Day 142 -- The Final Day

Today was my last day in Australia, and before I get into the sappiness that is inevitably about to come, I'll go into how my day went. I obviously spent the majority of it packing, but embarked on a journey with the guys to visit a cider tasting rooftop bar in Federation Square that we've been wanting to go to forever. It was totally worth it. I tried over 8 different kinds of delicious ciders, and ended up buying a pot of strawberry and pear cider. The bar itself was very quaint itself, as it totally rocked the fake grass and white picket fence around the outside. There were little rooms inside shaped like huts that a small group could sit in as well. Very adorable. We then ate lunch (if you call french fries lunch....which we do haha) at a chain we've been dying to eat at – Lord of the Fries. Like the name suggests, you'd be willing to become a cannibal in order to get these fries they are so good. Okay, not really, but they really were good! You can choose from about 10 different sauces for your fries, so three of us split a box of fries with “Parisian” and “Aussie” sauces. Parisian was this garlic aeoli which I have grown to love after going to Blue Moon so many times, and the Aussie was a twist on tomato sauce (or ketchup – can't wait to actually start hearing ketchup again...), and the combination together was to die for. Two places I'm extremely glad I got to visit before I left!
But alas, all good things must come to an end, and that end is now for my amazing journey in Australia. I'm overwhelmingly sad to be going, and overwhelming happy to be headed home. There are certainly things I won't miss – Coretto's, high prices, paying for my own internet and...well, everything, doing school work, having the smallest fridge and kitchen in the world, certain people, etc, but there are also certainly things I will. I'll always have the memories of family dinners, a comforting home-away-from-home event that helped me feel less alone in this big city. I'll remember all the nights we danced like crazy until the wee hours of the morning. I'll remember risking my life by jumping out of a plane from 14,000 feet and how it felt to be flying through the air. I'll remember not seeing my roommate all day and then not being able to shut up to one another for hours and hours since we had SO much to catch up on. I'll remember conquering my fear of rock climbing in the Grampians, and then sealing it by walking backwards over a cliff to abseil down the mountain face. I'll remember hiking up and down Cradle Mountain and every mountain in between in Tasmania and being in awe of just how strong my legs can actually be. And I'm definitely lucky to be able to remember how much my friends have become a family away from home. I didn't know anyone coming in, and now leaving I feel like I'm leaving a huge part of me behind. There is no doubt in my mind that I am the most lucky person in the world to be able to experience this with the people that I did. I couldn't ask for anything better!
It's also unbelievable to think how far I've come from when I got here. When I got on the plane I was terrified, heartbroken, and doubting whether all of this was even worth it. Melbourne has made me fearless enough to jump out of a plane, mended my heart, and I'm coming back knowing this was the best decision I have ever made in my life. I'm going to miss it more than words can say. I hope that I can one day make it back to this amazing city, but even if I never do I'll never forget what this city has done for me. Melbourne, you have truly captured my heart. I'll never forget ya, mate ;)