364 days, 11 hours and 45 minutes later

These blog posts always take a lot of time to put together and as it happens, it’s a bit busy now, but a year down the track is still a big moment, so we decided to go with the highlights.

Great experiences of the past year to be grateful for (in no particular order):

• Coming here and finding out that Canberrans are very friendly, fun and helpful people
• Waiting for that one thing you don’t like and still waiting for it after 364 days
•  Installing the new tradition of going out to dinner on loved ones’ birthdays, munch!
•  Seeing my parents bounce back after an incredibly tough year, no wonder I am so bad ass, look at who made me J
•  Finding a house after 5 days, moving in after 5 more, hating it for 4 months and then decide to stay after another 8 because, meh, not so bad after all
•  Getting the job you dreamed of forever after 5 weeks and rediscovering that working for Government is hard work indeed, but you do get nominated for staff member of the year and team of the year
•  Finding the job you want after 3 months and finding out you are a superstar in whatever environment they put you (that would be Yumi) and now they will let you reform the national disability business, because, hey you are the wo(w)man with the plan
•  Thinking that that radio commercial is intentionally eighties style, to then find out that they are all like that and it doesn't matter which of the three (!) radio stations you choose
•  Buying a Holden Astra in red and imagining that it is green for old times sake
•  Finding out that income tax is 20%, hahahahahaha (breath) hahahahahahaha
•  Laughing out loud at how Australians mangle the English language and abbreviate nearly everything and then correct me on my spelling and pronunciation…

  

  Wassat mate, whus Dingo?

•  Our two furry critters still being alive and well, not eaten by dingos, bitten by snakes, stung by dragonflies or flushed out by flash floods
•  Going ape sh*t when whale watching and getting some lucky shots of whales
• Getting so much support and love that it’s just too much sometimes
•  Gift packages, wedding cards and postcards from the Netherlands
•  Not missing any Dutch food really, but good to know there’s a store where we can get it
•  Buying a BBQ that can fit a medium sized elephant (if only they lived here)
•  Still being in contact with all people we care about after 1 year
•  Coming to understand what those storm drains are for when your back garden turns into the Centre Parcs kiddie pool and 150 mm of rain falls in 30 minutes

WTH, where did that come from?

•  Skyping with Gils parents every week, the Sunday evening special!
•  Getting to love and hate Fyshwick at the same time, but you can buy anything there
•  Seeing kangaroos every day, nope, does not get old ever
•  Driving to work together and driving back home together
•  Alex visiting and us going on a road trip road trip road trip!!
•  Making new friends (yes Joanna and Danielle, that’s you)
•  Buying a 55” TV and not feeling guilty about it, because a PS4 needs company too
   Being sure you forgot something because living here is pretty cool
• The Australian landscape in all it’s glory and splendor
•  Laughing at Canberrans complaining about it being cold at 5 degrees…
•  Diving with sharks and seals and rays and sharks and sharks and leafy sea dragons
•  Discovering that being Dutch is a good thing in Oz
•  Driving to Sydney and considering a 3 hour one-way an easy ride
•  Visiting Melbourne and buying great shoes
•  Salary sacrificing the s**t out of taxes and it all being legal (it’s like evading tax, but supported by the government, go figure)
•  Australian politics, I mean, Tony Abbott come on, that’s funny!

That's right Tony, about that funny

Of course it’s not all awesome and we do have some serious first world problems to deal with as “Not so great experiences”

1. Missing kung fu like crazy after 1 year, still thinking on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between 19:00 and 20:00 that I could have been fighting. I’ll start MMA after the operation in May (surprise that long awaited brain surgery is finally happening!
2. Missing Rotterdam, because… 010 till I die.
3. Seeing nephews and friends’ kids grow up on pictures and movies
4.  Being exposed to people in shorts and skin tights in the workplace (Bogan chique)
5. Did I ever mention I hate the garden?
6.  Riding the bus into work, don’t make me go back please, please!
7. People driving on the wrong side of the road
8. Getting used to Vegemite. Seriously guys, that sh*t is just nasty
   
   

   

   No Mick, that's a disgusting knife, put it down, now!! (and get me some Nutella)

Yes that’s right, no mention of us missing family and friends because Skype, Face time and email work so much better than we had thought. We have done another review and decided that we can safely say mission accomplished. Year one complete, one more to go in the ACT, but hey, who knows, it’s a really good place to be, we might just stick around.

Keep to the left, be well

Yumi and Gilbert