A year ago yesterday, we arrived in Australia to begin this new adventure in life. After a chaotic few months of organising ourselves to move across the world and the emotional ups and downs of sharing our news and saying our goodbyes, we were both ready to just get here and accept whatever came our way. There are enough similarities between Canada and Australia that we weren’t too concerned about experiencing culture shock, but I think we were both surprised by how different things really are here. We have approached everything here with an open mind, embracing the differences and joining into community events as often as we can. Yeppoon is a small regional town but there seems to always be something happening here…concerts, parades, Triathlons, rodeos, art shows, etc. The greatest part is that most of the events are free or cost very little and you never have to worry about parking, traffic, etc.
As most of you know, we moved here because I was offered a job in a speech pathology course at CQUniversity. It’s been a wonderful change for me. Everything is new and it’s been a lot to take in, but I am surrounded by supportive colleagues who have made the experience a positive one. My role as Head of Course has also given me the opportunity to work closely with staff in other health disciplines in the university and I’ve made some wonderful connections, both professional and personal. It’s been a busy year but the challenge of it all has made me feel inspired again and for the first time in a lot of years, I can say I truly love going to work everyday. And who wouldn’t with these surroundings?!!
Our time outside of work looks quite a bit different than it used to. We have made a few friends and will get together with them for dinners etc., but we certainly don’t have the busy social life we had in Canada. While we miss the close connections we had and the wonderful weekends spent with people we adore, we’ve grown to appreciate the slower pace of life here. We spend many afternoons just taking in the gorgeous sunshine, beautiful views and the never ending exotic birds. I think we’ve finally learned to just be…to just take a breath and really enjoy the moment and time spent with one another.
When we’re not relaxing in our beautiful yard and pool, we tend to spend our time walking or hiking, something we rarely did in Canada. I’m not sure if it’s because we were just always so busy or because the weather never really allowed us to make it a habit, but it’s something we both love to do here. I don’t think the novelty of being able to walk along the beach whenever we want to will ever wear off!
I had always wanted to experience living in another country and I feel so fortunate to have been given this opportunity. Life here is certainly different than the one we left behind, but
It’s been a wonderful year!
Such a great opportunity but we sure do miss you guys.Happy for your adventure.
Thanks Aunt Lorraine! xo