He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich...

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So the plan was to come to Australia for 3 weeks, visit John and Neet, make some quick cash, and then head to New Zealand, and that was 11 months ago...

How does one sum up nearly a year of an entirely new life? How does one describe all the amazing people I've met, experiences I've had and places I've seen? For someone with verbal diarrhea like myself, I could write a series of novels (in fact I have, but you won't have the privilage of reading them ;-). So I'll do my best to give the short form.

I rock up (note the Aussie expression) to Brisbane and its a gozillian degrees outside, my head is pounding but there's a beautifully familiar kiwi face there to greet me. Within a week I find myself a 3 month job as a receptionist at an engineering firm, okay - 3 weeks are out the window, but - money, check... I find myself a share house in New Farm with a great group of Brisbane locals who have somehow managed to score a great house with cheap rent in an expensive suburb - roof over my head, check... Low and behold, they have a bike for me to borrow - transportation, check... Meet John's housemate Andrea and adopt her and her friends - social life, check... Instantly connect with the people I work with: work = fun, check... 4 minute showers because of level 5 water restrictions because of drought (means sun almost every day, not good in the long run, but for now...) - beautiful weather, (and beaches too of course), check... DANGER BATMAN, this is a recipe for postponing New Zealand, and ultimately home...

Some random things that I hope to always remember about Australia and the time I've spent here, in no particular order:

1.) Over-ripe bananas that appear on my shelf in the fridge, mean my housemates are dropping less than subtle hints that they want some banana-chocolate chip muffins.
2.) Australians more often than not, think I'm either Irish or American, not Canadian (Australians, and Kiwis for that matter, don't understand why its Canada and not Canadia)
3.) Cockroaches, geckos and spiders are a way of life, so are massive bats and possoms that like to throw parties once the sun goes down.
4.) Kangaroo meat is actually quite tasty.
5.) The site and smell of the purple Jacoranda blossoms in New Farm park in the spring.
6.) Really bad Australian surfer hair on "blokes" who where there "boardies" half way down their ass.
7.) There are more "bottle shops" (beer stores) than "servos" (gas stations).
8.) The medical system is strikingly similar to that in Canada (one only has to get hit by a van to atest to this).
9.) Chemistry geeks can actually be quite good value ;-)
10.) The City Cat is a way of life, albeit a frustrating one.
11.) Sometimes it takes someone whose English is a second language to teach you your own.
12.) Bailing out the back-porch and being nearly struck by lightning are all part and parcel of the Brisbane flash storms.


Memories (to name a few):
Running along the Brisbane river
Save the Children...
Camping at Crows Nest
Anzac day ceremony, breakfast with Jenny's family and climbing Mt Beerwah all on the same day.
Byron Bay 3 times
Hiking in Lamington National Park
The Gold Coast
Mt Cootha
Fraser Island
Lady Elliot Island
Road trip to Cairns
Miskin St and Stralock Street Parties
International Cook-offs
Fiji
Getting my scuba certification
Wine tour in Stanthorpe
Homebake in Sydney
The Botanical Gardens
The Overland Track in Tasmania at Christmas
New Years in Melbourne
Road trip from Melbourne to Brisbane
How hard it has been to say good-bye...

I realize this is a piss poor blog entry to those who haven't shared these experiences with me (but hey, if it was notable, I likely wrote about it in another entry anyway). I just find it so hard to describe. So anyone wondering whether or not to visit Australia, expect great experiences, your life to be wonderfully changed forever, and of course in the direction of the land down under - you better run, you better take cover...

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Comments

[ya mum]

this is my favorite blog entry miss matkovich :)