I Ate My Way Through Melbourne!

I don’t think I could have made a better decision than to study abroad at the University of Melbourne through The Education Abroad Network. The TEAN program surpassed my expectations in every way and facilitated the best six months of my life. In Melbourne, there was always something to do. If I wasn't spending the day hiking and exploring the bush in the Dandenong Ranges or Mornington Peninsula, you could find me down alleyways looking for the tastiest food, the best coffee, or new and upcoming artists in the heart of Melbourne's CBD.

I am a HUGE foodie, which is probably why I loved Melbourne as much as I did. Melbourne is the food, coffee, and music capitol of Australia and for a good reason. On a Saturday morning, the whole CBD smells of brunch, as delicious smells waft from every direction. I probably spent most of my money on exploring new restaurants and eateries, while becoming a regular at a few. I followed a few food bloggers from Melbourne and found myself exploring further and further out into the different suburbs of Melbourne, literally eating my way through the city.

We lived in the heart of Melbourne right on the edge of the CBD (central business district, aka downtown). I never knew how much I enjoyed city life until my study abroad experience and I didn’t want to leave! Living in the CBD meant that we were never more than a short walk or tram ride from wherever we wanted to go. With music festivals, farmers markets, coffee classes, and adventure clubs, Melbourne was never short on excitement. The city itself had an awesome vibe that thrived on street art, performers, and the diverse communities that make up the surrounding suburbs. If you have been to Portland, Oregon, that would give you a taste of what Melbourne has to offer.

Through the program and on recommendations from my Resident Director in Melbourne, I traveled to Thailand, Indonesia, and New Zealand, and ate my way through many cities along the way. On the TEAN Trip to Thailand, we took a cooking class in Chiang Mai and I fell head over heals in love with Thai curry and have since tried to perfect my favorite, Red Curry. While in Indonesia, I was able to travel with some of my friends from TEAN and we experienced traditional home cooked Indonesian food and took an Indonesian cooking class with the cutest lady around. Studying Abroad in Australia has allowed me to expand my palate as well as my appreciation of where great food comes from.

Along with the Spring Break trips to Thailand and New Zealand (which both are beyond amazing), TEAN does a great job at ensuring that each student has the best study abroad experience possible. TEAN provides students with Resident directors in their chosen cities that make the experience of studying abroad even more amazing!

Studying through The Education Abroad Network was a great decision as it streamlined and organized the process, while ensuring that my study abroad experience was nothing less than amazing! Studying Abroad taught me to embrace new cultures, seize opportunities, and inflamed my desire to travel the world. The Education Abroad Network program provided me with incredible opportunities that I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else!