Onward Bound

Flights are booked!

So that means it’s pretty official. I was talking to my friend over some tea on a beautiful warm Victoria summer night last night and she was saying, even without me having to, that of course it doesn’t feel real yet. It won’t until we are going on that final flight (yes, I am on 3 flights in Ontario before we start the journey to OZ). And I think she is bang on.

So the apartment is in a 6x8x11 storage space, the car is scheduled for storage and the surfboards are ready to be shipped. We are pretty much all set.

It’s funny cause the weather here has been unbelievable in the last week, sunny hot and perfect for evening strolls. I am glad I still have a month of Canadian summer left and that I am not leaving now. I think it is going to surprise us and everyone when we report that it’s a little cool there in the winter, which is the season that we land in. Of course within 2 weeks, spring will hit Australia and we should be feeling pretty lucky – as Jon likes to say – the endless summer.

Of course the poor guy has got to come back to Canada  for the dead of winter in Alberta to do his oil rig work – cutting down trees for the seismic lines. It is hard work, and its cold, but it is good money and for 3 months he will make it worth it. He has really been working quite a bit this year, like usual, the hard worker that he is. Doesn’t miss a day that guy and gives it his most energy without overextending himself; which is a real fine line in the type of physical labor that he does. I would say there is few and far between that have his lasting stamina and strength out there in the bush - 15 years. He is so strong and so healthy. I am so thankful for that.

His work ethic is amazes and he inspires me with drive for financial success. It is this drive that I too am trying to acquire and it feels so good working as a team in this area. It would be so lovely to move back to Canada and get a home of our own here in Victoria. We will see how it all works out.

I am also proud of my sister who is being recognized by her hard and good work and has been asked to move up in her line of work and take more responsibility.  She is going to be the one I miss the most in the next year!!! My friend last night (who is also a mutual friend of my sister’s) was noticing my concern when I talking about my her and how I was leaving and how it impacts her (we are our only family in town) and she said “She will be fine, don’t worry about it”. But the fact of the matter is, she is more than my best friend, she is like my other half.

Anyways - more to come...

I AM MOVING TO AUSTRALIA!

It's funny because the other day a friend emailed me to say "I have been waiting to see the blog post about all the Australia plans, where are they?"

Right, I should probably do that. And then I got to thinking, why haven't I done that...?

The truth is - it really hasn't felt real. It still doesn't. And I suppose I didn't want to say it out loud (and when I say that I mean "out load", to myself). Yes, I have told friends on Facebook, and yes I have told complete strangers in grocery lines. I have even emailed old friends and called family that I haven't spoke to in months to share the news.

But I always have shared the news with a "it may not happen though, because...", or "Its not 100% though" and that truly has stopped me from really accepting it.

Only today have I started to really believe this totally amazing, life changing experience, crazy opportunity MAY just actually happen! That Jon and I are going to get on a flight in a few weeks and leave to fly into the gold coast of Australia ...for at least 1 year!

Like  - OMG, right?!?!?!?!??!?!

We received the approval today of the sponsorship, which is the last step before I could apply for the Visa (and this was the step where it could have gone either way). This morning I applied for the Visa and my Australian Health Insurance. This weekend I will help Jon apply for his.

It is like a freaking dream come true for us...to live on a beach, with surf, in a warm climate, with my awesome husband, like hello....

And maybe that is another reason why I have been hesitant to write about it. Like that it was too good to be true and that something may stop it from happening. And I suppose inside I feared that if it didn't happen, that it was my "fault" of getting everyone so excited (and obviously especially Jon).

This is silly of course, but that it sort of how I have been feeling. 

But guess what? I am over that. If it does (not happen), then it does (not happen). And that is that. I am going to stop being too concerned about those thoughts.

The truth of the matter is: that life itself is a dream come true. We live these days and we are so lucky to do so. We forget this all the time (and I am saying "we" in the literal sense). What we have in this world and in our hearts, is totally and completely indescribable. These is our lives; every day is a gift.

And you can read the title of my blog for my opinion on this ;) 

So SURE, Australia is far out! And YES, being hooked up with a nice furnished apartment, room for family/friends to come visit, lots of patio space for BBQ'ing, life should be pretty dreamy and I know we will be happy.

But the truth of the matter is (and Jon said this from the beginning of this journey, almost 3 months now of thinking, waiting, anticipating, etc) our lives here, together on this wonderful island that we call home; are pretty damn good too. And we are often "happy" because we just are.

More details on the way...but I think I can really start to admit it...

I am moving to AUSTRALIA!

[PS I thought the new look in the travel templates for this blog was appropriate :)]

Names I like (so that I don't forget)

I like for male names: Meyler, Loughlin, Gavin, Feary, Evir, Kelan, Ry, Odus, Oakley, Kane, MacKensie

I like for remale names: Saev, Mella, Maeve, Evir, Keira, Bronwyn, Mabel, Madeline, Maela, Sanna

Tip 1 (from a chiller):

Stop and smell the roses. Literally. Hold your nose up a little higher passing by budding leaves or moving lawns. Instead of walking and thinking thinking thinking, focus on the leaves and earth around. Pick a smell in the air in the air of a time or place that it reminds you of and reflect on it. Think about a time where you felt extremely close to nature, on a beach, in the forest, on the water. Where it was overwhelming and so peaceful, so quiet. Go there for a little while as you walk, hold a slightly satisfied look on your face, relax your face muscles. Its a good time to focus on not making face wrinkes.

Surfing -> I LOVE YOU!

I am totally inlove with surfing. I just can't get enough. I love the water, I love the surrounding land, birds, trees and waves. I just love everything about it. Mostly I love the way it makes me feel strong and adventurous and peaceful and FUN!

So I was up at Salmon Beach this past weekend and it was amazing. I surfed in the sound, which was totally epic. Cyn took pictures and everything. It was so cool. I wish Jon could have been there...next time.

Here is my latest to date best surf shots:

And there is another ....Welcome baby Arlo!

The latest and greatest baby in our world is the sweet beauty, Arlo. We love him already. He is a little precious package and only 3 weeks younger than his cousin Abigail. Arlo - welcome to a family that will appreciate your testosterone, love you unconditionally and teach you many things. I think you look like your uncle Jon quite a bit (which, by the way, means you look like your Momma).

Here is a dear shot of him just hours old. xoxooxoxoxx

Her name is Abigail!

Here is the beauty now. She is already too cool!
Congratulations to my sister in law Amy Lee Ruff and her new baby daughter Abigail Joy Sinding-Ruff.