It all started on a whim.
My sister mentioned she was heading to Sydney for a conference and casually suggested, “You should come meet me there after!” One thing led to another, and somehow, that small idea became reality — a solo trip to Melbourne for a week, followed by three days in Sydney with her.
Funny thing is, it was my first solo trip, yet I wasn’t nervous. Not excited either. Just calm — going through the motions. I didn’t have an itinerary. No list of places to visit. I only had two tickets booked: one to the Sydney Zoo, and another to Scenic World in the Blue Mountains. Everything else? Completely unplanned.
At that point in life, I felt a bit lost. I’d heard how solo trips could help people find themselves, so I thought, maybe this would do the same for me. No expectations, no grand goals — I just wanted to step out of the rut.
I booked a flight to Melbourne, found a cheap Airbnb in Southbank — right along the Yarra River and close to the CBD — and that was it. I didn’t even have a solid reason for choosing it, except that it was near water, and that somehow felt right.
And of course, I love travelling to cold countries, which is why I picked Melbourne in July. The chill was perfect — a welcome change from the never-ending heat of Singapore.
When I landed, I instantly felt lighter. The cold air hit, and I thought, this is it. I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I dragged my luggage, wandered into a minimart, and marveled at the variety of snacks and bread. I bought a hotdog bun and, to my surprise, a bottle of Prime for just $3.50 — when it was selling for over $12 back home!
I took the SkyBus from the airport to Southern Cross Station, spamming pictures along the way and sending them to my family. Everyone was excited for me. From there, I hopped on a train to Flinders Street Station — just one stop — and walked fifteen minutes to my Airbnb, feeling the wind whip through the streets.
When I arrived, a Turkish man came down to bring me up. I had rented a room in his apartment — nothing fancy, just a bed and a single pillow. But that one pillow soon became my greatest enemy. No blanket, no heater. I froze every night, layering on clothes from my luggage to survive. That’s when I learned something important about myself: I always need at least two pillows.
But none of that stopped me. I dropped my bags, put on my headphones, and went out exploring. I didn’t have a plan, but maybe that was the beauty of it — letting Melbourne unfold one step at a time.