Staying a John’s place was truly an experience in itself! Me and my friend stayed in John’s place in a twin bed arrangement. My friend just arrived in Melbourne to start sch life in a new university, whilst I was there for a week long holiday. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and there were much to be appreciated about this place.
Firstly, Fitzroy is a really nice neighbourhood with a really nice bar a few minutes away that opened till late at night. The shops along Brunswick street were really interesting and it was nice to wake up to the interesting shops in the neighbourhood.
Secondly, John has a nice and cosy house with a nice kitchen that made it a fun place to live in. It was nice to cook dinners in John’s place as it was well equipped and John was helpful to offer the fresh herbs in his garden, the seasoning in his pantry and the fresh honey that he harvests from his home. There was also one night when John showed us how to make green samosas and spaghetti with prawns which was pretty fun. His house is well stocked with fruits and different types of milks for coffee and breakfast.
Thirdly, the room was cosy with high ceilings, whilst the bathrooms were maintained in a really clean state. It was nice that the house had a backyard which provided a nice outdoor space where we could have dinner. Once, We even hosted a dinner outdoors. I like that we could also use the backyard to exercise in on one of the nights.
Last but most importantly, the best part of staying in John’s place was his hospitality and kindness. This really made the house feel very homely, and helped to put us at ease when living in his house. John offered us really nice tips about Melbourne and the neighbourhood. He was also very thoughtful to have got me a Myki transport card so that it was easy for me to get around right from the first day that we arrived.
Being hosted by John was a really nice experience as he also curated other housémates who lived together with us in the house. We met Emil, a phd student, who is a vegan and Paul, who just did a long trip to Tasmania on his campervan, who is also a vegetarian. It was interesting to observe everyone’s meals and to learn more about each other’s habits and experiences. John introduced us to one another, and also organised a movie night and dinner tgt.
When we got home to John’s place in the evenings, it was always nice to have a chat with John who was always so cheerful and full of energy.
I had forgotten to bring my international adapter, and John had been so kind to offer to get one for the house, for us and future housemates to use.
During the weekend when we were there, John also offered to bring us to the camberwell market where we got a couple of things, and even got us coffee.
On our last day, my friend had to shift to her new place, whilst I had to go to the airport. As John happened to be free that day, he was very kind to offer us a lift for our luggage to our different destinations. I had also bought a piece of artwork at the camberwell market earlier which I had to get shipped back home. John was also really helpful in telling us where we could go to ship it, and even gave us a lift to the post office.
The car ride with John was also pretty enjoyable as he is pretty easy going and we exchanged notes on songs and movies that we liked.
All in all, it was a wonderful experience in Melbourne, the neighbourhood was great, it was fun living in the house and meeting the various people. Most importantly as John was a very kind and generous host, he made living in his home a really fun and enjoyable experience , and one could not ask for more in a host.
It’s definitely a great experience staying in John’s place. His kind and helpful nature really put us at ease during our time there. reassured, if you run into any issues, John is always there to give a hand. There is no better host that one could ask for, and I would live here again if I return to Melbourne.
Thanks John, for being such an amazing host!