Here we are at the start of February! How’s the year going for you already? My January went pretty much as I had imagined it, with a few unavoidable hiccups not of my doing. But all in all, a pretty good start to the new year.
As you may have read in my last couple of posts here and here about what it’s like for an expat to return home to visit, I actually spent almost all of January in summery Australia, my birthplace. The boundless blue skies, the hot sunny days, drinking wine with friends and family, regular visits to the beach… *swoon*
Just last week I posted about my Reverse Culture Shock in Australia where I talked about my (and most repatriates’) feelings of returning to my “home country”.
In a way it was a
difficult post to write, as it required quite a lot of introspection and
carefully-planned wording. Speaking about travelling and relocating and returning
brings with it a rollercoaster of emotions and memories. Some great, some not
so good and some painful. Not only for me, the writer, but I imagine also for a
lot of readers who have been or are still going through a similar phase.
You know that saying
“Home is where the Heart is”? But what if you have TWO homes?
As you probably already noticed, I was missing in action for a few weeks. This was because my family and I (all 5 of us!) flew from Germany back to Australia to celebrate Christmas last month! I am still here in Australia living with a little culture shock and thought “Hey! Why not keep on writing about my experiences here?!?”. And so I shall…
I LOVE being back in Australia. There are so many awesome things about being here: my entire extended family, old friends, the weather, the hot summers, the long, sandy beaches, foods of my childhood, restaurants serving awesome, international-flavoured delights, driving on the left (yes, left!) side of the road, I can speak English all the time and be understood, the cute and furry native animals, the wide open blue skies …
But, and this is a big
BUT… it is not entirely easy or without complication coming back here. And I am
not talking about the humdrum yet stressful things like: How the hell can we afford
to fly there? or Seriously, will we be able to fit everything in the suitcases?
or Is the school going to really reject
our request for the girls to miss the last couple of days of school?
Welcome Home! But which home?
No, well, yes, those things too, BUT I mean the practical and emotional effects of…
Helloooooo!! It has been too long since I put up a proper post here on Everything’s Famtastic. I did briefly explain my reasons why here but basically, my family and I flew from Germany back to my native soil Australia for Christmas.
Now since I am talking
about it, allow me to fill you in to what it’s like to celebrate Christmas in
Australia (at least in my family) and what it’s like if you are a returning
expat with a multicultural bilingual family to boot. *phew!* That was a long
sentence 😉
I love Christmas time. And I especially love that our family has
tried to include traditions from both the German side and the Australian side,
no matter which country we happen to be celebrating in. Naturally the kids
think it’s BRILLIANT that the Christmas celebrations never seem to end. German
traditions, Australian traditions, immediate family, extended family, food,
presents… Seriously, Christmas in our family of 5 can last several days.
Behind the Scenes of Celebrating Christmas in Australia!
Wowsers! It really has
been a long time since I was here. I have been missing in action for a few
weeks. Waay too long! But how nice is it to be back in the game, posting
again?!? I really have missed it.
So why was I MIA for nearly a month? (Man, a
month…). Do you remember just the other week many of us across the planet
celebrated that little holiday called Christmas? Already seems like an eon ago,
right?
Well, as you may know
already, I am an expat. Specifically, I am an Australian living in Germany with
my German Hubby and our 3 kids. And what do many expats scattered around the
world do at special times of the year? Travel back home! I’ll give you a gold
star if you can guess where we spent this past Christmas…
Ever wondered what it’s like being a person who has received a donor organ (or tissue)? I believe that there is no greater gift than an organ given to someone in need. And since we are currently in December, the season of Christmas and giving, I thought it was an appropriate topic to discuss!
I know that the topic of organ donation can be a thorny issue. There are many people out there with strong opinions, both for and against, about becoming an organ or tissue donor. I want to share my own story as a recipient.
Let’s just think of it as a lead up to **Jenny’s Public Service Announcement**, shall we?
Recently I had a check-up at appointment with my doctor at the eye clinic where I had a cornea transplant in May. Happily I can report that my eye looks great, all parts are exactly where they should be and my vision remains hugely improved. THANK GOODNESS. *Happy dance*
“Steady on!” I hear you say. You had a transplant? Of the cornea? At your sweet and tender age as a 40-something year old woman? Isn’t that just for old people? Yes, yes indeedy, I did. And no, apparently not. As evidenced by my eyeball. Yes, cornea problems are usually reserved for those in their 50s, 60s and beyond. But not for this chickadee here.
Do you take time out for yourself to exercise and look after your health? A few days back, I went for a very brisk walk. At 8am. On a Saturday. Which lasted more than 5 kilometres. A walk that took me through quiet nearby neighbourhoods and even quieter recently-harvested fields. All now covered in a slight layer of frost. See, it was only 1 degree Celsius when I left the house. Brrr! Cold, right?!?
But I went out for that walk anyway. Why? Because I needed it. Not because I had to. But because I wanted to, NEEDED to.
Not in a “If I don’t go exercise sometime I will never lose that weight” type of need. Although weight loss would surely be a welcome and additional benefit. And, at least for today, it wasn’t a “I need time out for myself” type of need, because I have the house to myself for half the day today anyway (yay me!). No, it was a “My body really wants me to move” kind of need.
Now, some of you are probably thinking “Well, duh. Of course you should get your body moving”. And some others of you might be thinking “What the heck is this woman even talking about? Exercise? Bah humbug!”.
Do you ever have those days when you feel like you have spent the whole time in the car driving here and there and everywhere? Sounds like a great title for a Dr Seuss book: “I’ll drive you here, I’ll drive you there, I’ll drive you everywhere!” Right?!? But not a great way to enjoy the afternoon.
Wednesdays are a PITA. My nemesis, if you will. You see, Wednesdays are the day when all 3 of my children need to be picked up and/or dropped off at least one place each, all with the most inconvenient spacing between appointments. It is not the only day of the week that we have plans, but it is the most heavily-booked.
Grab a cup of your favourite hot beverage (or alcoholic if you choose, LOL), get comfy and strap yourself in for the fun rollercoaster-ride of my afternoon (and some tips on how to organise days like this!)…
