I have really, really not felt like writing the past couple of weeks. Our most recent post was supposed to occur last weekend after we swam with the whales for Lawson’s birthday. However, the day before we were to go we received a call that they had to cancel due to weather. We came up with plan B for his birthday but a late start that morning derailed that as well. It ended up being a fun day checking out one of the sailing communities near Brisbane! One of Lawson’s great loves is sailing, so it was a productive, fun outing albeit different than our plans. And, the best part is that we were able to reschedule the whale swim for our anniversary in October!!
I don’t know if you ever struggle with this but I go through periods of being completely overloaded with both the news and social media! They both can totally bum me out! I am so grateful for the blessings social media bring in keeping us connected and making new wonderful friends but, at times, I find myself emotionally spent by it as well, not to mention it is impossible to keep up with it all! Several years ago, I fasted from the news for Lent. It completely altered how I intake the news now. In spite of the very careful way I go about ingesting news it still is sometimes not enough to buffer all the negativity. It’s not always just the news itself, it’s how it impacts me personally that I have to watch out for. Last week’s hurricane barreling toward and eventually impacting so much of Florida was particularly difficult to be watching from so far away. Our home was not impacted fortunately but so many others were. And then, there’s US politics, North Korea and the Equifax breach that just left me a ball of anxiety. Breathe! That’s what I have been working on doing instead of blogging or being online much in general! Fasting from the news and fasting from social media are important things to consider for self care and sanity. I’m trying to find the balance between staying connected and space from all the noise! Breathe! I have a shirt that I frequently wear with BREATHE on it because I need this reminder so very often!
There has been a lot going on in our personal lives other than all the above however. Eve has been in testing for the past couple of weeks as her first full term of school in Australia came to an end yesterday! We are so proud of how she has adjusted to a new school in a new country! She knows what an opportunity this international educational experience is for her and she is embracing it! She is super excited about the two week break ahead of her though and we have a few fun things on the docket to explore! Sophie has a week break coming soon. She too is neck deep in work – especially books to read and papers due! She has a volunteer job at the Red Cross shop in Fortitude Valley to help her get her foot in the door with future part time employment. And, she was selected to be a part of the University of Queensland’s art museum student engagement council! Both girls are rocking this adventure and we are super proud of them! On the US end, we are continuing to get quotes for repairing things that showed up in the inspection report with the contract that fell through on my parents home. These things take time but it is challenging to be so far away while the process unfolds. We are thankful for a realtor who is on top of it! Just breathe!
For his birthday gift, Lawson requested tickets to the musical Kinky Boots so on Wednesday we took the afternoon off to enjoy a matinee presentation of it. It was a playful musical with an important message of acceptance woven throughout it! A really good antidote to the aforementioned!
The Sunday before Lawson’s birthday was Aussie Father’s Day. This is his second Father’s Day celebration this year and never has a daddy been more deserving! Father’s are such a crucial part of their children’s lives. The girls and I know how incredibly blessed we are to have a partner and daddy who is as engaged in our lives as Lawson is! We celebrated with a picnic at our neighborhood park – New Farm Park! It is one of the loveliest parks in the city and is at the top of every list of things to see in Brisbane! One section of the park reminds us of Fairhope’s rose garden! There is space for soccer games and frisbee and it is always sprinkled with people reading and canoodling and enjoying family time! We love having it so near us to enjoy on a weekly basis!
Yesterday, we met with an accountant who filed our first Australian tax return for us. It was an easy process but certainly a bit stressful as all these new events are for us. I think he is going to be a helpful resource in navigating a new system. He lived in the US for a number of years as well and that is always helpful to have that kind of touch point with someone! He knows the good and bad of both countries. Being an expat is a learning process every single day! Some days overwhelming, some days fun but always an opportunity to grow! Someone recently said to us “If you knew how big this really was going to be, you wouldn’t have undertaken it”! Truth! We knew this expat adventure was going to be challenging but it is really only as you begin to experience things in another culture that you understand exactly how big of an adventure you have undertaken! Deep breaths!
A couple of friends have told us they set Brisbane as one of their time zones on their phones and we can’t properly express how much this small gesture means! It is hard to imagine just how challenging it can be to be so far from home at times. We really miss friends and family and we are so grateful for those who have gone the extra mile to stay connected! We know it is not easy! As Tom Ford said “when you find somebody good keep them in your life”! We appreciate your keeping space in your life for us! As always, thanks for taking the time to read our posts and to send us notes and messages! They are so encouraging and keep us writing, even when we don’t feel like it! Kind gestures mean so much! With love from Brisbane!
On Wednesday, we went into the CBD with our oldest daughter Sophie. We rode the 199 bus from New Farm to Adelaide St. as we often do. On this occasion, there was an older man at our stop needing help with directions. Having been here only 3 months, we tried to assist him as much as we could but it was a bit of the blind leading the blind. He reminded us all so much of my sweet daddy. This sounds kinda strange but he had arms that looked just like my dad’s. I had to work at restraining myself from reaching out and touching him which if you know me well is not something I would just do with a stranger. It was just that strong of a resemblance and I miss my dad so much! Anyway, the whole ride into the CBD we were on our phones trying to help him with where to get off to catch a connecting bus. We got off at our stop and almost immediately Lawson realized that he had left his ipad mini on the bus. We had been so focused on helping the man we were a bit flustered ourselves. Lawson immediately put it in lost mode and Sophie jumped on the phone with the Brisbane City Council and found out what the procedure was for lost property. The amazing thing was that it was logged into the lost and found by Thursday afternoon and we were able to retrieve it this morning! We don’t know if the bus driver found it at the end of his shift or if someone turned it in to the bus driver but either way someone was kind and turned it in! There is so much reported about all the bad things going on in our world I sometimes get disheartened! This was just a reminder that there is always more good in the world than we hear about! And, I have to say, there is a whole lot of it here in Australia! Or, at least, that has been our experience thus far. There is a certain civility that exists here that I think we have lost in the US. When we ride the bus or ferry, almost everyone thanks the drivers as they exit. The pace reminds me of my childhood. People have time here to interact with one another! People sincerely want to know a little bit about you. It is lovely and helpful when your support group lives halfway around the world!
This wonderful plaque rests at St George Square at one of the bus stops. It makes me happy every time I see it! I believe in guardian angels. I also believe my parents and so many of those I have loved that have passed away look over us in some way! And then there are just ordinary people doing the right thing like turning in lost property who feel like angels through their kind gestures! Angels sometimes ride on the bus!
After a short sabbatical for rejuvenation through an ayurvedic deep cleanse we are slowly getting back in the groove of things. Although, it is probably an overstatement to say that we actually have a groove! There is a scale called the Holmes-Rahe Stress Scale that is a helpful tool in understanding how major life changes impact us. It has been easy for us to underestimate exactly how much this years changes and challenges have affected us. The cleanse was a helpful reset button after hitting a number of things on that stress scale this past year! It is going to take us a while before we actually get a real groove!
Nothing quite prepared us for becoming expats. Travel and moving didn’t do it. I have traveled to 20 countries and still feel like a novice adventurer. We have moved more times than I care to recall and still that didn’t prepare us for a move abroad. While our language is shared there are differences there as well. It seems to us that lots of words here are shortened. For instance, I give you the word arvo.
Avacado is avo. Australia is straya. Biccy is biscuit, cookie. Breakfast is brekky. Brisbane is Brissie. Choccy is chocolate. Cuppa is a cup of tea. Definitely is defo. Devastated is devo. Footy is football. Lappy is laptop. This afternoon is s’arvo. Gas station is servo. Liquor store is bottle-o. Police officer is coppa. Things sold in cans are tinnys. A tradesman is a tradie. A postman is a postie. Garbage truck driver is a garbo. A present is a prezzie. Facebook is facey. Sunglasses are sunnies. Vegetarian is a veggo. You get the idea!
And, culturally there are lots of differences as well. It is fun and challenging and disorienting all at once. While travel is one long trip of exploration, being an expat is different because you are doing some travel when you can but also you are building a life with all the little details that come with it! We very purposefully came with only our clothes and computers and have been renting everything. We are now at the point where it feels a bit like we have been in a hotel for quite a while. The kitchen rental equipment was just not cutting it. Food preparation is very important to our family. So we have slowly been starting to acquire some basic kitchen equipment. We turned our first round of rental equipment back in this week. We have a rental contract on this home till the end of the year and are not quite sure what is next. We love living in New Farm as it is close to the central business district (CBD) and is on a little peninsula. It is just a very cool community! All four of us are nesters so the temporariness of everything has been challenging. Flexibility and resilience and trust in the process are absolute requirements for an expat adventure. We are in constant learning and adjustment mode! We are trusting that by the end of this year we will know what the next step is!
This week the contract on my parents home officially fell through. In addition, our realtor who is primarily an appraiser encouraged us to find a realtor who could be full time. It has been a wild ride with two offers, both falling through! It has been extremely hard to be so far away during this process. I have had to resist the urge to hop on a plane and head home. There are some repairs to be dealt with and we now have a full time realtor on it. We are back to square one! Again flexibility and resilience and trust in the process!
We are so incredibly grateful to our friend Rhonda for the use of her car! It has been an absolute godsend! While we love using public transit for most things, having a car has made our life so much easier! We are defo (see we are learning) going to have to look at getting a car in the year ahead!
This past week we found a new groomer for the dogs and Eve also found a hair salon to get a cut. Seemingly small things but these things make a place feel more like home. We think they all look great!
Everyday as an expat is a new day of learning! It is a move and travel all wrapped into one. There is a longing to explore and a longing to be settled. There is a longing for home back in the USA and a longing to put down roots here in Australia. Everyday we start again! Here’s wishing you a lovely new day and week ahead! As always, thanks for joining us on our Aussie adventure!
No matter how many times we go through the sale of a home, I am amazed by the unreasonable demands that sometimes come in the process. It looks like the contract on my parents home in Alabama is going to fall through. After all the emotion involved in signing the contract on my part, I am disappointed to have to possibly go through this again. It has been a rollercoaster ride these past two weeks. Our realtor has been a trooper dealing with the buyer demands. .
Our focus these past couple of weeks has been getting the girls in a rhythm with school. Here in Australia most university students live at home with their family which is wonderful but also new territory for us. It is requiring flexibility and grace as we navigate this new adventure. Sophie has a sweet group of uni friends, several who are international students, who we are fortunate enough to get to spend time with on weekends as well. Eve also has a great group of girls who have embraced her. These years for girls can be challenging. Being accepted is so important for adolescent girls! When they don’t have it, these years can be all the more difficult. Eve wrote this heartfelt post to her new friends and new school!
As Lawson and I have just now been able to come up for a breath as we get the girls launched into their routine, we have become quite aware of the toll this has taken on our health. The work it requires to execute an adventure of this magnitude, not to mention forgoing our normal eating habits and routine, has left us incredibly drained so we are pulling in a bit and focusing on that. We are fortunate to have an ayurvedic doctor here in Brisbane to assist us. The next two weeks will be full on trying to regain balance.
Tonight, we dropped our friend Rhonda off at the airport for her flight to the US. We are ever so grateful for her generous offer of the use of her car while she is gone. We are navigating the public transit well but our gratitude for having a car has increased tremendously since we have been without one most of these two months! We had a wonderful visit with her and can’t wait to hear about her stateside adventures!
As always, we appreciate your kind support in reading our blog and sending us comments and messages! We hope the week ahead will be a grace filled one for each of you!
We dubbed this past week transition week as Eve began term 2 of year 9 at Lourdes Hill College and Sophie began orientation at University of Queensland. Lawson and I were turned a little upside down as the reality of both our children being in school again in Australia kicked in. We have spent so much time together this year it felt very strange to not have them around. One of our highest priorities as parents has always been time together with our children. We certainly might have more material possessions if we chose another route, but time is the one thing we have in limited supply. So, Lawson and I were a little lost this past week. We recognize how ridiculously lucky we are to have had so much time with our girls and we never take for granted how fortunate we are to all enjoy being with one another!
In addition, we received an offer on my parents home during this transition week. There were days of going back and forth and back and forth but we finally reached an agreement and I signed the contract tonight. There are certainly no guarantees with what the coming weeks hold but we are assuming things will progress so that in a few weeks time my childhood home will belong to someone else. I can’t imagine my life without it. I suppose just as with the grief that accompanied the loss of my parents, the impending loss of the place that has always been home speaks volumes about the love that encompassed my childhood! When I was in graduate school studying Family Relations, I remember vividly during one of the classes thinking how much more helpful it would be in counseling others if I could see into their home. This thinking is how I found Feng Shui and later trained in it. Home, the place we call home, is mythical in our lives. It shapes us into the people we become. It is more than bricks and mortar and plants and grass, it is emotions and struggle and how we learn to cope with life and how we learn to love. My childhood home is a modest home on the less sought after side of town these days but that really doesn’t matter. This home that I am letting go of is full of love and beauty! My parents invested in creating beauty and that beauty shaped who I am! And to have been loved well….how do you put a price tag on that?
It was my idea to put everything in storage and just bring ourselves and our clothes with us on this adventure to Australia. I thought it would simplify our life if we just had a small amount to think about with such a big transition. This was probably true but it has left me feeling even more untethered as I face this transition. As with the place we live, the things we surround ourselves with also have such a strong impact on our lives. I miss our beautiful collection of things that made our life our life! As with our homes, our collections tell the story of our life in some way! I also thought I would get to go home and say goodbye one more time before my home sold. I know, it sounds a bit dramatic for a house but it’s really not. My roots go deep with this home and it feels like death all over again. Never underestimate how strong the connection to home, to place is!
I know I carry this beauty in my heart. I feel my parents with me and know they would love the beauty of Brisbane as much as we do. My parents created beauty and taught me to do the same. Here’s to focusing on what lies ahead and creating beauty wherever we are!
For as long as I can remember, I have had a bit of a fear of heights. The first time I remember facing this particular fear head on was on a team building experience at a ropes course in my mid 20’s. I was the only female present and one of my teammates knew I had a fear of heights, which he also had. He challenged me, on the last exercise of the day which also happened to be the hardest, to climb the pamper pole (which is a bit like a telephone pole) and leap off it in an attempt to catch the trapeze. He said if I would do it then he would too. Several of our co-workers had already successfully climbed the pole and made the leap and I’m pretty sure he thought challenging me was a sure way to avoid climbing the pole. He didn’t know me well! My legs were like jelly and I thought I might pass out but getting these guys respect was far more important to me so I did it. Standing up at the top of the pole was success…I could care less whether I actually caught the trapeze. If I had a chance to do it now, catching the trapeze would be important but back then success was facing this fear and meeting a challenge!
Today, I faced this fear again as our family did the Story Bridge Adventure Climb which is one of only 3 bridge climbs in the world! The Story Bridge is one of Brisbane’s most recognizable icons which fortunately we get to look at each night out of our bedroom window! We love seeing the bridge light up in different colors depending on what is going on with a particular holiday or charity. The Story Bridge is a heritage-listed cantilever bridge that connects the north and south side of the city from Kangaroo Point to Fortitude Valley and Brisbane CBD. From the top we were treated to stunning 360 degree views of the city! We were able to spot Eve’s school and our local theatre and park! In addition, we realized that we are starting to get our bearings just a bit! Brisbane is situated on the Brisbane River and it zigs and zags and curves and turns so much it takes a bit to figure out which way is upriver and which way is downriver. As we stood atop the bridge today, we marveled at how far we have come in our six weeks here!
The two hour climb went by so fast we couldn’t believe it! The care that is taken to assure each climbers safety goes a long way to calming one’s fears. One thousand one hundred thirty four steps of adventure and oh what a view! My knees were still wobbly and my heart raced at certain points along the way but I did it! We did it! As Lawson and I get our coaching practice back up and running after a sabbatical, we are reminded in working with others how important it is to always be pushing forward in our own lives in addressing our fears. Addressing our fears in a safe environment is of paramount importance. Today’s climb was a safe place to work on mine! Come see us and I will face them again with another Story Bridge climb! Here’s to not letting a little fear get in the way of life’s adventures!
Eve and I’s first trip to the Australia Zoo – Home of the Crocodile Hunter
Hey guys! Today’s post is a collaborative effort written by Eve and myself about our trip to the Australia Zoo. This zoo is owned by the Irwin family, and is home to over a thousand animals. It was always Steve and Terri’s dream to create the best wildlife conservation reserve where they could truly put the animal’s needs first, and they have been extremely successful. This was unlike any zoo adventure we have ever experienced. At the Australia Zoo, the majority of the animals are free to roam, and we are able to enter into their space while zoo keepers look out for the animals, making sure humans always observe and act with appropriate behaviors.
The first animals we saw were big, cuddly, fluffy, wombats. They were so adorable, we just wanted to reach in and pick it up and take it home. After that we went into the venomous snake house. Here we learned that Queensland is home to the most venomous and scary snakes that exist on the planet. Here is a picture of Sophie kissing a boa constrictor.
Did you know that tigers like to swim? We got to meet and watch this amazing tiger named Hunter. Unfortunately Hunter’s eyes did not develop correctly and he is now almost completely blind. However, Hunter has developed an extraordinary sense of smell and has learned to be a star of his own show. He may not be able to see but he is a very playful and active tiger. We got to watch him swim and play with his favorite toy.
We also attended the famous crocodile show, where they educate us on how to avoid crocodiles and how they behave. Since many of Australia’s schools are on winter holiday, Terri and Robert Irwin were there to put on a show! Here are a few pictures.
We had a really fun day checking out the Australia Zoo. We now have yearly passes so we can go whenever we want. Come visit us and we will take you with us! Our friend Rhonda met us at the zoo and hung out with us all day. We can’t wait to go back. Next time we visit the Australia Zoo we will get to do a few animal encounters. We want to walk with a tiger and pet some wombats. We can say for sure that the zoo is one of our favorite places in Queensland Australia!
Happy Fourth of July to all our friends in the USA! Hope you have had a fun, relaxing day celebrating! Since the 4th of July arrived here while it was still July 3rd in the States, it was a little hard to get festive. We rented a car for a week and took to the road heading north to the Sunshine Coast of Australia (also known as the Sunny Coast)! The Sunshine Coast reminds us in many ways of home on 30a in Florida! There are many beautiful, pristine beaches here. Since we are missing our usual 30a 4th of July celebration, it seemed only right to spend it on the Sunny Coast here!
Check out Caloundra Beach below!
And here Lawson and Eve are at Mooloolaba Beach!
We began our coastal exploration earlier in the week by heading south to the Gold Coast of Australia. The Gold Coast is where the famous Surfer’s Paradise is located. We visited there last year and found it a bit too crowded for our taste, so we went a bit further south to Burleigh Heads which has a cool California vibe. One of our favorite things about Australia is how there seems to be an underlying commitment to preserve the beaches for all to use not just a wealthy few. There are no beach umbrella companies staking out territory here nor homeowners saying this is our beach. The beaches here remind me of the beach trips I experienced as a child and love that our children are getting that experience as well.
We next ventured up the Sunshine Coast to Eumundi Markets which is the biggest art and craft market in Australia and boasts an annual attendance of 1.6 million people! There was absolutely no way to see all the market had to offer so we will be back first chance we get!
The next day we headed up to Bribie Island to the Greek Food Festival! It was a fun day full of Greek food and exploring lovely Bribie Island! The very best part of our Sunshine Coast road trips was meeting up with our friend Rhonda at each of our destinations! We first met her on Facebook a year ago and have since become dear friends! A love of both 30a and Australia binds us!
Here are a few of our Bribie Island photos!
On Monday, we met Rhonda at the Australia Zoo! Once again, there is simply too much to see in one visit and the zoo deserves it’s on post so Sophie and Eve will have one coming soon!
As Eve mentioned in our last post, she is on winter school holidays for three weeks! In addition to exploring the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, we are also exploring all that Brisbane has to offer during this nice break! More on Brisbane in a future post…for now we leave you with our slice of Americana that we found to celebrate America’s Independence Day from afar! Happy 4th of July from our family to you!!
Hi everyone it’s Eve! I am currently on school holidays. I started my new school a couple of weeks ago. I have to wear a uniform and it isn’t so bad. I have made a great group of friends! There are 14 of us! I have winter break holidays for three weeks. We have done so much fun stuff and the fun isn’t over and it won’t be for a long time. A couple days ago we drove out to the country. Our first road trip out of Brisbane, Queensland Australia! We went to this cute goat farm called “Naughty Little Kids” in Boonah, Queensland. At the goat farm there was cheese making, gelato eating, goat milking, and holding baby goats. My family all milked a goat except for me. I just wasn’t into milking a goat. The baby goats are adorable! They are so soft and you just fall in love and want to take one home. The gelato is made from the milk of the goats and it was awesome! I would go back for the baby goats and gelato. Not too far down the road from the “Naughty Little Kids” goat farm was a winery. They grow grapes and lemons. If you don’t know this about me, I love to make lemonade. I have been making lemonade since I was 9 years old. At this winery we got to pick lemons, try some lemon butter and see a horse and a donkey. We picked about 300 lemons! When we got home we all asked ourselves what are we going to do with all these lemons? We decided we are going to make a lot of lemonade, lemon curd, limoncello, lemon bars, and many other things. If there are some things you think we should make please let us know! We had a very fun and eventful day!
Here I am holding a baby goat.
Dad and I with out lemons.
Mom and I with our big lemons and Mom milking a goat! Hugs from our family!
