Living The Dream
It was school trivia night when we realized that we had accomplished what we had been so hopeful of achieving.
We are sitting at a table with friends we could spend every day with. Â Empty wine bottles outnumbered people. Â There were many familiar faces throughout the room, the MC was fun and engaging, and everyone was having a great time.
And so it was time for Men At Work.
Forget Advance Australia Fair or Waltzing Matilda, Down Under endures as the unofficial Australian anthem, and there we were with a few hundred of our countrymen belting it out for all we were worth. Â Â
We werenât visitors, we had become a part of this wonderful community on this big, wonderful and weird island.
And thatâs what we had truly hoped to achieve. Â We didnât want to just see the sights and travel in a different corner of the world, we wanted to be a part of something. Â
And we were.
2 notes
¡
View notes
Ten Things We Wonât Miss About Australia
1. Bugs, especially the giant roaches that cover the outside of our house (and the way too many who make their inside!) Â Weâre not fans of the fearless flies or mozzies, either.
2. Bats
3. Bad Mexican Food
4. Spiders, Jellies, Snakes, Crocs, and everything else that can kill you. (Well, the crocs are kinda neat from a distance.)
5. "Are you American or Canadian?â
6. Unspecialized medicine and the healthcare referral system
7. Cricket
8. The letter âhaichâ
9. Cockroaches
10. Â $100 Thanksgiving turkeys
3 notes
¡
View notes
Parker achieved her 10 countries before 10 years old. Hereâs her list: 10. New Zealand 9. Hong Kong 8. Thailand 7. Viet Nam 6. Indonesia (Bali) 5. Fiji 4. Italy 3. France 2. Australia 1. Mexico Not bad for an American girl!
2 notes
¡
View notes
Took us two years, but we finally rallied for a swim at Clovelly, the popular 'concrete beach' that is three beaches south of Bondi. Neat place!
2 notes
¡
View notes
This is what bittersweet tastes like
We will be moving back to the USA to our beloved San Francisco on January 11, 2018.
To answer a few questions:
Yes, the puppy will be going with a specialized âjet petâ carrier service - but no, not on our flight. We donât get to pick her up until the 12th. :-(
No, we donât have a place to live yet.
No, we wonât have all of our stuff yet. Itâll be on the container ship and take about 4-6 weeks.
Yes, we will rent a short-term furnished place.
No, we will not buy a house right away. Unless one falls in our lap. Even so, without a track record of employment, there is no $$$$ mortgage for us.
Yes, we intend to live in the Marina again.
No, we donât know what Mitchel will do for work. (Yes, he may start a business.)
Yes, Kris is continuing with her business.
No, we donât know where the kids will go to school. They will repeat the last few months of 4th and 7th grades.
Yes, we are trying for public school if we can get one we like.
Yes, we are sad to leave Sydney, our friends, our home and Bondi!
Yes, we are excited to return to San Francisco.
That should pretty much wrap up the basics. Any other questions? :-)
2 notes
¡
View notes
SACS isn't an international school, but it does have a healthy number of expat students (including us). We had a blast catching up with a couple former classmates! We enjoyed a wonderful dinner with Danny's friend Best and his family in Bangkok, and Parker was thrilled to have a play date with Tong in Hong Kong!
1 note
¡
View note
Welcome to country #10! 1. Mexico 2. Australia 3. France 4. Italy (and the Vatican?) 5. Fiji 6. New Zealand 7. Indonesia 8. Vietnam 9. Thailand 10. Hong Kong
3 notes
¡
View notes
Parker's favorite dog (not counting Tallulah) is this black staffie who lives up the street. It's Betty !! We've known Betty since she was a little puppy and she always has lots of licks to give from her big head!
1 note
¡
View note
What do you reckon this bug is? About the size of a $2 gold coin.
1 note
¡
View note
Term 3 Award ceremony today. Parker played cello in her strings group and won the Life award for her efforts at school. (They give awards based on the school's values).
2 notes
¡
View notes