Kayak adventures

Life can't be bad when your Saturday afternoons are spent Kayaking with dolphins...!

Emotions

Hello again from Becky, chief blog writer and communicator extraordinaire! I've mentioned the blog to Dan again but he doesn't seem to jump at the chance to write on it so I will just continue to get on with it myself!

So... Dan's folks left us today after three fabulous weeks here. Well, let's forget about the torrential rain in week one and the coughs & colds we all had in week two! But all in all it has been lovely to have them to stay. (and believe it or not, I'm not just saying that because I know they read this - it has genuinely been really nice!)

Though our house is relatively small, we've managed quite nicely with four adults living here. It helped that Dan and I were out at work during the days which gave all of us some space, and the hot weather for the last week and a half has meant not much time indoors!

This morning we took them to the airport and said our goodbyes. It was a teary farewell but we kept it reasonably brisk and didn't prolong the agony!

I cried most of the way home and we had one of those conversations reflecting on the choices we have made at this particular point in our lives.

It was sad to say goodbye because it made me want to be able to know that we'd see them (and the rest of our families) again in a couple of weeks for Sunday dinner, or to have a mid-week evening catch up like we did when we lived in London! But at the same time, I cried out of happiness for the realisation that I lived in a country where the sun was shining, the sky was blue and it was 30c at 11.30am! And all in November!

For probably the first time since I arrived here today I got an intense feeling of being at home in Adelaide. Don't panic (Mum), it doesn't mean I'll stay here 'forever', but right now I feel like I am fulfilling my ambition to live in a different country. It's a great feeling!

So whilst it was an emotional morning saying goodbye, it has also given me a bit of a boost and a really great launch into summer. Work/Life balance seems to have restored itself over the last few weeks and I am determined to keep it that way!

Maybe one of these days you'll hear Dan's perspective on it all... I'll keep working on it! For now he's lounging in the warmth, drinking a smoothie, watching the cricket on tv so I wouldn't hold your breath!

PS - the house feels weird without you N&T! And who's going to iron Dan's shirts?





Last night in Semaphore

Coughs & Koalas

It has been a while since I last wrote on here (it is still Dans turn, but as usual I have jumped in to write something) and we have been having a busy time.

Dans folks arrived a couple of weeks ago and it has been lovely to have visitors to stay. Within minutes of them arriving at the airport it felt as if there hadn't been a five month gap since we'd seen them!

The first week they were here Dan and I were both at work but last week we took the week off work. We headed to Kangaroo Island for three nights and loved the place - I even finally managed to get to see a few koalas in the wild! (after 17 months total spent in Australia) My highlight was getting to see a Seal Colony on the beach and being able to get quite close to them.

The biggest annoyance however is that I am actually typing this from my sick bed. Dans folks picked up a bug on their way here and unfortunately we have spent the last week or so all coughing and spluttering. I must confess that I feel pretty yukky and have booked myself into the docs later. It's such a shame for them to feel yukky when they're on their hols but we are all battling on.

Lots of photos added. Check them out!

Dan's folks come to stay!