Things etc Part II

I stepped back and reread my previous posts and realized that when read successively, my posts may misrepresent my attitude about moving to Australia and perhaps indicate that I am lamenting or apprehensive in moving and will feel deprived while living down under. Obviously, this isn't the case. While there is no question I will miss many things that I take for granted now, I know that there are so many things in Australia that I am so looking forward to.  In an effort to move away from the motif of "stuff that I'm going to miss," in my previous posts, here's a short, non-comprehensive list of things that I am very much looking forward to:

1. An apartment - While my parents have graciously let me use their house as my "home base" for the past 20 months, I haven't really felt like I've had my own place since college.  As nice as it's been not having to pay rent (thanks again to the parents), I am looking forward to the benefits of having a place to call my own, to furnish and decorate as I (and more importantly, Lydia) like, and a place to have friends and guests over.  After all, throwing keggers at your parents is just bad form
2. Tim Tams - I'm not really one for chocolate treats, as I typically prefer savory/salty over sweet, but Tim Tams are an exception.  While on study abroad, these Australian cookies were akin to cigarettes in prison; I could barter for just about anything with a pack of Tim Tams; extra credit from the TA, a new backpack, beer, a shiv, you name it.

Photo courtesy of gingermermaid's blog
3. Australian attitude - distinctly friendly, fun-loving, jovial, and slightly self-deprecating, the Aussie attitude is incredibly welcoming and infectious.  When traveling abroad in Europe, I consistently would find myself gravitating towards the Aussies and their hospitality and inclusiveness; in general, they are incredibly fun to hang with.  I cannot wait to be entirely encompassed by it and embrace it.
4. Pademelons - Australia isn't all about killer spiders, AC/DC-loving sharks, or menacing "I will eat your face" birds; it has some pretty ridiculously cute "I want to hug you forever and ever until the end of time" animals as well.  My favorite? The Pademelon:
   
   
   "I can haz Tim Tam?" Photo from the Robsons blog
   As the smallest member of the family macropods, pademelons are closely related to the Kangaroo, although unlike their larger cousins, they do not grow larger than 7KG (~15 lbs).  To be fair, pademelons are not found in Victoria as they're habitat is further up north in Queensland and New South Wales, so we wont be seeing them daily, but we are privileged to share the same continent as these adorable little dudes.
   
5. Water sports - Having been on several PADI "Discover Dives," including dives in the Great Barrier Reef and in Fiji, I decided that I wanted to get certified so I could dive independent of an instructor and at greater depths.  My last semester at UGA, I enrolled in a PADI Open Water dive course to get my certification.  I sincerely enjoyed the class and the instructed dives, but since being certified I haven't dived once.  Living on the east coast with the Atlantic's murky waters and shallow depths doesn't lend itself to convenient or impressive diving.  However in Melbourne, we'll be kilometers (at most) from the beach and I'm hoping to take full advantage of the close proximity to embrace diving, snorkeling, kite surfing, swimming, and surfing.
   
   
   Yours truly diving in Fiji
   
   
6. New Experiences - As noted in my first post, it has been a life goal of mine for some time to live and work abroad, particularly Australia.  While I love traveling to new destinations and seeing new places, I can't help but distinguish the difference between "seeing" a place and "knowing" a place.  I loved Dublin, but if asked how to get from St. Stephen's Green to Mount Jerome, I wouldn't have a clue without the assistance of Google Maps or my TomTom.  Similarly, I used to love visiting my sister and friends up in Athens before I lived there, but I didn't have a full appreciation for the city until I lived there for years.  Even traveling to and working up in DC for a year and a half, I still could not familiarize myself entirely with the city since I wasn't actually living there full time.  It never ceases to amaze me how one place can transform over time, how the unfamiliar can become integral to one's being.  I can't wait to have a full knowledge and appreciation for Melbourne and to Australia as a whole.  I'm looking forward to meeting new friends from different places, backgrounds, and experiences and to witnessing places, events, and spectacles that can only be appreciated by living in Melbourne.  I'm excited to gain international career experience, working alongside and with both Australian and international people.  Most of all, I'm just excited to be moving somewhere as unique and beautiful as Australia and for all of the life experiences that will ensue.
   

The best part about this list is I know its no where near complete, as I am certain there are things I have even yet to experience that would make, if not trump, the above list.