Day 1: Melbourne

After 27 hours of flight and layovers, we arrived in Melbourne, Australia. During our flight, we flew over Canberra, the country's capital, which is notorious for being extremely spread out, and laid out in a circular, bicycle wheel shape. We arrived at RMIT Village at 1:30 PM local time, and convened with our peers and professors to discuss our agenda for the upcoming week, along with an overarching outline of what we could expect from our trip of a lifetime. We then left and went to Queen Victoria Market to get new SIM cards for our phones, and grocery shop with the roommates Jack and Mitch. We then walked around downtown and saw a fascinating variety of architectural styles, and walked upon the 1880 World Exposition Building. The built environment in Melbourne is impressive, and the spaces play just as important (if not a more important) a role in defining the city and it's unique charm. Around every corner, the next block was covered with greenery and open spaces, with creative, gravity-defying buildings lurking in the background. This first day was a long one, but it was one I will never forget.