Before I moved to Melbourne, I’d travelled around Europe, experienced a lot of Western culture, and kind of “knew” the US through shows (and I actually visited this year too). But Australia—especially Melbourne—is a whole different story.
Here are the things I found really different about living in Melbourne:
FOOD CULTURE
Oh. My. God. What is this?! You can find literally any cuisine, and the standards are insanely high. I honestly believe some dishes here are even better than the ones in their actual countries. Melbourne’s food and restaurant scene is on another level.
COFFEE
You might like coffee, but in Melbourne… coffee is a whole different thing. Back home, I loved coffee, but it was more like an everyday black coffee addiction. Here? I’m into plant-based milk coffees, I can actually taste the difference between a good and bad one, and yes—I even have a coffee machine at home now. I’m still learning, but wow, the coffee culture here changes you.
EARLY MORNINGS
I don’t know if it’s like this in other countries, but in my hometown, mornings were not like this. Here, mornings start really early. 5 AM traffic is a thing—sometimes worse than 8 AM. Most people wake up early, start early, and cafés open at 6 AM at the latest. It was such a shock at first.
SEAGULLS
Are there any other countries with seagulls this aggressive? They’re terrifying. Last night my fiancé even jumped awake from a nightmare because of seagulls. I hate them. They steal food, they stare at you, they’re scary.
FOUR SEASONS IN ONE DAY
This is actually scientifically proven, by the way—there are studies about it. Even in summer, I can’t leave the house without an umbrella and a jacket. You never know what’s going to happen. I’m still not really used to it. That constant instability can be so frustrating sometimes.
That weird old Aussie weather? There’s literally a song for it. Crowded House’s “Four Seasons in One Day” was co‑written by Neil and Tim Finn in a flat in St Kilda East, Melbourne—born right in our unpredictable city. Hit play and feel Melbourne’s mood swings in music.
SMALL TALK
I still hate it, to be honest. If we don’t have to talk, we don’t need to, right? Keep it short. I’m not against genuine conversations, like when someone is actually curious about your weekend or your life. But doing it just to “be nice”? Ugh. Sorry… maybe one day I’ll get used to it and even start doing it instead of just awkwardly ignoring people.
CULTURAL MIX
Okay, it’s an English-speaking country, but when you walk down the street you can easily hear 10 different languages—sometimes more than English. And it feels amazing. You don’t feel bad speaking your own language. I’m not saying there’s no racism, but in the city, you barely feel it.
A SMILE FROM A STRANGER
I could write an entire post just about this. On a bad day, an elderly person smiles at you and suddenly your day changes—you find yourself smiling back. I’m literally getting emotional just talking about this. YES, in Melbourne (and apparently it’s not the same in other Aussie cities) a random person can smile at you or even say hi for no reason. I really noticed the difference when I was in the States—no one even looks at each other. But Melbourne? Oh wow. Even if you just have a dog—actually, even if you don’t—people will still talk to you. It’s such a nice feeling.
FACEBOOK GROUPS & SECOND-HAND CULTURE
I’m from a country where second-hand shopping isn’t common. So when I moved here, I was in op-shops almost every day. HOW?! Like, brand new clothes with the tags still on, but 80% cheaper than retail. One day I’ll make a list of the best op-shops in Melbourne, haha. And selling or buying second-hand online? Another amazing thing. It feels like a step toward sustainability. Though to be honest, Australia still has high consumption levels (probably because of strong currency and purchasing power), so there’s a lot of waste. But the second-hand culture? Love it.
Sure, I could talk about some negative things about Melbourne too (if I can even find many!), but honestly, most of the things above are really good—of course, all subjective.
Hope this helps. xx
