Adventures in Nundah....

This town is just so cute.  Nundah Village which is about 2 blocks down the street from Katie and Ben's place has all of your basics.  Quite a few quaint restaurants, coffee, shops, a grocery, beer/wine/spirits store (very important), bakeries, salons, laundry mat, etc.  So all of your necessities are in walking distance.  Just about two blocks further is Centre Toombul (a mall) that has all of usual shops you would find in our American malls just completely different stores and products.  I walked in to town yesterday and today just to check things out and purchase a camera battery.

I have had breakfast both days at this adorable cafe call Simply Duo that serves breakfast and lunch.  For those of you who know my eating habits, I absolutely love eggs and they have the All Day Brekky for $6.90 AUD and it's a delicious plate of two eggs, bacon, toast, and AU sausage (cannot remember the name but so good).  As I mentioned before their coffee is amazing here and I have had a Flat White that last two mornings.  It is simply their version of a latte made with espresso and milk.  Yummo!

It's amazing how our countries can be similar but so very different.  While you can find some of the products and foods that we have in the states, most are branded differently or made my manufacturers from this side of the world.  Initially most Americans, including me, are shocked by the seemingly higher prices for everyday goods, groceries, dining out, beer, electronics, cars and I guess that's pretty much everything.  But you have to take into account that salaries are higher here than the US and sales tax is included in all listed item prices.  So for example when you go to the grocery and get a $2.00 loaf of bread and $3.00 carton of eggs your total bill would be just $5.00.  Which seems to make much more sense and helps you budget a little better when you are shopping.  I found that groceries were just a bit more expensive but hygiene products like toothpaste is about $6.00 here and body lotion is $8-15.  When I have my camera up and going I will take pictures in the stores to show you some others and give you a better idea.

Tonight Katie has arranged a dinner for me to meet her American girlfriends here in Brisbane so I am looking forward to seeing the city.  From the photos I have seen it is a spectacular city with a river that winds through.  Brisbane has about 1.6 million residents so it is large with a lot to offer and I cannot wait to dive in!

My next mission is to learn the metric system, so I will be able to convert recipes and read food labels, and start incorporating their terms into my daily conversations.

So G'day for now and love to all!

Australia the Beautiful.....

I know I am due an update on my trip to Los Angeles but that will have to wait.  Australia really deserves the spotlight so I will start from the beginning......Oh and I do not have a camera.  Yes I know it's ridiculous but I had a battery failure and electronics are MUCH more expensive then in the States so I am waiting for mom to mail one to me :)......

My flight left LAX (seriously disappointing airport) at 11:20pm on Monday.  The flight was 15 hours so I decided to have a little snack and a few glasses of wine to help me sleep.  Australia is 14 hours ahead of east coast time, so I would be landing at 7:00am on Wednesday in Melbourne Australia and knew I needed to sleep since I would be missing out on Tuesday the 21st completely.  As I said before the bar was so sad, but it served it's purpose.  We boarded quickly and I have to say that Quantas is a superb airline.  I was seated next to a couple from Melbourne so they were so kind and happy to give me a few tips on my extended stay in Australia.

I landed in Melbourne and the temperature was about 40 degrees (freaking cold), but I didn't leave the airport.  I went through customs but was slightly harassed as my Visa did not have my middle name Louise on it like my passport so he gave me hard time.  After that I picked up my luggage at baggage claim then proceeded to what they call "bag drop" here.  It took about and an hour and a half and I already had my ticket so that was a little frustrating.

The airport in Melbourne was very nice and quite posh.  Very nice shops and great food options.  The best coffee I have had has been here in Australia as well.  So after a few hours in Melbourne airport I boarded my domestic flight to Brisbane.  I had a child behind me, kicking my seat the whole way so that prevented any sleeping.  I read a bit and before I knew I was deplaning in Brisbane.  I walked down the stairs to Katie (my friend from Raleigh who is engaged to Ben whose from Oz) holding a beautiful Gerber daisy and welcoming me to this great country.

It was so great to see and hug Katie.  We grabbed a kebab for lunch which is just slightly amazing.  It is sort of like a grilled wrap and gyro combination and so delicious you can hardly stand it.  Katie had to return to work and she dropped me off at home so I could shower.  After 24 hours of travel the only thing you want to do is take a shower and put your feet up so I did that and got a bit of work out.  After they returned home they took me to a "pub" for dinner which in America conjures of notions of greasy nachos, chicken wings and fries; not in Oz.  I had a marvelous roasted chicken with mashed sweet potatoes and grilled veggies.  Fine dining in the states, but standard pub fare here.  Juts one of the many drastic differences.....

I have so much more to tell, but honestly the jet lag is setting in again and I just made a nice stir fry for the five of us and enjoyed a few glasses of wine and need some more sleep to catch up.  But this country is amazing and I cannot wait to post pictures and tell you more.....

The Good Life....

If the picture below is any indication of the joy my friends bring to me, you can see how good life is! Before I left for Los Angeles, all of my best ones got together for a small, but super fun party at our friends Liz and Travis' house in Raleigh.  I think it is so cool when all of your friends become friends and you are all able to be footloose and have a good time even with all the responsibilities that many of them have with work, family and new babies.

We had lots of yummy beer, wine, homemade egg rolls, pimento cheese dip (which I obviously love), stuffed Roma tomatoes and Sarah brought some awesome dessert from the Greek Fest in Raleigh. It really couldn't have been more perfect.  

There were so many laughs that we all sort of got carried away and were up until 3:30am which most of us rarely see, but it was so worth the headache the next morning.  And there is absolutely nothing better than a game of Catch Phrase after a few too many beers....

 

So in the end it's really not the number of relationships and friendships we have but the quality and love you share and if that's the case, I am living the Good Life and I am very grateful.....

Hello Life, It's Me Cheryl......

And I am off to live it!  Finally! 

Well, if you know me that's a bit dramatic but I feel like I am doing something I needed to do many years ago. I am laying here in bed at my moms house drinking coffee, watching the news and thinking about the last few items I need to pack. 

It is overwhelming to pack for an extended and unknown amount of time.  I had to do a "rough" pack and then a final pack that took about 3 days.  Ridiculous...yes, but again if you know me you know that I kept getting all emotional and would have to walk away and take a little break.

I am going to miss my summer memories gained here at home in Hatteras.  I am going to miss my mom, the sweet baby kitten that showed up in our yard crying her heart out earlier in the summer, the comfort of home, driving my Jeep, the Atlantic and good friends. 

But it's a fresh start even if it is only temporary and when I come back next year I will be a different person and hopefully just a bit better version of myself.  A friend of mine, who recently sold her home in NY and moved down to the Island because this is the place she loves, and I were chatting yesterday about starting over.  It is such a good feeling and great way to wipe away any regrets, bitterness and not so wonderful memories and make new for beautiful new ones. 

One of my best friends in the world recently took up photography and has taken some really beautiful shots.  Alicia took the one below and although it only says a few words it is so powerful and just a perfect motto to live by and new tag line. 

So everyone enjoy the trip, whatever one you may be on at this very moment and be sure to soak it all in! 

And most importantly BE WARM and not bitter...it looks so much better on you!

Say What You Need to Say

I know John Mayer said it first, but I have always been a big fan of doing just that.  Be it good, bad or indifferent sometimes it can mean so much to someone to hear it from you.  Just telling someone you dig their shoes or how beautiful they look can drastically affect the other person.  Sometimes I think so many of us just hold back when all it takes is a phone call, text or an email like my best friend Kevin wrote below. 

And it doesn't necessarily have to be something good.  We all at times need someone to tell us the hard truth that we don't want to hear.  I know I have had some of my very best friends do that for me and initially, yes it stings, but after a little reflection you can see the good intentions of calling you out on a bad choice or action.  I think that is the beauty of true friends and family; they are the reflection that we sometimes need to help us grow and be the best version of ourselves.

Why is it so difficult to just say I am sorry or I was wrong or THANK YOU or even compliment someone on something they have done?  So like Kev did for me below, if you are thinking something, albeit small or grandiose, that could impact someone you love or care about go ahead whip out your pen and personalized stationary or open your email and say what you need to say...

The email below from Kevin made my day and I plan to keep it with throughout my entire trip Down Under!

Cheryl,

I haven't talked to you much lately, but I wanted to take a quick break from work and let you know how I feel about all this Australia non-sense.  I'm really proud of you.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and you're seizing it.  There will almost always be something else in the way; work, love, family and financial obligations.  But a narrow window has opened for you, one where none of this stuff can stop you now.  Instead of making excuses, worrying about rent or your stuff, you've taken quick action to put all your shit in storage and sublet the place out.  You need change and you made it happen and that's why I'm proud of you.

Things might not work out.  You may even have to come home earlier than planned.   Just remember that nothing can be considered a failure.  If you make it to Australia, and spend even just a month there, you have succeeded.  You will always have the pictures, memories, stories, and experience of that time abroad.  Most importantly, you'll always be able to say, "I went for it."

Good luck and I love you,

Kev

Minimalism.....

I was so stoked to be in Raleigh Tuesday, even though it was just for the night and to bring some of my belongings back to Hatteras.  I forget sometimes how lucky I am to have such awesome friends!  Dave helped me load up the big white van and then we hurried home and headed to our favorite neighborhood watering hole for a few drinks and some grub.  Liz, Travis and Kev came out and it just made my day.  Despite the poor decision to order the Molson bucket that was on special it was perfect.  Let's just say I was in a bad way the next morning.....

OK back to the title of this posting.   I have had virtually everything I own in storage since June of this year and I have to say that I haven't missed one thing or could even tell you exactly what I had in there.  I have six boxes of clothing that I am going to attempt to put away and downsize today and I can't help but wonder how it got to this.  Growing up in a small town and being allowed $200 or so dollars for back to school clothing and again in the winter, I am not sure how I became so attached to "things" and clothing.  Don't get me wrong I still love fashion and style, but just don't see a need for so much of it.

In the end it is definitely not anything we own that makes us happy it's the people who we are lucky enough to experience our days with that truly matter and make us happy.  Money definitely makes life easier, but that's about it. No quantifiable happiness comes with it unless it is spent with or on those who matter most!

Off to unpack.......

Sort of freaking out here....

It has been a pretty stellar weekend; spared by Earl, a Pirate football victory and now just two weeks until I leave for Australia for a currently unspecified amount of time.

My upcoming trip to Oz is by far the most out of character, unplanned and spontaneous thing I have ever done and entirely overdue!  I cannot believe how quickly the summer has gone by here on Hatteras Island.  Everything here came to a screeching halt right before Earl and although we have a few tourists here this weekend it is pretty quiet.   

So much to be thankful for!  A great season at the Village Conery (our ice cream biz going 10 years strong), a wonderful staff, an awesome second job at BoardWok South waiting tables, fantastic friends,some new friends, a few more life lessons, loads of sunshine and a place to stay thanks to my mom.  

It's hard to imagine in a few weeks I will be waking up every morning in Australia!  The goal is to make daily

(hopefully witty and intriguing) posts about my trip Down Under and the shenanigans that ensue.

Standby for more soon......