We just passed our ONE year anniversary of living abroad in Venice, Italy. We can officially check “live in Europe for a period of time” ✔️ off the bucket list.

I mean…. What. A. Year!

Imagine, weekends walking along the movie-like canals of Venice, drinking an aperitivo because its 6pm and thats just what Italians do. Indulging in homemade pastas and breads and feeling just fine about it. Slipping away to drink Prosecco straight from the source and catching the train to Roma stazione because it’s a long weekend, so why not? Its’s nothing short of a dream. It’s been jammed pack full of travel, adventure, life lessons, challenges and scenery out of story books.

Truth be told, I couldn’t help but suffer a bit from imposter syndrome in the beginning. Like some how I am just “faking” this life or that I’ll wake up and find out that it was all a dream. It’s one thing to vacation in places such as this, but to actually live, to be a local— it’s entirely different. You can’t just fake it till you make it, you actually have to figure it out, find your place among this foreign place. Most Italians still just assume we’re tourists, you wouldn’t believe the looks I got and still get when I explain that I “live down the road” to the Venetians. Like somehow I misunderstood what they had asked. I get it, we stand out, we look like tourists.

How did we end up here?

Italy was not ever a part of the plan, never even on the radar. Unlike Australia, where that was always “the end goal,” — we (meaning, my amazingly hard working husband) worked incessantly in his career at Boeing, taking all the necessary steps to align himself to be a candidate for the job down under. These strategic moves over time provided years to prepare for that potential move and to plan our life around the possibility of us moving abroad. Which ultimately unfolded in 2020, of course ( after 3 years in the making). Which is detailed in The Expat Story 1-3 if you haven’t read about that adventure during the pandemic.

This story is much different. Without disclosing the gritty details, there was an unexpected, last minute opening for this role. An opening on a program not remotely close to his home base program in Seattle, this one based out of Oklahoma City. Somehow, by the round-robin and six degrees of Kevin Bacon, being Boeing management, my husbands name was brought to the table. He was the perfect fit, with his background and previous expatriation experience. But would he be willing to move his whole family again, a mere months after returning from Adelaide?

Of course you all know the answer now.

I laugh a bit because, wrapping up our abroad living in Australia in 2021 we felt ready to start the next chapter. We were confident in saying it was time to build a solid foundation, to slow down. To get the kids in a school that they could stay at for longer than a year. To build a community and make friends we wouldn’t have to say goodbye to. Perhaps it was the Covid burn out, or the lockdown restrictions. Or maybe even just being so far from our family and friends, we were just plain homesick and ready for stability. So we thought.

I’ll never forget the day we got word of this opportunity. I was suffering horribly from a case of vertigo and feeling absolutely out-of-sorts. My husband approached me with an awestruck face saying “you’ll never believe the email I just received” — “enlighten me,” I say, unenthusiastically. “There is a job opportunity for me to support NATO……. in Italy” he goes on to say. As you can imagine my surprise, my face contorts to some strange wait, whaaatttt? face. “Where ……. in Italy?” I say. “Venice” he replies, matter of factly.

It was basically a done deal after that, I didn’t need much convincing. We did however need voices of reason and clear minded people to assure us that we weren’t making a totally insane, brash decision. Knowing full and well we literally just returned from a year abroad, across the globe, during a global pandemic. We approached my family timidly, anxious to hear what their thoughts were on this latest endeavor. A job opportunity that would ultimately take us far away, again. When we delivered the news and explained the proposal and location I will never forget my brother in-law, Nate’s response to me saying “how do you say no to Venice?” His exact response was “you don’t say no to Venice, this is your life right now, moving around and saying yes to these opportunities.” He was right, ride the wave while you’re on it, this has been our life for the last 7 years, why stop now?

I hate to sound cliché or super woowoo, but I do believe we somehow manifested this opportunity into our lives. Aligning ourselves just the way we needed to, the move(s) to Florida, moving to Australia and saying yes over and over to so many things even if they were uncomfortable and difficult for our whole family. I believe in some crazy cosmic energy this opportunity found us, not the other way around.

I can say with certainty, this turned out to be the greatest non-planned detour of my life. However it landed in our lap, I am eternally grateful for this opportunity.

Getting here on the other hand, wasn’t as easy as simply saying yes, agreeing to terms and BAM you’re seamlessly on an International assignment in Italy. This time we had only a few months to plan and make huge changes. It meant starting over. Again, for the umpteenth time. I can promise, it doesn’t get easier. You just get better at it.

We did it though! Within a few insane months we did a full 360. We sold our PNW house, re-stored what is left of our belongings in a giant box, parked the cars for hibernation part 2 and re-packed for a semi nomadic life in Europe. We then traveled across the globe to embark on a completely impromptu life ahead. My husband started a “new job” with a new crew. We enrolled the children in their 5th school (in 3 years) made a new home in a tiny suburb of Venice and have since engulfed ourselves as best as one can into this Italian life.

It’s been a year of so many firsts and the most adventure we could dream up. Not only have we traveled all throughout the beautiful country of Italy, we have managed to visit eight (and counting) other surrounding countries. We’ve hiked some of the most beautiful peaks in the world, tasted foods from many cultures, met people from so many different walks of life and have taken full advantage of this amazing detour life surprised us with.

Now, I am also here to remind you that this Italian dream looks fantastic on paper, in photographs and video and of course it is— I am not here to tell you otherwise. I just want to also point out say that “real life” is still happening behind the scenes, this is not vacation. There are day to day struggles and life challenges that don’t just magically disappear when you move (even to a fairytale place such as this.) It’s still a balancing act of chores, homework, and fun. I’m still second guessing myself daily if i’m doing all the right things. I’m still sorting mountains of laundry and literally racing off to ballet twice a week to make sure our kids are “well rounded.” There is still a job my husband shows up to daily with its own stresses and hardships. I am still playing nurse with the non-stop illnesses that find their way to our home week after week this year and faulting myself for not ever figuring out how to secure a pediatrician here. I’m feeling guilty (already) over the friends our children will have to say goodbye to, again. Sleep deprivation, anxiety and overthinking still creep in when I least expect it and there will never be enough hours in the day to get it all in. There are bills to pay that undoubtably we’d rather spend on a trip to Florence or the Swiss alps, but have to be realistic. There are discomforts of being away from our home country and frustrations of how differently things are done here (I said different, not wrong).

It’s been a year of learning curves adjusting to the Italian way, and it hasn’t been entirely “La Dolce Vita.” Language, social cues, “just roll with its” and “well that’s different” all come with time and hard lessons learned, there is no short cut to adjusting to an entirely new way of living. One car, biking as a main form of transportation, google translate is my new best friend, mid-day closures, and dinner starting at 7pm (to name a few). There have also been moments that intrinsically feel like this is where we were meant to be. Countless CORE memories that will forever be etched into my being. Too many pinch-me moments that I cant even count on my fingers and toes. This is our Italian Dream. Not perfect. Just fluid and effervescent.

Stay tuned for the next segment documenting some of our “daily life” happenings here in the beautiful country of Italy. As always, thank you for following along our journey, comment below anything you’d love to hear more about.

Ciao for now!

—Vanessa

Thirty seven years. 

Here’s some thoughts on what I know now, that I didn’t always know.

Aging can be both, bitter and sweet. 

My body is changing. My skin, my hair they will never be what they once were. My memory? well, it can be hazy (or really hazy) depending on the day. Weight comes on much easier than I ever remembered and takes triple the time to take it off. The aches and ailments come more frequently than I ever thought possible (even this young?)

On the contrary, THIS body, with thicker thighs and tired eyes is the vessel that grew and fed my babies for consecutive years in my thirties. The freckles that sprinkle my face are those from the sunshiny days I spent at the beach with my bests. Its deeper wrinkles from a life lived outdoor. Its battered knees from the miles ran and mountains climbed. It’s so many incredible memories crammed in that my mind is simply making room for new ones.

Life can be hard and boy, it can be tiresome. It can feel unfair. It can actually BE unfair. It will blind side you when you least expect it.

But this life, it also has mountain tall “peaks” when I least expect it. It can sweep me off my feet and take my breath away. It can be adventures and “holy $&it, we’re moving to Italy” moments that I still pinch myself over. Its three beautiful babies and the best husband I could ever dream of.

It’s lost friends, who tossed me aside and grief I didn’t see coming. Its worry and heartaches for things much too big to solve in my sleep. It’s birthdays and “birthing-days” missed that I’ll never get a redo on. It’s too many goodbyes and too few hellos. 

But it is also new friendships that I never saw coming in my older age. It’s old friends who have stood by through all the miles and moves. It’s family who continues to visit and take time off of their lives to spend with mine. 

Life will be full of ups and downs in the most cliché of ways. It will have set backs and leaps forward. This life of mine is nothing short of magic and mystery — the hardships and hurdles life has thrown at me will always be lessons learned. What is important and what is not. It’s boundaries set and getting comfortable with letting go of what I cannot control.

DO NOT FORGET:

To say YES (to what matters)! Continue to lean in and learn, and relearn again. Laugh and cry. Choose joy. Find people who feel like sunshine, and be with them. Adventure as much as possible. Get lost on purpose. Move your body, everyday. Make time for friends and family, always. Worry less. Do not slow down.

This is thirty seven.

Ciao a tutti! We have “successfully” been living in Italy for over 8 weeks now! Does that make us pros?– ah, nope—not even close. We’ve got much to learn. But we’re much closer than we were 7 weeks ago 😉. So far our stint here has felt like it has been put in fast forward. Non stop action— touring, appointments, language, immigration, work, school, you know– all the things.

Time is such a funny thing isn’t it? A week can feel so different given the circumstances you are in. Pregnancy, newborn fog, vacation mode, long distance relationships, school/ work weeks etc, they are surely not created equally. Perhaps it could be a mindset– or likely due to the amount of chaos, stress, enjoyment and happenings surrounding those weeks, undoubtedly those sentiments play a roll. I just remember the anticipation of the months leading up to moving here, the weeks felt like months, and the months felt like years. On the contrary the 2 months of living here have felt as if I blinked– yet so much has unfolded in those short months, take a peek.

Here is where we are:

School: The girls have (restarted) school. Technically they are just finishing out the school year- we concluded this was the best decision choosing to enroll them so late in the year despite the headaches it may have caused. This allows them to acclimate a bit, meet some local friends, gain exposure to the language and overall feel more comfortable starting the school year next fall. So far they have done splendidly. Though it may seem so exciting on the exterior, it is not always easy for them having to start over time and time again, moving to Italy and Australia still took some convincing if you can believe. They have been to 5 schools in the last 6 years, they have had to meet and say goodbye to teachers, friends and family over and over again. But dang are they resilient and brave. I am truly so proud of each of them and their adaptiveness to new cultures, friends, schools, foods, it’s truly remarkable. A gift that can’t be taught, only experienced, I believe. The international school here has been so welcoming and accommodating to our family. The girls have each made several friends, participated in school trips and outings, been invited to several birthdays and our eldest Rian, has even developed a new “accent” — undeniably she is hearing Italian children’s accents speaking English, so naturally it is going to rub off a bit, it is pretty cute.

Housing: We found a flat to call home! {If you didn’t know, our family of 5 has been living in a hotel since we got here in March– 2 rooms, 2.5 beds, 5 humans… yep 🙈) So even though this will be our first time living in small quarters with shared walls, it will be a major improvement from our current living situation. Plus, its Europe! It’s just what you do. It’s been quite the experience for all the Boeing expats here in Italy trying to navigate renting. Everything just takes time. And once you feel like you have it all figured out, something goes haywire. Patience is absolutely necessary when dealing with the European ways. Luckily for us, we are much better equipped with how it all works after living in Australia, so the “timelines” are nothing new to us. We just do our best, try to keep the kids busy, and accept things are just the way they are. It all comes together at some point. We hope to be moved in within the next few days (woohoo)! Hey at least for now, I have someone to help tidy our rooms, breakfast is prepared daily, I haven’t had to dishes in months and we have access to a pool and gym. I have to be able to find the silver linings, even if it is a bit of craziness, (most days).

I thought I would include some fun tidbits about flat living/ renting in Italy–

Most flats (apartments) don’t come with kitchens….. like the entire kitchen goes with you when you move. Not just appliances, I mean the counters, islands, the shelving… everything. So it’s very normal to have to purchase a kitchen when you move in, lucky for us, our kitchen was included.

Most flats also do not have dryers. A washing machine may or may not be included, however most Italians hang dry their clothes. So that was a NO for me. Our unit only has space for one however, so we had to purchase a combination washer and dryer. However… to do a full load of laundry it will take upwards of 8+ HOURS to complete the wash and dry cycle! Let’s see how that goes.

Garbage: it’s intense. Everything is separated. Food, plastic, glass, paper, waste etc. Then you get a little key fob and have to take your garbage down to where the big bins are located, then put your registered fob in to dispose of your trash, but! it only will accept very small grocery sack sized garbage bag, 1 at a time. The recyclables do not need the fob, and is “more” accommodating for larger items, however it just takes time to bring each bin down to dispose separately.

Italians are big on conserving energy and limiting pollution. Which is great for environmental reasons, but when it comes to heating and cooling your home or hotel room even, it can be difficult. You may only turn on heating/ cooling within certain months of the year. So AC can only be turned on after June 1st (in Venice that is) and heat can only be turned on after October 1st, also with regulations on how cool and how warm you turn it. If it unseasonably cool or warm, they can adjust it earlier (they actually just turned it on this week due to high temps 👏🏻.) I am not certain on how they control it, but speaking from a hotel situation, it is just not possible to even turn on the AC. We had to buy a fan for the last month, because it can get toasty during the night 😊.

Getting around: We’re learning to drive! We kind of know what we’re doing, id say. Mostly Colin drives of course, I still get a bit nervous in some situations– but overall I am feeling pretty good, I have even drove some long distances (pats self of back). Just don’t ask me to drive in Rome or major cities ❌. It’s still crazy here up in the North though. The roads are tiny, they don’t use blinkers, roundabouts do not seem to have rules or lanes, {other than pay attention}. Head lights must always be on, or you can get fined. Pay attention to the Limited Traffic Zones (we learned hard way, as I have mentioned.) The speed changes very frequently, so always be on the lookout for postings. Autostrada (freeway) doesn’t have a posted speed limit, but is generally 80 mph (130kph), unless posted otherwise. The passing lane is supposed to be the left, but we still can’t figure out what most people are doing. Waze works the best for navigating we have found, and notifies you for all the speed traps. Pay attention to one-ways, these are everywhere. Car parks (parking lots) are always one-way (this frustrates Colin so much). And the parking spaces are hardly big enough to even exit your car, really fun with getting children in and out of carseats. There is no such thing as a free right turn on red, it is illegal. Stop signs are suggested and mainly mean yield whereas yield signs mostly mean go! with caution.

We have also started dabbling more and more in mass transit. For the most part it’s super easy and pretty affordable to get around. Trains are a really great way to get places leisurely. Wifi. Toilets. Snacks. You know, the essentials with children. It’s not always the fastest option, driving usually is. But if you want a stress free way to travel (for longer distances that is) trains are the way to go. Plus you can usually book day of if you need to. We use the bus system most often. They are super handy and pretty much get you anywhere you need to be locally. It’s far less intimidating than the states, in my opinion. They also have a light rail system. It is right near our apartment so that will be used most regularly id presume once we get situated in Mestre. You can get to Venice in less than 15 min for 1.50 €. if you are a local and 3€ if not. So it’s pretty slick, easy and cheap👍🏻. Venice also has a water bus that follows the grand canal which is nice if you don’t want to walk. But for us, it takes too long and we prefer to walk the canals and streets of Venice. But it’s always an option if walking is not your forte ✔️.

Other fun learning curves: Bango (bathrooms) Ladies, make sure you have strong legs. Most public toilets do not have toilet seats, I recommend you do the hover maneuver. Some do not even have a toilet. Just a “hole” in the ground that you also have to hover over. Skirts and dresses help here. There are some toilets that are even 1 foot off the ground, you never know what you are going to get. Also! Important to note some public toilets you have to pay to use so make sure to always carry a few Euros on you.

I am sure I am leaving out so much, but this is a good start of what we are learning over here. It may seem kind of intense all laid out like that. But let me assure you we are FAR from miserable. The motto as always is: different not wrong. You just have to accept different ways of what you are used to. The adjustments will always be outweighed by the obvious impressiveness of this place. The sites of this country are exquisite; the colors, the art, the grandiosity and of course the history, bellissimo! Then there is the more tangible luxuries like the fashion, the coffee, the wine, and the food, THE FOOOOD these are all equally as amazing, I could go on and on, and surely I will in more blogs to come. There is just too much goodness to share. We are truly lucky to call this place, home. Stay tuned for more! Ciao!

Buongiorno! We moved to Italy…. let me say that again with a little bit more enthusiasm, we MOVED to ITALIA!

That still doesn’t feel real to say out loud, as it hasn’t quite set in for me. As most of you already know, we are no strangers to moving. Across the nation, heck across the world– it has been our life for the last 6+ years, its pretty much the only life our children know at this point, some moves being easier than others, as you can guess.

For some reason, this one feels different. Australia was a bigger move in the sense of hemispheres, time zones and distance. It was an Island as far away from everyone as we could possibly get (in the middle of a pandemic with closed borders through the entirety.) But it was still familiar(ish), we had previously visited the town we moved to, we knew the people we were moving with, they spoke English(ish)– it felt a little less intimidating. This move is BIG, the language being one of the biggest obstacles, (i’m learning, slowly) the driving (still haven’t even gotten behind the wheel, thank God for my chauffeur, Colin) the road signs, we already racked up hundreds and hundreds of dollars in fines for driving in restricted areas {pretty much all of the city… arghhhh} and navigating how to use the mass transit systems. Needless to say, it’s very foreign, obviously.

We’re managing pretty well nonetheless, (minus the cussing in the car portion) even my non pasta eating husband is getting along quite well. We have manage to find decent shopping centers, we got our green passes {Italian cdc card} which is needed to get into most places, we’ve taken the city bus, drove to the wine country, toured all over Venice, Colin finished his first week of work and apartment scouting has begun– Id say week one was a success, for the most part, yay us ✔️

Australia did prepare us somewhat for Euro living thankfully; the narrow roads, the crazy parking, roundabouts, the shopping, the coffee culture, the food (although both WAY better here in Italy) It was a helpful stepping-stone for this Euro move. However it still feels like a strange reality we are living in, a completely amazing reality, like pinch me amazing– but it just hasn’t fully set in that this is our life right now.

During the move I kept thinking it will hit me once the movers come and all of our belongings are packed neatly in those brown boxes we know so well. But no. Okay, it will sink in once we arrive, and check in to our hotel or perhaps when we tour around Mestre, Venice and surrounding areas. Yet again, no, it still a feels like a fuzzy dream of reality. I know one day, it will hit and I can fully comprehend this crazy life we are living currently. Some days can feel overwhelming even lonely at times when you move so radically, but I also have remember time is fleeting, so soak it all in, even the hard parts. For now i’m gonna fake it till i make it, and keep eating all the pizza, sipping the most delicious (and affordable) Prosecco and coffees and hopefully one day I can actually speak the language.

Here are some take-aways from one week in Italy: (mostly about food, drinks and fashion, of course)

• Drinks are socially acceptable at any time of the day (morning, noon or nite)
• Coffee, wine and pizza are to be found around every corner
• Food portions are enormous (how do they stay so lean?)
• Pricing is really fair
• Most Italian food and coffee is unmatched, imo
• Italian women are very naturally beautiful (no surprise)
• Athleisure style does not exist here, real pants are always worn 😊
• Mens style is on point (no Costco dads around here)
• Shoes are always an important part of the ensemble
• Aperol spritzers are the drink of Italia (not mad about it)
• Yes everyone is still smoking
• Pay attention to ALL road signs
• Learn to read said road signs, they love to take all of tourists monies
• Parking is never free
• Italians have been very kind and welcoming to us as foreigners and most even try to speak English, I think we will stay

Anything in particular you want me to touch on?? Leave a comment below 👇🏻

G’day! My hopes are that you’ve now had a chance to read though part one and two of this series documenting our expat life in South Australia. Here on this (very delayed part three) I am going to emerce you a bit with Aussie world, what fun things we did and learned from the Australian folks.

Life as an Australian can be very similar to what most coastal people live like around the world. 85% of Australians live within in 50k of the coast. So of course their lifestyle will mimic a typical “beach life.” As most of us are familiar, some of the best surfing in the world is off the coasts of Australia, some of the best diving, snorkeling and fishing as well, but that’s a given right? So I’d like to tell you more of the experiences we had that maybe aren’t as well known. What to do inland, in the cities, and “the bush” {woods} – as well as the in the ins and outs of the food/ social culture. Dive in and take notes, this is how you get the most out of living/ touring down under.

Camping. Aussies are the world champs of camping, car camping to be more specific. I don’t mean throwing a sleeping bag in the Yute (SUV) and call it good. Im talking loaded up, awnings, tents and ladders built into the car and roof racks. Camper vans loaded to the gills with gear fit for all terrain and weather. It’s next level, I’d never seen anything like it. They are ready at a drop of a hat to hit the road, especially the 4wd vehicles they could just get lost in the bush, in the most remote nooks of the country. Most importantly being lifted off the ground in most cases, you’re not having to worry about snakes and spiders (and whatever else may be lurking around). We dabbled a bit in camping, but still had a lot to learn, not to mention a ton more of equipment needed. The truadional rv/ camping sites were pretty great for children, especially. Most were complete with playgrounds, jumping pillows, some even had splash parks and cabin rentals. The one downside I will say of Aussie camping is the “booking” necessity. You really have to book out weeks if not months ahead for camp spots. Especially the really desirable unique locations. Which was hard for us, we are more of the last minute fly by the seat of our pants type. So we didn’t get in as much camping as we would have liked.

Cuisine: You all know by now this is a big deal for me. This is what we do for fun on the weekends, we love to explore new towns and snack our way through the day. To be honest, the food options were not my favorite. Don’t get me wrong, downtown Adelaide had some really yummy, posh restaurants. You could find great Asian cuisine in China town, classic seafood restaurants in the beach towns, and decent “Australian” cuisine in most places– though, i’m still not entirely sure what that is even. Pizza? Schnitzel? Both are very much beloved. Wood fire pizza can be found at nearly every restaurant, always a good choice if you can’t decide. Schnitty as they say, typically found in Germany, is pounded out chicken breast (or any meat) slightly breaded then baked. Certainly it’s not bad, it’s not game changing either. What we’re looking for was more of the family friendly, casual-quirky spots with different options of food — which just isn’t really a thing. Its more cafe culture if you will. With simple menus typically all offering the same few menu items. The closest thing they have to a bar and grill is what they call a hotel, not to be confused with an actual hotel. They don’t offer rooms 😉. We found some “hotels” to be really great, with a variety of options to suit everyone, shout out to Gilbert Street Hotel, a fan favorite of the p8 team.

Restaurant service is also something to be aware of. Most services are pay as you go. Typically you would order at the bar rather than your table, close out your tab then find a seat. They will never leave your tab open, bar or restaurant. Most of the time they will bring out your food and drinks, but anything more than that you will have to go back to the bar and order. If they do offer table service, be mindful. They will greet your table, take your order, and cash you out. A one time deal. Refills, a second drink, dessert, are all things you generally have to go back to the bar for. It can also be confusing which service they offer, its best to ask if its “table service.” when you arrive. Also to note, it is not costumery to tip, so your total is just that. Which is always a nice coming from America where its custom to tip 18%. Lastly, Im not sure if this is a Australian wide concept, or just South Australia– a booking, {reservation} is encouraged everywhere, this is important to know before planning your night out. Walk-ins can be found, but it is not always guaranteed. They will never say “about a 20 minute wait” –its either they have an open table, or they do not. They will reserve booked tables for hours on end, even if it appears the place is empty, they will assure you they are all booked. It takes some getting used to. Call ahead. Even breweries, cafes, places you would not expect. Bookings are essential. 😬

Things to do:

Vino: South Australia is known for some of the best wine in the word, with vines dating back as far as 1836. Best known for their Shiraz variety, however Grenache, Cabernet and Riesling also do very well in the variations of climate South Australia has. Barossa Valley being the most prestigious and notable vinyards, with popular names such as Penfolds, Yalumba and Seppeltsfield. Barossa is known for not only their perfect Shiraz vines but also their sprawling beautiful cellar doors. Its all about the “experience of wine tasting” when in the Barossa, aka a very fancy wino experience 👌.

If you prefer more of the laid back vibes (like we do, hello 3 children in tow), the McLaren Vale is for you. With over 150 wineries in the Vale, you’re sure to find a place for your liking. The Vale is also known for their yummy Shiraz reds, but you are also sure to find many different varietals, (as well as coffee and beer at most venues.) This was only a quick 15 minutes from where we lived, so we frequented this area quite often. Most of the wineries “cellar doors” in this area are more family friendly, with lawn games and sprawling spacious yards to play in. The younger Instagram influencer types were also keen on these venues– though they prefer to dress monochromatic, taking photos for hourssssss while chugging bottles of rosé and not eating the massive platters they ordered— it’s for the gram’ (not here to judge). Something for everyone, like I said. Overall it’s a more chill atmosphere to sip your wine, snack on charcuterie platters while taking in the gorgeous rows of vines.

Adelaide Hills is great mix of both Barossa and The Vale, with smaller more intimate tasting rooms and cellar doors tucked in the hillside. Really, really beautiful and cozy in the fall! These three regions being the most popular in S.A, however there are additional wine regions further outside of metropolitan Adelaide. Clare, Coonawarra, Eden Valley and more. It’s an experience you must dabble in a bit if your down south.

Beer: If wine isn’t your thing, perhaps beer is? Craft breweries are becoming more and more popular in Australia, specifically South Australia being a large area on the rise with over 23 craft breweries (pales in comparison to the Seattle area, but lets not get picky). Some is better than none. What they do have on us PNWers is space, however. Acres of space for their facilities and grounds complete with play structures for children, pouncing roos in the paddock, fire places for warmth and seating all around indoor and out. Some of our (kids included) favorite places to visit were the local breweries.

Coffee: as an experience. I did cover this in part two. But it’s certainly a part of the Aussie culture. And I was completely surprised by this.

Hardships?

Covid: Traveling during a pandemic was intimidating and unnerving, largely because we were unvaccinated at the time of moving (vaccines for our age were not rolled out yet). Not only was the travel portion nail-biting, we also were aware that the vaccine may not even be available to us as expats in the coming year {this remained true}. Of course there was some hesitations, not knowing fully what was about to unfold given the grim nature of this coronavirus situation. Albeit, what was provided was truly a utopia of normalcy and safety. South Australia did such a fantastic job with shutting borders as soon as Covid hit, they were completely able to control any spread or contractions. The entire year of living there were roughly 10 cases of exposures in S.A. 10! not 10 thousand… 10 the ENTIRE year. You can imagine our giggles when we heard the sheer panic of Aussies losing their minds over 2 positive cases (in quarantine). They literally couldn’t fathom what it was like coming from a place like Seattle where positive Covid-19 cases were in tens of thousands, daily. It was very strange moving from one extreme to the other– from millions to zero in a days travel. Lucky doesn’t even cover it, it was sensational. Not only were restrictions minimal, we did not have to mask up and most importantly the girls could attend school (also unmasked). Coming from virtual schooling (at the time, remember) this was a dream for me and the children. It was exactly how school was prior to March 2019, normal, happy, FUN!

Australians did implement some Covid safety restrictions– social distancing was urged, 1.5m (or a roo apart). Washing and sanitizing of course was encourage and for periods of time you couldn’t stand and drink?– though tables sizes were never limited. For brief periods of the year (if any positive cases were known) they would limit crowds for large events, and banned singing and dancing in public locales. The one major difference and most required safeguard was their use of contact tracing. Each store, venue and location you would enter you had a to scan a QR code on your phone and sign in. In the event there was an exposure you would then be contacted and required to self quarantine for 14 days. They had pretty strict quarantine requirements in Australia, and if you did not comply you could face jail time. All things considered we were mostly unaffected by coronavirus for an entire year of a world wide pandemic and that was pretty superb.

There were a few fall backs to moving abroad during the shut downs. The most difficult being Visitors. Coming from a place like Florida (a vacation state), there was no shortage of company, we had a revolving door of people coming and going. There was no time to be lonely when we had an influx of family and friends coming to see us. We loved it and appreciated every single person who took time out of their lives to come spend it with us. Of course Australia was no different. We had a mile long list of people hoping to do the same (for obvious reasons). Not only did we have the perfect home to accommodate several guests at a time comfortably, we were expert tour guides with laundry lists of amazing places to show off to all our guests. Woefully, due to Covid, this did not happen. In fact Australias international boarders are still shut, with very limited plans on a reopening. For the first time in 5 years I actually got homesick, I missed my family and friends, I wasn’t just across the nation, I was across the world. The time change also made it very difficult to stay in touch regularly. 18.5 hour time difference between Adelaide and Seattle. This meant when the children were finally in bed and I had a few moments to myself to check in back home everyone was long asleep. Some days were harder than others and days I just really could have used my sister or bestie to hang with or my mom to tag along at the beach with. What I continued to remind myself of however, was that it was only a year. That’s it. Soak it in. Everyone back home was going to be there when we returned. Don’t waste this opportunity being lonesome, and 98% of those days, I managed just fine 😉 knowing I’d be home in a blink.

The other downside to moving abroad during a global pandemic was travel. We had many plans to travel not only within country but also out, Thailand and New Zealand being at the topmost of our lists. Visiting Australias 5 other states was even arduous if not impossible with the inter-borders being shut so frequently. Even so being a direct neighbor to Victoria we were never able to actually step foot. Their numbers were on the rise as the year went on and the risks of borders being shut made it difficult to plan. Not only risking the closed borders and possibly getting stuck, but also taking a chance that you may have to quarantine for two weeks upon return (imagine not being able to step foot in Oregon or your neighboring state! having to self isolate for two weeks after visiting just a mere 200 miles away) . This just wasn’t in the cards for us with work, school and three kids in tow. Instead we fully took advantage of traveling within our bubble of South Australia, trust me we were not deprived of beauty and adventure. We covered nearly the entirety of the state, north, south, east and west and loved every minute of it. South Australia has a growing reputation for tourism in the last few years, thanks to Instagram (I presume) being a highly photographed locale– credit does goes to their beautiful clear waters, gorgeous coastlines, pink lakes and high rise mountain ranges. South Australia has three main peninsulas along the south border, Fleurieu (pronounced Floo-ree-oh) which is the closest to Adelaide about an hour from city proper, Yorke being second closest, about 2 hours from Adelaide and last, Eyre (pronounced Ehr) which is about 7 hours from Adelaide. Each peninsula offering different beauty, things to do and see. You would need to spend a significant amount of time in S.A if you were planning to do all three. Some of the most note worthy places we visited in the peninsulas was Coffin Bay, which is best known for their mouth watering seafood, specifically oysters and breath taking blue waters. The beaches in Coffin Bay National Park and Lincoln National Park were some (if not THE) most beautiful beaches I have ever witnessed. Not only were they beyond striking, but exceptionally QUIET. Pictured below, me walking in the national park with not a soul to be seen for miles and miles (us girls may or may not have skinny dipped ☺️), once in a lifetime right?

Yorke Peninsulas most notable spots in my opinion are Moonta Bay, Whatascowie Brewery, Yorketown; well known for several Pink Lakes and for obvious reasons, Port Hughes. South beach in Port Hughes is a TOP NOTCH beach with miles of pristine coast lines and shallow waters (great for shark visibility) paddle boarding and small kiddos.

We did get the opportunity to leave South Australia (once) when Covid numbers were null between S.A and the Northern Territory. This was a trip for the books, providing exactly what we wanted for a vacation within country. It was just as I pictured Northern Australia to be like. Hot, humid, tropical, bugs the size of your palm, crocs, crikey! It was epic. I highly, highly recommend a visit if you ever find yourself down under and looking for something a bit different than beautiful touristy surf towns.

Wildlife: This has to be one of the top questions we got about our travels in Oz. “Was everything there actually trying to kill you?” Ehhh.. no.. but also kind of. Prior to us arriving Colin did a lot of solo hiking to pass the time before we got there. Along his “bush walking” adventures he came across several deadly snakes. There was one particular Eastern Brown snake encounter that was pretty scary. This just so happens to be one of the most common snakes found in Australia, (also one of the top deadliest snakes in the world). Adventuring with three toddling children we had to be a bit more cautious about our daily adventures. As most of you know we love to hike as a family, but hiking in the “bush” was much different then the states. (Deadly snakes and spiders to be specific). As much as we stressed to stay on path, no running through the bushes they just didn’t get it well enough–so in good faith, we just couldn’t risk it. At least in the spring and summer months when they are active. Luckily the beach trail in front of our house was very safe and snake free. We didn’t see too many really hideous spiders or insects thankfully. Red back spiders are very common around the south, similar to a black widow here. We spotted these frequently, however just keep your distance or squash them and you’re all good, anti-venom does exist for most spider bites thankfully. We also saw, orb spiders, mouse spiders (venomous) and a couple of huntsman spiders, (these grow to be about the size of your hand 😳), creepy, but not deadly. Somehow you just get used to it, and take extra precautions. Shake your shoes out before putting them on, check under your car door handles if you remember, be cautious when moving furniture outdoor, dark cool places are hot zones for snakes, don’t climb though bushes… just be aware and be smart.

Other than the white sharks, bull sharks, tiger sharks, a few icky venomous bugs and several venomous snakes everything else was safe and completely amazing, ha. The wildlife is one of the best parts of Australia, you’ll never experience most of these animals anywhere else in the world. Koalas clinging to the tops of eucalyptus trees, kangaroos in the hills and countrysides, wombats- literally a furry ball of muscle. Emus! (so cool) in sandy beach bushes, dingos, crocodiles (only in Northern OZ) and water buffalo. We also saw bandicoots, paddled with sting rays, swam with dolphins, spied an echidna (similar to a porcupine) in the dry, and saw the most beautiful tropical birds in the world. Endless wildlife at your fingertips and witnessing them in real life is something I’ll never forgot.

Overall an experience of a lifetime. I hope to go back one day and get to see more of the beautiful country. Thanks for having us mates.

Lets take it back to the beginning.

When we were offered the opportunity to move to Florida {what feels like a life time ago, now} there was a small ‘carrot’ so to speak, that went along with the offer. There was potential for an international assignment in the southern coast of Australia. The dream right? I always regretted not studying abroad in college— Milan, Florence, Paris! Eating baguettes at local cafes, sipping espresso al fresco, gobbling up the real deal– raw fashion industry. All the while using my sub par French skills of course, “je suis américaine.” But when it came down to it, I didn’t take that leap. C’est comme ça. It is what it is. Be that as it may, I never gave up on the idea of living overseas, it was just tucked away in a box high up on a shelf. Perhaps that’s why moving across the United States never really scared me. Im a bit of a drifter— I want to see the sights, touch the oceans, climb the mountains, near and far.

Fast forward four, Floridian years later, the rumblings began. An Australian assignment was unfolding for the p8 mod team. With no certainty of who would be going, for how long, or anything really concrete, we undoubtedly started to get anxious, this may actually pan out?! Nevertheless, if you’re familiar with how Colin’s job works (or Boeing in general) then you also know, you must never get your heart too set, inevitably things will change. We’ve learned to be pretty fluid and never set expectations until wheels up or full glowy-green lights appear. We have also discovered (from experience) that information is best delivered to those around us, when its more absolute. It’s easier all around.

Moving temporarily to another country as a young wild and free ‘barely- adult’ was one thing, however. Moving a family across the globe, well, it’s a bit different. A lot different in fact. It wasn’t just about me. It wasn’t just about a job or an experience. It impacts everyone individually. There are major sacrifices we all have to make to uproot in such a drastic way. Everyone likes to believe that given the opportunity to move somewhere abroad it’s a no brainer. “Duh. Hell yes I’d do it.” ACTUALLY saying yes aloud, I think many would be reluctant. It’s not a vacation. It’s literally picking up your life and moving to another country. Leaving your home. Finding a new home. A school. A car. Driving that car. Learning culture. Learning language. New foods. It’s working a job you may or may not have done, with new people in an environment that’s completely unlike anything you’ve been in. Amazon who? The groceries and shops you frequent are no longer. It’s moving away from your friends and family. Then returning and having to do the same thing, starting all over again. It’s not as easy as yes.

But for us…. We are just crazy enough to say yes, and mean it.

I believe exposure is the key to understanding people and not just “thy neighbor.“ Empathy, compassion, open mindedness are best learned when you recognize how different, yet alike we really are in this world. Not only do I want this for myself, I want this for my children, to grow up knowing different foods, language, history and not just from books or the internet, to actually see how others live and how we all contribute to this world making so unique.

I will never forget the day we got word. It was October of 2019, road tripping around the south east coast. We were in the smoky mountains of Gatlinburg, Tennessee when Colin got the call. I could hear him chatting with his boss, I heard it in his voice, something was different. He hung up the phone and said with and inquisitive smile, “well, I think we’re moving to Australia” we looked at each other and smiled; that was that. It was decided then and there.

Was it as easy as that? Nope. Not even a little bit.

We were set to move from Jacksonville in March, stay a few weeks in Seattle to see friends and family then be on our merry little way to Adelaide. But something significant happened March 2020. Any guesses?

Needless to say. It wasn’t seamless.

After the borders shut in Australia, we were told just weeks prior to leaving {for the second time, matter of fact} that only Colin would be traveling. The rest of the families visas were denied. The term “essential worker” had an entirely bigger meaning this time. With little choice in the matter, Colin inevitably had to fulfill his duties and go to work unaccompanied to Australia. As most of you already know the intended short few weeks in Seattle turned into 6 months for me and the kids. (To hear more on this experience/ transitional period, read my blog post “surviving” ) It wasn’t part of the plan. But like everything in life, sometimes you just have to roll with what is thrown your way. It only makes you stronger (most of the time).

Eventually, after our own valiant efforts and round the clock pressure to gain approval on our exemption for travel, we were finally granted the go ahead. Hip Hip Hooray…! In addition to our exemption, Colin was granted to fly back to the states to assist in our move. Flying solo with three children for 32 hours was a hard pass for me– thank you Boeing for approving this travel 😉.

However, not to exclude—- Amidst this “transitional time” we were awaiting a passport that was held up for months, several stressful months in fact. Multiple covid exposures (negative thankfully), self quarantines, shipment delays, little answers, homeschool, solo parenting and stress as way of life. Needless to say we were READY to get out when we finally got green lit. I literally cried when we got on the plane. Could it be that I threw my back out on the first flight leg…. perhaps? Details, details. So many emotions either way– we finally were actually doing it. We were moving down under.

After a two week government mandated quarantine in Sydney Australia we finally made it to our new home away from home in Adelaide. I will say, the only bonus of Colin leaving without us originally was that he was able to establish somewhat of a starting place for us once we all arrived. He signed a lease on a home. Bought a car. Got somewhat acclimated with the city. He found a school for the children. The list goes on and on. It wasn’t easy being apart for months, but it did lessen the chaos for the family when we set foot. We had a beginning.

Okay, okay, lets dive in to actually living abroad. The expat part. Because I am sure thats all you wanted to read about anyway. Correct? My best advice. Lean in. Lean in to the culture, the food, the people, the country. Remember its NOT America. So don’t compare it. We were asked countless times—- “What country is better?” “What’s prettier?” “Who’s nicer?” There isn’t an answer. If there is, keep it to yourself. Don’t push your politics or home town glorifications on them. This is their home, you’re the guest. Remember that. Home is home, of course you’ll miss it. America is amazing and complicated and frustrating and beautiful. It made me appreciate my home even more living away, believe it or not. I wont go in to the nitty gritty details, but distance does make the heart grow fonder. Did that take away anything from Australia? Absolutely not. It is an astounding and unparalleled country, with completely different things to love, appreciate and learn from. There is no comparison. You’d be missing out if you were constantly looking for American standards. Dive in, soak in every bitty inch you can.

No, I am not a certified health practitioner, I am not a trainer or a wellness influencer. We have thousands of these people at our fingertips, they fill our feeds pumping the latest trends and “easy” “fast” workouts for a bigger butt and a tiny waste. They tell us its 6 weeks to a bikini body and 20 fruits to flawless skin. Of course its “easy.” –Its what they are paid to do! To eat great, look great and have access to top of the line gyms and products. I am not knocking it– trust me. I love the trainers I follow and gobble up the wellness pages for meals and daily motivation. Its my jam!

But also, the rest of us are over here like…. I have some lettuce in my fridge and 10 minutes before the kids wake up for school and its been a hell of a year. Some of us haven’t worked out in months, while some slayyyed during quarantine. Some finally had a moment to realize they need to re-priortize wellness and some realized they needed to let go of the unhealthy pressure they put on themselves. 2020 looked different on everyone.

When I started this blog a couple of years ago, I didn’t want to be another influencer or trainer telling you what to do. The opposite actually. I thought it may be a breath of fresh air to hear from someone who is AVERAGE and also balancing a crazy life, trying to find the the sweet spot of both worlds. Without the rigidness, stress or one size fits all mentality. My past 7 ish years have been re-directed to living a healthy-balanced life (such an overused term I know, but it has truth to it.) Once I retrained my mind and learned to let go of fixes and dieting (because I am the WORST dieter, s a b o t a g e) it has come more natural as a lifestyle. There have been harder years with babies and postpartum of course, but overall I’ve felt really in control.

However this year (plus some) I’m having a harder time taking my own advice. It’s so much easier to shell out ideas on carving out time for health and wellness. It’s so much easier to explain to you that it doesn’t have to be perfect. It can be a little of this and a little of that. But Id be lying if I said it’s come easy for me lately. I’ve been in a funk, remembering how good it felt to be in great shape. The stress of the year (or maybe i’m just 35?) has shown on my face and my clothes don’t fit as nice. Finding balance with three kids is harder work then I had thought and new work/school/life schedules, present a new set of challenges.

But then I actually re-read some of my old blog posts. And this is what I was reminded of. ITS OKAY!!! It really is okay. Its okay to have let a whole year slide, its okay if you’re just beginning your journey, its okay if you’ve focused on your mental health this year more than your physical. Its okay if your 10 pounds up or 10 pounds down. Last year was anything but normal. Even though things are better over here on this island of covid-free living we still are on an island. Even though vaccines have been taken, it’s still okay to ease back in to life. Even though you may be working from home and “no excuses not to squeeze in a workout” you still have a right to be exhausted. We are all still grieving a life that doesn’t exist right now. Grieving the time lost away from loved ones. Grieving those lives that were taken. Grieving the vacations that were planned. Grieving a year of life of what if’s. We have the right to not jump right back where we left off, maybe we never will. It’s surely going to be different.

Our versions of health looked so much different this past year. While it may not be what we were used to, it may not have been even close to perfect. I bet however, if you look hard enough you can still find what it is you invested in— For some it was spending more time with their children without having to fight work and school schedules. For some it was finding companionship in a puppy. For some it was buying that peloton, they thought they could never afford. For some it was getting in the best shape ever, while for others it was loosening up on the crazy workouts and being comfortable with a few extra pounds. For some it was creating a “quaranteam” to help fight isolation. For some it was finding the time to finally invest in themselves. For some it was merely keeping their heads above water.

We all have different versions. I’ve always said health is emotional, physical and mental. Perhaps you (like me) only had the bandwidth to focus on one. I think we have to all agree we couldn’t do it all– and It’s okay. I’m going to remind myself that everyday until I fully believe it. Because of course I have days where I don’t feel great in my jeans and tee shirt. Running is an upward battle at the moment. I have back aches from no core strength and days i’m still dead tired after 8 hours of sleep.

What I also know is that it is important to recognize what great things you are doing to take care of yourself. To not solely focus on what you aren’t doing. I like to list out what I require to feel good. It’s a great place to start, then you can begin focusing on one item at a time and before you know it– your well on your way.

What I know is, I feel better when I move my body everyday. When I have healthy dinners planned for the week. When a weekend is full of adventure and activity. When I give myself 10 minutes in the evening to wash and Gua Sha my face. When I go to bed even just thirty minutes earlier. I feel better when I get at least an hour with my husband alone. I feel better when I put time in to getting ready a few times a week.

These are small obtainable things. Sometimes all it takes is just remembering what it is you require to feel good. Now tell me! What makes you feel better??