Australia: Melbourne Cup
Michael and I traveled to Australia as part of our 2007 career break. The following is an excerpt from our travel blog.
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Our final destination in Australia: Melbourne. And we couldn’t have timed it any better as we arrived in time for spring racing season. This week long event has the country all a buzz, and it’s not just about the horses – it’s also about fashion, especially hats.
We were fortunate enough to have Emma as our guide. Emma and I volunteered together in Peru and she was kind enough to put us up in her place in the beachy suburb of St. Kilda. We toasted our first night in town over a meal at one of the many trendy restaurants. And joining us on adventures over the next few days was Dan – a young man from the UK who just arrived for eight months of work and travel.
Saturday was the first of four race days during this week long carnival, so we suited up and made our way to Flemington Race Course. Dressing up is part of the experience, and Michael and I tried our best with the few clothes we had. And as my only hat was my sun visor, Emma’s roommate Lauren was kind enough to lend me a “fastenator” – an acceptable alternative to a hat. These hairpieces are generally made up of ribbons, feathers, and meshing and the ladies (and the occasional man) are extremely creative with them.
As we arrived at Flemington, it seemed as if all of Melbourne had turned out for Derby Day. And this wasn’t even the biggest race day. That would be the Melbourne Cup, which occurs on the first Tuesday of November. It features the “Race that stops the nation” and it really does get the attention of all Aussies for that one race. It’s so big that it is an official holiday for Melbournians!
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Everyone was extremely decked out – even in the general admission picnic areas where we would be holding ground with Emma and her mates. There was no stop to the flow of champagne or the exchange of money for bets throughout this festive day. And even though we didn’t win big, we did better than breaking even and had a fabulous time to boot.
And if you are into people watching, you can’t get much better than an event like this. While everyone around us started off looking so sharp, you could see the affects that all-day champagne had on the crowd. And to see the amount of trash strewn about, you would hope two days was enough time to clean up for the Melbourne Cup!
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Leah on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 8:12 am
I really enjoyed reading your post. I am thirty-two soon and have itchy feet that are ready to try out foreign soils.
It is a fear of leaving the security of the day to day grind of paying the bills and living a safe and non-challenging way of life that has put me on hold for some time.
I hope (as it has I) your post will inspire others to go and follow their bliss – Leah 🙂
Patricia GW on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 8:54 am
Travel and experiencing a new culture really has put it into perspective, and filled that void with purpose (and joy).
In three weeks I’ll be moving to Paris myself for one month. I have the same feeling – the incredible surreal realization that I’m going to be living there…. it’s thrilling!!
Abby on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 2:11 pm
Oh, Jenny! Escargot isn’t palatable — it’s delicious! I love your writing style; it’s so fun and energetic. Can you believe how far we’ve come? Everyone, Jenny and I were in the exact same industry and have known each other online and via work emails for years and years. But we’ve only met once, many, many years ago. And one of those jobs she was sleeping next to her BlackBerry for was one I’d just left. And now she’s 33 and living abroad, just like I was last year. Kindred spirits. Jenny, you’re a true inspiration — I can’t wait to see how your adventure unfolds!
Debbie Beardsley on Mon, 6th Jun 2011 3:22 pm
Your life in Paris sounds ideal. It is nice to read about people who follow their dreams instead of wishing they had! Enjoy the rest of your journey.
Terriaw on Tue, 7th Jun 2011 1:40 pm
Wow, fabulous and well said! I love your new outlook on like. After experiencing career burnout and feeling a little lost and purposeless lately, you have encouraged me. I look forward to seeing Paris someday!
Jenny on Tue, 7th Jun 2011 6:50 pm
merci for all the sweet comments! @abby we are soooo kindred spirits! well except when it comes to our differing feelings on escargot…;) and congrats patricia on the move! thrilling indeed!
shawna on Thu, 9th Jun 2011 1:32 am
you’ve reawakened my travel bug. must. return. to. france. (someday.) eat a croissant for me!
Weekly Travel Blog Links — LandingStanding on Mon, 13th Jun 2011 6:16 am
[…] how badly I want to go to Paris… If only we could afford living there for an extended period of time during our travels! Any […]
G. Michael Schneider on Sun, 19th Jun 2011 3:36 pm
I am a firm believer in living and working overseas, just as you described. However, many of us actually like our jobs and our homes and are simply looking to renew and refresh our lives, not change it. However, you can have the same type of cultural experience without having to reach into your own wallet and without having to quit your day job–by taking what I call a “working vacation.” My wife and I have done this 15 separate times, from Australia to Zimbabwe, Turket to Tibet, Mauritius to Mongolia. I describe how to do it in my blog otherguysdime.wordpress.com and via Twitter at @otherguysdime. Learn how to have fun without having to have burn any of your bridges behind you.