Australia: a year in review!

So, having been back home for a month (and once again, realizing that I really DO suck at updating my blog!!!) I thought I'd post and give an overview of my year in Australia. The past year was the best year of my life and I am so happy that I took the leap to travel SO far away from everyone that I know and love to "find" myself again - it was so worth it!

The circumstances surrounding my decision to go to Australia are less than pleasant (y'all know it, don't think I need to re-hash that!)....in some odd way, I have to thank my ex-husband for leaving me, because without that, who knows if/when I would've ever gone to my dream destination? And I know I wouldn't have had the same experiences I had, so for that, I'm happy!

Now, what to say about the actual year? BEST YEAR EVER. That is it. Nothing more needs to be said, because it truly was the best year ever. But, y'all know me, so I definitely have more to say! :P

I left Halifax with the intent to spend 7 months in Australia, which was so not enough time! I think I realized this about 2 months into my trip - that I needed to change my flight home (thank goodness I did!) My only major regret is that I didn't get my 2nd year visa, because I would've done it to allow me another year in Australia!!! (for those that don't know, anyone on the working holiday visa can apply for a 2nd year visa provided they do 3 months of regional work - outside of the city areas - however, you still have to apply for this prior to turning 31. I found out about it a month before my 31st - thus meaning I couldn't get it. Had I known, I would've gone and done my 3 months as soon as I arrived in Oz, thus allowing me to have 2 years instead of one...)

I arrived in Australia broken, hurt, and pissed off. And I left Australia happy, glowing....and, most importantly, fixed. I feel like the "old me" is back (something my girls back home have been missing for years, so they tell me!) but it's a newer version -kinda like Vera 2.0. I'm the upgraded version of me! ;)

So, what to say about this year? I met so many new friends this year, people I hope to have in my life for many years to come. Some of you were only in my life for a few days, some for most of my trip - but each and every one of you helped to make my adventure exactly what I needed - best.year.ever! And I can NEVER forget my family back home and my friends (home and away) who stood by me from the time I made the decision to go to Australia, through all the phone calls (some at weird hours - damn massive time difference!!!), and to the welcome home! I am truly blessed to have so many amazing people in my "corner", friends for life!



And now on to the actual point of this blog post: the highlights!

Laura and Charlie - I can't start this without thanking the both of you. I spent an amazing 5 days with y'all in Cali, got to celebrate the 4th, see the Michael Jackson death drama unfold live in LA, and just get to know some of the most amazing friends I will EVER have! Thank you for inviting me into your house, for showing me a great time, and for being there always! Love you both! xx

Nic and Damien - what can I say? Thank you a million times over for taking me in for my first month in Oz! Y'all are both amazing friends and I love the time we got to spend together (even if I did help y'all move in the DAY I landed in Australia - till I almost fell asleep!! lol) A person couldn't ask for better friends - so I consider myself so lucky to have you both as friends. Thank you for everything - especially getting me hooked on the NRL and Parramatta!!! Go Eels - and no I can't ever say "go the Eels". It just feels wrong! :P

Ben - probably one of the first people I met outside of my comfy zone in Parramatta. I'm sure your question to my friend Laurie and I in the lobby bar at the Marriott was a "line" to get you in to chat with us - and clearly it worked, cause we're still chatting and it's been a year now! Miss you terribly - and once again, you're in the Parra circle - go Parra!!!

Sean - what do I say? Can't even begin to comment on our 7 month journey in Australia - was a roller-coaster ride for sure! You were the first person to chat with me on my very first night at Base. I'm not sure if many people knew this, but I was terrified to move into a hostel. Loads of people, horror stories of crap housing, blah blah blah. And yet, I went to the bar for dinner that night and you came over and chatted with me - and then we sang karaoke. Haha! I'm still amazed I sang karaoke - I hadn't done it prior to my trip - and somehow ended up singing a LOT while in Australia! Anyway, off topic - thank you for befrending me on my first night and for still being a friend today! I met so many people through you (your cousins and Seana, the Scruffy's gang...) and all of them have been such an important piece of my trip, you included! I'm not sure what else to say other than - thank you - and I will never forget you! I hope we get to see each other again in the future! :)



My CSA gang - y'all know who you are. Y'all made me feel more than welcome on my very first day there and you still make me feel welcome - even though I left that job in Feb (damn immigration regulations!!) I will never forget our time together - bitching about s120's, liquid lunches at Tailors (that turned into a quickie $2 bubbly or two on breaks - on occasion!), all the email chains, and the "delectable pop" hahahaha! It's amazing how close we all became and I am thankful every day that I got a placement there - without that I would've never known the awesomeness of Tailors, got to see an amazing wedding of two friends of mine (cheers again Jordan and Reena!), and made so many close friends in such a quick time! xx




My mates at the College of Law - my second job in Australia and it was such a blast! Bitching about all the uppity law students, constant completion runs (haha!), and those amazing Thursday morning teas! I will never forget the drama that unfolded whenever someone forgot to have sausage rolls at Thursday morning tea! LOL!

Johnny/Bangers - darlin, what can I say to you? True friend from the day I met you till now! The first of my "Scruffy's boys" - I'm so blessed to have met you! Scruffy's, all the boxes of goon with the boys in the common room at the Porterhouse, till the last night before you left (when NO one believed you were actually leaving - myself included!) when we partied late in the night at Scruffy's (I paid for that one the next day!) I truly think we'll be friends for a long time and I hope you'll be buying me a drink when I come to Ireland!



The Scary Canary crew - my first "local" in Sydney - and it became a local quickly! So many memories from there - I met some of my closest "aussie besties" there, had many a drink (haha!), partied it up, and just got to love the place! Thank you to everyone I met while I was staying at Base - and we all know, staying at Base = drinking at Scary Canary! So beyond upset/embarrassed that it ended as it did...but I still love my time there!



The Scruffy's gang - all the regulars, the bar staff, everyone. I can't count the number of nights I spent there, but it was truly my home away from home. I knew at any time of the day I could go there and know at least one person there! I can't believe I've missed the renovations, but will see them there when I return to Sydney in the future! So many good times had and great friends I met because of the pub that I will never, ever forget! I'm desperately missing the Sunday Sessions with Peter Byrne on stage, a nice cold Bulmers in hand, and everyone partying around me!



And now it comes time to recognize some of the BEST friends and people I met on my adventure:

My "girls" - Claire, Seana, Aylen, Liza, Adrienne, Alethea, Sarah, Mesa, Jess - you girls were my saviours in Oz! Whether you know it or not, each of you changed my life and I know that I will see each of you again! Whether it started at the Scary Canary, Scruffy's, or the CSA - y'all will forever be in my mind and my heart! I am truly blessed to have met each of you and I *know* we'll be partying together in the future!



My "boys" - Jason, Eamon, Chris, Stephen, Peter - my boys! What do I say about them? Quite possibly the nastiest, bitchiest, most evil people I know.....and yet, once you're friends with them, they're the sweetest, most generous, some of the most loyal people I have ever met. I know for a fact that if it wasn't for each of you, my Oz trip would've been so much different - and probably not nearly as fun! Too much crap went down between all of us and I have to say I really miss being around you guys on a regular basis!!!



It has been so very hard to articulate my feelings on my trip - I feel like this blog post hasn't done the past year justice at all! The friends I made and the memories I have will be with me always! Leaving Sydney was one of the hardest things I had to do - because I truly didn't want to leave. I want to make Australia my new home and I intend on doing that in the near future! Plans are now underway to finish my Commerce degree, then find a way to get sponsorship and come back to Sydney, to my new home! My heart will always be in Australia, in Sydney - most likely sitting at the corner of the bar at Scruffy's! :P

To finish, I thought I'd list the things I've been missing the most since leaving Australia:

* Tim Tams - damn you are delicious! Mad love for the original, caramel and mint crush varieties!
* Red Rock Deli chips - specifically the honey soy chicken flavour! Love, love, love it and wish we had something similar here!
* seeing the Opera House on a daily basis - such an iconic view of Australia that gave me goosebumps from the first time I saw it till the last!
* liquid lunches/breaks/after-work drinks at Tailor's with my CSA gang - countless times of going to Tailor's and ordering two glasses of $2 bubbly at a time - cause what's the point of getting just one?! I still need to school Alethea on the art of carrying 4 glasses of bubbly at one time withOUT a tray! ;)
* Sunday sessions at Scruffy's - mentioned this earlier, but I really miss the party that would always happen on Sundays. Whether it was playing spin the bottle, a jam session on the patio, or just chilling at the bar with a pint of cider, every Sunday spent there was amazing!!
* wandering around Sydney - I really do miss just wandering around, walking the city and going to all the festivals/celebrations around Sydney.
* cheap shopping - yep, love it and miss it! Rubi shoes, Cotton On, Paper Scissors, all the shopping at Darling Harbour - miss it all!
* trivia nights with Pommy Andy - some serious good times were had whether I was playing trivia or working it! I definitely miss my trivia nights!
* goon - okay, probably don't miss this as much as everything else, but the boxes of goon do have a special place in my heart! So many boxes gone - so many memories! Drinking goon in the room at Base before the party bus with Claire, all the boxes we put away in the common room at the Porterhouse, Christmas day in the rain at Claire and Lianne's (and then the attempt to sneak goon in water bottles into Randwick for the races on Boxing day!), and ending with goon in the Whitsundays with Drin and the staff of the resort!
* the random days at Scruffy's shooting the shit with the boys - I told y'all this I think, on my last week there, that I would just miss the random nights when we just sat around and chatted about whatever. Pub was empty and we'd all be there, at the corner of the bar, stools surrounding it, just chillin. I miss that so much - wish I had something similar here, but nothing will compare to it, I'm sure!
* pints of Bulmers - OMG how I miss the cider!!!! Cheers to my girl Seana and to Sean for both introducing me to cider - how I miss it! I've scoured Halifax trying to find Bulmers or Magners with no luck - all I have now is Strongbow, which we all know doesn't even compare!
* cheap glasses of bubbly! I took full advantage of the ability to order bubbly by the glass - whether getting it for free, $2 or $5 - loved it all!
* and finally - ALL my friends!!!!! I miss each and every person that I met through the year and wish that we could all live closer so I could see y'all daily! I miss everyone so much, but know that I will see everyone again at some point in my life!




So that's it - a year in review. Pics are all on facebook (all the highlights of over 4000 photos through the year!) and I'm always contact-able! I will be back to Australia - hopefully before my 33rd. And I'm working on plans to go to England and Ireland....now looking at spring 2011!

Love, love, love everyone who was (directly or indirectly) involved in the last year of my life - I will only look back on it with the fondest of memories and can't wait
And with that, I think I'm done! Once again I will say - BEST.YEAR.EVER!!!! Thank you each and every one of you for being a part of it - and now on to the next adventure - finishing the degree so I can make my move back to Australia!!!! :)

6 weeks to go....

So my time is closing up here in Australia and I have less than 6 weeks left in this awesome country. I can't believe almost a full year has gone by since I first arrived Down Under - it feels like weeks!

The girls weekend up to Surfers Paradise was a total blast! Drin, Alethea, Jade and I partied non-stop, tanned on the beach, and drank our faces off! The trip up there was exactly what I thought it would be and more - I've even now become a surfer girl in two countries, as I successfully stood up (once, but I still did it!) on the board!

As of last week, I've now booked my final two trips around Australia. On the weekend of June 20 (my mom's birthday AND Fathers day back home!), I'll be heading up to Hamilton Island and Long Island in the Whitsundays to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef with Drin and Jess! Then the following weekend, I'm heading up to Brisbane with all the Irish boys from Scruffy's - gonna be a crazy weekend then for sure!

I'm trying to cram as much as I can into my weekends as they are now few and far between. I desperately don't want to leave Australia though, but I will make sure to enjoy every second of the next 6 weeks to the fullest to complete my adventure!

I am the worst blogger of life!

Yep, it's true! I started out all good in the first bit after arriving in Australia and I've just trickled off in the updates! Suck, suck, suck. But, I have good reason - I've been busy enjoying life Down Under!

Left my job at the CSA - went out with a bang and loads of bubbly at my leaving party - and found a new job only a few weeks later! I'm now working in the enrolments department of the College of Law in St Leonards (about a 20 min train ride from Central station, just over the Harbour Bridge). So I get to stare at the Opera House every day if I want to! :) Been there a few weeks and it's great! I've got loads to do and my new coworkers are great!

We moved out of our apartment in Ryde at the beginning of March, so I'm back to hostel life once again. Still trying to decide if it's worth it to even try and find short term apartment housing since I've got like 3 months left - I may just end up staying in the hostel till I leave Australia.

I've *finally* made it out of the city - my CSA coworker Alethea and I went to the Katoomba and the Blue Mountains a few weeks ago....it's a 2.5 hour train ride out of Sydney. It was SO worth it - beautiful scenery, a killer hike down 900 stairs that were cut into one of the mountainsides, and great times with my friend! I even found a grotto there called "Vera's Grotto" - which we went back to on the second day with a bottle of bubbly and two glasses to properly christen my grotto! Hahaha!

And - I'm not done with the travelling! In two weeks' time, I've got flights and a hotel booked in Surfers Paradise, up in Queensland! I'll be heading up there with Alethea, a new friend Adrienne and Alethea's friend Jade. 4 days on the beach - plus we plan to do a day trip to Byron Bay, where I'll get to see the most Easterly point of mainland Australia!

Things are going great here - though I am starting to get small twinges of sadness at the thought that my adventure is almost over. I've become so used to life in Sydney and my surroundings and all my great friends that I just can't imagine leaving! But I will - on July 8th, when my plane takes off, I'll be on it - heading to Toronto to help my brother celebrate his 30th with a bunch of baseball and booze!

But, no thinking about that just yet....I've still got a few months of adventures left to cram into my time here!

Aussie update!

Once again, another month goes by and I haven't found time to update my blog! I'm horrible!!!

I'm a mere 3 weeks away from the end of my job at the CSA and I'm really not looking forward to leaving. I love the job, I love my coworkers, I love the location - and I really hate job interviews! Hahahaha! Sadly, Aussie immigration says that I can only work for them for 6 months max, so as of Feb 26th, I'm unemployed again - but I've already started the job hunt! So, keep your fingers crossed that something comes along for me (and something preferably with a Monday-Friday daytime schedule as well - loving my free weekends!)

As I mentioned earlier, I was hoping to change my tickets - and if you've clued in, I have....otherwise I'd be writing this blog post from back in Halifax! I wasn't able to change all my flights (lost my Aeroplan flights from LA to Halifax) but I was able to change my Qantas flight so instead of this being a 7 month adventure, it's now become a one year adventure to the date! I left for Australia from LA on July 8th and I'll be leaving Sydney for LA on July 8th of this year!

And, I'm hoping to stop in Toronto on my way back home to Halifax as well! I currently don't have a ticket booked past LA, but my brother's celebrating his 30th the weekend I'll arrive back in North America, and he wants to go to Toronto, so I'm hoping to book separate flights to allow me to meet him in TO to celebrate there! :)

Now, as for what else is new with me. Well, I celebrated my 3rd national holiday as a part of my adventure (#1, Canada day as my going away party; #2, Independence Day in LA....) and #3, Australia Day!!! :)

I freakin' loved it - everyone all decked out in either the blue, red and white of the Aussie flag or Australia's colors of green and gold - parties everywhere, drinks abound, and just general awesomeness! My friend Liza took one of my current fave pics of myself - needless to say, I totally took to the holiday and rocked out the Aussie gear as best I possibly could!

What's next up for me? Well, aside from the job hunt and all that junk, I'm hoping to still get out of Sydney soon - thinking of a long weekend in Surfers Paradise, hopefully utilizing my bro's awesome employee discount at the Marriott hotel and getting some cheapie flights thanks to Jetstar! :)

But, I'm still having a blast and that's the main thing - I am so, so, so glad every day for taking this adventure and this trip by myself because I have truly found myself once again and learned to live and love life all over again! And meeting some truly amazing friends hasn't hurt either - love that I have made so many lifelong friends through this journey!

So much going on!

Wow!
So I can't believe it's been since September since I've updated my blog! So much has been going on!

I'm still in Sydney, still working for the Aussie government. My contract time is nearing its end though - I'll have to change jobs at the end of February. I'm hoping to go on a few trips outside of Sydney in the near future - I need to get out of the city and see more of this amazing country!!!

I've finally got a place to live - wooo hoo! As of this week, I've moved out to Ryde (about 6km outside of Sydney's CBD) into the second bedroom with my friends Seana and Paul. It's great to not have to share a room with 7 other people and to not have to insert $1 coins to do my laundry!

I'm still meeting loads of new people and having a blast doing so!

I spent my 31st birthday with a bunch of my friends at our local, nicknamed HQ, also known as Scruffy Murphy's. We played trivia on my birthday and ALMOST won! I spent the weekend of my birthday enjoying the sun and sand on Coogee beach.

Christmas was a celebration and a half. Our group of friends all spent the holidays together cooking a Christmas feast at Claire and Lianne's apartment. We were thinking of going to Bondi and doing the backpacker-style Christmas but when we saw the forecast was calling for rain, we changed plans and we're glad we did, as it rained most of Christmas (and half of Boxing Day too!) We spent Boxing Day at the Randwick horse races, cheering on the horsies. We all got dressed up and had a blast!

I have to say though, one of the best days I have ever had since arriving in Australia was New Years Eve. I said the ONLY thing I wanted to do was have some drinks and watch the fireworks from the Harbour Bridge - and I ended up doing just that! We got a sweet spot with a perfect view of the Bridge, so we got to see the early fireworks at 9pm then the late ones at midnight as well. Watching the fireworks at midnight was a surreal experience - I got a little teary eyed watching them, realizing that I was in Australia and one of the first people in the world to welcome 2010 in! It was absolutely amazing!!! We followed the fireworks with dancing and partying at our HQ (Scruffy's) till 5.30am, then back to the apt for more drinks and to watch the sun rise in 2010!

I'm sure 2010 will be a great year - it has to be, as I'm still enjoying my life here in Australia! My next goal is to get my plane tickets changed as I'm due to leave on Jan 29th, but that'll get fixed next week!

I hope everyone else had a great holiday season and I wish y'all an amazing 2010!!!

Officially employed!

Yep, I've been at the job for two weeks now and it's good! I have a small group of friends already - all from North America except one Aussie! The job itself is pretty tedious, but it's something to pay the bills, right?! Working for the government is pretty easy too - I have to say one of the best perks is getting off work by 4:30 every day! :) Love that aspect of it!!

I've also been making more friends daily - from all over the world! I have to say that is a major bonus - meeting so many new people and making so many amazing friends! The only bad part is constantly saying good bye to everyone! But, the plus side to always saying bye is that there's always a going away party associated with it!

In other news, my divorce is officially final. Well, it was on Friday. I should get the certificate in the mail soon. So I'm officially a single gal, partying in Australia!!! To celebrate, I threw myself a "divorce party" on Friday night. Got all dolled up and drank my face off! :)

Anyway, I miss everyone soooooo much! Keep sending me emails and posts on facebook!

Who knew hostel-living could be so much fun?

Yes that's right - you read correctly! I am loving the hostel lifestyle! I think because I picked one of the best with loads of great reviews (Base Backpackers near Darling Harbour) but I really am loving it!

I have met a ton of new friends, starting with my friends Natalie and Aimee from New Zealand. We spent a sweet day walking around the Taronga Zoo, where I got to see koalas, kangaroos (even if they were too lazy and were just lying in the sun!), and even the new baby elephant! It was a perfect winter day in Australia at 25c and I'm glad I got to spend it with my Kiwi friends!

One of the most convenient things about the hostel is the bar attached to it, the Scary Canary. It has become my new fave haunt! Thursday nights are ladies night and last week, us ladies partied up in style - champagne all night long for Christy (from NYC), Kate (from England), Michelle (from Melbourne) and myself!


Kate and I also headed to Bondi Beach this past week, where we did a 6km Coastal Walk between Bondi and Coogee beaches. They are so beautiful, I can't wait till the water gets a bit warmer to go swimming!!!

Quite possibly one of the funnest nights I've had here so far has been this past Monday's karaoke night! It was a crazy night with tons of new friends! I still can't believe that I sang karaoke and not only once, but THREE times! Myself, Kate, Claire (from England), Franzi, Anne Marie, and the two Tanja's (all from Germany) rocked out to Pink, Spice Girls and Abba! :)

So basically I'm settling into hostel life quite comfortably! Tonight is once again ladies night, so I'll be down at the bar, enjoying the champagne! And one week from today, I finally start my job as a typist for the Australian Government! It'll be nice to get some cash flow coming back in!

While I am having a total blast over here, I do miss my family and friends back home - and my new friends that I've met here who've already headed back home! I am making some amazing memories that will last me a lifetime and I fall more in love with Australia every day! If you're reading this and even thinking about a trip to Australia - my advice is to just DO IT!!!! You will not regret it, trust me! Even travelling solo - this has been the best adventure of my life! :)

The next adventure!

Well, I know it's been awhile since I've had an actual update. Not much had happened - until today!

I did hear back from the Tommy job and I didn't get it. They picked another candidate who wasn't on the working holiday visa. Totally understandable, but it still sucks. So, I continued the job search and kept putting resumes out there (probably at least 20 daily!) and last week, I had an interview with a temp agency in the City for a typist position.

Today, I got the call that I got the job!!!! So I'm now employed once again! After being off work for the last 5 weeks, it feels good to know that shortly, there will be money coming back into my account! Cause, that account is getting seriously depleted lately! ;)

I was living at the Courtyard Marriott in Parramatta for the last week, which was nice. Thanks again to my bro for getting me a super sweet rate (like 70% off the original rate!!!). But, today, I moved into cheaper digs in the City. I'm trying hostel living for the first time. So far, the place looks nice, however there isn't much room for luggage (and as we all know, I didn't pack lightly!!)

The room isn't full though, so for now it should be good. I also booked myself into an all girls dorm (sleeps 8) that comes with girls-only extras: free Aveda shampoo and conditioner, separate secure rooms, and the best part - a free glass of champagne from the bar next door EVERY night of my stay! Wheeeeeee!

There's two other girls currently in the room, but I haven't met them yet - the room was empty when I arrived. So I headed out to get some lunch (and a padlock for my room locker, so I don't have to carry my laptop everywhere, or worry about it!) I'm currently enjoying some Mackers (McDonald's for y'all in North America!), which has free wifi! Bonus!

Since this appears to be my last week before I hit the workforce again, I plan to do some more sightseeing. I think I might hit Bondi on the next sunny day, head up to Katoomba and the Blue Mountains to see the Three Sisters, and see if Nic and her parents want to hit the Taronga Zoo one day! Then it'll be working during the week, vacation on the weekends for me!

Just when I thought all hope was lost for my adventure, things have finally started to fall into place!

Thanks to all my friends for their words, support and love to help me stay positive over the last few weeks! I love you guys more than you will ever know!

Next up? Sightseeing (as I mentioned above) and the apartment hunt! Wish me luck!

The first interview!

Well, I've got my first Aussie interview down and under my belt!

The job I mentioned earlier with Tommy Hilfiger called me back and I went into the City today for the interview. It was mildly nerve-wracking as it was with the area manager - and the regional manager, who flew in from Melbourne for the interview!

I think I did well though. I made them laugh, impressed them with my retail and, more specifically, with my Tommy skills. The interview was about 45 min long and they told me that they'd be making a decision by tomorrow morning and they'd call me.

So, everyone out there, fingers crossed! I need, need, need a job here in Australia.....and BAD!!!!!

The exhausting job hunt...

I've now been in Australia for a week and a half and it feels like forever!

I have fallen in love with the country, with the accents, with the slang, with the food, with everything!

Now I haven't seen much aside from my one day of sightseeing (though I have seen a lot of this restaurant/bar in Parramatta called the Roxy - as it has free internet access, all I have to do is buy a drink or two - tough life!) but I love feeling like I'm actually *living* in Australia!

The job hunt? Not going so well. I haven't heard anything back from the tons of admin type jobs I've applied to, so today I resorted to applying for retail jobs. I have the experience needed for retail and if I can do it even for a bit while I find my M-F job then that's okay. I just hope not to be doing retail the whole time I'm here in Australia. But, I think making myself look employable on a resume (ie with some Aussie experience on it) will help, so I'll do whatever.

We'll see how it goes - I've applied for a ton of retail jobs today, including one in the Tommy Hilfiger department of Myer (an Aussie department store)! I hope someone will notice my retail experience and give me a call - and further a job - soon!

Nic's parents arrive in two weeks from Halifax, so I'd love to find a job soon, so I can get on with securing an apartment. Nic found a sweet apartment building here in Parramatta that's a ton nicer than the one I was looking at originally, and it's furnished, and available now!

So I need a job - so then I can get this sweet apartment!!!! Send me get-a-job-soon vibes, please!!!!!

Welcome to Australia, mate!

So, I have arrived in Australia!!! It's been 6 amazing days of hard working and sightseeing and just getting myself settled here a bit.

I've got a new Aussie cell - no wait, mobile (that's the Aussie term for cell phones!) - and I've opened a bank account. Next up, finding a job....and then finding a short term, furnished apartment reasonably close to the only people I know in Oz (Nic and Damien).


The flight from LA to Sydney was amazingly long and tiring. Even though I spent a good part of it trying to sleep, it was difficult as I was in the middle seat between a husband and wife, who didn't want to sit next to each other! According to the husband, they'd spent the last 3 weeks travelling together and needed some time apart. Good for them, but this left me with a wife cuddling against me for 14 hours! Oddly enough, they were from Yarmouth County (in NS, for those of you who aren't from Nova Scotia) but have been living in Australia for the last 8 years! How funny, right?

So I arrive in Sydney, clear customs and immigration easily and then get put to work by Nic and Damien. Friday (the 10th, the day I arrived) was their first moving day into their new apartment. I helped them move from one place to the other until about 5, when they could both tell the lack of sleep and 13 hour time difference was catching up to me. I told them I'd take a shower and a quick power nap and I'd be ready to go.

Next thing I know it's 10am on Saturday morning! Guess I really was tired!

I then spent the rest of the weekend helping them complete their move into their beautiful new apartment, which is located in the CBD (Central Business District) of Parramatta, a suburb of Sydney.



On Tuesday, I headed into Sydney to do a bit of touristing. My first destination? Darling Harbour! I had heard and seen all about it, thanks to Real World: Sydney....and I wanted to experience it for myself. What an amazing location - I fell in love with Australia right then and there! I then took a water taxi to the Opera House, the pinnacle of all things Sydney, in my opinion. Seeing the Opera House in person just was overwhelming. I admit while walking around and enjoying a glass of bubbly at the Opera House, I got misty-eyed. Actually *being* there at the Opera House made this whole trip and adventure real for the first time. I am beyond shocked and amazed at myself for making it to Australia and starting on this huge adventure!

So, that's the basics for now. I don't have regular internet yet, but am frequenting a few places that offer free internet as long as you purchase food/drinks (not a problem here, my friends - they have bubbly by the glass at most places here!!!)

Stay tuned, next up for this chick?

Finding a job and an apartment! Eeeeks! Wish me luck!

California lovin'!

I made it to Cali!

The sun is shining and the friends are amazing! I am definitely starting this epic adventure off right!! Eventually I'll have some pics of the trip, I promise! But I am having so much fun!! We celebrated the 4th of July in small-town America style by seeing the city parade (complete with a stop at a local biker bar for some morning Bloody Mary's! ;) ) then back home for a swim in the pool and a BBQ with friends! Top the day off with an amazing fireworks show from the city from the perfect location (my friends' driveway!) and the day couldn't have been better!

Today, my friend Laura and I are heading to Pasadena. We'll go see the Rose Bowl stadium and also see some Botanical Gardens. The sun is shining once again, so I'm sure it'll be a perfect day!

I can't believe that in 3 days time I'll actually be getting on a plane to Australia though! It all feels so surreal!

On my way!

So, I sit here in Terminal 1 in Toronto's Pearson Airport, waiting to board my flight to LAX! The day has finally come and I'm starting my epic journey to Australia, starting with a stopover of 5 awesome days in LA!

I can't believe the day is finally here!!! I had the best week of good-byes...starting with a patio day with my brother last Friday. We hit 4 patios in downtown Halifax and had a blast! Then I got picked up by Sarah to "go for a drink", which was actually a surprise facial/martini night with a ton of my sorority sisters! So amazing!

My last day at Tommy was bittersweet. After 2 years there, it was hard to say goodbye to my coworkers, especially those few who have been there since the beginning (the "originals", you know who you are!). But, I took a ton of pics (which I'll upload later on) and I will miss each and every one of my coworkers for sure!

I had a great time with my friends Alisa and Sean (and their adorable son!) who flew to Halifax from Toronto for my last week there! Though I didn't get to spend a *ton* of time with them (stupid last minute running around!) the time I did spend with them was so much fun! Thanks again for coming to visit, you guys rock!!!

I think the highlight of my going-away week was our annual Canada Day party. I was expecting a few more people than normal, but I had no idea so many people would actually show up! At one point, I'm sure there was over 50 people there! We ran out of parking on my street!!!! I had a blast the whole day and want to send a special thanks to my brother and Melissa Y for manning the grill throughout the party! Love you guys!!!

So, as I start my journey, I am excited, scared and sad all at once. But, I know this trip will be the start of something new and amazing for me....plus, I get to see one of my dream destinations!

Can't wait to get to LA in a few hours.....and Australia next week!!!!!!

5 days and counting!!!!

I can't believe this day is almost here!

5 days and I'll be on a plane to LA (or La-la land, as my friend Laura calls it!) I can't wait to spend 5 days in LA with Laura and Charlie, seeing the sights and just loving life in California.

Then, on to Australia and Sydney!!!!!!!

I had the start of my going-away parties last night...which was actually a total surprise to me. My amazing sorority sister Sarah planned a night out for me with our sisters. Facials, martinis, cupcakes and laughs....then on to Tribeca for more drinks! It was so amazing to see all my sisters there and to spend some time with them before I get on the plane! I can't wait to read all the notes that they prepared for me over my trip. Once again, it's times like last night that make me so unbelievably happy that I'm a sister of Iota Beta Chi!

I've got my big going away party on Wednesday, also known as Canada Day, which I can't wait for! I love my family's annual Canada Day party - it's always so festive! And then I'm on the plane on Friday, heading for a new, huge adventure on the other side of the world!!!!

Papers are filed....

So, that's it. We filed our papers with the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia yesterday. In 4 months, I'll get a letter in the mail telling me my divorce has been approved.

It was shockingly easy to do. Not emotionally, that part was heart wrenching (and still is). But it was far more difficult to get my marriage license than it was to get a divorce. Just sign my name to like 10 different pieces of paper and that's it. No standing in front of a judge, nothing.

I won't even be in the country to see the papers though, as they'll likely arrive at my parents house in September - and I'll still be loving life in Australia! I leave in less than two months for the adventure of a lifetime - and I can't wait!

It's impossible to write down exactly how I feel right now. I don't think words would even adequately express my emotions. I'm so drained of all emotions over the past two days that it's so hard to get excited about my upcoming trip. But, I know that will come and I just need to deal with the emotions surrounding the end of my marriage. Again. Just when I think I'm dealing well with getting divorced, another thing comes along and I revert back to the heartbroken mess that I was in October.

I hate that. I can't wait for the day that all this doesn't affect me anymore. And I hope that day comes soon!

Oz, here I come!

Wooo hooo!

I have booked my tickets to Australia! I'm so excited that I'm finally doing this! I decided back in December to do something big for myself, and I decided 'what can be bigger than going to Australia by myself?'

So, I'm doing it! I've applied for the Working Holiday visa, which will allow me to live and work in Oz for up to a year. I've also (as of last night) booked the flights to get me there and back. I'm planning to go for 7 months, leaving July 3rd (with a 5 day stopover in LA to visit friends!) and leaving Sydney on January 29th (again, with a 3 day stopover to visit my LA friends!)

I'll be staying with a childhood friend of mine - my parents next-door neighbours (John and Terry) daughter Nichole and her Aussie husband Damien. At least until I find my own apartment. I plan to get a short term furnished place in Sydney - which will also mark the very first time I'll live on my own!

Eeeks! Such a huge change for me and I'm so excited about it! I can't wait for the things to come and the places I'll get to see and experience. Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, shopping in Darling Harbour, sphering in New Zealand (they did this on one season of the Amazing Race)....and just experiencing life in Oz! :)

The next 2 months better fly by!

So many changes...

So, it's actually been over a year since I updated last and so much has happened.

Looking back on my last post:

~ Cuba was AMAZING! I'm missing Cuba like mad, especially since this time last year, I was most likely enjoying a cocktail in paradise. I so wish I was back in Cuba!!!!

~ Art did come home - in October. To tell me he wanted a divorce. Quite possibly the worst hour of my life. I'm not going to go into details, but I do know that I found out that night that I have some of the MOST amazing friends EVER, who dropped everything to come and cheer me up (and some with chicken mc nuggets!). Dawn, Sarah, Jmadd, La, and Mel...you guys are beyond amazing!

So, that's my last year in a nutshell. It's been an emotional nutshell for sure and I have learned so much about myself and what I can deal with.

I'm now fully moved back to Halifax, having gone to Florida in February (with Dawn) to pack my stuff up and ship it home. Another task that I thought would break me (and it did, temporarily), but I just keep recovering and looking towards the future.

We haven't filed any paperwork yet (I'm not doing it, this is not my choice), so I guess technically I'm still married.

But, I'm moving on and making HUGE plans for myself for the near future. I'm making 2009 the "year of Vera" and focusing on myself. Stay tuned for good things from me!

Beautiful beaches, here I come!

So, again, it's been *forever* since I've updated my blog. Not too much has changed, but one thing has!

The Valentines surprise I was planning for Art has been modified a bit. He still hasn't made his way back to Halifax. :( I was planning to take him to Cuba for a week in April, took vacation days off and was waiting for word that he booked his ticket. The deadline for him to come home is tomorrow (in order for him to have time to renew his passport and stuff). So, last week when I realized that he wouldn't be home in time (tickets are crazy expensive) I decided to change my travel partner....


.....and take my mom to Cuba instead!

We booked earlier this week and my mom is so excited! We leave April 6th for Varadero, staying at the Barcelo Solymar. I've heard many good things about this resort and can't wait to be sitting there, 3 weeks from right now, in the tropical weather....drink in hand, of course!

The best part of it is that I'm finally going to be meeting a friend of mine in person! One of my friends from a message board, whom I've been talking to online and on the phone for years and years now, is also going there for the same week! In fact, she's the reason I originally thought of going to Cuba waaaay back in January. We're staying at the same resort and plan on partying together all week!

I hope like hell that it snows in Halifax while we're in Cuba! :P Renee, see you in 3 weeks!!!!!!

What to say....

Well, I just realized that it has been forever since I've updated my blog!

Our trip to Boston in early December was great! We shopped, visited Salem (where the witch trials were held...we had never been before and it was beautiful!), and drank with our friends over the weekend. It was a short-lived reunion though, as Art left a day early to go to an interview in Jacksonville.

He still hasn't heard back from them. :(

So, needless to say, I'm still in Halifax and Art is still in Florida...for now. I'm hoping for an East Coast reunion, with my honey coming home to me very shortly. I've planned a super-secret Valentine's surprise for him (which I won't share here, in case he reads my blog!!). This coming Valentine's day will be the 10th anniversary of the day Art asked me to be his girlfriend!!!

In other news:

I'm now 29 years old (as of Dec 17th). Entering in my last year of the 20's. So, I've created a "30 new things to do before I turn 30" list. Stay tuned for updates to my list.

I am now in management at Tommy Hilfiger! I got promoted in January to keyholder! I'm loving the job and the responsibilities and everything that comes with my new title. I've been in the job since Jan 12 and it's just a blast!

My coworker and friend Dawn asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding this summer and I'm so excited and so honored! I've never been a bridesmaid before and I can't wait....my dress is strapless and purple! Wheeee! July 19th is the big date!

My family had a huge, sudden blow to our family. On January 11th, we had an early morning phone call. My grandmother passed away suddenly in her sleep. She was 85 and an amazing woman. I still miss her every day and feel so sad that I never got to say goodbye to her...or even see her lately, as the last time I had seen her was on Christmas day. We had planned to go visit her the evening of the 11th (we talked to her on the evening of the 10th on the phone and she said she was fine and she'd see us tomorrow night)...and then to get that phone call. It's been a few hard weeks, obviously. I did get to see both my aunts (who flew home for the funeral) and my cousins Mike (from Vancouver, whom I hadn't seen since I was 18 months old!) and Christine (from Ottawa, whom I hadn't seen since her wedding day in '99!). I miss my grandmother terribly already. :(

I think that's the big stuff that happened lately. Christmas was Christmas...got some super sweet stuff off my list, but missed my husband so much. It didn't really feel like Christmas to me without my honey next to me over the holidays.

I'm going to try to be a better blogger this year, I promise!

Get ready Beantown...

....cause I'm coming to town! It's even better than Santa coming to town! Hee hee!

Long story short, Art booked a non-refundable ticket to Boston for a work interview that got cancelled, so we started making plans to use that ticket anyway and meet in Boston! Well, I just booked my ticket from Halifax and we'll be heading there on Nov 30th....less than two weeks away!

We haven't seen each other since the end of July when I flew to Florida to surprise him, so I'm totally super excited to see my hot husband again very soon! Plus, I'll get to see my *amazing* Boston friends again!

Happy anniversary to me!

Yesterday was my 6th wedding anniversary! I still can't believe Art and I have been married for 6 years now, it feels like just yesterday that we were saying our vows and I was dancing the night away in my gorgeous white gown. But it has been 6 long years and I think I've become a better and stronger person over that time...mainly because of my husband the love we have for each other.



I celebrated my anniversary without my husband though. He's still in Florida, still looking for a job. So I went out to Boston Pizza with friends to drink and watch the FSU/Miami game on the big screen! It was a blast...I only wish my honey could've been there with me...or I could've been in Florida with him. But thanks to great friends like Alicia, Trish, Anthony, Alex, Kristy, Sarah and Amanda...I still celebrated!

To my friends - thank you for being there with me yesterday!

To my husband - I love you more and more every second that we are married and I treasure every year we're together. We will be together again soon to celebrate our anniversary and our love. I love you so much, my tomato head!

The reunion...

....is done and I can finally talk about it on my blog. It's taken a week to "deal" with it, mentally.

I ended up having 23 people come. Yep, only 23 people out of my graduating class of well over 200. Even worse when tons of people said they loved the idea and would be there...but never made it. The contract I signed with the Silva stipulated that even if I canceled the cruise, I'd still owe them the money. So I knew that canceling was NOT an option for me...which meant I had to find the money to pay the Silva the morning of the reunion.

I'm now stuck with a $2000 bill, paid partially between my mom's credit card and my husband's card. It was the most fucking expensive cruise I have and will EVER pay for...and you can best believe that I won't be the one planning our 20 year reunion after this debacle.

The people who did come come out had a blast, though, and that made me happy. We chatted, caught up and drank a LOT. It was great seeing so many old friends, including a few that I went to school with since elementary, like my friend Lorne:



We even finished the cruise out with a loud, drunken rendition of our school song! It poured the entire time we sailed around Halifax Harbour, but we didn't let that stop us ex-Spartans!



Overall, I had a blast on the cruise and I feel sad that more of my classmates didn't make it out to enjoy themselves with the rest of us. Their loss....well, theirs and mine now too, I guess.

Art and I had discussed when I would move to Florida (once he officially gets a job) and we agreed that November would be a good time. However, now that I owe this huge bill from the reunion, I likely won't be leaving until just before Christmas. I've been upset and angry and pretty much every emotion possible this past week, realizing that this will make my time here in Halifax 4 WHOLE years. :(

Ah well, at least I had a fun cruise on the harbour! I even ended the night soaked and walking through puddles past my ankles with Carmen:



Someone please remind me in 10 years that under no circumstances am I allowed to volunteer myself to plan our 20 year reunion....

Reunion stress!

I'm days away from my 10 year high school reunion and it is causing me nothing but stress! No, it's not because I'm worried about what people will think (though I am worried about that) or how I look or anything. It's because I'm planning it! Shocker, I know....for those that know me, I'm sure you're not shocked at all that I took up the organization of the whole thing.

But, what sucks is that I booked a fab reunion aboard a Tall Ship in Halifax. A 3 hour cruise, complete with catering service. It's not a cheap thing....and I only have 21 people paid right now. I need 74. So, that's why I'm stressing big-time!

Last night, I decided to open up the reunion to friends and family. I'm hoping some other people will come and/or my classmates decide at the last minute to come. Because I would hate for this reunion to get cancelled or something.

Either way, it's causing me a lot of stress and worry. Stay tuned for the update on Saturday....

I'm a bad blogger...

....yes I know it's been almost 2 months since my last blog update. I blame work...I feel like I live at Tommy Hilfiger lately!

For those that don't know, Art ended up not getting the job in Dallas. It's a long complicated story, but he didn't get it. He's *still* looking for something and I'm hoping he'll find something soon.

Last week, I decided to be super impulsive and I cashed in all my Aeroplan miles and bought a ticket to Tallahassee to surprise Art. He had no idea that I did it and seeing his shocked face as he entered the sushi restaurant, expecting only Atanas for lunch, was SO worth it! We hadn't seen each other in 6.5 months by that point, so I think we both really needed this past weekend.

My honey is really depressed though, about still not finding a job, and it makes me super sad. I wish there was something, anything that I could do for him, but there's nothing. I just tried to be his cheerleader while I was visiting, telling him I know that something will come up soon and that we will get through this together. I was my super cheerful, happy self the whole time, in hopes it would raise his spirits, but I don't think it helped too much. But I don't know what else I can do. I know getting a job will help, so I hope he finds something soon.

Other than that, not much is new with me. Working 40 hours a week at Tommy, planning my 10 year high school reunion (which is next month!), and looking forward to a getaway weekend in August to PEI with my mom! Summer is just flying by though....

Some news we've all been waiting for!

Yep that's right, the news is finally here!

Art got a new job! :)

He found out yesterday....he got a job through a consulting company working for Bank of America in Dallas! It's a 3 month contract-to-perm position so it's not guaranteed after 3 months, so we're not making a full move to Dallas just yet. Art's going to pack up our apartment and put it in storage and then move in with his brother for the summer. I'll remain here in Halifax at my job for the summer as well, and then if/when he gets the permanent position directly with Bank of America, we'll find an apartment in Dallas and I'll move there!

So things are starting to look up for us again! :)

On a related sidenote, I started my job with Tommy Hilfiger last week. My body aches so much from getting the store ready for today's opening, but it looked amazing when I left last night! We had a staff shopping party before the store opened and I got a bunch of new Tommy tops!

Anyway, that's the news from us lately! Now I just need to hear when Art will be coming to Canada to get his new work visa so we can meet up - I haven't seen my honey in 5 months now!!!

Finally some positive news...

....but not what everyone's expecting.

I got a new job here in Halifax! :)

I figured it was time for me to suck it up and get over my stupid mindset that taking a job in Halifax means resigning myself to living here long-term again...and that I was essentially saying that I didn't think Art could get a job. (I told you it was a stupid mindset, didn't I?) So earlier this week I applied at Tommy Hilfiger. They're opening their first store in Nova Scotia at the new Dartmouth Crossing (sound familiar? It seems I open new and exciting firsts for Nova Scotia lately..haha!)

Anyway, went for an interview on Thursday and I got offered a full-time position on the spot! :) Wheeeee! I'm now full-time employed by a designer! :P I work in a designer store! Waaaaahooooo!

Sadly, still no news on Art's job front. It's kinda depressing that he hasn't been able to find anything yet, given his amazing skills and experience, but I have to hold out hope that he WILL find something someday soon. I know my honey would be an asset to any company he works for, they just have to realize that! ;)

So for now, I'm the sole breadwinner in our family (for the first time ever...haha!). I'll keep holding out hope that Art finds something soon. Then comes the discussion on what we should do...because logic says I should stay here and work for a bit (to save up some of the savings we had to spend in the last 4 months) but emotion says book the next ticket to move back with my honey. Who knows what we'll do...that's a conversation for the near future, I think.

For now, I'm an official Tommy Girl! The store opens June 5th, but I'll start work there May 30th (training and stocking the store for the first time...again, something I'm familiar with, having done the initial stocking of Old Navy!) I've always thought that karma would tell me that once I got a job, Art would get a job...then we'd have to make another decision....so, I guess stay tuned!

I hope my next update will be that Art found a job too!

Almost a month later...

....and I'm still in Halifax!

Yep, it's May and almost 4 months to the day since I left Florida. Still no word from any job prospects for Art. We've talked about it and he applied for a few jobs abroad this past weekend. Just in London and Dublin for now, so we'll see what comes out of that. If he does get them, this will mean a huge move for us over "the pond". The bonus to moving to Europe is that Art can work visa-free in EU countries (as a citizen of Poland) and I can apply to work there visa-free too (as a spouse of a EU citizen). Both of us would finally be working in the same country again!! So, I've been spending my free time (aka all day long) looking for flats in London and making a list of stuff we'd take/leave if we did make the move.

I never realized how hard it would be to decide what we'd take. And it appears my husband was right when we first discussed moving to Europe. He asked if this was a short term or a long term thing and I said "who knows, why would we have to decide now?" I realize after making lists that we would kind of have to decide if we were going long or short term....and what to do with our stuff.

If it was a short term move (a year or two) we could take minimal things, get a furnished apartment, and leave most of our big stuff in North America. But where to leave it? Halifax? Florida? Tough choices. And what stuff is "essential"? What would I want to make a London apartment feel like home?

If it's long term, we'd most likely give away/sell most of our stuff that we wouldn't take...and to decide what we should take too. Do we bring our furniture? Probably not our bed, since from what I've read, London apartments are much smaller and our king probably won't fit well). And if we don't bring our furniture, do we sell it or give it away? We wouldn't take much of our electronic stuff (except probably the laptop and the digital camera, but we have a converter so it would work) so our big screen would be gone. :(

So many little things to think about. Like would England have the same stuff kitchen-wise that I'm used to? Would our martini/wine/champagne/shot glasses get broken on a trip across the Atlantic? What would I really miss and what could I live without? Would Art really need all those computer books (we have over three bookcases full of techie books!) in London? I guess the final determining factor on what we'd bring would be determined on any relocation package any future employers would give us! ;)

It would make me sad to get rid of our stuff, as it's all stuff Art and I picked out together since we've been living together. But, then we'd get to go shopping in Europe to get new stuff!

So many things to think about...for now, we wait and see if any of the Europe companies are interested in my uber-smart husband! ;) Stay tuned for future updates....

Yep, I'm still here...shocker...

So here it is, April already...and I'm still in Halifax. 3 months ago, I left Florida for what I hoped was a week or two visit to Halifax. And I'm still here, no hope in sight of ever leaving. I feel so sad for my husband because he hasn't found a job yet. I'm sad for us because yet another month went by and we're still living apart.

The weather's starting to look better (well, sunnier...not so much warmer) and I don't have any spring/summer clothes here...they're all in Florida. Along with all my beloved sandals and flip flops. Yet, right now in Florida is the perfect time, not too hot yet, but warm enough to head to the pool. And I'm missing it. Booo.

On a fun side note, I ended up taking a very last-minute overnight trip this past weekend to Moncton to celebrate my friend Carolyn's birthday with her. Rented a car and drove up on Saturday and spent the evening in the company of some amazing friends and some even MORE amazing martinis! ;)



We started the night out at Marianne's house (the one grabbing her boobs above!) and had various martinis (the flirtini, pink panther martini and tiffany blue martini) then we headed to downtown Moncton to party it up more!



I found a new delish martini there...the purple haze martini! It was truly yummy, especially the booze soaked blueberries in the bottom!

Must make a trip back to Moncton for those bad boys some day!

St Patrick's day and green drinks!

To start, yep....still in Halifax. Still haven't heard anything back from the interview Art went on over a MONTH ago. :( My hopes of spending St Patrick's Day in Toronto didn't come through, so my new hope is to be in Toronto, on my way back to Florida, for Easter weekend. Honestly, the optimistic attitude I've been trying to adopt is slowly losing its appeal. I find it hard to be positive and hopeful as the days and weeks go by. I can't believe I've been home for 2.5 months now.

Anyway, on to funner things!

I spent St. Patrick's Day having green drinks with some of my girls at Helle and Eric's house! As I like to be festive for any holiday, I had to have a sweet hat (thanks again for letting me borrow the hat, Erin!):



Me and my girls, who are so amazing and listened to me rant about my crappy life right now (y'all rock, you know that!):


Overall, it was a pretty sweet St. Patrick's Day. Kristy, Jay and I did a little party-hopping, starting at Kristy's friend Colin's place for a birthday drink with him and his friends, then on to Helle and Eric's for more drinks. We ended the night playing some fighting game on X-box till almost 6am! :) I'm not Irish, but I fully support the partying atmosphere that revolves around St Patrick's Day....and I can pretend to be Irish for a day, right?!

I've decided that one of these years, I'm going to Ireland to celebrate in the motherland! ;) Hee hee!

Still here...

I realized it's been a while since my last blog update, so I thought I'd come in and update y'all.

I'm still in Halifax. It's now been almost a month since Art had his interview with no word from FAMU. They did say they'd let him know within a month, so we're hoping that we'll hear something this week. So stay tuned for a possible quick update! ;)

I've been feeling a little better lately...trying to be more upbeat and optimistic that this will all work out. Some days are better than others (today's a low one, I think) but I would think this up-and-down attitude is to be expected, given our situation. I'm desperately hoping that this week will be the end of it and finish with booking some tickets to Toronto for next weekend (which would mean we'd get to spend St. Patrick's Day in Toronto with our friends there!)

I did my taxes last week and found out I'm getting all my money I paid in back, so I told Art I want to put that money towards some sort of vacation for the two of us. I think even a long weekend away would be great! I'm pushing for some sort of all inclusive resort! ;) Just thinking of infinite margaritas on a sunny beach is enough to make me happier! Hee hee!

So that's it from here, but hopefully we'll hear soon that he got the job (everyone think positive thoughts, please!) and I'll finally be moving to Florida permanently!