My 3 Favorite Neighborhoods in Melbourne

China Town (shot on a film camera by Gabriella Ruiz)

Before I left for Australia I asked my Facebook friends where I should go, what I should see, and most importantly what I should eat in Melbourne. Lets be honest, food is good and is a very important part of many cultures, so what better what better way to get to know a new country than by trying the food? Nothing.

The first thing I did was google the best places to eat in Melbourne. This led me to some awesome neighborhoods, I was able to explore only after energizing myself with all the amazing food and flat whites.

Before I forget I have to give a shout out to melbournegirl.com.au and  theurbanlist.com/melbourne  for leading me in the right direction. Both websites have great recommendations for every neighborhood, I highly suggest you check them out!

1. Carlton

Lygon Street in Carlton is the Little Italy of Melbourne. It's lined with plenty of boutiques, Italian restaurants, and gelatorias. I found myself on Lygon street three times the week I visited. There was live music on the street, plenty of restaurant options, and I was able to pick up free wifi from a few of the banks (always a plus). My favorite restaurant was University Cafe. Honestly, what first attracted me was the handsome Italian server standing at the door but the food and atmosphere kept me coming back. The staff acted like a family and there was always a table of people (I assume the owners) sitting outside who seemed to know everyone that walked down the street. It was a very welcoming environment with delicious gelato.

2. North Melbourne 

The delicious Eggs Benedict from Ample Cafe

I spent a lot more time in North Melbourne than I expected to, is it more residential than other areas so I didn't think I would find places to hang out. When I started to dig a little deeper I was able to find a few hidden gems. My hostel was conveniently located just a few blocks from Queen Victoria Market, which is the main attraction for North Melbourne. It was also within walking distance of The Comic's Lounge, they put on a great show my second night there and it was free because #HostelPerks. I also found awesome food and coffee at Fancy Hank's BBQ, Twenty and Six Espresso, Ample Cafe, and Auction Rooms. I spent many mornings at Ample Cafe because they were a block away from my hostel and they use fresh produce from Queen Victoria Market. Auction Rooms had awesome staff and serves the best french toast(pictured below) I've ever had!

French toast from Ample Cafe

3. Melbourne CBD

Melbourne CBD

This I feel is a given. Of course you have to see Downtown Melbourne but I also had very mixed feelings about the Central Business District(CBD). The first time I went I was so overwhelmed! I've been to many big cities (Prague, Vienna, NYC) but I've never felt as overwhelmed in those places as I did in Melbourne CBD on a Sunday afternoon. I swore off it after the first time but there were many things that pulled me back into the center of the city. You can read about some of those things next week when I tell you 3 free things to do in Melbourne!

Safe Travels,

Cirrena

Feeling At Home In Melbourne

This past week I traveled to Melbourne, Australia to visit my best friend, Gabby, who will be studying there until November :(. Honestly, Gabby leaving me  going on her adventure in Australia is the only reason I went to Melbourne. In the back of my mind I've always thought it would be a nice place to visit but having the opportunity to explore a new country with my best friend was the push I needed.

I was able to do SO much in the week that I was there so I'll be doing a few separate post about my time in Melbourne. Gabby described Melbourne as feeling "like an extension of San Francisco." Working at a hostel I meet many people from Melbourne and they've all said that it is very similar to San Francisco and I can now say that that is true. I felt very much at home in Melbourne after a very short time. I look forward to sharing a few of my stories with you all.

Safe travels,

Cirrena

A Weekend in Hungary

As you may have read in my last post I was planning on spending a weekend in Zagreb, Croatia. I was extremely nervous about traveling alone, so the night before...let's just say I didn't make the wisest decisions in preparation for my trip. The next morning I woke up at 7:59am, my bus left at 8. I was a bit disappointed and embarrassed and I knew if I stayed home I would be bitter about missing out on this new adventure. So I spent that morning looking for a new adventure. To make a long story short I ended up in Budapest, Hungary.

I stayed at a hostel three underground stops from the train station and less than a ten minute  walk from the Chain Bridge. When I arrived I was still very nervous about being in this city alone and planned on staying in bed all night, luckily I was sharing a room with four awesome Australians who let me tag along as they explored the city.

The Chain Bridge

 Here's a (VERY) brief introduction to Budapest. The city is made up of two parts Buda and Pest. Buda is where the parliament is located and Pest is where you'll find the castle. We began that evening walking across the the Chain Bridge to the Buda side of Budapest and along the Danube River towards the Parliament. We were out at the perfect time, we were able to see the beautiful city in day light and as the sunset. It was truly flawless.

The Parliament Building

On my second day in Hungary I traveled with one of the couples from my hostel to Eger, a beautiful town northwest of Budapest. Eger is home to the second largest church in Hungary, pictured below. Another one of Eger's main attractions is The Valley of Women. Here is where you will find dozens of families producing and selling wine. It's a beautiful area with many happily drunk people and a lot of delicious wine.

The Cathedral in Eger

A view from the Castle of Eger

On my final day in Hungary we went to one of the many thermal baths in the city. It was about a thirty minute walk from my hostel but it took us more like two hours to finally get there because there was so much to see between point a and point b. We walked down Andrassy Avenue which lead us to Hero's Square. We then found ourselves in the middle of the city park. There must have been something special happening that day because it was packed. There is so much to see in this park, I probably spent more time there than at the actual baths, but eventually we made it. 

Szechenyi Baths in Budapest

I think missing my bus to Zagreb was a blessing in disguise. I could have had an amazing time there as well but my weekend in Hungary was really unforgettable. Everything fell into place and and it was a great experience for my first time traveling alone. I met amazing people and I was lucky to find a hostel in the perfect location for a great price. I was able to learn a lot from the people that I met and I'll be able to use this information during my future travels. I'll talk about my new knowledge in a future post. Until then, safe travels to all of my fellow wanderers out there. Enjoy the ride!

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!

A Week In Dorfagstein

So I arrived in Austria in mid-August. After spending the night in Vienna my group took the train, about three and a half hours, to Dorfgastein. This is a very small village in Salzburg with a population of less than two thousand people. 

Although there isn't a lot to do here in the summer months, this town becomes a major tourist destination during ski season. While we were there we took a lift up to the mountain and hiked Fulseck Peek. The view is truly breathtaking. These photos don't even begin to show the beauty that is the Austrian Alps.

We also spent a day  at Alpentherme Spa in Bad Hofgastein, only a ten minute bus ride from Dorfgastein. This spa was amazing! It has multiple indoor pools and different areas for adults and families. In the family  zone there are two water slides, both of which I was too afraid to go down, but maybe next time. The highlight of the spa had to be the outdoor pool, which is heated so it was very enjoyable in the cold weather. What made this pool so amazing was the view. You are relaxing in the warm water surrounded by rolling mountains, it was mesmerizing. 

This is definitely going on my list of places to return to one day. I'll have to bring everyone I know when that day comes so they can enjoy it as well. I would suggest this experience to anyone who is looking for a relaxing vacation. If you want a weekend away from Vienna or if you're traveling through Europe, add this to your list of places to see!

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to A Wanderer's Journal!

I want to start by introducing myself to all of you who may have stumbled upon my blog, and give a brief explanation as to what the point of this blog is. So here we go!

My name is Cirrena. I am currently a senior in college and this semester I'm studying abroad in Vienna, Austria. When I was younger I always loved the idea of traveling. My family never went too far but we would take small trips around California, my home state, once a year. As I got older the opportunity to travel around the United States presented itself a few times through different programs that I was involved in. In the 5th grade I got on a plane for the first time and flew all the way to Washington D.C. My first time leaving the country was in 2010 when I was in the eleventh grade. A small group from my school went on a ten day trip to Nicaragua. I have been consumed by wanderlust ever since.

Now that I've been in Austria for almost two months I'm ready to start documenting my travels. Better late than never, right? I'm going to start by catching up on the places I've been in Austria so far and I am planning a few weekend trips while I'm still here so I'm looking forward to sharing that with you all.

Even though I'm definitely not an expert I want to(try) to answer any questions that you all may have and inspire people to see the world. I hope you all enjoy the experiences that I'll be sharing with you.

Thanks for reading!