Pantry - Empty, Bags - Packed, Car -Sold, Junk- Being sent home. In a few days we leave Wangaratta for the last time and head down to Philip Island to spend a couple of days before flying to Auckland. Our next adventure is set to begin! We'll be posting again so if you live vicariously through us be prepared for New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Turkey,...

It's been so long since I've blogged! I'm not sure what to write about. Even this update has taken 4 attempts over 3 months. Farley Mowat, a Canadian author who recently passed away said, "I've never enjoyed writing. I have enjoyed written. The completion of the exercise is marvelous!" Sums it up neatly. I find uploading albums and posting a quick daily status on Facebook satisfactory. For the non-FBers, I had tried starting a colorful newsletter but my...

I have finally figured out the differences between moving to a new country and being on an exchange in a new country. While both have similarities such as starting in a new work place and finding avenues to meet people, the major difference is that in one situation, you are trying to start a new life for yourself. How you want to set down roots is in your own hands. The latter, however, involves a temporary state of being - living in someone's house or owning ...

Allow, if you will, a moment to be low. For just today, please no words of 'cheer up' or even 'suck it up' because I'm at a point mentally where I'm tired … tired of not knowing what the day holds, tired of meeting new people, and tired of always having to adjust to the unfamiliar. Please don't get me wrong; I love exploring, making new friends, and getting out of stuffy routines … but, today, 7 weeks into this crazy adventure, I'm ready for a slice of HOME...

I don't know if it's being older now, perhaps that this is my second teacher exchange, or whether Australia and Canada culture are more parallel than we think, but the transition into my new school has been remarkably smooth. There are surprisingly many similar aspects between the education system in Alberta and Victoria. At the school level, there's a lot of commonalities between RJ and APPS. As a result, the shift into my new school and overall life adve...