Domestic Bliss

You might notice that the blog has lacked a bit of momentum lately. Obviously it's hard to follow the feature length Barossa Valley movie but it's probably more just to do with the fact the we are settling in, the novelty is wearing off (it's definitely not a holiday anymore)and life is ticking along quite nicely.

We have been busy continuing to learn about our new city. You can't beat arriving in a new place and knowing absolutely nothing (except where the Oval is) and then three months later feeling like you belong here. Every weekend we seem to discover something or somewhere else and like many other places, Adelaide has it's many different 'corners' - some better than others!

It is now technically the end of winter and heading into early spring. The sun is still continuing to shine on a daily basis and the sky is mostly a permanent shade of blue. I'm getting more and more concerned about developing lines around my eyes (it's probably just my age) so am becoming (along with everyone else) a permanent shade wearer when outdoors! Squinting is just not good for ones wrinkles!

Temperatures are starting to warm up and we've already had a couple of days in the high twenties. The heat here is lovely and dry without much humidity so it is actually quite pleasant for now. Last Thursday had a severe weather warning as it was hot and windy which causes concern regarding bush fires. Warm winds take a bit of getting used to as they are something we have never experienced before! It's like walking with a giant hairdryer on you! haha

'Surreal' seems to be a recurring word used frequently. Things still don't quite feel real and I'm always pinching myself and telling myself 'Wow, I'm living in Australia'. We went through such a horrible time waiting for our visa and now I firmly say that everything we went through during those 20 months of waiting were worth it!

Don't get me wrong, life isn't perfect. We still have bad days at work (a few more than usual over the last few weeks for both of us) and still have bills to pay (just ask Dan how much it costs when you get caught speeding in the Barossa Valley...) but the quality of life just seems tenfold to that of what we are used to. I can't explain it any more than that!

So, we've just had a great weekend where we put our name down on a plot of land. Anyone who knows us will know our novice love of wine so where else would we opt to build a house? In the McLaren Valley wine region! It will be quite a lifestyle change (surreal conversation: do we want to sacrifice living by the sea to live amongst vineyards? mmm, it really is a tough choice!) but as it will take a long time for us to build our house we can make the most of our current lifestyle and then make the move to the country in a year or two! Perfick!

Dan did his second rowing session on Sunday and seems to enjoy it despite falling in twice. No worries though - it's on a lake so no sharks to worry about!

The top moment of my weekend was having a day off on Friday and going to Ikea for a $1.95 breakfast. Mmmm. I also decided that there is no better shopping experience than at Adelaide's Central Market on a Friday evening. Quality food, great choice, great value, bustling people. A wholesome stress free shopping experience and highly recommended.

We're off to Sydney this weekend. A few years back we agreed with Laura and Niall that we would all meet back at the Opera Bar in Sydney on the 7th September 2007 - it was a random date plucked out of thin air. Being the smug folk we are, we'll be there and hope Laura and Niall will show but have word that they have made other plans (or maybe they are just paupers who don't have visas - haha). The plan to be at the Opera Bar isn't looking too hopeful though as the worlds leaders have decided to descend on Sydney for the weekend and security is maxxed out - GO AWAY GEORGE BUSH, YOU WEREN'T INVITED TO OUR RENDEZ-VOUS! Rumour has it that there might be riots over the weekend so we will steer clear but then again I might take up the theory of 'if you can't beat them, join them' and invent an issue I'd like to have a go at George Bush about. Not that I need to invent anything!

Well, enough's enough for one post. Thanks for reading and do email soon you lot.

Becks
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