When Emily’s plane landed in Melbourne, it was just past midnight.
At immigration, the officer flipped through her documents and asked the usual questions.
“Miss Emily, how long are you planning to stay in Australia?”
“Hi, I’ve accepted a job offer with a company here in Melbourne. My work visa’s all set up, and I’m planning to stay for about two years.”
Hearing her fluent English, the officer didn’t ask any more questions. With a quick stamp on her passport, she was waved through.
Emily thanked him politely, picked up her luggage, and left the airport. She pulled out her new phone to look up her hotel and flagged down a taxi.
Her driver turned out to be an Australian–Chinese woman. The moment she saw Emily, she started chatting with her in Mandarin. Hearing her native language so far from home, Emily instantly felt a sense of comfort.
They talked the whole way. The driver–who Emily quickly started thinking of as her big sister–shared all sorts of tips for living in Melbourne, and Emily made a mental note of every single one. When they arrived, the driver helped her with her luggage and even exchanged contact details before saying goodbye.
Emily swiped her key card and stepped into her hotel room. The sight of the clean, cozy space finally let her relax. She unpacked, then headed downstairs for a late dinner. Afterward, she showered and sank into the soft bed, falling asleep almost immediately.
She slept like a rock.
It was two in the afternoon when she finally woke up, still groggy and a bit out of it. For a moment, the unfamiliar room threw her off. It took her a few minutes to remember she was in a
w country, far from home.
ourne was in the middle of a hot summer, and the heat was intense. She dug out a few resses, changed, grabbed some lunch, and caught a cab to check out the apartment she’d reserved near her company.
The landlord arrived right on time and handed her the keys. Emily took a look around her new place, mentally listing all the things she’d need to buy, then booked a cleaning service to freshen everything up. By evening, she brought her luggage over and started settling in.
Over the next few days, Emily shopped for essentials and slowly filled her empty apartment with all the little things that made it feel like home. She unpacked, organized, and kept in touch with her soon–to–arrive roommate.
Little by little, she started getting used to life in Melbourne. Her cooking skills didn’t hurt either–plus, there were a few universities nearby. She was only in her twenties, so she fit right
in with the local student crowd and soon became friends with two girls who lived next door.
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Chapter 14
They took her out shopping, introduced her to their favorite restaurants, and showed her all the must–see spots around the city. Emily found herself balancing work at her new company with exploring the city and hanging out with her new friends. Life was starting to feel pretty great.
One morning, she was woken up by noises outside her door. Still half–asleep, she shuffled out of her bedroom and saw a girl in her early twenties, dragging a suitcase and giving her a shy smile.
“Hi, are you Emily? I’m Jenny, your new roommate.”
Emily suddenly remembered–Jenny had mentioned she’d be arriving today. She hurried over to greet her, helped her with her stuff, and gave her a mini tour of the apartment.
By noon, the two girls who’d only talked online before were already chatting like old friends. That afternoon, they went grocery shopping together, filling their cart with all the ingredients for a cozy dinner at home.
Jenny was still a student and would be starting classes in a few days, so Emily decided to welcome her with a homemade dinner. She cooked up a feast and invited over the friends she’d -made recently. After spending more time together, their little group grew much closer.
Life in Melbourne was really starting to feel like home.
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