Melbourne!

G'day mates! The very first entry to our Australian blog! Matt and I have been here for almost 2 weeks and absolutely love it. The city is beautiful, the people are beautiful, and the food is beautiful. We feel so lucky and fortunate to have this opportunity. Now, to find a job! I've put my resume in a few places but still am hoping that Lululemon will work out. My interview last Wednesday went well and it seemed as though they were impressed with my customer service/retail background. Heck! I'm impressed with my retail background. You name it, I've worked there :)

Today is Matt's first official day in the office. He was so nervous but I know that he will fit in just fine. The only thing that will make him stand out like a sore thumb is his southern accent. A good ole GA boy in Aussieland! Interesting fact: In Americans Moving to Australia, the author stated that Australians will ask if we are Canadians first due to the fact that Canadians hate it when they are mistaken as Americans. Well, that's so true. It's quite hilarious. Not sure what Canadians have against Americans, but anywho....

Jackson is doing well and has lost about a kilo so he's very spritely and just chock-full of energy! It's also good to know that when we visit, he doesn't seem to mind the quarantine facility. Just a week left and we will have him with us in our St Kilda apartment.

The weather has been just as we expected - warm on some days and a bit cold and overcast on others. It's pretty much like Atlanta weather - a crapshoot! The good thing is, it will never get below 0 degrees celcius so the winter isn't as brutal as what we are used to in Georgia.

The food is good here but pretty expensive. I think it has a lot to do with the lack of preservatives and the type of ingredients used in all of their products. For instance, every type of bread that I've picked up only has whole wheat flour - nothing enriched! Corn syrup doesn't really exist so that means there aren't yummy sweets like skittles and twizzlers! We are trying to get familar with Australian brands so that imported prices aren't reflected on our grocery bill. There are about 3 markets that are very accessible to us and we plan on doing the majority of our shopping there. Matt and I have never seen anything like it! There are cuts of meat and types of fruit/veggies that we have never heard of before. We look forward to trying all of it!

We have met a few couples and can't wait to learn more about our new friends. Stepanie and Jeremy met us for dinner a few days after we arrived in Melbourne. Stephanie and I have a similar friend and connected us a few months ago. Matt and I had a blast with them and plan on having another dinner date in the near future.

We met Joyce and Alex while visiting Jackson in quaratine. Their dog, Tiny, was placed in the yard right next to Jack. We got to chatting and have kept in contact ever since. We have not only met them for drinks one night but they also drove Matt and me to the Yarra Valley wine country two days ago! We had so much fun and the scenery was straight out of a picture. Absolutely beautiful!

Clara and Jeremy are our neighbors. They had a party at our apartment complex this past Friday and invited us to join. They were very easy to talk with and I am sure we will make an effort to keep in touch with them. The two of them remind us of our friends back home. Young and ready to party!

Our apartment location is fabulous. We are across the street from a huge park, Albert Park, and down the the street from the beach. We can ride our bikes and walk everywhere. I am still a bit uncomfortable on the bike but I'll get it. I have two years to practice! As all of you probably know, Matt and I love being outside and active so this area is like our playground! Here's a website about St Kilda, Victoria: www.stkildavillage.org.au

Signing off now... gotta start my day! Yep, even the unemployed have things to do :) Cheers!