In my last blog, I wrote that I could probably list 50 reasons why I love Australia. Of course, I love it here. Why else would I have quit my job and moved 10,000 miles away from every one and every thing I know? Beside the fact that Ryan is here, and I wanted to be with him, there are plenty of other reasons to love Oz. Here are 50 things that I love about living in Australia.
50. Ryan works from home
49. We genuinely LOVE his boss Howard and Howard's wife, Marg
48. The population of the entire country is only 22 million (That's the population of NY state spread over the entire continent of Australia, which is larger than the US)
47. I got a driver's license without taking a test... I just showed my CA license and paid a fee.
46. We live a block from the Brisbane River
45. We can see the River and watch the boats cruising by from our kitchen window and front patio
44. The coffee...flat whites and cappuccinos. I can't stress this one enough ~you just have to experience it!!!!
43. Bubbly (Champagne) is NOT just for special occasions
42. Gelato (Italian Ice cream) I'm spoiled now... I don't want anything but Gelato
41. Going on bike rides with Ryan on my new bike ~ who knew pedal bikes could be such fun!
40. Tuppy's (our neighborhood Mom and Pop store that also serves coffee and brekky)
39. Small Riverboat Ferries are one of our main means of transportation
38. Political Ads that throw the opposition under the bus are non-existent
37. Drug and Pharmaceutical commercials that tell you which drug you should be taking and all the lovely side effects that come with taking that drug are non-existent
36. Teachers and Educators are well respected by Media and Political Leaders ~ Educators are not seen as the cause of all the problems of the Aussie youth rather they are admired for educating them. Love this one!!
35. Our patio garden thrives in the tropical weather....even in the winter!!!
34. Taking Yoga with Marg ~ We have the best Instructor!!
33. The Powerhouse Farmers' Markets ~ We are bummed this is only every other Saturday. Love it! Another favorite that words just can't describe... 1000 times better than any market I've ever been to in The States.
32. The LifeStyle Market in Southbank along the river ~ Set up similar to a Farmers' Market, but they sell things like jewelry, clothes, art, toys etc..
31. The Outdoor Cafes ~ The weather here allows for this. It would actually be hard to find a restaurant/cafe that doesn't have the majority of it's seating outside.
30. Tropical Showers in the Summer
29. Driving on the left hand side of the road ~ Yes, it's fun!! Makes driving less automatic and enjoyable again! ...And driving Ryan's sporty Subaru WRX manual is REALLY fun!!
28. My Kitchen Rules ~ Aussie TV show that has inspired us to get more creative when cooking
27. Aussie's are more Environmentally Conscience (as a whole) and cherish their abundance of Natural Areas
26. Again, As a whole, Aussie's are more Conscience of eating healthy, non-processed FRESH food and Presentation DOES matter!!
25. Aussies are active... walk a mile back home and you might pass 5 people... walk a mile here and you'll pass no fewer than 100. No joke! Any time of the day or night you will find bicyclists, walkers, joggers, roller bladers, kayakers and picnicers ALL enjoying the plethora of trails and parklands along the river
26. No guns- I'm conflicted on this one... Out in public, there is a general feeling of safety because guns are outlawed . However, when Ryan is away on business, I would feel a lot safer having my shotgun in the house.
25. No Gangs ~ There are a few Mafia type families down in Melbourne and Sydney that we hear about on the news, but they aren't in Brisbane. There is NOT the overwhelming abundance of gangster types like back home. And nobody dresses gangster either.
24. The Choice of Vehicles ~ there's a different taste in vehicle styles, so they have cars here that we don't have back home. For example, they LOVE Utes, which are current model El Caminos and they come in large V8s like Super Sports.
23. There are no pennies ~ everything is rounded to the nearest .05 cents
22. Not having a big yard to take care of ~ loving our patio garden... no mowing & perfect size!!
21. Having a grass tennis court and a pool in our apartment's common area
20. Similar weather to Southern California...mild winters and hot summers
19. You can eat Kangaroo... and it's delicious!
18. The minimum wage is $15 dollars and hour, but most jobs pay more than that.
17. The Rainforests
16. There are only a handful of major cities on the whole continent each with their own special qualities
15. You don't have to get undressed and pour your water out to get on a plane. Stay dressed, keep your water bottle and just walk through the metal detector... easy, breezy!
14. We are learning the metric system FINALLY! Being immersed in it is the fastest way to learn. 1 kilometer = .62 of a mile 1 kilogram = 2.2 lbs.... see easy! Although, we do cheat and use Ryan's iPhone app often to double check!
13. Cinebars... Ya, ya we've all snuck alcohol into the theaters... In Australia, there is no need. Having a glass of bubbly while watching Avatar was superior!
12. The Tropical Flowers
11. EVERYTHING seems to have an abbreviation...and usually the abbreviated word ends with a long e sound. Tele, brekky, Brissy, sunnies, Tazzy, lolly, blowy, Uni, Barby, Footy to name a few
10. The Whitsunday Islands
9. The Great Barrier Reef
8. The Beaches... and there are LOTS!!
7. The Abundance of Natural Areas and National Parks
6. The Sports ~ Ryan has to remind the of the rules for Footy and Cricket pretty much every time we watch a game. But, it's neat to be introduced to a sport that's completely non-American.
5. The unique animals ~ wallabies being my favorite!!
4. Learning a new language ~ it may still be English but there are plenty of new words and phrases we are learning. For example, do you know what it means when someone says, "I'm having a sticky beak?"
3. The Accent... Honestly, who doesn't love the Aussie accent?
2. Our Apartment... our view of the river, our large patios, it's location and close proximity to the river, ferry terminals, parks, walking/biking trails, CBD etc... ALL within walking distance!!!
1. The Adventure
Now you see why Ryan and I love Australia so much. We have two years left on our Visas and plan on enjoying every minute of it. My sister, Dayna, is visiting next month and hopefully we'll have more family and friends visit after that. We think anyone who visits will agree that Australia is truly a beautiful country.
