What a Difference 12,000 Miles Makes

When we were presented with the choice of moving to Melbourne, Australia, the reasons we came up with not to go seemed trivial given the reward and the experience awaiting us.  Either way, we were leaving our native Atlanta and either going to Fort Worth, Texas or Melbourne, VIC.  I suspect Fort Worth will still be there if we decide to change direction again.

Melbourne is a very interesting place with all the small cities and villages at nearly every intersection.  Although the shopfronts aren't as polished as what we might have found back in Atlanta, it does pique your curiosity about what could around each corner or street.  Around the corner from us there is an actual hardware store with less than 10,000,000 items in it, a bakery, a cafe (well 5 to be exact, but that is a subject worthy of it's own entry), a butcher and heaps of other curious stores.  In nearby Armadale there is an entire store dedicated to Angling.  I noticed because its painted bright orange.

The cost of living is higher here in Melbourne but we are living a slightly different lifestyle.  We're much closer to the city, easy access to trains and trams and a park is just about across the street.  We have less in the house and aside from being on top of each other and there being fewer places to hide, I'm liking it.  I think "we're" liking it.  I know Loren is, but really, she finds the silver lining in everything.  We've lost weight and for me, that is a good thing but mostly because the easy access to snack food is very limited and I walk much more than I ever did.

It's easy to focus on the things that make life inconvenient but here are a few things I really appreciate:

1)  I get an additional 1.5 hours of sleep each night

2)  I have an extra 5 hours each week that I don't spend in a car commuting

(pretty good so far eh?)

3)  I've lost weight because I'm walking more and snack foods are as easy to access (or they are more expensive and I'm cheap and lazy)

4)  The ability to walk to a nice park and let the girls get out their excess energy

5)  Actual public transportation in the form of trains and trams both within walking distance of the house

So we don't have as nice a house as we did and we pay more for it.  But it's closer and easier to get out and about.  And we do more things like see penguins, feed kangaroos, ride on 100 year old steam trains and watch wild cockatoos flying overhead.  In short, we're not in Kansas anymore and just about everything can be interesting if you want it to be.

"There are no uninteresting things, there are only uninterested people".  Gilbert Chesterton

Technology to the Rescue

They say "it's the life" here and by and large I can respect that.  It takes a while to gather some perspective. Moving sucks no matter what.  Being without most of your stuff is a pain but you realize it is mostly just "stuff".  Technology can't help you there but money can.  You can rent or buy anything, anywhere.

So what does technology have to do with that?  Not much, but a few tips we have researched from others should you choose to make the 12,000 mile leap.

The Internet - Full of useful information on schools and housing.  We've found a user group just for "Yanks" who have moved Down Under.  What a treasure trove.

Vonage - Want to be close with you pals?  Through some miracle you can get a Vonage account before leaving the States and hook it up to your modem in Oz and you can make all the calls you want to your friends state-side and vice versa.  Sometimes its nice just to hear a friendly voice.  Beware, the mistaken person who dials a local number looking for tax advice doesn't know its 3:30 AM in Australia!

VPN - The $60/ year miracle that let's US websites think you're in the US.  Hellloooo Hulu.com!

Skype, e-mail, and the like all help minimize the distance.  But like just about everything, you still have to work at it.  Nothing worthwhile in life comes easy, but it doesn't have too hard either (not an original quote).