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).
Phillip Island
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