Me, Myself & I (Finally solo traveling) ‘backpacker to Nomad’ book excerpt
Finally solo traveling
Melbourne felt it had a much calmer vibe than Sydney, a slower pace, and that helped to feel at ease in a strange new city. Another lesson learned was to pay attention to the weather, it was true what they said, Melbourne was the city of four seasons in a day, and the only thing missing today was snow. There were times I didn’t know if It was in the same city, walking out one street into the rain, another with that giant ball of fire berating down then into Gail force winds.
A smile grew, a familiar baked smell wafted through the nostrils, and it didn’t take long for the eyes to lock on. The traditional Australian eatery was Pie face.
‘No, not today, It’s getting dark get some proper food somewhere, not a takeaway pie.’
‘Yeah, that means going somewhere to sit and eat alone. Never done that before.’ Replied the other inner voice a little concerned.
‘It will be fine. Gonna have to do it if I’m going to be traveling alone. Need to learn to eat and go into bars alone, especially if I want to see live gigs. Might as well dive in straight away.’
It was something just not done. Not in England nor during my time in Sydney. For the most part, I cooked in the hostel but whenever I eat out, it was either with others or bought food back to the hostel. Eating alone was just something not done where I was from.
Melbourne Vs Sydney
Darkness had replaced daylight and for now, it remained dry, but temperatures had plummeted. Apparently, according to the black and white stunning graffiti mural on the wall, this was Fitzroy. With the streetlights pointed toward it, the mural stood out more than it would have during the day.
Friends in Sydney had raved about this place, well those who fell in love with this city. Melbourne and Sydney divided a lot of opinions, there were staunch, almost tribal supporters for both. Those that loved Sydney hated Melbourne, and those who loved Melbourne hated Sydney.
After just a day, Sydney was still home but the appeal of Melbourne was evident especially with its calming vibes which were doing wonders from the way I felt in Sydney towards the end.
Here I was A stranger in a new city, gliding through the mellow atmosphere which spread a calmness through me. Amazing how just being taken out of an environment can change a mood so drastically in such a short space of time.
The question is how long it will last. It didn’t matter right now though, I didn’t know a single soul, wandering the streets all day, getting lost from one ally way to another and it felt so freeing.
