The reason I ended up in Victoria

The reason I ended up in Victoria is because it seemed the coolest place for me to live in. I studied design back in Mexico, and I’m also a yoga instructor. So I wanted to move to a place that had lots of art, culture and design, as well as a fitness environment where I could grow my passion for fitness and yoga… enter Melbourne.

I was so excited when I got my visa I began jumping! The first trip on my own to the other side of the world was something that made me feel more alive than anything, and by alive I can also point out that fear is a pretty big component of that sensation. But it didn’t matter for me, it was more important to grow than to stay back in fear. So when I arrived here I felt I was learning a new thing every day, as if my brain needed to rest because of all the new information I was receiving. From realising that people here drove on the other side of the car, to knowing how to use Myki, and then being pleasantly surprised by the amazing ice creams there are all around the city.

Melbourne has made me grow so much. I remember the first time I went to St Kilda. I had been here for a month already and hadn’t seen the beach. So one day I decided it was time to take the trip, since I lived about an hour away. And so it was a pretty cool moment to dip my toes in Oceania’s sea for the first time.

One of the things I’ve enjoyed the most are the multicultural events there are offered by the city. One of my favourites was the Melbourne Knowledge Week. I signed up for everything, and it was so interesting to get all this knowledge on design and things I care about. The Buddha’s Festival also was an event that I enjoyed, and being able to understand more the culture behind it and how people from Asian countries celebrated it.

Being a student here is a really exciting experience. I go to the gym at the university and almost every time I come out there’s something going on. From free food to students clubs and different activities, there’s no time to waste lying in bed.

And then of course all the fitness places there are. I can’t even choose where I want to go next to try something I like. I remember just walking around the city, discovering yoga places where I could practice, and meeting a girl who became a very good friend from my own country there. It was the craziest thing.

For sure Melbourne is a place to discover new things and to satisfy every different thing I like. The sports, the food, the cultural events, the nature, the art, music, diversity, peace and even the crazy weather, it’s a place you learn to love in very little time.


Maria's story was a finalist in the Vocational Education and Training Category: By international students studying at a TAFE or private training college.