One Month

It has been one month since we moved to Australia, a month and a half since we left home, and three and a half months since we moved out of our apartment. I cannot believe how much time has flown by.

I was chatting with a coworker the other day (she moved with her husband to Australia in January) and asked her when she really started to feel homesick. She said right around the one-month mark-- you’re finally feeling like this is no longer an extended vacation but rather your new home. I’m feeling that. It seems like everything I smell reminds me of home and I associate everything I see with past memories. The other day, I told my boss that his smell that day reminded me of home… he was kind of taken aback by this comment and thought I was a little kooky. Oh well. I know it will get better but I am just embracing these feelings while I have them.

I think we are finally getting the knack of things. Josh is right in the midst of school and really liking it. I am so happy he has found his niche. His classes are really challenging his beliefs and he is enjoying wrestling through these things. I am enjoying seeing him be so studious. He is still looking for work; he probably has applied to over 70 different places. (He is such a hard worker!) I think the hardest part is that he is looking for part-time work, his availability is very specific, and we don’t have a car so we have to keep it semi-local. We visited a local K-mart that does minor car repairs and they seemed interested so we are hoping that works out. (K-mart is a bit different here—seems more like a Sears but with not as much variety sold.)

I have been in the midst of working like crazy. I put in 46.5 hours this week. I was pretty much beat by the end of my shift on Saturday. I am happy though and I enjoy everyone I work with. I have connected a lot better with my bosses (the owners) and so that seems to make life there a bit more enjoyable.  I am also in the midst of learning how to make coffees… oh what a skill that seems to be! I hope I get the hang of it! The regular customers are great there too… there is a Frenchman that I get such a kick out of. A coworker and I convince him to try our Mochachino and he now can’t seem to get enough of it. Boss likes that I am making business for him. J

We are starting to make really great friends here as well. We have connected with our housemates very well. We have also grown pretty tight with another couple, Cam and Susannah. They are both Aussies. We seem to do at least one thing every weekend with them. Susannah took me around shopping after I got the job at the café so I could get some clothes and shoes for work. She ended up later surprising me with a beautiful silver plated leaf necklace that I saw at a store and mentioned that I loved. I couldn’t believe it. They are so generous and willing to do anything to help us out. We are definitely blessed to have them in our lives.

Josh and I checked out a connect group up the road from us this past week. The leaders are a couple that Josh knew from his previous time in Australia. He is from Scotland and she is originally from Pennsylvania but moved out of the country when she was young as her parents were missionaries all over the world.

We are also happy to have Dylan, one of Josh’s best buds, here to help us. He continues to connect us with new people and he is also willing to do whatever to help us out. We love him.

The weather is slowly getting warmer. Apparently yesterday was the first day of spring. I am definitely looking forward to days spent at the beach. Some of our housemates started a vegetable garden. I am thinking about doing the same as I think $9/kilo for tomatoes is OUTRAGEOUS. I also cannot wait for our laundry, which we hang out on the line, to be dry in a mere ten minutes rather than it’s current time of several hours.

I am sure there is plenty more I could say but I’ll keep it for another post.

Love to you all! We miss you heaps! 

Here are two photos from a double-date with Cam and Sus to 

Wowcow Frozen Yoghurt. I was stoked to finally get some good ice cream! :)