Melbourne, Australia

Tilly's cafe

Stina and I moved into a four room apartment, where we shared a room (and a bed). We loved it. With a perfect location in the hearth of st Kilda we finally got our own space and a place we could call 'home' whithout referring to a hostel. We shared it with Stina's coworker Cameron and his fiancé Chelsea, in the room next to ours. My friend Stef ended up moving into the last and smallest room of the apartment. Stef was one of the people I left behind me while leaving the fruitshack. She had now decided to follow my footsteps and leave the farm to search for better luck in the city of Melbourne. I met her in the bar the night she arrived after finishing my last workshift in the resturant. The very next day we decided that she's moving in. 

I kept working at the cafe, I learned how to make coffee and truly improved my work overall. It was just one problem - I didn't got enough hours. And it wasn't reliable hours. There was just so many days he texted me in the morning saying that I didn't need to come in. In the end I ended up working about 3 days a week, and only 4.5 hour shifts. I struggled a lot to make a living. With so much free time, but with no money to spend I began gym- hopping. I invented this myself. Gym hopping basically means applying for a 3 or 7- day trial at the gym, whatever the gym is offering. When that trial is over, you kindly turn down the membership options just to do the same thing to another gym. I probably went throught 7 different gyms if I counted it right, and never had to pay a cent. Expect from gymming I spent I lot of time applying for more jobs, obviously, and hanging out with Chloe. She was on her way to Alaska traveling with her father, and we spent countless hours of backpack shopping for that amazing adventure filled with kayaking, hiking, cycling and flying around the mountains. I couldn't be more jealous! 

Chloe and I on her last night before heading of to Alaska

On a night out in st Kilda Stef and I ended up at 'Abbey road' chatting with some Irish lad calling himself 'big gay Eric'. We hit the bars together that night and he happened to mention, in his drunken stage of cource, that he might be able to get me a job at his place. Trying not to take things to seriously I popped in to 'Albert park deli' with my resume the next day, mentioning that I knew Eric in the kitchen. It's is a fairly busy cafe, deli and takeaway shop, with dining services during week nights. The called me in for a trial a couple of days later and decided to keep me on during evenings and weekends. As the Deli gave me a lot more responsibilities in its busy environment I found myself getting bored at my first job. And I soon found out what a struggle it was getting between them. I started my first job at 11, stayed until 3.30, rushed for all I had to catch the train into the city where I ran for the tram to albert park, to hopefully be able to start my shift at 4.30. I knew I couldn't keep going that way so when the Deli offered me full time I started considerate leaving Tilly's. 

I went to work that day, mentally prepereard to tell my boss that I'm leaving. Or at least cutting down my hours. But before I've even walked into the door he spit out the fact that the other girl, on the same hours as me, resigned yesterday. I didn't have the heart to tell him I was leaving too. And when he offered me more hours, still only half day shifts, I heard myself saying yes even if that surely wasn't what was going on in my head. So instead of cutting down my hours, I got more.  This basically meant that I every day would have to rush between jobs instead of having a full 8 hour day at the deli, with the same wages. Which would be I reasonable thing to do. It took me a couple of weeks or so before I had strength enought to tell him. This timing was not better than the last, as one of the full timers was leaving as well. That also meant that I got offered full time job, with barista training. From having no jobs I now had two ... 

Birthday celebration

While I was still on 2 jobs, late June, Our German friend Kat left the fruitshack for the second time and came down to Melbourne. I met her in the city one morning after Stef and I had finished our 7 am spinning class and took her back to st Kilda. We spend a lovely long weekend together with Stina and Stef, knowing we wouldn't see eachother for a long while now as she was flying back home to Germany that following week. 

My 21st birthday was coming up and I decided to ask for the day off, which ended up beeing my first day completely off work in over a month. Stina, Stef and I hit the bars the night before. Making a st Kilda pub craw we strolled down the bars on flitzroy street, the esplanade just to end up at our regular place 'abbey road' by the time the clock passed midnight. Stina, who started work just a few hours later went home and left me and Stef at the dance floor where we stay'd until early morning. On my birthday morning I made a promise to Stina to come by her cafe for a coffee. As Stef and I sat down Cam put Stevie wonders 'happy birthday' playing on the speakers while Stina brought me a candle filled muffin and presents. I felt so loved and when they asked my to make a wish while blowing out the candle I honestly couldn't think of anything. Stef and I left for a lovely breakfast and bubbles before having a stroll around the south Melbourne market. 

Later that day I headed away to meet Chloe who got back from Alaska the same morning. Srill jet lagged she told me the most amazing stories from her trip over a few beers in her new apartment in Brunswick. That evening we hit the city and met Stef and Stina at an cosy resturant for a birthday meal. Feeling too jet lagged to function, Chloe headed home to sleep. Stina, Stef and I went for a couple of drinks and games of pool before heading home as well when my birthday was officially over! 

Albert park deli 

The Deli became to feel like a second home away from home. Work became something I could look forward too, and I enjoyed every moment. Almost. There was one Saturday where I felt terribly hangover after catching a few drink with Eric the night before. I simply forgot that I had to work in the morning and had no intentions to go to bed until one of the bouncers suggested it to me - way to late. All morning I struggled with not being sick and promised myself not to ever touch alcohol again. 

Me and Eric out in the club 

As I worked a lot of 12-9 hours I tried to get myself into a good daily rutin. After all the gym hopping I finally signed up one, same as Stef's one. A couple of times a week I'd go for a 7am gym class. I loved that. And then I could enjoy having all morning to myself. Every other day I'd go running before work or go for breakfast with Stina. At least once a week I'd go rock climbing. That was one thing I'd always look forward to every week when working so much. I met new friends there every week, and went climbing a lot together with this one Australian guy Greg. I'm in serious love! (With the climbing, not the guy). The adrenalin you get when challenging yourself to the top. God, I could live for that. 

Spending so much time at work, my colleagues became my new best friends. Specially Charlotte, and American Will. It was not unrarely for us to catch a drink or two after closing together. Unfortunately, Charlotte was leaving early august to travel the east cost before heading home to Germany. So after her last shift we headed to hofrahaus, the German bar in the city. The beers there are unreal, and far to big to hold only with one hand. We met Will, and the Australian girl who's working with us chatting the hours away. From there we headed to a hidden rooftop bar. You basically had to go throught what looks like a Chinese dumling place, take the elevator to 4th floor which will take you to the bar. Up there and around the corner we followed a staircase to a beautiful beer garden on the top. Beeing almost the only ones there, we stood for ages overlooking the beautiful city.