Life in Australia, so far

So I'm here! I'm a new inhabitant of the Southern Hemisphere!

The past several days have consisted of unpacking [in which I took over Will's closet], exploring, errand-running, gasping at prices, farm time, and a jaunt to the beach. 

The apartment is spectacular, with some of the most ridiculous views. As someone new to the city, it's great to be able to walk outside and get to anywhere I need to rather quickly. 

Starting a whole new life is a bit overwhelming, but also incredibly amazing. Right now it's all about adjusting and getting into a routine. Then comes the job search. Blergh.

A few pictures...I've been pretty terrible at documenting things thus far.

Pre-Melbourne: my monstrous gathering of luggage and a lovely six hours spent with Julianne on my layover in L.A.

It was an overcast day when I arrived in Melbourne...BUT THIS VIEW!

Indoor pool on the roof of our building. I may or may not have acquired a one piece bathing suit in hopes of using it for regular swimming exercise. I may or may not have last worn a one piece when I was 10.

State Library of Victoria. Very impressive. Almost made me want to be a student again.

Night view from the bedroom balcony.

We spent the weekend at the farm Will grew up on. There's always so much to see there, including kangaroos!! These came hopping by while we were on a walk. It was the most exciting thing ever. 

Scenes from the farm 

Not a bad view to wake up to. And those dots are hot air balloons!

Melbourne is not a beachy city like Sydney or Perth, but it does have a bay. For someone who just spent the past several months in a very cold climate, sunshine on a mediocre beach was more than enough!

A big thank you to my friend Ai, who designed the new banner for my blog. Check out her Etsy shop HERE!

Adios, amigos!

Next stop, Melbourne!

 

Via



On moving abroad and [f]unemployment

Sometimes you're 27 and jobless. By choice. 

No? Just me?

So one day I decided to quit my job and move to Australia, but for a very good reason.

There were lots of very important things to consider, such as:

1. MY CATS. They deserve all caps.

2. How much will I miss Tex-Mex food?

3. Can I exist without being able to keep up with all 30 TV shows I watch?

4. Is it possible to survive without unlimited internet? 

[Side bar: HOW IS INTERNET NOT UNLIMITED?! Way to go, Australia.]

5. How the hell would I get all my clothes and shoes there in just suitcases?

Also some boring things, yet also important:

1. Do I have enough savings to do this? Does it matter?

2. What will I do for work? Real job? Bar? Zoo keeper? Kangaroo whisperer?

3. How will I handle my bills while I'm away?

4. Exactly how long will I be able to avoid getting a job before money starts becoming questionable? 

And then the sad things:

1. MY CATS.

2. My parents.

3. My friends.

4. My beloved Houston. 

All of this to say, I leave in a week. And have been [f]unemployed  for over a week. I am choosing to call it funemployment since I chose this way of life. 

And let me tell you, it's currently kind of awesome. Don't get me wrong, it's terrifying to think my bank account is only going down. No paychecks to save the day! But I get to sleep in, watch Gossip Girl to my heart's content, and spend quality time with my mom. I also like to think that the cats enjoy my stay at home mom routine I have going on right now.

Come next week I'll be funemployed in Melbourne. I have a few ideas of ways I can spend my time until Will tells me I must obtain employment:

1. Try every local meat pie shop until I find the perfect pie.

2. Workout like a beast to counteract said meat pies.

3. Get myself acquainted with the city.

4. Learn the public transportation system.

5. Figure out where to put the millions of clothing items I will have brought with me.

6. Inquire about animal volunteering opportunities.

7. Possibly taking courses in topics that interest me [i.e. classes I never took in college]

8. Have a panic attack over my dwindling bank account, thus breaking down and getting a job.

Is it horrible that at age 27 I'm totally down for having a year off? Articles on Thought Catalog would probably point out that I should have my shit together by this point, so I'm actively avoiding that website. BuzzFeed is much more supportive of my life decision.

I look at it this way: If I can find an awesome job that I love, whether it's in a related field to what I did previously or something totally different, and one that will work with my visa restrictions, I'm all for it. I may talk big about loving having no job, but in the end I know I'll feel unfulfilled if I'm not doing SOMETHING. I've never really been one to say that I'd prefer to not work ever, so I think right now I'm still riding on the high of being able to sleep past 7 am.

So here's to my year of exploration! My year of being an expat, discovering a new city/country/continent, and just enjoying the experience with my long lost boyfriend who has made it all possible. I've always wanted an adventure, and if this doesn't qualify as one I don't know what does!

Texas forever

In the spirit of the world's greatest tv show, Friday Night Lights, a goodbye party was held for me at the end of February. A hip bar in downtown Houston was our gathering spot where friends from literally every part of my life came together to celebrate. I felt like one lucky girl!

There were endless cocktails, a Texas shaped cake, and an impromptu photo staging area. 

Then the night ended with dancing, a fog machine, and a throwback to my favorite college drunk food. What more could I ask for?

Catch ya later, H-Town.

Why Indian weddings are the best- Round 2

It wouldn't be normal if I didn't have at least one more wedding before I left, and being a bridesmaid in this Haritha & Karthik's was a great way to end my tenure as the girl who goes to the most weddings.

 I'm a bit disappointed that this is my last Indian wedding because they're so much fun [though reallyyy long].

Goal for Australia: Make Indian friends and make sure to get invited to their weddings.