41 Days till 30....

It's slowly creeping to almost a month before I turn 30 and I really wish that I could hit pause. I had imagined that I would be in a completely different place professionally at this time.

I have been looking for work since the beginning of January, and I never anticipated that in moving to Melbourne it would be as hard as it is to land a job in the industry. Don't get me wrong, I am up for the challenge, but there comes a point when all you want is good news. I refuse to turn to another career or switch from working in film, I definitely need to figure out how to rise above the obstacles. Coming here has definitely made me question where I want to end up professionally, and I'll admit, I've felt a bit lost. On the positive side, its been really interesting having the time to dive into interests that I had always been curious about.

Today I got a job with a catering company which will be an efficient filler until either a job comes along or I get into grad school. I never thought I would be catering again, the last year has been very humbling and the feeling of going back 4 years to when I was catering in LA is even more so.  I was admittedly the worst in the class which did nothing for my excitement in being there...it reminded me of when my Mom used to threaten to send me to The Ritz when I was little.

I would like to set a goal of using the next 41 days to figure my shit out in order to come up with the grand master plan...

The note I would like to end on for the evening is that no matter how crappy a day its been, I love that I can put on a favorite movie and all the bullshit simply melts away. Tonight, Julie & Julia :)

Seahorses

Alright, its been a long time since I've written a post. My time has been mainly occupied by the stress of job searching. I've been trying to stay grounded and busy by doing things that I never have time to do when I'm working full time, such as writing, sketching, reading film books and for pleasure, working out hard core, baking, organizing crap that you never would normally have time to do.

As you all know I'm an animal lover and over the years have had cats, dogs, a horse, ferrets, and birds. I have always loved marine life, and one of the things that got me so excited about moving to Australia was being in the same country as the Great Barrier Reef. It apparently costs a crazy amount of $ to get to and has lots of poisonous stuff that could make your trip not as pleasant as you would like, but it's still #1 on the list!

With having ample time on my hands, I've decided to start a salt water tank. It took me a bit to decide on whether or not I wanted to go with fish (yes I was planning on doing a Finding Nemo theme) or seahorses. Seahorses have been a favorite of mine for years; I think they're absolutely fascinating and adorable.

SOOO, yesterday I got sand, live rock, a nano stream, a filter, and 130 liters (35 gallons) of sea water thus starting the seahorse adventure! It's going to take several weeks until the tank environment is ready, but until then I have the live rock to keep me entertained with its mystery inhabitants.

Horses & Wine

Last week a friend and I went down to the Mornington Peninsula for a horseback winery tour. Such a fabulous combination, although my ability to stay on the horse was definitely put to the test after the second tasting...

I used to horseback ride competitively way back in the day, owned a horse, and did eventing. My horse sadly had to be put down when I was in 9th grade, and it stopped me riding for a long time. I haven't been back in the saddle for probably about 7 years. It's amazing how quickly everything comes back to you, riding was second nature to me for such a long time. I miss it a lot and wish it was a more accessible sport living in a city.

One of my best friend's last week said that moving to Australia is a chance for me reinvent myself. I've loved having the time to do things that I haven't done in years and re-visit things that at one time were really important to me. Regardless of how stressful the job hunt can get, I think it's really important to stay grounded and go on crazy Aussie adventures to let off steam. Next adventure...the Dandenongs.

Nesting!

We FINALLY received our shipment from the States on July 18th! It feels so damn good to have everything here. I forgot how incredible it is to sleep on a real bed. 

2 1/2 weeks later, all boxes are downstairs ready to be picked up for recycling, we've sorted clothes, shoes, books, movies, kitchen items, and every paper from the last 5 + years. It feels satisfying to be wicked organized and to re-discover items. I will admit, I had been putting off sorting about 3 file folders for the past 2 years...they're now officially done. And having our CA wine & Matilda beer here is a beautiful thing. 

Our apartment is feeling much more like home:)

Limbo

I haven't written anything in a while, because I haven't been sure what seemed important/relevant enough to share. Its been quite an eventful month between being sick, being in a car accident, recovering from mean whiplash, OT, and Geelong adventures.

Being in this odd state of limbo applies to so many things at the moment. I am still looking for full time work which is essentially the heart of the current stress. 2 close friends of mine got married this month on the East Coast, and due to finances, I missed both weddings. Due to not having a steady income since January, I keep watching the credit card bills climb higher and higher. It's an odd dance of trying to look for work, study, explore the city, relax to stay calm...and not spend money.

Our stuff from LA is still on the boat between LA & Melbourne...hopefully everything is in tact and not currently sitting on the bottom of the ocean...

The cats are through with about one half of the quarantine process; I can't wait to have them out here.

Turns out flying home for the holidays is stupidly expensive, and for 2 people would cost between $5,000 - 7,000+.  Not sure what we're going to do on that front:/

But despite everything, I'm using the opportunities to learn as much as I can through these crazy Aussie experiences. Richard, my partner, is my rock. I love sharing this crazy adventure with him. There's 57min left of Sunday. Who knows, with looking out over the week ahead, maybe this is the week I'll get that call/email that will turn the work situation around. I can't wait to write that blog entry:)

Booze

 A few weekends ago we went to a cider festival about an hour outside of Melbourne. Quick side note, it's so bizarre that it's autumn right now and not turning into summer! This specific weekend at Kellybrook winery felt and looked like October! It was a tiny charming festival. There were multiple ciders to taste, a.k.a., "scrumpy", and there was some tasty greasy food. There were some fantasticly random english country dancers, and they had set up an area for live music in their garden. The cider in Melbourne has been so good and is turning into a favorite alternative to wine.

This past weekend we went on a wine tour with the "Wines Guys" to the Yarra Valley. I saw the deal on living social back in March and wasn't sure what to expect; how often do you jump at the chance to go on a mob themed wine tasting tour? I have to say, it was so much fun. The tour guide was very funny and entertaining, and the people in our group were great. We did 4 wineries over the course of the afternoon, and had a really great lunch after the 3rd tasting...was definitely pretty tipsy by this point. We only ended up buying 1 bottle of a pinot noir from the first tasting of the day which is unfortunate, but, it's just an excuse to have to go back.

The Search

Since January, I have been living up and down St Kilda Road. We first started off at the Blackman Hotel, then moved up to the Hallmark apartments at Domain Interchange, and lastly, we headed back down the road near the Chevron intersection to our own apartment in Melbourne that we can finally call home and settle into!!!

It was a challenge apartment hunting because it's soooo different here and the real estate people are an interesting breed of human...not an easy task to get them to call you back, lots of them are grumpy, grrrrr. We only looked at a half dozen, because as soon as we walked into the second apartment on the appointment list, we both knew that was the one.

We've been in the new place for about a week and half and we're both loving it. All we need now is our shipping container to get its butt here so we can finish nesting! Fingers crossed it doesn't get stuck in quarantine....

Great Ocean Road - Part 5 - Koalas & Roos

The highlight of the trip was our final few hours, seeing both wild koalas and roos. As you slowly near Lorne, there's a turnoff road that has a lighthouse at the end of it. We were told that if you look really carefully, you can spot koalas in the Gumtrees. It took us both a bit to successfully discern the grey fuzzy mounds from tree bark, but once we found some, it was like the Where's Waldo of Koalas! So much fun driving down the windy road, seeing all other people in cars looking at the tree canopy (minus driver). And as soon as you saw another car stopped by the side of the road everyone would leap out of their cars and form a mini spotting group. It's amazing how koalas don't fall out of trees often while sleeping. Koalas are causing substantial harm to Gumtrees in that area because of their large population, so the Aussies are  paying very close attention to that area's continued well being.

As we were leaving the lighthouse road, Richard spotted this heard of roos hanging out by this house. We both totally trespassed on this private property to get better pictures and to get as close as possible. They were continuously watching us, and as we were watching the first group of about 15, another massive group of at least 20 others came hopping full steam ahead from around the corner of the house. It was a little nerve racking not knowing if they were going to come after us, but it was so amazing getting so close to that many wild roos. It was interesting studying their movement, I didn't realize until this point how much they use their tale for movement; it's massive! They're such awkward animals.

Fun fact, roos can't jump backwards;)

Great Ocean Road - Part 4

Rather than write about how breathtaking and unbelievable all the rock formations were, I feel as though photos will express everything much more succinctly...although photos don't do them complete justice.

Great Ocean Road - Part 3 - Moonlight & Snakes

Our introduction to the 12 Apostles was very fortuitous. It was romantic arriving at the Apostles at night with a full moon. There were no other people around, and everything was so wonderfully quiet. Although, I must admit, the beware of snakes signs leading down to the viewing area was a bit alarming. Even bathed in moonlight, we were able to see the silhouettes of the Apostles. All of these photographs were taken at night, and they have much more detail then was visible at the time with the naked eye. It's simply unbelievable how large they are! It was pretty cold and wicked windy so we didn't last too too long, but having a private viewing experience observing all that natural beauty was really moving. 

Great Ocean Road - Part 2 - B & B

We stayed at the 12 Apostles Hidden B & B in Princetown, which was amazing. It was so charming and the owner, Robyn, is such a character; she has some incredible stories. 

The B & B is across from a farm, and it's surrounded by gardens and flowers; everything about it is wonderfully fluffy. Our room was in the back of the house which overlooked beautiful rolling almost patchwork type hills that seemed to stretch for miles. Richard wasn't too keen on waking up at dawn, but the sun unfortunately woke me up, and I couldn't help but peek out the window…I was greeted by the most incredible sunrise. We ended up taking some amazing pictures around the B & B property greeted by the adorable B & B dog, and then jumped in the car to beat the sun rising over the 12 Apostles.

Once we came back, Robyn cooked us an incredible breakfast, everything was so delicious and tasted so fresh. She daily cooks with eggs that she hand picks from her hen house just hours before brekky. Robyn gave us a tour of the hen house, and there were fuzzy adorable chicks chirping around…so cute! 

Great Ocean Road - Part 1 - Wooden Sharks

One of my favorite things about vacations is the ability to have no set schedule and be completely spontaneous.  This was such a relaxing way to start our trip to the 12 Apostles. The guide book says it's about 253 kilometers outside of Melbourne, and with driving on a narrow road curving along the coast line that's basically Australia's version of the PCH, it does take a fair bit of time. Our mission was to arrive at the 12 Apostles slightly before sunset.

We stopped in Torquay to grab lunch at Swell, a surfer hippy cafe off the beaten path place that was delicious! Thank you Jamy for the reco! The locals did seem a bit confused by our accents...

We found this beautiful park and playground area and got some epic photos on a wooden shark (only in Australia)...

We made our way through Lorne and stopped for some caffeine boosts and wine for later that night. All the towns we passed were filled with so much personality and were completely charming. I love that there are also bizarre looking trees lining the roads that look like Dr. Seuss characters. 

We spent sunset admiring different vistas throughout the drive which were breathtaking. Unfortunately, we did not complete our mission of doing sunset at 12 Apostles.

We arrived at the 12 Apostles Hidden B & B in Princetown around 8pm, and quickly settled in. We ate some tasty food in one of the nearby towns, and excitedly made our way back to the turnout for the 12 Apostles….almost hitting 2 roos on our way. Why O why do animals see light and think it's a fantastic idea to run towards it?? Their tails are enormous btw! 

ANZAC Day 2013

https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/ABOUTMELBOURNE/ARTSANDEVENTS/Pages/AnzacDay.aspx

The Move...dun dun dun.

The Los Angeles part of the move is done! I was back in Los Angeles for about 12 days to close out everything for myself and Richard. I couldn't have made it through the crazy without of course Richard, David, or my parents. Infinite thanks go out to those 4. It was a lot of fun seeing close friends over the course of the week, it was so so so hard saying good bye:(

My parents having a much needed drink @ Kay N'Dave's our last night...and yes, my Dad did his first shot EVER! Better late than never...

I had a fun & much needed mid week break thanks to Meredith seeing a taping of Melissa & Joey on the CBS lot. Seeing Melissa Joan Heart in person and meeting her (kinda) after growing up loving Clarissa Explains It All & Sabrina the Teenage Witch was simply awesome sauce.

I got the wonderful news the day before I was heading back that we can definitely take our 3 cats out here. They have started the quarantine process officially! They weren't happy campers heading to the vet but they were surprisingly well behaved. Such a rare thing to have them all snuggly on a bed!

Depart Thursday & Arrive Thursday

This Thursday I will be tackling the 14 1/2 hour flight from Melbourne to LA. To be fair, the 16 1/2 hour flight out here wasn't as rough as I imagined it was going to be. Not only do I get the day back that I lost, but I also knock 2 hours off of the flight time; WOOO!

I have 12 days to close out LA completely before I fly back. Packing/sorting/donating/selling/buying stuff to name the short list. It's strange to think that I first came out to the West Coast with just a few suitcases, and I then I slowly grew roots after starting from scratch. I have loved Los Angeles, CA and have had an incredible ride with some amazing people.

When I think to myself holy crap I'm moving literally across the world from where I grew up, it doesn't feel real. I don't know when it will sink in during the moving process, it's all just incredibly dreamlike. I can't wait to see family and friends in just 4 days hours, and of course, my 3 cats.

“Do one thing every day that scares you.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt

Transitions

Transitioning to Melbourne permanently is an interesting ongoing process with no clear end in sight for the next 6 months. I'm heading back to Lalaland in the next few weeks to close out everything earlier than anticipated due to an amazing opportunity to ship personal things over here. It will feel much more like home here once everything arrives!

Our 3 cats Ketchua, Crookshanks and Fitzwilliam Darcy are currently starting the quarantine procedure to be allowed into Aussieland...only 5ish months to go. It's ridiculous that indoor cats who clearly don't have rabies need to go through such an extensive process; I just want my monsters out here.

Let's see, other than that, its been very satisfying unsubscribing to crap email. Regardless of how corny this sounds, waking up in the am to emails from family/friends is amazing because it makes Melbourne feel closer. Hmmm, I sadly no longer need LA restaurant deals or membership emails from the Pantages/LA Opera/Ahmanson Theatre...why or why do their seasons have to be so damn good! Seeing the lineup for both the Hollywood Bowl and Hollywood Forever Cemetery screenings for the summer is going to be somewhat painful. I was so determined to get into the HFC July 3rd screening with fireworks...(*sniff*)...and July 4th last year at the Bowl with Barry Manilow was epic.

Finally, it's almost time to start looking for a more long term apartment. We're getting a good sense of the areas within the city that we really like. Fingers crossed one works out!

Dream apartments ---------->

<------------ Purty

                                                 


                          Ridiculously awesome ----------->