Long time no see! Andrew and I have returned to Korea after a wonderful three months in the United States. We're living in Busan, a city of nearly 4 million people and a far bigger one than any place either of us have ever lived. We're excited for this next chapter in our lives and cannot thank all of you enough for keeping up with us. Thank you, especially, to those who housed us, fed us, entertained us, wined us, and generally expressed your continued support in our adventures. The memories that we have from our time visiting family and friends in the United States are ones that we'll cherish here in Korea.
Now, I'm going to take us back to November 2015! Andrew and I said our goodbyes to CEV and Korea on November 9th, where we boarded a plane bound for Melbourne, Australia, by way of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The idea for Australia came about on one of the many desk warming days we had at CEV. I was binge watching YouTube videos of Mumford and Sons, dreaming of the next time we'd get to see them. For kicks, I googled their tour schedule and found that they'd be playing shows in Melbourne and Sydney a few days after our departure from Korea. Since desk warming days were mostly focused on finding things to do to take up the time, I Googled flights from Busan to Melbourne. Call it luck, destiny, fate...tickets from Busan to Melbourne were $188 each. Busan to Australia for less than $200. I hit the refresh button to make sure that it wasn't a glitch, then I approached my ever so adventurous husband with the idea. "How about we spend the week after we leave in Australia (also, honey, it's my birthday.)" After sorting through some logistics, we booked our (reimbursed by CEV) flights from Busan --> Kuala Lumpur --> Melbourne --> Sydney --> Los Angeles --> Charlotte --> Johnson City.
Another draw was that we'd be leaving colder-by-the-day Korea for warmer-by-the-day Australia. So, on November 9th, we flew Air Asia from Busan to KL, then KL to Melbourne, where we arrived the morning of November 10th.
What blog is complete without a photo of your plane's wing?
Our first stop was Melbourne, the second most populous city in Australia. Melbourne was officially declared a city by Queen Victoria in 1847, after which it became the capital of the newly founded colony of Victoria.
Andrew and I decided to use Airbnb for our lodging needs in Australia. We've really come to love using Airbnb, because you usually get more bang for your buck. Additionally, most places we've stayed have been in neighborhoods we might not have been aware of had it not been for our Airbnb. In Melbourne, we rented an apartment in St. Kilda, a neighborhood about 6km from the city center situated by the water. It wasn't beach weather while we were there, but we enjoyed a couple of nice walks along the port.
We led ourselves through the streets of Melbourne on a beautiful Spring day. The results of that are pictured below.
Flinders Street Railway Station, completed in 1909. This was the first railway station in an Australian city and the world's busiest passenger railway station in the 1920s.
St. Paul's Cathedral, an Anglican cathedral across from Flinders Street Station pictured above. We were delighted to be passing by as the Choral Evensong began, so we stopped in for some quiet time.
Across the street from St. Paul's sits Federation Square, Melbourne's first public square built in 2002. It's a nice place to hear music, drink a beer, or eat your lunch on a Tuesday.
At the time we were there, Melbourne was gearing up for the Rhonda Rousey vs. Holly Holm fight. Australians seemed to be on the side of Holly Holm, and it wasn't until we returned to the United States that we realized she was from New Mexico.
Just down the way from Federation Square is Hosier Lane, a pedestrian and vehicle lane way celebrated due to its unique urban art. There didn't seem to be any rules about who could leave their mark.
Two men and a can.
Another important aspect of Melbourne's culture is its sports culture. Home to the Australian Open every January, Melbourne also hosted the 1956 Olympic Games.
Not Centre Court, but close enough!
Melbourne Cricket Ground, built in 1853, home to a very popular sport in Australia that I have difficulty understanding. It's the 10th largest stadium in the world and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. Below, you can see it in the background of the courts at Rod Laver Arena.
In the same area, Olympic Park.
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium/AAMI Stadium, home to rugby and Australian League Football.
Hisense Arena, a multi-purpose venue.
Some rowers.
A stroll through Queen Victoria Gardens.
Perhaps Andrew's favorite thing about Melbourne was the State of Victoria Library. It was truly one of the most beautiful public spaces we've seen. Here are some shots of the Main Reading Room:
Mebourne Museum and Royal Exhibition Center.
One of the many things we came to love about Melbourne was the incorporation of public green spaces throughout the busy city. They were nice places to relax without having to veer far from the city center.
A tiny tudor village.
For scale.
After three nights in Melbourne, we had a short flight to Sydney. Can you spy the Opera House in the scene below?
If you have an aversion toward pictures of the Sydney Opera House, you might want to stop reading here. Can you really have too many pictures of such an iconic building? We didn't think so, and we have proof below.
Our first morning in Sydney was also my birthday! Andrew and I went for a misty run from our neighborhood north of downtown and across the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
Our Airbnb was located north of downtown and across the Harbor Bridge, so each day, we either walked into downtown over the bridge or took a ferry, a very popular form of public transportation in the harbor.
We made our way to The Domain, an outdoor event venue located next to the Royal Botanic Gardens. Gentlemen of the Road is an all-day music festival showcasing local and international talent.
It rained on and off the entire day, which gave me a great excuse to buy this patriotic poncho.
Mumford and Sons.
The morning of the 14th was when we became aware of the terrorist attacks in Paris. As a sign of solidarity, many of the buildings in Sydney were lit with the colors of the flag of France, including the Sydney Opera House.
Sydney Town Hall.
The next day, we continued with a self-guided walking tour. We spent a couple of short hours at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
St. Mary's Cathedral.
After lots of walking, we stumbled into the oldest pub in Sydney, Fortune of War. There's a dearth of cheese in Korea, so I think we made up for a year without during our one week in Australia.
Our last full day in Sydney/Australia happened to be the warmest and sunniest one yet. We took advantage of the weather and took a local bus to the stunning Bondi Beach. It seemed like one of the first days that the locals were able to lay out in the sunshine based on the happiness level of most we encountered.
We returned to the harbor for one last Australian sunset.
The last item we had to check off our list happened at the airport. Meat pies for breakfast!
And finally, we're on our way home. At this time, we had no clue that we'd get to see as many family and friends as were were fortunate to.
Thanks for catching back up with us! We're getting settled in Busan and will look forward to updating you from here. We're incredibly grateful for your continued love, support, prayers, and well wishes. Love to you all from our new home in Busan!
