I must’ve asked myself a million times, “what are we even doing?” Big ideas often seem great until they’re actually happening. Then you have a battle of the head and the heart which becomes overwhelming and messy. I often expect myself to be strong and brave when it comes to going after my dreams and aspirations; but this time I surprised myself with my weakness and unease. I felt a wavering in my decisiveness and certainty which has been challenging to reconcile. Michael and I have big dreams and plans which require a lot of faith and courage; I have no time for this shakiness!
God has been good to us as we’ve have had many opportunities to reflect on his goodness and blessings this Thanksgiving. The past week spent with family and friends has been lovely and filled our buckets right up to the top. So much good food and laughs and memories but also a lot of goodbyes and see-you-laters which has been heavy on the heart.
I found my lost headphones on the way to the airport, our heaviest bag came in at a cheeky 22.9 kgs (phew), we enjoyed bon voyage Caesars at Vancouver Intl. Airport and stocked up on countless hugs and well wishes from everyone we hold close. I cried waving goodbye to the mountains in BC and took a final look at a Tim’s as we headed on our way.
Our 24 hour journey started on Wednesday, skipped Thursday as it was lost somewhere over the international date line and ended on Friday (always take a Gravol prior to big flights, 10/10 would recommend). We flew from Winnipeg to Vancouver and then the big trek from Vancouver straight to Brisbane. We collected our bags in Brissie and went through Australian customs (which was quick and uneventful). It was then a frenzied journey over to the domestic terminal to catch our final flight down to Melb.
Upon our final destination, we picked up our mountain of bags and caught a taxi to our air bnb in the city. The weather has been pretty shit but that’s classic springtime in Melbourne. We’ve been able to catch up with friends over the weekend, go to a few apartment inspections, get our Australian numbers sorted and get our bank accounts up and running. It feels like a really slow start and that’s been frustrating. A lot of waiting and inability to move forward on things as we wait for answers and processing times etc.
This week we’ll continue checking things off our list and celebrate Michael’s birthday this weekend. We got tickets to Pinot Palooza (a wine fair) and will enjoy wine tasting as we find our new favourites here. We may also check out a bottomless brunch on Sunday and then get Cookie Box instead of a cake. We’re meeting up for pizza on Wednesday with friends and it looks like the summer weather is finally joining us!
I have a quick orientation on Tuesday and start teaching again on Wednesday. I’ll continue to look for work outside of the education system and Michael is on the hunt as well.
We won’t know if this choice to move down under will bloom or bust, but we’re in it now! Maybe it’s wise to take a breath and not to take life too seriously. We’ll try to find the fun in the uncomfortable and the uncertain. And at least we can do that with a glass of Shiraz and watch the waves roll into the sand.
With love,
Alex & Michael
