William Holbrook, Melbourne, Australia

The Beginning

The trip began with roughly 20 hours of flight time and severe jet lag. Keith, David, and I arrived in the morning (Australian time) and were exhausted. The jet lag was severe to say the least. However, I was quick to find that the long trip was worth it upon being greeted by the beautiful city of Melbourne. There was large scale pieces of art that decorated the interstate and the size of the city was amazing. Keith and I were fortunate enough to stay with the Pie family for five days and we were greeted with warm hospitality. Over the next few days, we explored the city which had lots of restaurants and places to shop. 

School Life

Melbourne Grammar School was a very fun experience. My host brother and I took the tram to school every morning. The campus was beautiful and reminded me a little bit of Hogwarts and the school from Chariots of Fire. Everyone was very friendly and eager to get to know "the Americans". They loved our "accents" and loved to tease us for saying "y'all" and "yes sir/ma'am". The school day was very relaxed and every teacher was happy to have us in their class. They offered less traditional courses such as media, psychology, and philosophy (I took all three). We weren't asked to do any course work which was a big relief and really allowed us to enjoy our school day with our mates. We also had to wear a uniform (pictured left) which was classy, warm, and comfortable. There are four houses and each house has a house tie which I was allowed to keep as a souvenir. For lunch, I went off campus most days but, there was a place on campus called the Canteen where I would buy food occasionally. During break, we would all hang out in a Senior common room and blast music. After school, I balled out with the basketball B team (shout out to Big Hame, Slader, and Gus) or lifted weights. The school days turned out to be very enjoyable and everything was very relaxed.

The Front of the School

The School Quad with Lockers

One of the Footy Fields in the Center of the Campus

Weekend Life

The weekends were definitely the most fun because I would get the chance to enjoy the city, the culture, and my new mates. Some of the highlights were attending and 18th Birthday Party at the end of St. Kilda Peer, raving at a downtown teen fundraiser, watching the Melbourne Rebels win in Rugby, watching the Collingwood Magpies smack the Essendon Bombers in Footy, going into the city with my mates, and seeing some of the wildlife native to Australia. Every weekend was a blast and there was a never a dull moment. Below are some pictures of the things I did on the weekend.

A View of AAMI Park at Night

The Rebels Playing Rugby inside AAMI Park

Inside the Melbourne Central Shopping Centre 

The Iconic Australian Koala Bear Eating

The Iconic Australian Kangaroo Lounging

Culture

I quickly began to love the Melbourne culture because of how relaxed and easy going it is. Most adults ask that you call them by their first name and treat you like a friend. No one says yes sir or no sir and they laugh if you do. It almost felt like it was all bout having a good time. Their is a heavy Asian influence in Melbourne due to it's proximity to China, Thailand, and Japan. This allowed me to eat some exquisite Sushi and Chinese food. The most traditional meat dish there is lamb which is very good too. The clothes mainly worn are tight jeans and khakis accompanied by urban wear. In that aspect, I didn't fit in very well with what they called "baggy pants" and boots. The kids there seemed much more independent and had a lot more free reign on their everyday activities. They have a lot of nicknames for everything and love to add y's and er's to the end of words. That accompanied with the accents was gold. By the end of the trip, I could say "G'day mate" flawlessly. 

Closing and Thanks

I can honestly say that by the end of this trip, I made life long friends that I still stay in contact with today. Words cannot express the significance this trip will have in my life forever. Every now and then I will think about the memories I made and wish I was still there. I'd like to thank the Whitson Family, Mr. Gioia, Mrs. Warner, and Montgomery Bell Academy for allowing me to have the experience of a life time. I would also like to thank the Umbers Family, the Pie Family, and the Frawley Family for all of the hospitality y'all showed me and all the memories y'all helped me create. It was truly a blessing to meet every single one of you and have you be a part of my life.