Groundhog Day

**I wrote this post over a week ago, when I was in a bit of an expat funk.  It's crazy how much can change in just a week... attitudes, circumstances, future plans, etc.  At any rate, I'm feeling a lot better about things since the time that I wrote this post.  I've managed to shake that "trapped" feeling, and am no longer wishing time away... in fact, I'm now wishing time would slow down a bit.  But I still wanted to publish this post so that I can look back on and remember the lows of this adventure along with the highs. 

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Another beautiful Aussie sky

Let me begin with a little bit of a disclaimer:  Having this opportunity to live abroad is a truly amazing experience for which I am very grateful.  I have absolutely loved all the wonderful places we've visited and experiences we've had that we probably never would have had the opportunity for before.  The people that we've met here (both Australians and Americans) have been incredibly welcoming and kind.  Now that that's out of the way...

This experience isn't without its challenges and frustrations.  Not everyday is a vacation or adventure.  Most of our days here are just normal "real life."  We wake up early, work, do chores, get annoyed by our neighbor's barking dog, eat dinner... repeat.  Nothing glamorous or exciting most of the time. 

I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that I know we're going "home" for a visit soon.  And being in countdown/escape mode makes it difficult to enjoy where you are and what you're doing presently.  So, to be completely honest- lately, I am just so over it.  The other day while driving home from work, I had one of those, "What the hell am I doing in this place?!" moments.  Don't get me wrong- this little town has been good to us, and I know I will always look back on our time here positively.  But that doesn't change the fact that sometimes I would just rather be anywhere but here.  One of the lessons I've learned here is that I am a city girl.  I'm glad that I get to experience small town life for a few years.  But what I'm even more glad about is that this small town experience has an end date.  Something about me needs traffic, tall buildings, sidewalks, crowds, freeways, etc. 

An American friend of mine here described it quite well.  She said that living here is like Groundhog Day- "same s***, different day."  Sometimes I just feel so trapped, isolated, and stifled here.  Very little ever seems to change here.  For example, even if I wanted to get crazy and spice things up by changing my route to work, I couldn't really.  There really and truly is not another option or "back road" I could take.  Even something as simple as that can't be changed up.  Yes, I've lived here for over a year now, but a lot of things still feel very foreign to me.  I still everyday feel very aware of the fact that I am an outsider... and that can be exhausting.  I have another friend whose husband always says (half jokingly, half seriously... depending on the type of day he's having here), "Welp, at least someone is getting the hell out of here" whenever he hears a plane taking off from our very small airport.  I know how terrible that sounds, but sometimes it's true.  I think that trapped feeling is somewhat common here every once in a while. 

I'm sure the fact that our trip home is approaching is amplifying these feelings.  Having that "end date" totally helps, but it also seems to just make me more frustrated with the time in between now and then.  I hate to be in a position where I am wishing time away.  But that's kind of just where I am right now.  I'm just ready for a break!  And I know that when we return, I will feel refreshed and have a much better attitude :-) 

Return to the Motherland

I've been meaning to post about this since the day our trip was finalized and in the books...

It's official (and long overdue), we will be home for Christmas!!!!!!!! 

Through David's company, we are eligible for a home leave trip (on their tab) once per year.  We were technically eligible for our leave in July, since that marked one year since David moved here.  Well, that time of year was a pretty busy time on the project for David, plus my parents were visiting around that time... so we decided to push our leave back to December so that we could be home for the holidays.  At the time that we made the decision to postpone our leave, I was a little doubtful that I would last nearly a year and a half here without visiting home even once.  However, being here for the holidays last year was really hard, so I knew it would be worth it! 

Once we had confirmation from David's company that our flights were booked, the excitement began.  I immediately installed a countdown app on my phone.  And since then, I've been in countdown mode.  When I first started my countdown, it looked like this:

Now it looks like this:

 

 

Time is seriously flying by- I can't even wrap my mind around it.  We will be back in the motherland- on sweet American soil before I know it!  Family and friends- prepare the Diet Dr. Pepper and Mexican food- here we come! 

Life Lately / Currently

  

Monday, September 23: A "life lately" post. What you're up to, how you're feeling, how you're doing on your goals, etc. 

 

I'm going to approach today's prompt in the form of a "currently" post, since I'm feeling the need for a little structure I guess :-)

 

Currently...

 

Enjoying: Day 2 of my two week school break!  The schools here have a two week break between each quarter.  I'm loving being a "lady of leisure" so far, but I am really trying to be at least somewhat productive.  This is the first school break I've had here that we don't have big travel plans, so I'm actually looking forward to some time to rest, relax, and cross things off the old "to do" list. 

 

Reading: Well, I should say, "about to start reading" The Book Thief.  A few friends started up a little book club, and this is our first book.  I've heard great things about it, and I'm excited because it is also going to be coming out as a movie soon!

 

(Source)

Watching: You know me- always some form of reality television.  Right now, I'm pumped about the first ever Bachelor Australia.  I'm also excited about the new season of Dancing With the Stars (I think I may be the only person that watches this anymore) and The Voice. 

 

The Australian Bachelor- Pretty dreamy, right? (Source)

Looking Forward To: A weekend getaway to Hervey Bay for whale watching!  This is supposed to be some of the best humpback whale watching in the world- can't wait! 



I'm going to be singing Michael Jackson's "Will You Be There" every time I see a whale (Source)



Sewing: Yes, sewing.  I went to a little sewing class last night after much convincing from two friends, and I'd say it was a success.  It was really low pressure, and I actually really enjoyed it. I made a pin cushion as my starter project.

 

 

Feeling Grateful: to finally feel like I have a little group of friends here, and thus some semblance of a social life.  It was really just a couple months ago that I started connecting with some great girls here (fellow expats), and I am so happy to finally have girlfriends here.  It took nearly a year, but I'm so glad this part of my life here is finally falling into place. 

 

Finding Comfort In the Uncomfortable

Friday, September 20: React to this term: comfort.

Comfort can mean so many different things to so many different people, and its meaning can change throughout your life depending on what's going on in your life at the time.  One thing I've realized in the past year or so is that (at least for me), it often takes going through a time when you feel uncomfortable to really realize what comforts you and what comfort means for you. 

Picking up and moving to the other side of the world was indeed a very uncomfortable life event.  As time goes on, I become more and more comfortable here, but in the beginning, I was very aware of how different and uncomfortable I was in this new place.  When the people, places, and things around you change drastically, it's hard to find anything that is comforting to you or that makes you have that "at home" feeling.  Everything is foreign, unexpected, confusing, and just plain different.  These are the times when you are very aware of what people, places, and things help bring you comfort.  I remember when after having been here for about a month, our shipment finally arrived.  I was overwhelmed with a feeling of comfort as I unpacked the boxes and boxes full of our belongings from back home- clothes, linens, photos, things to hang on the walls, even having my own kitchen and cooking items made me feel more comfortable and at home here. 

Over the past couple weeks, I've been very aware again of the things that bring me comfort, but this time for a different reason.  David and I are finalizing our travel plans for our trip "home" for Christmas.  This will be the first time in nearly a year and a half that either of us will be back in the motherland.  Now that I'm in that "going home countdown mentality," it's funny how automatic it seems for me to start making lists of things I want to do, people I want to see, places I want to go, and food I want to eat when we are stateside.  And these are all things that are comforting to me... things I don't have access to here in Australia.  It's almost like I'm all too aware that I will most likely feel that "uncomfortable-ness" after we return from our visit home, so I'm planning ahead to "stockpile" as much comfort as I can when we're home.  Let's not talk about how embarrassing it is though to realize how many things on my "to do" list are actually food-related.  :-) 

This gorgeous Phoenix desert landscape has become such a comforting sight to me over the years.

One of my favorite places in Houston - Discovery Green Park

Being away for Thanksgiving and Christmas last year was tough, but being able to see my family via Facetime was such a huge comfort during that time.

Comfort food = Mexican food (This isn't even "real" Mexican food since I found it in Australia, but it was as close as I could get).

In just a few months, I will hook myself up to an IV of my ultimate comfort food/drink- DDP.  And yes, that is my head on a stick.  You can read HERE about last Christmas when my family took "Megan On A Stick" along for all the Christmas festivities back home

One final thing that I've started wondering about recently.  I wonder, if after having really made this new place our home for over a year, if we will feel any of that "uncomfortable-ness" back in the US, if we will miss some of our new found comforts from here.  It will be interesting to see what feelings I have when it comes time to return after our trip. 

Positive Impacts of Social Media In My Life

Thursday, September 12: Discuss ways that blogging or social media has changed you.

 

I like to think I'm only mildly addicted to social media.  There have got to be heaps of people who waste spend more time with these things than me, right?  Either way, I use social media, I love it, and I don't plan on cutting myself off from it anytime soon.  The social media I use includes: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and of course, blogging.  Here's a little on how each has impacted my life... and for now, I'll focus on the positive impacts.  :-) 

 

Facebook: I think I was a Junior in college when Facebook first started to become popular... back in the day when you had to have a ".edu" email address, so it was strictly for college kids only.  To be completely honest, I wish it would have stayed that way... but that's a story for another day.  I guess I wouldn't categorize myself as a very "active" Facebook user.  But that's not to say that I don't waste a ridiculous amount of time on FB (my husband can assure you that I do)... it's just that I'm more of a"lurker" if you will. I don't post a whole lot about myself... pictures a few times a month, status updates maybe once or twice a month.  I use it mostly just to keep in touch with people and to see what is going on in people's lives.  Sometimes I learn more about their lives than I'd like to, but I'm not a shy user of the "hide/block from my news feed" option, so that's easy to fix :-) 

How It Has Impacted My Life: Because I have lived far away from my family and closest friends basically since I was 18, FB has been priceless for me and a very positive addition to my life I'd say.  It lets me stay (and feel!) connected to those that I love and care about, even when I'm hundreds or thousands of miles away. 

 

Instagram: It took me a while to jump on the Instagram bandwagon, but I LOVE it!  SUCH an easy way to get a look into what's going on in other people's daily lives.  And I love that it's mostly just pictures, so you (usually) don't have to deal with all the ridiculous political dramas, etc. that people seem to love to start over on FB.  Even my mom, dad, and 84 year old grandmother now have Instagram accounts, which I was a little nervous about, but I LOVE it actually!  It's an easy way for them to keep track of what's going on with their children who live across the country and world. 

How It Has Impacted My Life: Probably corny and cliché, but I really find it to be true that Instagram really helps me focus on and appreciate the little, but beautiful and meaningful things and events in daily life. 

 

Once of my recent favorite Instagrams

 

 

Blogging: I only started this little blog of mine about 11 months ago.  However, for about 2 or 3 years leading up to that, I was slowly becoming a blog-reading addict.  I had a growing list of blogs that I kept up with in my Reader- mainly DIY, Cooking, Lifestyle, and even some Mommy Blogs (I love these ones more than is probably normal for someone who doesn't have kids herself).  Whatever.  Since I started out just reading blogs, I think I had a really great opportunity to see what blogging is all about, the community that it can build, the connections that you can make, and the value of documenting your life.  I had wanted to start a blog for quite a while, but honestly, until we moved abroad I felt like I didn't have anything interesting (or blog-worthy) enough to write about.  So with our move to Australia, I was so excited to finally start my own blog.  There were two main purposes I had in mind when I began this blog:

1.) Stay in touch with family and friends and share about our new life on the other side of the world 

2.) Document, for myself and my husband, the many adventures we would have as we lived and travelled abroad.

However, like most any blogger will tell you, I didn't anticipate fully that blogging would also become something that would help me feel connected to a greater community. 

How It Has Impacted My Life: After moving here, I quickly found a handful of "expat blogs" that I followed along with, and that number has grown!  I still keep up with my other blogs, but at this time in my life, these other expat blogs are the ones I identify with the most- for obvious reasons.  I mentioned recently, that it really was only about 3-4 months ago that I started to feel like I had started to form a group of friends here in Australia that I saw regularly and really identified with.  So until that time, I really relied a lot on my "expat blog friends."  It was so helpful to be able to connect with people who were going through the same things as me.  It actually helped me feel really proud and excited to be an expat! 

 

I do hope that this blog stays with me through the years... even after we move back home.  Blogging has been a real gift for me this year, and I hope to continue this new hobby for years to come! 

 

 

USA Foods

Wednesday, September 11: Share links to your favorite online shops, preferably with a few photos of your favorite items in each shop.

 

In the US, I was a huge online shopper.  It's just so easy (probably too easy).  I frequented sites like Amazon (they seriously have everything), Ann Taylor LOFT, Nordstrom, etc. 

 

However, online shopping is not a big thing at all in Australia so there are very few options for online shopping.  This is extra unfortunate since we live in a small town where being able to order things online that we might normally only be able to find in big cities would be really convenient.  Oh well.  I guess the good thing about this situation is that we're saving money in that category! 

 

One online shop that I DO love and use here in Australia is USA Foods.  This is a website that exclusively sells foods only found in the USA right here in Australia.  The product markup is seriously INSANE, but sometimes you really just need things like pumpkin puree, green chilies, Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, Hot Tamales, etc., and you are willing to pay any price to get them. 

 

The contents of my USA Foods order this time last year. 

I'm about to place an order for pumpkin puree (among other items), and I'm already way too excited about it.  Yes, it is really weird to be making pumpkin-flavored goodies when it is Spring here and already feeling like summer temps, but I just can't NOT.. especially when Pinterest is currently dominated by nothing but pumpkin recipes.   Any pumpkin recipe suggestions to add to my list?!... 

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies from last year

 

Australia Bucket List

Wednesday, September 4: If you could take three months off from your current life and do anything in the world, what would you do?

 

When thinking of what I would do if I could do anything in the world, the first thing that comes to mind is travel.  Hands down. 

 

Truthfully, I actually already kind of feel like I'm getting to take an extended period of time off from "real life" to do and see some pretty amazing things.  While there are admittedly more things than I'd like to admit that I can find to complain about living here, about the challenging aspects of being an expat, and about living so far away from home, I do realize how lucky I am to be here and to have this opportunity of living and travelling abroad.  The pros absolutely outweigh the cons, and when I really get to thinking about it, I can't believe how blessed I am to, in a lot of ways, be practically living the life/situation described in the prompt. 

 

So I guess if I could take three months off from our life here, I would continue to do what we've been able to do so much of already this past year.  Travel!  Of course, this would be three work-free, budget-free months of travel :-)  I always have a running list in my head of places I'd love to see in the world... Egypt, South America, Greece, visit all seven continents, and on and on.  But lately, I've been thinking a lot about how much more there still is to see and do right here in Australia.  As much as I hate to admit it, the truth is that once David and I leave here, the chances of us returning to Australia are pretty slim.  Because of that, I really want to make the most of our time here and experience as much of Oz as we can!  So without further ado, here is my always growing "Australia Bucket List."

 

~The Whitsunday Islands~

...Whitehaven Beach, Hamilton Island, Airlie Beach, Hayman Island, Daydream Island...

http://pinterest.com/pin/567735096746706885/

~Humpback Whale Watching - Hervey Bay~

 

http://pinterest.com/pin/36451078204697314/

 

~Cairns~

 

http://pinterest.com/pin/182888434837616273/

  

~Swimming With Whale Sharks~

 

http://pinterest.com/pin/5277724536937863/

 

~Take A Surfing Lesson~

 

http://pinterest.com/pin/104779128803498092/

 

~Great Keppel Island~

...Sailboat from Yeppoon...

http://pinterest.com/pin/36451078206644448/

 

 ~Port Douglas and the Daintree Rainforest~

 

http://pinterest.com/pin/420171840204940342/

 

~Tasmania~



http://pinterest.com/pin/522276888007323193/



  

~Uluru and Ayer's Rock~

 

http://pinterest.com/pin/74872412528357737/ 

 

~Blue Mountains~

 

http://pinterest.com/pin/169799848420970312/

 

 

My One Year "Aussie-versary"

It has officially been one year since I moved to Australia... one year since I changed countries, continents, hemispheres, and multiple time zones.  I cannot believe my one year "anniversary" of living in Oz land is here.  It seems like yesterday and a million years ago at the same time...

Welcome gift from David: Australian wine, flowers, chocolates, and keys to our new car!

...I remember so clearly how I felt leaving Houston and saying goodbye to our home, which I wrote about here. 
...I even remember the taxi driver who picked me up and the conversation we had on the way to the airport.  I was fighting back tears most of the ride there, so I told him I was just going to visit a friend, as to avoid having to talk about the big step I was about to make.  I'm sure he was curious about my ridiculous amount of luggage though. 
...I remember very specifically when the pilot made the announcement that the plane doors were closed and we were ready for take off.  No turning back now.  Not that I ever would have. 
...I remember (luckily) very little of the actual 16 hour flight.
...I remember touching down in Gladstone- what would become my new home.
...And most importantly, I remember spotting my husband (who I hadn't seen in over two months) in the airport waiting to pick me up.  Up to that point, I had been very nervous and uneasy about this enormous change (I've always hated change- have I ever mentioned that?).  However, when I saw him and finally got to hug him again, I immediately felt at ease.  We were in this new place together.  And from that moment on, it was a very "us against the world/Australia" mentality. 

All of these memories that I remember so vividly, really make it seem impossible that one whole year has passed.  However, when I think about all that has happened in this one year, it really makes my move seem like it might as well have been a million years ago.  In one year SO much has happened...

...We have traveled to: Brisbane, Heron Island/ The Great Barrier Reef (twice), Melbourne, New Zealand, Sydney, Perth, and the Margaret River region. 
...We've gotten up close and personal with kangaroos, koalas, wombats, dingoes, spiders the size of your hand, laughing kookaburras., sharks, and sea turtles. 
...We survived a freakish storm during the "rainy season" that resulted in empty grocery store shelves for close to a week. 
...We learned to drive on the wrong side of the road... with minimal slip-ups. 
...We clocked countless hours on Facetime trying our best to keep in touch with friends and family.
...We managed to make the most of Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. away from loved ones. 
...We've seen more sunrises and pulled ourselves through more 4:30 AM wakeups than either of us would ever like to acknowledge. 
...But most importantly, we've managed to make a home here.  We've managed to become a team that I'm really proud of. 

What a difference a year makes, right?  One year ago I never could have imagined all that unfolded this past year.  That alone makes me really excited to see what the next year in Australia holds! 

Year two- go!

8K Pride

This past weekend, I ran in Gladstone's own "Botanic to Bridge" 8K race. 

I should emphasize that I am not, by any means, a runner.  Some people enjoy running- saying that they love the "runner's high" and that it clears their minds.  I am not one of those people.  I've never experienced this so-called "runner's-high," and you better believe that my head is not clear when I run.  In fact, it's pretty much just the opposite- I am hyper aware the entire time I am running that I am indeed running, that it hurts, and basically reasoning with myself the entire time not to stop.  However, all that aside, I know what a great workout running is, so I'd been trying to run just once a week over the past few months and ever so gradually increasing my mileage. 

I've known about this race for several months and had the idea in the back of my head that it really would be fun to participate.  There isn't really much in the way of community events like this in Gladstone, so I really thought it would be a good experience.  However, as much as I hate to admit it, I didn't sign up until the last minute or even mention it to anyone, basically because I wanted a way out.  Isn't that terrible? 

At any rate, I signed up exactly one week before the race, and off I went on Sunday morning.  I was pretty nervous, as the furthest I had ever run was 4 miles... once... ever.  And the 8K race is approximately 5 miles.  I had just two goals for the race:
1.) No walking
2.) Finish under one hour

Sunday morning I met up with my friend, Jackie, and her husband.  It was fun to have someone to participate with even though we all ran separately at our own paces. 

How cruel is it to start a race with a giant hill?!

Jackie and I: BEFORE

 

 

Sea of blue

Aside from the giant hill to start off the race, and a couple other pretty steep hills, the race went surprisingly well!  I met my two goals (!), and I was so proud of that!  And of course, I'm really glad I decided to run the race.  It's crazy to think that I ran the farthest I had ever run before! 

Not that I was counting down or anything...

Pounding pavement

8K Finisher!

Jackie and I: AFTER - We did it!