Our First Week Abroad

Hey there!
It has been a crazy week since we have gotten to Brisbane. From day one we have spent every waking hour searching for an apartment to call home. If you don't already know, apartment applications here are like applying for a mortgage and being accepted by the owners. You can have someone simply deny you and never tell you why. Well we applied for an apartment last Wednesday and were denied. They told us it was due to lack of rental experience in Australia. Of course we have no experience. At that point we were only here for 4 days. Regardless, I then had a glass of wine and started fresh the next day. Last Friday we applied for another apartment and were accepted that morning. It was a great feeling to know that we were going to have a secure place to live. I even took a nap after hearing the news. This was my first jet lag nap since we landed. When I woke up to go to dinner, Joe received a phone call from the previous apartment we had applied for stating that they wanted us there. Needless to say my anxiety level went through the roof. Luckily, we had not gotten to far into the process and was able to accept the first apartment once again.

On Sunday, around 10am, Joe and I moved into our 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment with only the suite cases we brought with us from the states. After signing the lease and doing a victory dance in our new living room, we set out to buy everything needed for the apartment. It is now Monday evening here in Brisbane and we are getting ready to head to bed on our air mattress in the living room haha! Our couches will be delivered on Wednesday and our mattress will be delivered on Saturday. We have already set up two bar stools, a fridge and an out door table for our balcony (which over looks the city!). Our new apartment is 2 blocks away from a small beach and river front. There are restaurants and shops below and around where we will. There is even a cinema down the street. We are able to walk for 10 minutes in any direction and hit the city center or large park.

I can not explain in words how much of a dream this all still feels. It is almost like a vacation that just has not ended yet. While I miss my family like crazy, I know this is the right decision. I am not scared of what the future holds but excited to see what Joe and I have to look forward to. It is a wonderful feeling to be able to set out on an adventure like this and have such a strong husband to stand by my side. He is my everything. As my sister said at my wedding, he is the cheese to my macaroni.

Tomorrow Joe is headed to work at one of his clients in the city. I am going to go grocery shopping, add money to our new Australian bank accounts and go to the beach. Next week Joe is traveling across the country to Perth so that will be a great time for me to submit job applications and get to know the area a bit more. I plan on scoping out a new church that is hopefully close by. Joe and I really would like to get to know the Australian people more and learn their culture as well.

Until next time, here are a few pictures we have taken a long the way. I promise to post some of the apartment once we get furniture in.

This is during Brisbane's weekly market. This mate is selling Kangaroo jerky. They have regular markets every week will lots of fresh produce and even local art.

This is a picture of Southbank where Joe and I are now living. Our apartment is a couple blocks behind and three or four blocks over from the ferris wheel which is known as the Eye of Brisbane.

Our view from Kangaroo Point. Brisbane has heaps of walking paths and free activities to do. On Saturday and Sunday you can walk through the parks and see families BBQ for blocks. 

During our walk at Kangaroo Point, we came across this amazing vacant home. It was completely gated and sat on top of the hill where the previous picture was taken. The doors are boarded up and the fountain is rusted. The creepiest part about the home is that there is a toy truck sitting on the right side of the porch. You can barely make it out but the truck is not very old. I made Joe take the picture!