We are setting off to start our new life in Melbourne, Australia.
With us on this adventure is as little as we could imagine bringing to a
new home halfway around the world. Two bags for each of us to last until
our half container pod of remaining essentials (and some not so) are set
to arrive 4-6 weeks after we do.
On a steel gray January morning we bid adieu to Alley 24, our home
for nearly four years, tossed our two bags into the Subaru for the last
time and drove up to Ballard to crash in our friend’s 4’ by 7’ TV room.
This will be our cozy accommodations for four nights until our flight on
the 20th. Sometime in that span we’ll be selling our trusty steed and
further shedding some last possessions that missed the boat but can’t be
justified in the checked luggage.
Now that we are unemployed, transient couch surfers the enormity of
the move must be faced. No more second guessing the decision, no more
dreamy discussions. Now just real, live logistics – an AirBnB, work
visas, money transfers, international shipping manifestos, packing
re-packing our luggage.
We’ll be there soon and once we arrive we’ll do our best to document
our adventure here so feel free to follow along as we share the
highlights of our life Down Under.
Arrival in a Strange Land
22 January 2015 Melbourne, Vic
A full twenty-four hours after leaving Seattle – via our scheduled
Los Angeles stop and our unscheduled Sydney one – we arrived in
Melbourne. Immigration and customs took a matter of minutes, either a
nod to Australian efficiency or, possibly, apathy. Our journey to the
taxi stand took us outside and into the heat, a very welcome 36C (97F)
heat. As our cab headed into the city our fatigue and exhaustion melted
away as our new home came into view out of the car windows. We had made
it. Our new lives here were a blank canvass waiting for us to fill them
with memories of a lifetime. This blew a strong wind into our sails;
ready we were to see what this continent has to offer.
After a few wrong turns down some tricky one-way alleys, our driver
found our AirBNB flat (apartment) and set us free. We dumped
our luggage, changed into our bathers (swimsuits) and headed
down to the St. Kilda beach to showcase the whitest skin in all of Oz
(Australia), perhaps the Southern Hemisphere. In the mid-arvo
(afternoon),our hunger pangs drove us from the beach to Fitzroy
Street for a snack. We cashed in our gift certificate to Milk the Cow, a wine and cheese
shop near the beach. All manner of fancy spreads and cuts were brought
our way; all consumed in short order. We retired for our first night
down under, but not before catching a few matches of The Tennis (The
Australian Open) on The Tele (TV).
Settling In
23 January 2015 St. Kilda, Vic
On our first full day we dove right into the culture with a lazy cup
of morning tea ([Twinnings] (https://twinings.com.au/), of course) on the deck. The
cool, marine breeze of the early morning quickly gave way to summer
heat. Inspired to experience this new place we took a long walk along
the Bay
Trail down to Point Ormond. This is a truly fantastic trail.
Kilometers upon kilometers of pricey coast real estate dedicated solely
to public use. We will undoubtedly spend considerable time moving to and
fro on non-vehicular thoroughfare. Bikes must be purchased and soon.
Andy is keen on rollerblades; Erin not so much so.
The walk back was warm; the heat, the sweat, the sun on our skin all
so wonderful after the last few months in wet and cool Pacific
Northwest. We live here now.
