A whirlwind tour

Well, let me just start by saying that 52 hours of travel time is a bit much for a 5-day trip. Ugh. But - I am home and have never been so happy to be home. The trip back to TO was quick and exhausting, but successful. The citizenship test was easy and I am relieved to have it over with. Now I just wait to be called back to take the oath. (Which means another trip... but I am not thinking about that just yet.)

It was crazy to get off the plane there and see fall leaves and pumpkins and sweaters. I think it was a bit of a shock to the system. While I was happy to enjoy a pumpkin cinnamon doughnut and some cider, I was even happier to come home to summer. The time has changed now and the days are long and warm. It's been in the 80's already mostly every day, and what a feeling it is. I am not sure how I will feel about a hot Christmas, but it's quickly approaching.

Speaking of Christmas, I just planned my road trip with friends Natasha and Tracy. We are heading out on Christmas Day for a 5 day trip around the sounthern tip of Australia. We will follow the Great Ocean Road for about 500 miles past what they claim to be some of the most spectacular scenery in the country. All on a narrow road, hugging sheer rock cliffs, around hairpin turns. And, um, not one of us has yet learned to drive on the 'wrong' side of the road. Should be heaps of fun!!

Jon and I are back to planning great weekends, now that it is warm and sunny again. We checked out the international auto show last weekend, and then went bowling with a group of friends. I got to sit in cars worth more than your average size house. That was pretty cool. Followed that with lowest score of the night at the bowling alley. Not a single strike. Oh well. Looking forward to next weekend, when we join a group and try out the great Aussie sport of lawn bowling. THAT should be interesting!

Just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends and family. Wish we could be there to see you all - especially my family - who are all home for the first time in years. Have some pie for us!

A Loss

A moment of silence for Herbie. He was a good mint plant. Until the aphids got him.

Just wanted to stop in and let you all know that Jonathan's trip last weekend was enlightening and productive in a totally unexpected way. I think it's safe to say that the official news is that we are in Sydney for at least another year. (Crazy to think it's been a year since Jon got here already!) We are excited and looking forward to some more adventures. It's been a good year, and I am sure the next one will be even better.

I am heading to TO on Saturday morning, and will be a bit crazy for the next week or so. Way too much crammed into the next 7 days. Here's hoping I can complete this trip without one of my infamous sinus infections. Keep your fingers crossed for me on Monday around 1pm as I am taking my exam! I'll update as soon as I know.

And one last note, a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my wonderful husband on Saturday. He is the best a woman could ever ask for, and so much more. We haven't seen much of each other these past few weeks, and I miss him like crazy. (Wish I wasn't spending your birthday on a plane, hun!) Ya'll be sure to drop him a line this weekend!

Blowing in the Wind

It's almost summer here. I can feel it in the air. The trees have leaves, the flowers are in bloom, and the frangipani have little green buds on them. The days are getting longer and the sun is getting warmer. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to walk outside in the morning in sandals and a light sweater. Awesome. I have been walking home from work in the evenings (about a 25 minute walk) and enjoying watching the neighborhood gardens come to life.

In addition to the smell of spring, there are changes in the wind for the Garcia family. No details yet, but as we all know, nothing stays the same for too long. As we speak, Jon is on a flight to the West Coast of the USA and I am feeling a bit lonely and sorry for myself. Looking foward to his speedy return and the news of how his meeting might affect our lives. I am headed back to TO in a week for a whirlwind tour of my own. I am tired just thinking about it, but so happy to be in the home stretches of my dual citizenship process.

Oh, and thought I should mention that we have a new addition to the family - Herbie. He's a mint plant and he lives on our windowsill. He serves virtually no purpose, but Jon seems to like him, so he stays.

the State of the World

Well, I have to say that the bulk of my free time lately has been spent glued to the internet and pretty much any news I can get my hands on. These are crazy times and I am not at all sure that 'crazy' and 'good' are synonymous here. Sigh. Seems everyone the world over is talking about Wall Street today. Even the girl who makes my sandwich in the little shop downstairs. I walked into the shop today and the girl says "Hi Val, you want usual?" (Yes, she knows both my name and my order.) Then she said "How you doing today? Big market crash huh? Bad day. You have this juice, it make you feel better." Ha. The juice was good, I'll admit, but I am not sure it's the cure-all we need.

Add to that, the devastation of Huricane Ike. I have friends in TX and this past week wasn't good for anyone down there. I can't imagine seeing whole towns disappear completely. Just undescribably sad.

On top of that (yes, I am going THERE, so you may want to look away) I am unbelieveably frustrated with the upcoming election in the US. Now, since a favourite blogger of mine has recently discussed politics on her blog, and subsequently received death threats, I will keep this tame. But seriously... I have lived outside of the US for nearly 5 years now, and I am getting awfully tired of my country being dogged by the world. And this recent development regarding a certain VPcandidatewhoshallremainnameless has got my feathers in quite the bunch. All I have to say is this, if there was an opening in that department and the only qualification was that you had to be a woman... I sure wish they would have posted it on monster.com... because I know a whole lot of wonderful women who would have been far better and smarter candidates. Granted, none of them can see Russia from their back porch.

Speaking of government... I have been studying the government and history of Canada pretty fervently these past few weeks. I can now name my MP, my MPP, my PM and my mayor. Ha! Oh, and I know what significance the British North America Act of 1867 has for Canadians. (Do you?) No, I am not studying all this for fun... I have finally been called to sit my Canadian citizenship exam. I will be doing just that on October 6th, so think of me that day and send maple syrup-covered good thoughts. Hopefully I will have good news to report on that front soon. And then you'll all be invited to the ceremony where we sing O' Canada and dress like beavers.

On a brighter note, we had a fabulous big bash for my 30th birthday last weekend and a great time was had by all. I would post pictures, but I don't have all the proper confidentiality waivers. Happy Birthday to brother-in-law Dan this Saturday! Can't wait for you to come visit us!

Was that a flying pig?

A few days ago I commented that we weren't holding our breath for visitors, as we had yet to even receive a phone call. Well.... lookee here.

Nine to Five

Since my Grams read my blog this week and emailed me to sympathise about how boring my job is, I suppose I am due for an update. I started a new job again a few weeks ago, after returning from our summer/winter vacation. For those of you who aren't so attentive, yes, this would be job #3 for me here in Oz. But - I have to tell you, the third time is the charm. I have found a great job that I love and it's going really well. Still real estate (sorry, mom!) but it's a fantastic office with great staff and a fun loving atmosphere. And it's incredibly busy - so I can absolutely not winge about being bored any longer. Anyway, while I wish I had found this job 9 months ago, it was worth the wait and I am happy. It's in the next suburb over, but still walking distance (though I am pretty lazy and almost always take the bus.)

Jon's job is going ok. A few ups and downs lately with an extremely heavy workload and no relief in sight. Quite a few of his co-workers have resigned recently due to various reasons, and he has sort of been picking up the pieces. Keeps him in the office more though, as opposed to on the road, so I am happy about that. Not sure what the future holds for his career, but I am glad that he is such a hard worker and loves what he does. I am one lucky lady.

First day of spring

Today was the first official day of spring in Australia. It was a beautiful day with a high of 20C / 70F and gorgeous sunshine. I noticed this morning that most of the trees have traces of new leaves coming, and the birds are singing again as the sun comes up. I am SO looking forward to spring and summer! Can't wait for longer days and warmer weather and lots of outdoor activities. Everyone just seems happier when the weather gets warmer. It's supposed to be nice again tomorrow... then about 4 days of rain. Sigh. Sure would like to 'chuck a sickie' tomorrow and go to the beach!

September

How fast a year goes. Time seems to go even faster, the older you get. I remember when a summer day would last forever, and a school year would be like a lifetime. And now, a year disappears before you even know it.

A year ago this weekend we told our families that we were moving to Australia. We sure got some mixed reactions. Either we were brave or crazy. Mostly crazy, I think. Everyone promised to visit - but we aren't holding our breaths for that! We have yet to even get a phone call, much less a visit. LOL

Anyway, it has been a pretty crazy year. I think I speak for both Jonathan and myself when I say that is has been a pretty big lesson in stuff and what is really important in life. Nothing makes you reevaluate the stuff in your life like an international move. Turns out that more than half of the stuff we owned wasn't quite as neccesary as we thought it was. And even now, a year later, there is stuff we hauled here that we still haven't used. (Ahem, that ratchet set, for example.)

You just start to think about "needs" a lot differently. I almost think at this point we could still stand to purge half of the stuff we still own. I think it's been a good lesson for both of us. I read an article recently on the 10 things everyone should do once in their lifetime, and one of the items on the list was "give away everything you own." Wow. Can you imagine? For most people, that would be the most traumatic thing they could imagine. They have spent their lives gathering all this stuff, and to get rid of it would be the total opposite of what they had spent all that time doing. But you know what - it's really freeing to just let it go.

Jonathan and I mentioned several times this summer that we wish we had a couple days back in TO to clean out the storage unit and get rid of another whack of stuff. We didn't have time on this last trip, but I definitely think we'll make time next trip. I hate living in two places and having stuff to worry about in two places. I am looking forward to purging a lot of it and having it all in one place again someday.

Anyway - back to the subject of this post. September. It's always been a good month for me. My birthday, the start of school, the beginning of autumn, September has always been my favourite month. While I am not starting school this month, and it's springtime here instead of autumn, I am going to be celebrating a birthday in a few days. And this year it's the big 30th. How excited am I?? Actually, I am pretty excited. You all know how I have always loved my birthday. But this year, I am really excited. I am leaving my 20's behind. No doubt they have been some good years. But I know that my 30's are going to be even better.

I am looking forward to trying things I have never tried before. I am looking forward to seeing more of the world and going places I haven't been yet. I have to laugh when I look back at myself when I was turning 20. How far I have come. What a different person I am now. What a different perspective I have on life and love and the future. What a wealth of friends I have. I could never have imagined the interesting people that would come into my life and make it as joyful as it is.

Anyway - I suppose I am waxing a bit nostalgic, being as it's a milestone and all. I just wanted to share with you all how much I appreciate you. You all make my life better, more fun, and more interesting. So, thanks!

Holidays in North America

Thought I would share a few of our favourites from the trip. We had a few days of lovely weather, and some rainy days as well, but in all, it was fun to have a few weeks of summer in the midst of our winter. Started out the visit with a week in Canada visiting family.
Then we spent a weekend in Mackinaw and I took my first trip to the Island. Absolutely beautiful in summer. Can't imagine living there in winter though! Such amazing flowers and scenery. Fun to finally see the Grand Hotel in person.
Also had to include some pictures of a yummy club sandwich and a bacon and blue cheese burger... words can't describe how good those were! After Mackinaw we had a couple of fun days in Michigan... visited the Newaygo Country Fair and saw some of the local wildlife.
Finished out the visit with a day at Canada's Wonderland, where I decided I am now too old for rollercoasters.
So nice to see so many friends and family... wish we'd had time to see everyone. Anyone we missed - feel free to come visit us!

Elvis has left the building

Yes, we survived our trip back to Canada/USA and a pretty good time was had by all. The flights were long and miserable and I managed to bring back yet ANOTHER killer sinus infection... but in all, it was a good trip. A bit depressing to see our stuff living in a storage unit, however. So fun to see friends and family though. Kinda made me homesick, and at the same time, made me glad I am so far removed from all the drama. Haha. (Love you guys!)

We are back and settling into normal life again. My new job is going great, and Jon's job is as busy as ever. I think his entire company breathed a collective sigh of relief when he showed up for work on Monday. LOL

It's nearly spring here and I can't wait for warm weather and longer daylight hours!!! I totally have spring fever. It's getting nicer though - average daily temp this week was 62F with sunny skies!

I promise to blog more about the trip later, and include some pictures (including some of a particularly good baconandbluecheeseburger) but Jon and I are off to see Elvis this evening in Bankstown. Apparently he is in town for one night and one night only. Got to dust off the leisure suit and blue suede shoes.