Melbourne: Alive Again

There’s something special about hitting the road with your loved ones, music playing softly in the background, and the open highway stretching ahead. Last month, we did just that — driving all the way from Sydney to Melbourne for a two-week getaway. It was our first long road trip in years, and what made it even better was returning to a city that felt more alive than ever.

The Journey Down Under

Melbourne is the capital of Victoria — also known as Australia’s “Garden State.” It may be second to Sydney in population, but when it comes to charm, culture, and lifestyle, Melbourne often takes the crown. In fact, it’s been ranked the world’s most liveable city multiple times over the past few decades.

We took our time on the drive, stopping along the way to stretch our legs, grab a bite, and enjoy the changing scenery. When we finally arrived, the city welcomed us like an old friend.

Getting Around Like Locals

Thanks to our relatives who let us park our car at their place, we were able to explore Melbourne using its excellent public transport system. Free trams in the city center made getting around a breeze, while buses and trains helped us venture into the outer suburbs. It was a great way to see different sides of Melbourne without worrying about traffic or parking.

A City Reborn

This visit felt different from our previous trips — it had been a few years, mostly before the pandemic. This time, Melbourne seemed to be buzzing with renewed energy. The streets were packed day and night with people — families dining out, friends catching up over coffee, and shoppers browsing local markets.

It was heartening to see so much life back in the city. The atmosphere was joyful, and you could feel a sense of optimism in the air. People seemed more confident, more present — like everyone was making up for lost time.

Real Life, Real Melbourne

Of course, no city is perfect. We noticed some visible social challenges, as you do in any big urban area. But these didn’t take away from our experience. Instead, they reminded us that Melbourne, like any living city, is constantly evolving — vibrant, complex, and beautifully human.

Final Thoughts

Our trip was filled with little moments that made each day special — whether it was discovering a hidden café, strolling through a leafy park, or simply enjoying a sunset tram ride. Every day brought something new, and by the end of our stay, we were already talking about when we’d come back.

If you’re planning a trip to Melbourne, go for it. Whether you’re returning after years away or visiting for the first time, there’s never been a better moment to fall in love with this city.

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“ຮັກເອີຍ” is a song about the unconditional love we have for our children. They mean everything to me — my joy, my heart, my purpose. This song is my way of saying, no matter what, I will always love you deeply and unconditionally.

ຮັກເອີຍ

ຮັກເອີຍ ດວງໃຈພໍ່ຜູ້ນີ້
ສອງດວງຕາເຈົ້າ ເປັນແສງນໍາພໍ່
ທຸກຄືນວັນຜ່ານ ພໍ່ທຸ້ມເທໃຫ້
ເພື່ອລູກທຸກຄົນ ໄດ້ຢູ່ດີມີສຸກ

ສິບກວ່າປີແລ້ວ ທີ່ພໍ່ສູ້ທົນ
ສິບສອງຊົ່ວໂມງ ທຸກວັນບໍ່ຄິດຈົນ
ເມື່ອຍແຕ່ກໍສູ້ ເພື່ອໃຫ້ເຈົ້າພໍດີ
ໃຫ້ຊີວິດເຮົາ ປົກກະຕິດັ່ງຝັນ

ເງົາແຫ່ງຄວາມຝັນ ທີ່ພໍ່ຫວັງໄວ້
ຢາກໃຫ້ເຈົ້າໃຫຍ່ ເປັນຄົນດີໄດ້
ພໍ່ເຮັດທຸກຢ່າງ ບໍ່ເຄີຍໄດ້ພັກຜ່ອນ
ເຫື່ອໄຫຼໄຄຍ້ອຍ ເພື່ອສ້າງຮັງນອນ

ບໍ່ວ່າຈະເກີດຫຍັງຂຶ້ນ ລູກເອີຍ
ຮັກຂອງພໍ່ ບໍ່ເຄີຍມີຫາຍ
ມັນຄືພະລັງ ດັ່ງແສງຕາເວັນ
ສ່ອງທາງໃຫ້ເຈົ້າ ຕະຫຼອດໄປ

ຮັກເຈົ້າລູກເອີຍ ໝົດທັງໃຈ
ຮັກເອີຍ… ຮັກເອີຍ… ລູກພໍ່