Phillip Island and More...

I still can’t believe how wonderful everything is falling into place. I accepted a job as an Educator at Lululemon and officially start my first real shift June 3rd. I have already scheduled a few yoga classes at nearby yoga studios and love the fact that I am continuing to challenge myself physically. My ankle is still on the mend but should be ready within the next week or so to start my Melbourne Marathon training!

Matt is still enjoying his job and coworkers. Everyone is really low key and accommodating in every way. This past Thursday, he went out after work and was able to let loose and throw a few back with his colleagues. The moment he got home I knew that he really enjoyed himself by the huge smile plastered across his face. I truly think that he is getting the hang of the Aussie lifestyle - business and pleasure.

On May 19th, we welcomed a new member into our family – a 1997 Daewoo Cielo! Gramps, the loving name we have gifted to our motor vehicle, is old but young at heart. He’s our little ‘Thomas the Train’! We just hope that he will survive until May 2012!

We have continued our weekly dinner outings with Jeremy and Stephanie and really enjoy their company. Each week they expose us to new types of cuisines. We went to an authentic Chinese restaurant a few weeks ago and this week we had the pleasure of consuming spicy Indian food! Matt and I loved the Indian Restaurant, curry and everything!

Jeremy and Clara, our neighbors, are fabulous cooks and have fed our bellies a few times as well. Jeremy knows how to make mean baked pumpkin bites (butternut pumpkin) and lamb roast. One of these days, we will make them dinner but will have to carry it over to their place since we only have a dinette set with two chairs!

Since I haven’t really started working, I have dedicated my time to planning our Aussie trips for 2010! I have already planned all the trips that we are going to take for the rest of the year (Sydney in July and Port Douglas in October), including our trip back to Atlanta (Nov 6th – 19th). I’m hoping that for my Birthday weekend, we can go to Mornington Peninsula, Tasmania, or Adelaide.

This weekend, we visited Phillip Island and had a blast! We took some amazing pictures, tasted some local wines, and experienced the wilderness at its best! Here are a few pictures of Phillip Island coastline and the animals we got to see. I would have to say that the highlight of the weekend was going to see the Penguin Parade. Every night, the local penguins come back from fishing all day to socialize and chill out in their boroughs. We were able to see them up close and personal by hiring a tour guide. Sitting on the beach at dusk with night goggles and a personal tour guide was the ‘ultimate’ experience. Did you know that the penguin colony at Phillip Island represents the smallest penguins in the world?! These foot tall “Fairy Penguins” were absolutely adorable. I couldn’t help but giggle as they waddled up the beach.

Even though we are enjoying ourselves tremendously, Matt and I really miss everyone back home. If you have time, send us an email or letter! It’s always nice to hear from our friends! Here’s our email addresses and physical address: Erica.Mabe@gmail.com , Mabe3183@gmail.com and 12/20 Princes Street St Kilda VIC 3182 Australia Looking forward to hearing from you soon! Cheers!