To say the least, the flight to Melbourne was difficult. Seeing the city, on the other hand, was enticing and exciting. Before coming to Melbourne, I was told that it was the "clean New York," so my expectations were high. The loom was one of the first activities we tried. Despite the fact that I was probably at my worst mentally and physically, the experience was unforgettable. As someone who admires Monét's work, it was fascinating and unique to see it in such an immersive experience. The entire group was able to sit together and discuss different aspects of the paintings, resulting in new conversations.

Day two began with a trip into the heart of Melbourne - Hosiery Lane. Learning about graffiti culture was fascinating; the murals on the walls highlighted the social and economic challenges that many street artists face. Understanding the distinctions between genuine street artists and taggers, as well as other terms used by street artists. Despite all the tags and random graffiti on the wall, finding the small treasures remains a challenge (peigon, bansky, murals...) we were later able to try out stencils for ourselves - understanding the ideas of layers and pressure in terms of spray paint. 

On the third day, we put our physical abilities to the test by kayaking down the Yarara River. Cindy and I were partners, and we were so good that the teacher told us to slow down. The experience was enjoyable, but it also provided me with a potential future calling to kayak professionally. Aside from that, the experience emphasized teamwork, which is always something that can be improved. Later that day, we went to a photo camera workshop where we learned how to improve our everyday photography. As someone who enjoys taking photographs, this workshop greatly improved my ability to take high-quality photographs.

The puppet show was a bit frightening for me, but the improv was quite entertaining. But the Alenxander McQueen Mesueum was the highlight of day 4 (at least for me). As a fashion enthusiast, Mcqueen is one of my favorite designers, and finally seeing his couture in person was euphoric. Learning about some of his inspirations and references was enlightening, and being so close to his work was breathtaking.

On the fifth day, we went to a sanctuary, something that piqued my interest while reading the itinerary. Seeing animals up close and personal, such as emus, dingoes, and kangaroos, was extremely entertaining. However, when I heard about a bird show, I was skeptical because many other zoos abuse the animals that they have "shows" with - but learning about the sanctuary's conservation efforts to keep these animals alive was inspiring. Overall, I learned that many of the birds that live in Australia are critically endangered and rely on places like sanctuaries to survive.

Starting the day with art history may have been tedious for some, but not for me. It was both interesting and tragic to learn more about abortion history through art. However, seeing some nationally treasured paintings in person, such as Picasso and Salvatore Dali, was always a treat. We got to see Mary Poppins after the museum. I'm not a big fan of theater, but Mary Poppins was fantastic. Even after the backstage theater workshop, I'm still not sure how they did it. Overall, it was a magical experience.

On the final day, we were able to participate in a costume design workshop, which was a lot of fun and an interesting way to learn about how costume design affects the art of theater. Learning the physical and idealistic barriers that costume design can face is also important (lion king King costumes using scraps to imitate animals). We then went to the Blind Museum, which was something I'd never seen before but something I really want to learn more about - understanding how art applications work is, I believe, an important skill for my future as a creative. Finally, to cap off the day, we went to the outdoor movie theater to see Avatar 2, a highly anticipated film for me. The entire setting was a little frightening, especially with the huge bats, but the experience truly united our interim as a small group even after all the chaos.