A Year in Oz

On Wednesday August 15th 2011, we arrived in Melbourne after the long trans-Pacific flight. We were tired, scared, nervous, excited and filled with anticipation about what life would be like in Australia. The first few weeks were spent learning to navigate our city, looking for a place to live, and wondering if we had just made a crazy decision to move to the other side of the world! Now, a year later, we can state with confidence that we are happy with the decision we made to move to Oz. However, it was not always easy, and of course there are still times when it is hard to be so far away from the majority of our family and friends. While reflecting on our year abroad, I thought about the things that I love most about living here and the things that I like the least. These are mostly my opinions, though Erik did chime in on a few.

Nighttime along the Yarra River

 I'll start with the things I don't really like about living in Melbourne:

1. The weather. Many Americans might be surprised to learn that it is not always warm in Australia, particularly in the Southeast. In addition to cooler temperatures, it rains quite a bit, and even though the rain does not usually last very long, we still have to be prepared for rain by bringing a rain jacket everywhere! As if the rain was not enough, it is often very windy here, so with the combination of rain and wind, it makes 50 degrees F feel "bloody" cold!!

2. Graffiti. There is SO much graffiti around the area where we live and it bugs me. Some of it is talented artists showcasing their work, but most of it is "tagging" and it is just plain ugly.

3. Birds. Loud birds! There are a few species of birds here that have very loud and complex calls. You'll have to visit us to enjoy these calls for yourselves. :)

4. Household appliances lack power. Tim the Tool Man Taylor would make millions over here giving "more power" to our appliances. Our vacuum cleaner struggles to actually pick debris up off the floor. Fortunately we don't have that much carpet in our house! The washing machine sounds like a rocket taking off, however, it does not actually get our clothes clean.

5. Time zone differences suck. It is difficult to chat with our families and friends because we are always somewhere between 14 and 16 hours ahead, depending on daylight savings time and which US time zone we are trying to call. However, we are thankful for Skype and FaceTime, which would not have even been options for communication ten years ago.

6. Costs. This is one that we have come around on, as we've decided that when you are making Aussie dollars things aren't really that expensive. On our visit to the States we recognized that some things are actually cheaper in Oz. However, if you want a brand name item made by the likes of Nike, Asics, North Face, etc., it will cost you twice as much or more here. Many Australians have figured this out and have started ordering online from the States to save a significant amount of money.

7. Lack of good Mexican food. We have found a few places that have good South and Central American cuisine along with a few restaurants that serve Mexican food, but we really miss the authentic Mexican food found in the USA. Also, coriander does not equal cilantro, and cilantro is nowhere to be found in Oz.

8. Bag checks. Nearly every store that you go into (Target, grocery store, etc.) will check your bag when you leave. I find this annoying because I am often stopping by these stores on my way home from work, so of course I have a backpack filled with stuff that must be searched because I have walked or biked to work and I have everything with me. I guess they have a problem with theft and perhaps this method helps with that problem.

9. The internet. It is sllllllllllllllllow. And it stops working A LOT. This happens at home and work, and while being a minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things, is annoying.

10. My employment situation. I am still struggling to find a full time job and it is frustrating that I cannot practice the profession that I am educated and certified in because it is not recognized here. I am certainly thankful that I have found some work, but ideally I would like to find a position where I can utilize all of my knowledge and skills, and I am not sure if the chances of that happening are very good.

Enough of the "whinging" (aka whining for you non-Aussies)! Here are my favorite things about living in Melbourne:

1. Owning one car and rarely driving anywhere. It is glorious to be able to walk, ride a bike, and/or take public transport nearly everywhere we need to go, including work.

2. Markets. Markets are an excellent way to get fruits, vegetables, and meats at fantastic prices. They are found all over Melbourne so you don't have to go far to find a market close to wherever you live.

3. Biking/running trails. These are found in abundance here and obviously we use them often!

4. Footy. Having never even seen footy before arriving here last year, we have grown to love this game and Erik has gotten quite good at it, actually. This season is nearly over, but next year I might have to shoot some video of him playing for you loyal blog readers. In the meantime, you can watch this video to see what happens when the footy team wins.

5. Feeling like a superstar because you have an "American accent". When the grocery store clerk tells you she "loves your accent", you cannot help but smile. Also, being called "love" by the Aussies will never get old.

6. Travel. Living on this side of the world means that we get to explore many new places. Our Christmas trip to Thailand has been our biggest and most exciting trip so far, but we also loved our trips to Sydney, Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, and our drive along the Great Ocean Road. There will be many more trips to come, so stay tuned for reports about those!

7. Animals. We had a koala bear in our campsite. Enough said. :)

8. Cafe culture. Melbourne is known for this, and it's for good reason. Every neighborhood has several cafes that serve delicious coffee drinks (no drip coffee here, they only serve the real stuff) and unique food options. The menu often changes seasonally and sometimes even daily, and usually cafes strive to use local ingredients. Friends often meet for brunch on the weekends at cafes, and the best thing about no tipping in Australia is that you can enjoy your meal and your company for as long as you like, as there is no rush to "turn the table" like there would be in the United States. Also related to cafes, I love the fact that there only a few "chain" restaurants here in Oz, which makes going out to eat much more of an adventure.

This is how Melbourne does coffee!

9. Diversity. I mentioned that we had people from several different countries in attendance at our Cinco de Mayo party. Since then, our group of friends has become even more culturally diverse, as  people have arrived from Hong Kong and Great Britain. The school where I often teach is like a mixing bowl of different ethnic groups, and I've taught students who have come from Sri Lanka, Iraq, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe, just to name a few. I guess the fact that Melbourne was named the world's most liveable city for the second straight year helps to lure people here from all over the globe.

10. Pace of life. We live in a slower, more relaxed and laid-back environment here in Oz compared with the hustle and bustle of life in the Baltimore Metro area, at least in our chosen professions. I think that Aussies tend to be better at maintaining a work/life balance, and that is certainly something we are enjoying while living here. Also, nearly every work-related gathering seems to involve the consumption of alcoholic beverages, and usually the workplace is paying for them!

It will be interesting to see if our perspectives change at all in our second and/or third years of living in Australia. That is the beauty of keeping a blog, I suppose, so that we can reflect on how we felt a year ago and how different that feels now that we are settled into our new "home" country. Even though there are rarely comments on our blog, I know from visiting the States that we have many loyal readers, and I appreciate you joining us on our journey!