We are here…sort of!

We landed safely in Brisbane, AU on Wednesday 24th of May around 7 am!  The flight was long but we were so thankful it was an uneventful flight.

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We and our many bags breezed through immigration and customs and thanks to Lawson’s amazing engineering skills we got everything in the van!  Next, we went by the offices of Calibre to pick up the keys to the home we will be renting for the next seven months and then found our way to New Farm and our home for the rest of this year!  We are most definitely in the city here and it is going to be such fun!  The home is lovely…more space than we need since we are just renting some furniture during this initial period but lovely and one of the few places we could find that would allow us to have all four of our animals.

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Shortly after our arrival at our new home, the furniture we rented arrived.  For someone so particular about her furnishings, this is a bit of a stretch but it is one less thing for us to have to think about as this adventure begins.  We brought some of our own linens with us as a source of comfort but we did get out to get a few other household essentials that first night.  There is so much we take for granted in our daily lives.  Each time I move I am reminded of all that must be replaced.  In this case, there are even more things..simple things like hangers.  We are currently a bit overwhelmed and jet lagged but thankful to be here and so far there have been no major problems other than our fatigue and internet and phone challenges.

We have new mobile numbers but are still having difficulty with our phones and no internet connection at home.  Looking forward to getting this vital detail all sorted soon!

We got word that the animal babies will be released from quarantine on 1, June!  We are so excited to see them!  We were initially going to fly down to pick them up in Melbourne and then fly them back to Brisbane ourselves but have decided to hire the DogTainers to pick them up and deliver them to our door end of day this coming Thursday.  Yippee!

Our bodies are still adjusting to a new time zone.  We have been going to bed super early and are still waking up quite early.  We currently have a car rental for a few more days and then will be relying on public transit for a bit.  Lawson has done a great job driving on the left hand side of the road.  We have mainly just been trying to get our bearings in our new city driving around obtaining items to get us a bit organized at home.  We took the free city hopper water bus a couple of evenings ago to let the girls get a feel for where a few things are from the Brisbane River.  This photo was taken just a short ways from our neighborhood.

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While we feel certain there will be bumps in the road as there always are no matter where you live, today both girls thanked us for moving them to such a beautiful place!  Whether this is simply an adventure or becomes something permanent, this is always what a parent wants their teenager and young adult to say to them!  When we came home last year from our initial visit to Brisbane, Lawson and I talked a lot about how friendly people were, how people had time to just have a short (and at times long) conversation with you.  We talked about how many conversations we had during those 10 days compared to home.  I think the girls thought we were exaggerating until these first days here.  Our girls are blown away in the best possible way by the friendliness!

This morning we ventured to our first farmers market in our neighborhood.  It was a feast for the senses and we had to drag Lawson out he was having so much fun!  He is the primary cook for our family so he was in heaven!

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So, we are physically here but emotionally still catching up!  We miss friends, all our things that bring us comfort, and unlimited internet and texting!  Thanks to all for the support!  Give us a couple more weeks and we will be ready for visitors so start checking for airfare!

 

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10 Comments on “We are here…sort of!

  1. WOW !!! I just read your blog and its amazing. I Feel so happy for you guys!!! Can’t wait to see Felix & friends pictures again. –

    • Oh thanks so very much Nelly!! Come visit! We can’t wait to have Felix and his sisters with us soon:)

  2. Love it that the girls are pumped about Brisbane. It’s exciting to have the opportunity to live right in the middle of a great city. We’re all on this adventure with you.

    I am decorating a house soup to nuts – not even a fork in the house. Would be happy to send you the list & you can check off those items you want to acquire rather than waiting til you need it. Sometimes it’s hard to remember all of the things we use regularly.

    • Thanks so much Miller! Us too…it was a big leap to make so having them like it so much from the beginning really helps! The list would be great – thank you! I had dreams of living very streamlined until we decided if we would stay long term but we are all nesters so….. Come visit us!

  3. Awwwww Susan-what an opportunity for you all! My middle sister lived in Australia for 6-7 years- met her husband there (he was born/raised in Minnesota-was in AU working for the Peace Corp). My folks visited her , NZ…. had an amazing time….magical too. At any rate…..YAY KELLYS!! Can’t wait to see pictures of your reunion with four footed family!

    • Oh that’s so cool! Glad to hear your sister and parents liked it so much! Maybe you should come while we are here?! Thought of you during our few days in Cali but we were so stressed with the fur babies I decided to delay reaching out to Cali friends until we come back through on our way home and back over the next few years. Love and hugs!

  4. So happy to see all the new digs, especially that skyline… hope Lawson’s future endeavors are fruitful as well. As always, let us know if you have any needs from the homeland. We have Amazon Prime! LOL! My granddaughter’s only critique is, “…no Taco Bell, Nana!” So, if there’s anything we can send to make the home sickness less palpable, we’re here! Also, send the permanent address to my email! Hugs!!!

    • Can’t wait for you to visit! You know your dear ones are always welcome to stay with us when they are up this way. Will do! Love and hugs my friend!!

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