Today makes it a month since we landed at Sydney airport. What a busy time we have had! After being away for two years it's amazing how many things need to be restarted, but it is also surprising how smoothly it can be done.
Even though we were many thousands of miles away in another country, the power of the internet and modern communications meant we remained in touch with family, friends and clients as if we were only a short distance away.
One method was this blog and the monthly newsletter which preceded it. The other was the Internet.
I was able to keep on top of the majority of my Australian banking and bills via the Internet.
However we still had to do a lot to get back on track here such as:
- getting/renewing our Australian driver's licences
- buying cars for the family (12 seater) and me to travel to clients (good fuel economy and comfortable to drive lots of miles)
- getting our pantry restocked
- Phone and DSL/broadband connected
- Dentistry and other medical bits and pieces
- new beds now that the children have grown and we had to get rid of some old beds before we left
- updated computer for my PC intensive work
- mobile/cell phone
- fix/maintain the children's bikes which were in storage
- re-acquant ourselves with our friends and family
- get involved with our local parish
- restart the children's schoolwork
And lots of little things.
But it is all worth it. We had a great time in the US, made many good friends, experienced many enjoyable events and have developed a definite love for many Americans - yet home is still home. Tasting familiar foods, seeing familiar sights, hearing the local bird and insect life and seeing a different night sky - a thousand little things have meant we quickly settled in.
Still - we feel truly privileged to have had the opportunity to a part of American life and have many things to share now we are here.
Even though we were many thousands of miles away in another country, the power of the internet and modern communications meant we remained in touch with family, friends and clients as if we were only a short distance away.
One method was this blog and the monthly newsletter which preceded it. The other was the Internet.
I was able to keep on top of the majority of my Australian banking and bills via the Internet.
However we still had to do a lot to get back on track here such as:
- getting/renewing our Australian driver's licences
- buying cars for the family (12 seater) and me to travel to clients (good fuel economy and comfortable to drive lots of miles)
- getting our pantry restocked
- Phone and DSL/broadband connected
- Dentistry and other medical bits and pieces
- new beds now that the children have grown and we had to get rid of some old beds before we left
- updated computer for my PC intensive work
- mobile/cell phone
- fix/maintain the children's bikes which were in storage
- re-acquant ourselves with our friends and family
- get involved with our local parish
- restart the children's schoolwork
And lots of little things.
But it is all worth it. We had a great time in the US, made many good friends, experienced many enjoyable events and have developed a definite love for many Americans - yet home is still home. Tasting familiar foods, seeing familiar sights, hearing the local bird and insect life and seeing a different night sky - a thousand little things have meant we quickly settled in.
Still - we feel truly privileged to have had the opportunity to a part of American life and have many things to share now we are here.
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