Why I loved last weekend - Nico does Melbourne

1:  I'll be on the website of a posh downtown club after my attempt to salsa with my host's friend, a professional albeit out of costume burlesque dancer, got the attention of the photographer.

2:  On my first evening out, I was hosted for a delicious bbq and then sat back for a giant-screen backyard cinema viewing of the classic comedy Police Academy, complete with fresh air, popcorn, and home-made wine (courtesy of my host's Italian parents).

3:  Two nights later I had another unexpected American treat at a fellow couchsurfer's party - old-school S'mores.  A fellow former Jewish summer camp counselor showed the Aussies and Kiwis how it's done.  I ended up carrying some s'mores supplies (for my American-candy-crazed roommate back in

Perth) to a couple of clubs after we left the house; the bouncers thought I had some really weird new drugs.

4:  I got to use my new worldwide network of contacts from my South American travels for the first time to receive top-notch hosting from a former dorm- and party-mate in Colombia, carrying the celebration straight from Medellin to Melbourne.

5:  On the morning that I left there was an attempt about two blocks from the business school where I had been staying by some of the best Italian chefs outside of Italy to create the longest pizza in the world - a fine example of Melbourne's constant, random, and fun celebrations of life.

Why I love my job - Nico does UWA

1:  Less than three weeks into the job I'm being flown out to Melbourne for a few meetings with a long weekend attached, making me a key point-man in the communication with our sister lab there. At my last job, folks were lucky to take a business trip half an hour up I-95.

2:  I design my own hours and have opportunities to pick the work that excites me most. Today I even spent the morning participating in an industry game simulation with one of my profs. When I told him that I play to win, he responded, "Bring it." (It ended up being a complex lego-assembly operation, which Willis and I won consecutive gold medals for in TABC's back-to-back Science Olympiad victories some years ago).

3:  My colleagues are great - I'm treated like an equal by world-renowned professors, get to practice Spanish every day with a friendly Chilena and a fellow American, and one of my fellow research assistants is not only also a professional dancer but also a swimsuit model (and still quite friendly) - Come on!

4:  Our building overlooks the Swan River on two sides and is fifty feet from kite- and wind-surfing mecca Pelican Point on the picturesque Matilda Bay. Talk about a fun lunch break.

5:  To top it all off, the pay beats pretty much any standard backpacker job and it's an incredible experience for both my professional development and my resume, not to mention giving me new access to a worldwide network of smart and helpful individuals.

Shout out to the man who made this possible: OB superstar and my favorite Wharton professor, the one and only Dr. Adam Grant

Why I love my villa - Nico, Ash, and James do Mosman Park

1:  It's 3 blocks from Mosman beach and just down the road from world-class Cottesloe (where, as my friend Tim says, there are too many attractive girls)

2:  It's also 3 minutes from Perth's iconic Swan River (and my roommates have an extra fishing rod)

3:  We got a surfboard out front and and a grill out back, weights on the floor and an X-box well, also, on the floor, air conditioning in my room and ice pops always in the freezer

4:  Our neighbor has not only been ducking rent for months and leaving a broken truck blocking the driveway, but also running an illegal wine business out of his garage.

5:  I'm chillin with two British blokes in a villa with nightly beer and plans to suit up Swingers-style for a night out in the casino - come on! (if you don't get the references, click here and here)