its been about a year...time to reflect

It's been about a year... well actually its a exactly a year since we touch down at the Sydney Airport with 4 bags of luggage.

When we first decided to move to Australia we knew that regardless of whatever happened it would at the very least be an interesting phase of our life; that one day we would look back on it and be glad we took a leap of faith and gave it an honest shot.

We decided to call it "Roller Coaster ..." because we knew that this journey would have many ups and downs, good days and bad days, fun times and no so fun times. Looking back after a year I think we were right.

So what's happened in the year we've been here?

• Seen our sisters get married and consequently, we've flown to Canada three times (Dec '12, May and July) and flown in from UK once (Sept '12) and there and back once (April)
• Moved places four times (Neutral Bay, North Sydney, Kirribilli and McMahons Point) 
• Travelled to Melbourne, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Auckland on weekend trips
• Had two sets of guests from UK and Canada
• And this blog should capture everything in between

And how does this translate to a Roller Coaster? It represents...

• ...our bank balance after going through a wedding and then shortly after selling a house/car/furniture and then purchasing all those flights, being on a single income, then double, then single again. Also, moving to a new country has a lot of costs both hidden and obvious. We came here with four suitcases and picked up few things on our trips back, but have had to buy the rest here
• ...my learning curve in my new job here and some of the associated challenges and rewards of being an employee in a company in the High Tech Industry going through, lets just say, some interesting times at the moment
• ...our feelings of home sickness
• ...our level of frustration/knowledge of being newbies in a new country so far from home

Things I thought I'd miss but don't:

• My car. Perhaps city living is growing on me.
• Living Space. I went from living in a decent enough sized house to a one bedroom flat. But simple living has its rewards, for one I can no longer indulge temptations to hoard, or buy stuff just because its on sale, or feel the need for loads of electronics
• Canada's four seasons. It actually gets quite cold in Australia in the winter. Yes, temperature wise its not as extreme as Canada in the winter, but the homes are not as insulated, there is no heating and when you don't own a car and you have to walk to work in the rain it kind of sucks.
• The option to do US shopping. Its actually cheaper to buy from Amazon and ship to Australia (<$1000) than it is in Canada because you don't have to pay duties or taxes on the purchase. Not so good if you're buying electronics/appliances as the voltage is different and warranty likely void.
• Owning property. Yes, from a long term financial prosperity perspective it makes absolute sense to own and there is no doubt about that. But mortgages, at least for me felt like a shackle and limited my sense of adventure and freedom to get up and go. It keeps you tied to your job, and forces you in a repeated pattern of make money, pay mortgage, and if you have enough left, then to live with the rest (within reasonable distance from the mortgage). I don't miss the surprise costs of having a water heater breaking, or roof leak, etc. I am enjoying this temporary break from home ownership.
• Weekend events. The barrage of commitments and endless events. Ok fine I didn't think I'd miss this...

Things I miss (beyond the obvious friends and family):

• My garage and tools
• Chicken Wings
• Ice Tea
• Knowing where to go for specific things. E.g. we needed to buy a fuse and I had no clue where to start looking
• Indian fresh vegetables. Living in the city in a non-Indian area has made it a bit more challenging to find. However, we've learned that if you're in one of the more Indian suburbs out here there are a few good options
• Being a permanent resident/citizen - living on a visa has its limitations, costs and fear of being kicked out of the country if you lose your job

Things I've grown to love more:

• The outdoors and living a healthy lifestyle
• Sushi and Thai food
• Wine
• Fascination with cruise ships
• Living close to water
• Attending events in the City

Given current news and events for my company and how life has an interesting way of presenting challenges and opportunities, we might be here for another month or another ten years. This makes planning and living, very difficult.... but lets see how this one plays out.

One thing thats for sure, it has definitely been an adventure, its been rewarding in so many different ways. You really get to assess a place once you've lived there. No amount of internet searches and advice from friends and family will ever fully equip you for your particular journey. Sydney has a lot of offer, we'd like to continue exploring at this stage.

Thanks for reading.