Let’s draw a map, find a path, take a breath and run.
After travelling the world for over a year, it was only when we were stranded in Bali and living in the paradise island of Gili T awaiting my passport to be renewed, that the glimmer of going to Australia was a nothing but a dream. Christmas was approaching with our imaginations surfing in the sea where palm trees would replace pine and playing around with this idea in our wanderlust minds, we looked up flights: $75 from Bali to Australia. And in a heartbeat, we booked a one-way ticket.
— ONE WEEK LATER —
All of our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.
As I walked down the sunny streets of Melbourne, the aromatic smell of espresso fills the air. I can’t believe it’s December and it’s “summer”. Born and raised in Canada, over these months you would expect slushy pavements and frost on the windshield, but no, not here, not in this dream of a place I randomly landed on. This city is hot, sunny, fresh, energetic, electric. This place I knew, was going to be my new home.
Walking past the endless amounts of cafes and coffeeshops, I quickly realise the magnificent culture that is Melbourne —coffee. And let me tell you, what a serendipitous happenstance that I ended up in this city as it was always my childhood best friend and I — it was our dream to one day open our own holistic, character-filled, vibrant and earthy, veggie-filled cafe.
Not really having any bearings of where I was, I peaked my head into a cafe window and read: Avocado Smashed accompanied with feta, pistachios and blood orange segments. Avo…. need I say more?! And the next thing I know, I am perched up inside the cafe sitting on the couch with a soy chai latte with a dash of honey, awaiting my brunch to be served. My first week in Melbourne and I ordered a soy chai latte with a dash of honey —I’m a natural I know. It’s meant to be!
As I was admiring the details of the cafe, rhinos in all shapes and sizes were everywhere along with little lego houses in the brick walls. My eyes danced across the cafe and were instantly drawn to a very colourfully vibrant image, GRAM Magazine. And let me tell you, it was definitely love at first sight. From that moment, I knew that I had to be a part of it. Nothing else mattered, whether it be an internship, volunteer work, paid or unpaid, hey I would do it for free! I just knew deep down inside that this was exactly what fuelled me. My passion in it all, in everything delicious that GRAM has to offer.
I noticed on the first page the editor’s email address and without any hesitation and with profound excitement, I started composing an email to the editor. Probably about two coffees and five pages later, I told her everything: I told her my passion for life, my love for everything delicious, my adventures abroad, my creative ability to seek beautiful in the mundane and above all, I told her my story. I finished my delicious avocado smash, ordered another soy chai latte for the road and danced out of the cafe feeling so fortunate to be living in a place I knew nothing about, yet somehow embraced the uncertainty that for what was to come, was going to be something magnificent.
— ONE MONTH LATER —
Cultivate the habit of being grateful.
It was exactly one month later that I received an email from Jess, the editor of GRAM inviting me for a coffee. Words cannot express the gratefulness and joy I experience every single day, from that day we met. That day changed my life as it transformed my dream of a passion into a reality. I’ve always called Melbourne dreamland, but I suppose it isn’t a sweet dream anymore. Melbourne life is a reality now —a magnificent, beautiful, delicious, coffee flavoured reality.
— ONE YEAR LATER —
You can like the life you’re living, or you can live the life you love.
I met a guy. An Irish guy named Ryan and after one of the most spontaneously memorable and fun first dates I’ve ever been on (we’ll save that story for another time) it was on our second date that he took me out for brunch. Again not really having any bearings of where I was, I do however remember as clear as day, walking around the corner to his local with the biggest smile on my face, taking a deep breath with the aromatic smell of coffee filling my lungs, and for a split second experiencing a slight feeling of familiarity and intrigue as we arrived. We sat outside but I couldn’t help myself as I hopped to the door and peaked my nose through the window. I instantly thought, I’ve been here before. But when? My eyes quickly danced across the entire cafe: brick walls, lego houses, rhinos everywhere and alas in the corner of the cafe in front of the beloved espresso machine, GRAM Magazine. This was the cafe where it all began.
— THREE ONE 2 ONE —
Serendipity; the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.
A fortunate stoke of serendipity, from the first week arriving in Melbourne sitting in this cafe picking up and reading GRAM, to a year later meeting Ryan and taking me out for brunch— wow. Since then, over half a year has gone by and Three One 2 One has become my very own local that I go to almost every single day. Where the humans working there are not staff but friends, where you can taste the best soy chai lattes in town, where you can save rhinos in Africa while enjoying some delicious food, and where you can take a moment to pursue your passions and take a few first dates to find love.
THREE ONE 2 ONE
424 Bridge Rd
Richmond
(03) 9429 4409