June 10, 2016
Vanderbilt’s bowling team is currently traveling abroad in Australia. During the trip, members of the team will take turns sharing their experiences in Australia.
G’Day Mate!
Just kidding, that is not what they actually say here, or at least not in Melbourne. Hello from Australia! Nicole Powell from women’s bowling writing from down under! After a grueling 15-hour flight, it is 730 p.m. on Friday, and I have no shame admitting that I am writing this from the comfort of my bed. It is unbelievably crazy to think that we “traveled into the future,” as Melbourne is 15 hours ahead of Nashville.
We began our journey on Wednesday, flying from Nashville to Los Angeles, where we picked up Amanda and Robyn, our two Californians, before embarking on our 15-hour flight to Melbourne. The airplane that we boarded easily could have been mistaken for a space shuttle, it was that big. We were not all near each other, but lucky for us, the flight was only about 80 percent full, so most of us were able to have an empty seat in our rows. Leaving Los Angeles at 10 p.m. left me wanting to sleep as soon as I buckled my seat belt, but we had to strategically plan when we slept on the flight so that we could become more easily acclimated to the large time change. The goal was to stay awake the first half of the flight and sleep the second half, but I unfortunately had to tap out after about the first four hours.
About an hour after takeoff, we were served dinner, which was quite delicious considering it was being served on a plane. When dinner was finished, the cabin lights were turned off for the next ten hours, allowing people to sleep during the time considered the evening in Australia. Although it would’ve been nice to sleep that long, I’ve always struggled to sleep on planes, so this flight was no different.
To keep busy for what seemed like forever, most of us watched movies that the airline provided on the screens attached to the seat in front of us. Katie and I were lucky enough to sit in the same row, so the first two movies we watched were the same so that we could laugh together. It was difficult to do much of anything else because it was so dark and I definitely didn’t want to be the one person in the entire cabin with my overhead light on, but there was a plethora of movies, television series, games, and music offered to keep us occupied.
When we finally touched down in Melbourne, I was as giddy as a child on Christmas Day. We took a moment to freshen up and prepare for the day because we landed at 7am, then retrieved our bags and went through customs. We met up in arrivals with Kristin, who had flown in from Singapore, along with our tour guide for the trip, Michael. We loaded our suitcases and bowling bags onto the bus, then departed for St. Kilda Beach. We grabbed our first meal a couple blocks away from the beach on a street filled with delicious bakeries, cute clothing shops, and an unbelievable amount of cafes. Kendyll and I could not decide whether we wanted breakfast or lunch food, so for our first Australian meal, we split an order of pancakes and an order of pasta, not the most normal combination, but definitely the most satisfying! After lunch, we moseyed down the boardwalk to stretch our legs after the long flight and then headed for the hotel to check in.
Our last activity on the itinerary for day one was a walking tour around Melbourne, and man, it felt like we walked forever! Our guide Mark was fantastic, he took us through some of the best shopping areas and down these side streets that had the coolest and most unique art. Each side street has its own character, filled with quaint cafes, shops, and unbelievably beautiful spray-painted wall art on the sides of buildings. Mark told us that the city gives permits for certain areas to promote the artistic expression and diverse culture throughout the city. By the end of the walk, we were tired, hungry, and a little cold, but it was definitely a great way to start learning about the history of Melbourne and a great way to stay awake long enough to avoid some of the jetlag associated with long trips!
Each day a different person will write about our trip, so be on the lookout to hear about this incredible experience! I cannot even begin to explain how grateful I am to Coach Williamson and Earnest, Athletic Director Williams, and all of the Vanderbilt Athletics staff that helped make this once-in-a-lifetime trip possible. We are the luckiest girls in the world!
See everyone soon!