You like me, you really like me!

So, I found a place to live! I was accepted with my first choice apartment, a small flat that was just renovated and is exactly my aesthetic. I walked in on Saturday, after having seen about 9 places, and immediately felt at home. I signed the lease yesterday, and the rental agent said the landlord liked my application and personal letter so much that she has stocked the kitchen with fresh coffee from the Blue Mountains and will have welcome roses for me when I pick up the keys and move in on Friday. :)


The "moving in" part is interesting, since all I have is the suitcase with which I came. Yep, my boxes have not arrived. They either never left the States to begin with, or came to Australia and were turned away. Thank god for Tammy, who picked them up and dealt with the parcel store in DC. Apparently, they are on their way to me now. We shall see.


All they contain are a few picture frames, clothes and shoes. Oh, and toiletries, which I need because everything is SO expensive here. $10 for a simple tube of toothpaste, for example. I don't need much, but I need the things in those 3 relatively small boxes.


Otherwise, went to a cool spot tonight called The Ivy (http://www.merivale.com/#/ivy/ivylounge) to meet an old friend for a glass of vino. And I look forward to another weekend of exploring. I am indeed settling in. Crikey!


Lastly, I booked my first trip! To Bali over Easter weekend to meet my Christian. Just so happened he planned to be there the same time I have a long 5-day weekend. Good stuff. :)


xoxo

Another day of exploration

Sydney Opera House

Me at the Opera House

Sydney Harbour Bridge

I made it to Circular Quay today, where all the boats and ferries come into Sydney Harbour. There are great views from there of the Harbour Bridge and the famous Opera House, both of which are just breathtaking. Enjoy!

More observations....

So, a few more observations as I round out my 6th day here in Sydney.

~ It's really expensive here.The exchange rate is pretty much even right now between the AUD and USD, so I don't have to render any funky calculations to realize how much I am spending. I just need to accept the high prices as reality, and move forward. Ok, done. I bought a wonderful travel candle that smells like the ocean today at an adorable shop called the "Tiny Little Candle Shop" in what I hope will be my new neighborhood. It was indeed tiny, but wonderful. Other than food, that's all I have bought so far. Next is a ticket to Fiji to meet up with my Christian.

~ The rental home search today was every bit as crazy as I expected. I saw 8 places in the span of 2 hours, and fell in love with one which is so similar to my home in DC. I instantly felt at ease there. I find out Monday if I got it. Fingers crossed for me, please.

~ I am happy I took advice to do a little shopping before I left the States. HUGE thanks to Inna for recommending the new LV tote bag I bought. My sweet parents chased me around Mazza Galerie while I shot from store to store to find the 1 remaining bag left in DC, and Pops & Pookie - it was worth it! While my shoulders hurt so much that I had to schedule a massage at the Four Seasons for tomorrow evening (natch), I love it and it's been a lifesaver as I traverse this new city I call home. (Remarkably, a 60-minute massage at the Four Seasons is cheaper than the 50-min version in DC. Hmmm...I'll take it.)

More to come, my loves. I still miss Fletcher a ton. Oh, and I started to take pictures. Posting soon!

Spatchcock and Apartment Hunting

How do spatchcock and apartment hunting go together? Well, they don't, really. But both have been on my mind.

Spatchcock. I learned to spatchcock a whole chicken at a great cooking class my girlfriends and I took as part of a wedding shower for our friend Ginger. As I have come out of my jetlag haze, I remembered that at dinner the other night, Spatchcock was on the menu. Out of 11 people, I was the only one who knew it was a preparation for chicken! Plus, it made me miss my girls and brought back fun memories. :)

Apartment Hunting. It's, in short, a real mess here. I think I am slowly figuring out the process. Unfortunately, there are no brokers. This means that my whole idea of just hiring someone to find me a gorgeous pied-a-terre with a view was shot right away. Basically, you look online for places you may like, and then a day before the showings of the properties (which usually occur on Saturday), they post "inspection" times. The times are just 15-minute windows. So you run around like hell to see a bunch of places in small 15-min increments and hope to god there isn't a long line of competitors. I managed to wrangle 2 viewings for tomorrow (Friday) so keep your fingers crossed. Saw one today and it made me wretch. Literally.

Once I find a pad, my anxiety will come down and I can start exploring, taking photos and enjoying the great food and wine here. Until then, I'll keep eating around the corner at what I can only describe as the 'best little Pho house in Sydney'. Such great Vietnamese food.

I miss Fletcher. I miss my family. I miss my friends. I miss Fletcher. But I am here and making the magic happen. xoxo

Interesting aspects so far....

Well, here are a few initial observations:

- It is very difficult to find an iced latte. And anyone who knows me knows that I basically bleed iced vanilla skim lattes. Here, when I ask for ice, they look at me as if I have 3 heads. And it's still very warm here! This morning, on my way to work, one vendor was so confused with my order that they made a piping hot latte, and then added ice to it. Hmmm....The coffee is damn good here though, hot or not. I'll give them that.

- Everyone here wears skinny everything - skinny jeans, skinny pants, skinny shirts, and high, high heels. I love it.

- The wine is good. You can't go wrong. Problem is that I am too tired to even drink any. Sigh.

- The office is great, and the people are so welcoming and friendly. They've made it a lot easier to acclimate.

Thanks to my office mates (see, I am already picking up the lingo!) for an amazing dinner last night at Cafe Sydney and the welcome flowers. Thanks to the Duofecta (Mary and Tammy) for the amazing orchid that arrived 20 minutes to the office yesterday after I did. Was such a welcome surprise!

Next up: taking a few snaps, which I will be sure to post, and finding a place to live. Not necessarily in that order.

I am here (I think)!

After over 24 hours of travel, I finally landed safely in Sydney.  My adventure is beginning! I'll admit...I was in tears when I landed and wondered what the heck I had gotten myself into. But after settling in a bit, skyping with my parents and Fletcher, and showering, I felt better and was ready to explore and get my bearings. I hit the bank to finish opening my account, found an iced latte joint (critical move), and located the office. So, I am off and running!

Now, I must warn you. You will hear me talk about my dog, Fletcher, a lot. He is my furry son, and because of him, I have become "one of those people". I am officially obsessed with him. But with reason - he's pretty awesome. My parents are so great and are keeping him for me while I am away. And yes, I even made them sign a contract promising to give him back when I return!! Anyway, he hasn't forgotten yet, and totally recognized me and my voice on Skype tonight. It made my day.

Thanks again Mom and Dad for watching my boo boo and for all your support. Thanks to Tammy for setting the blog up for me and spending time with me before I left. Thanks to Patrick for his support and company. Thanks to all my friends and family who wished me bon voyage! I miss you all.

xoxo

On my way!

Well, I will be honest. I haven't even seen my blog yet! My good friend Tammy set it up while I tearfully packed the last of my things and said farewell to my parents and my beloved dog, Fletcher. I am on my way today to Sydney, Australia for a 9-month adventure. A lot of travel is ahead of me. Thank goodness for Ambien! See you on the other side - the Sydney-side!

Caroline Ritter
Sent from my iPhone