3 Free Things To Do in Melbourne

Even though I was more than willing to spend all of my money on experiencing Melbourne to the fullest I knew that I wouldn't last long with that mindset. So, to help you avoid going broke, I've put together a list of three places to go while visiting Melbourne that are completely FREE. You're welcome. 

1. Melbourne Library

Melbourne Library's Reading Room

I went for the reading room, but was drawn back again for the exhibits. I'd heard about Melbourne's library with it BEAUTIFUL reading room, my photo does not do it justice, but I was not told of the amazing exhibits located on multiple floors of the library. The library is also in the free tram limits so if you stay at Melbourne Metro YHA, like I did, then even getting there would be free!

My favorite piece, Melbourne's old and new trams in front of the Flinders Street Station

2. Shrine of Remembrance

The Shrine of Remembrance

I thought I knew where I was going when I left North Melbourne for the Shrine of Remembrance, but I had no idea where I'd end up. When I stumbled upon this glorious place I had the honor of watching a brief demonstration of their annual Ray of Light ceremony, honestly I teared up a little bit. It is a beautiful place made to honor the Victorian lives lost during World War I and all of those who have fought since then. It is truly an honor to witness and I highly suggest putting it at the top of your list. 

  

 3. Botanical Garden

Entering the Royal Botanical Gardens in Melbourne

One of the best things I did was walk through the Royal Botanical Gardens. It was a beautiful day and a great opportunity to spend someone time alone (shout out to all of my solo travelers!) and enjoy my surroundings. This is a great place to flee the hustle and bustle of the city, take your lunch or a good book and enjoy the great outdoors for a couple of hours. You don't want to miss this on a sunny day, trust me.

Safe travels,
Cirrena

Excitement and Worries of Traveling Alone

This weekend I will be visiting Zagreb, Croatia, alone. When I decided to take this trip a few weeks ago I was very excited. I looked forward to getting out of Vienna, to experiencing a new language and culture, and doing so on my own. As the weekend creeped closer, and I realized I need to buy my bus ticket and book my hostel, I became very nervous. All of the excitement disappeared and I started to worry. Why am I worried?

Lets go back up a little bit. I began traveling alone when I was in middle school. My dad moved to Sacramento, so I would catch the train to see him whenever I was out of school. This prepared me for all of my solo trips to and from college during holiday breaks. By my junior year of college I was pretty comfortable being in airports, so when I decided to visit my friends who, were studying abroad in Mexico, I was fairly confident that I could handle making the trip on my own. I was wrong. When it came time to return home I didn't have my exit visa so I couldn't board the plane. 

The only time I traveled outside of the country before this was with my class to Nicaragua my junior year of high school. I was unaware that I'd even received an exit visa when I arrived in Mexico. When planning for this trip I didn't know I needed an exit visa in order to leave. I was just very ignorant about the whole situation. Luckily, getting another exit visa was simple. If I had known earlier I wouldn't have missed my flight but unfortunately I was stuck in Mexico City for the night.

That experience has caused a bit of worry about my upcoming trip. I don't speak any Croatian, I don't know anything about the culture so to be doing this alone is kind of scary. But this is the moment I've been waiting for. All I want in life is to travel, to see and experience new things.

I'm going to take what I learned in Mexico and apply that new knowledge to all of my future travels. In the future things may not go as planed but I will take the set backs in stride and learn from them. I am very excited to be doing this on my own and I will be very proud to say that I did it on my own. I think being nervous about things like this is normal but I can't let that stop me from creating new experiences for myself.

 I've realized that sometimes you're going to be ignorant about things, until you know. Until you're in a situation that teaches you otherwise, you aren't going to know everything. I can't wait to share my time in Zagreb with you all! If you have any tips for me please leave them in a comment. Wish me luck!