander, and found my favorite statues to ever exist. As if I needed a reminder about what country I was in.

One of my favorite places I found was St. George's Cathedral. Its right smack in the middle of the city, yet seems untouched by the urban life surrounding it. I was able to go inside and was instantly transported to Europe. It's not the biggest cathedral, yet still feels grand. It had such a nice charm to it, I didn't want to leave.

Perth is also home to some fancy schmancy shops and has a sizable shopping area. All the classics- Gucci, Coach, Louis Vuitton etc etc etc… but there was a tiny little alleyway that was of its own genre. I felt like I was on a movie set, the street was so different from the surrounding streets. It was like old time London. It even had flags flying with Shakespeare's face on them. There were also some really funky souvenir shops along the way, I loved it.

It was weird walking around without Abbey, but traveling by yourself can be really liberating. I could just wander and not have any sort of plan- just sort of go where I wanted and follow what seemed interesting to me. I had time to myself to reflect on my trip. I felt mature and like an actual adult (who knew) navigating the city. It can definitely be intimidating because of the horror stories out there, and honestly, I was sort of nervous. But it was an amazing day, and I was able to experience a different side of traveling.

The next morning I got ready and headed to this cool cafe I had walked by the day before for breakfast. I had my first Australian coffee and delicious pancakes at E Sense Cafe. Everyone around me was off to work- hustling and bustling around the streets in their professional dress.

Then it was time to head down to Fremantle, and start my study abroad adventure at University of Notre Dame Australia. Here's to the next four months!