The Plan

About the only "plan" i've had in the last 2 months was the decision that I made to come back to Australia. For those of you who know me really well, know that I'm a planner. For the majority of my life I've always had a plan...after high school the plan was to go to college, after that it was to start teaching, etc. When I was telling people back home that I had decided to move to Australia they all asked what my plan was and of course my answer was, I don't really have one. I knew once getting here I would be staying with my cousins, I would get a job and figure things out. And just so you know, I still don't have a "plan" but I think of the things i've already learned from this experience and i've only been here a few days, I can only imagine the things to come.

Yesterday morning (Sunday) we had planned on going to a soccer game instead of church. Well it didn't work out and the game was cancelled so we had enough time to get to church. At the beginning of worship I was a little overwhelmed. The last time I was at church I was with my parents, so I started to get a little touch of homesickness, I guess. I started thinking, why am I here, what am I going to do etc. The lesson that morning was on worry and as Christians we are called to not worry, but to trust in God as he provides for us. Well at one point during the lesson, my cousin in law looked over at me, this was something we both knew we needed to hear. My cousin has been dealing with some medical issues this last week and my cousin in law (his wife) has been worried about him. My worry of course has been, what am I going to do? I moved 10,000 miles away from my family and friends and I don't have a plan!? I was so thankful for that lesson, it was exactly what I needed to hear. It reminded me that God is in control of my life, His plan is bigger and better than one I could ever come up with on my own. A perfect example of that is how I ended up here, in Australia. My cousins and I have talked several times about how quickly I got my visa. Apparently it does not happen that easily or quickly. Mine was 3 weeks exactly to the date. Do I think it was an accident that I came to visit in June, that I had plans on moving to Texas, already moved out of my house, put everything I own into storage. No, it wasn't an accident. This was a part of the plan all along, I just didn't know it. I know that i'm here for a reason and that God is in control of it. Though I may not know the reason yet, I will. It gives me such peace and joy to know that my Australian adventure is in Gods hands. I am so thankful for the people He has put in my life here and i'm excited for the things to come. I wish I could just bottle up this feeling, or even be able to put into words a little better to be able to share with everyone around me. But in the meantime i'm just trying to enjoy this time of not knowing and trust in God's plan for my life.

first days

Slowly but surely i'm getting settled. Actually in some ways it feels like I never left and i've felt very at home since being back. Its been so good to see people again. I didn't know what it was going to be like to come back, its still a little overwhelming that i'm back and going to be actually living here, since it all happened so fast. But it feels right and i'm really excited.

Last night (my first night) I ended up falling asleep at 8pm, which was good because I stayed awake all day which helps with the jetlag, but I was wide awake at 2am, not good. So today was been a little more tiring. I didn't do a whole lot today, just some more unpacking. I did however open a Aussie bank account which was a big thing to do on my list. Thankfully, Scott (my cousin in laws brother) came with me, which was so helpful. I haven't been in a bank to start all over in a while. One little side note, banks here to not have drive thrus. Yep, everyone comes in for face to face banking, or to use the atm. Its actually really cool I think.

We went to mackers or maccas for dinner, not sure which way they spell it but for those of you whole don't know Aussie slang, thats code for McDonalds. Yep, I know...I come all the way to Australia and we eat McDonalds for dinner on a Friday night! I'm was giving my cousin such a hard time about it. Not that I care, I mean I don't usually eat it at home but I will say the McDonalds here are MUCH nicer than they are in the states. A lady sitting next to us asked when leaving where I was from. I told her Tennessee (I never know where to tell people i'm from, so since I figure I grew up there, it still counts) she guessed California. Interesting I thought, but I was excited because maybe I sounded less southern to her! She said she loved to hear me talk, it made her homesick for the states. I think she had lived there some years back. So funny, because i'm pretty sure I could just listen to the Aussies talk all day long!

Well i'm off to bed hopefully tonight i'll sleep all night!

G'day mate!

After weeks and weeks of planning, i'm back in Australia! The "trip" over was long, but not too bad. I left Little Rock around 7am on Tuesday and headed to LA. I got to spend the day there with aunt Amy. We did touristy things like Manns Chinese Theater, Santa Monica Pier, etc. My flight from LA to Sydney left around 10:30pm that night. By the way, if you ever come this way fly V Australia, not only do they have really good deals, overall it was a great experience. Not that Delta was bad last time, V Australia was just better :-) The flight was good, as good as a 14 hour flight could be I guess. I actually slept almost 8 hours of it so I was very thankful not to be watching movie after movie. I got in Sydney around 6:30am Thursday (which is around 3:30pm Wednesday for those of you back home, there is a 15 hour time difference). My cousins mom came to meet me at the airport and now i'm getting settled at my cousins house in Gosford where i'll be staying for a while.

I'm super excited! It feels so good to be back, almost like I never left. I'm so excited to see everyone and get settled and back into a routine. It still almost doesn't feel real though. I guess it will take a while to realize that this is home.

Pictures and updates to come :-)

Bittersweet

Where has the time gone? I feel like it was just yesterday that I got my visa approved and here we are almost 4 weeks later and its time to leave. Wow. The last few weeks have been so wonderful and bittersweet. One of my favorite new words, but it really is the best way to describe this time. I am so excited and yes, a little overwhelmed. I hate goodbyes and I feel like thats all i've been saying lately.
Last night my parents had some friends over, it was so nice to be able to see everyone before I left. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful extended family in Memphis. Tomorrow I head to Little Rock for one last dinner with my friends there and then I head out on Tuesday! I'm so ready! Well, almost...I still have some packing to finish so I better run!

Left or Right?

Since I'm not able to take everything I own with me to Australia I've been making a list of things I will need to purchase once I get there. A car is one of the things on my list. I know, you may wonder why I need to make a list. Well up until about 3 or 4 weeks ago it had not crossed my mind that I may need a car, you know some form of transportation. Yep...so, hence the reason i've started making a list. Of all of the things on my list I keep going back to the car because it means i'll be driving...in Australia...notice anything about the picture?



Yep, the steering wheel is on the right and i'll be driving on the left side of the road. Everyone I talk to in Australia tells me its easy, I just follow the cars in front of me. My response is, what if they're not going the same way I need to? I don't know why but this scared me. I'm sure I'll pick it up when I get there and get some practice. So beware all you Aussie drivers out there! I'll be there in a few weeks and more than likely be on the road.

On a side note, i'm trying to make some updates and changes to my blog, so bare with me :-)

One of those days

Since I received my visa things have been a little crazy to say the least. While most days I am so excited and ready to go, I do have the occasional overwhelming day, or the I can't believe I'm actually doing this day, and yes sometimes I have a sad day. Today is one of those days. Maybe sad isn't the best way to describe it but I really can't think of a better word at this exact moment. Don't get me wrong, I am so so excited about moving (ready for it to just happen already!) but its all the goodbyes and "ends" that are hard. I know its not like i'm leaving forever or anything, but essentially i'm leaving the live i've had in Little Rock for the last few years for a new adventure full of unknowns, which can be a little scary. The biggest thing about moving that has been the hardest is leaving my job. I know a job is just a job but for me it didn't feel like just a job. This was my career, the thing I went to school for 4 years to learn how to do. The thing I spent countless hours working in my classroom and taking work home. It was the thing I got to do every day for 3 years, everyday I got to be around a bunch of crazy but amazing kiddos that made my day so much better. I know your job should not be your life, but it wasn't just my job I felt like it was my calling and my passion. So its really hard knowing i'm not going to be in the classroom this year. I know its not forever, one day i'll teach again. Today was the first day of inservice, so I knew today I would be a little sad and bummed that i'm not there with my friends and coworkers. I'm not going to lie i'm sure next week when the first day of school for the kiddos rolls around I'll be a little sad again, but thats ok.