Kakadu You!

I've been reading a lot of decorating blogs lately and have a huge file of pictures for inspiration. I'm really excited to finally move into a new apartment and decorate it as I like. Our apartment we are in right now is just lovely, very cute, quaint and full of colour, which I like. However I'm ready to put my heart into decorating. Not necessarily spending a lot of money, but slowly over time adding things that I like. I don't feel the need to fill our new apartment (to be) with furniture straight away. Rather to get something for the apartment if it sings to me. I'm not getting a couch until I find one I'm in love with. We'll buy a mattress straight away. But we'll be using cardboard boxes and borrowed fold out chairs until we find things that work (aka that I like). I'm so excited for the impending and ongoing project that is coming up. We didn't do a whole lot with the apartment we're in, knowing that we'd eventually leave. We also didn't realize we'd live here a full five years. We thought it would be 2 years. Time flies though.

It looks like we're set to leave the US at the end of the year. We were planning on leaving in September, but my brother inlaw and his girlfriend will probably marry around October/November time. We want to be here for their engagement and see them when they get back.

I'm so excited for many things. I'm itching to get a dog or (hypoallergenic!) cat. I need something to love and take care of. I've been telling my husband he'd better let me get a pet soon, before I start saying I want children! haha. But in all seriousness, the need to love and care for something, whether a child or pet kicks in for many women at around 30. Right now, all I want is a pet. A medium sized dog and I'll be happy.

We were talking about Australia last night and exploring the unknown country. So much of its unknown to me. We're hoping our friend Nathan comes out in the next 2 years. We're planning on going to Kakadu to go camping. Then visit Broome and the north of Western Australia, possibly driving south to Perth, through Monkey Mia and then Geraldton. We'd need a good 3 weeks for that. The thought of being in the bush, by beautiful gorges in the blistering heat thrills me. In the north of WA there are the most amazing thunderstorms in the afternoon. Especially in the wet season. The sky turns a brilliant shade of purple. It starts to rain lightly yet its warm outside. The rain is a relief. In the distance the sky gets angry and you're on a dirt road with dirt thats almost red in colour. You're surrounded by the bush and see the occasional kangaroo or emu. I remember driving away from such thunderstorms, and emu's passing us while we drive in the landcruiser. Australia is the most beautiful country that I'm still in love with. I've never gotten it out of my system. I was talking about it to a gal I'd just met. She said "you'll stay here. people always end up staying in california". She asked me about Australia and what its like. I described the outback and the beaches. She smiled and said "sounds like you'll go home. Your heart is still there". While I'm looking forward to living in Sydney, its WA that I want to explore. Its so untouched. The beaches there are incredible. They are different to beaches on the East Coast of Australia. The water is clearer, the sand whiter, and they are much less populated.



I'm not saying living in Australia will be perfect. It'll be a nice change though. There's no place like home. I'm feeling hesitant to leave America in some ways. 5 years is a big chunk of my life. I love certain things about it here. But I'm eager for change. For the unknown.

Putting our roots down finally will be nice, instead of feeling so temporary. I think I lived so "temporarily" here because I wanted to feel like I was going home "next year". It was always next year. And now it finally is this year. Granted at the end of the year!