Earlier this November, I felt downright giddy when I realized my Australia trip was right around the corner. A sunny reprieve in the middle of winter (okay, I live in California, but still)? Yes, please!
I was so blinded by my own sunny outlook that I chose to ignore my Australian relatives’ warnings. November, they warned me, was more akin to spring, and rain was far likelier than beach days. “Totally,” I agreed as I spread bikinis out on my bed.
Here’s the cold, hard truth: Melbourne is chilly. Weather-wise, it’s got the moody marine layer of San Francisco with a healthy dash of Seattle fog. It’s a gorgeous city but a gray city nonetheless! Your girl was freezing, her dreams of returning stateside a sun-kissed goddess dashed. Ever the optimist and buoyed by a daily diet of piping-hot meat pies, I chose to look on the bright side. I was 11 hours ahead of home, putting me in the unique position of living in the future, baby! With newfound zeal, I hit the streets, credit card at ready and a keen eagle eye trained on what the cool Melbourne girls were wearing.