It’s no secret that Jim, on his own, would happily pursue permanent employment options outside Australia. In his particular field there is a hell of alot more going on overseas than at home. Although in his current Post Doc position the money is crap, any permanent position in the Eu or USA would instantly pay better and faire better against the Aussie dollar. But alas he is encumbered and as much as I cant believe my luck to have had this opportunity to live in another culture, to live in Europe, I say No to settling permanently away from my family, friends and mother tongue. HOWEVER!! Since confirming the date we are to bid France adieu I’ve had mixed emotions about returning home. I’ve always known when the time came I would be torn between excitement and sadness, its still 6months away so I needn’t fret now. The problem is I love to travel, I always have and I’ve always assumed I always would travel. But Im older now and I know we cant have it all all of the time and I worry that as time marches on and with it comes more and more responsibility. Responsibility we very much want, but with that the opportunity to travel will diminish and in later years will I regret passing on opportunities that were offered while still relatively young. But then I worry that if I choose not to head home just yet my regrets will be that I didn’t choose to maximise precious time with the people that are most important to me, my family, my mother.
Its these mixed emotions that led me to seriously think about our options and what I realise bothers me most is if we head home now that will most likely be it, we will never live in another country again. And although I sometimes talk like 36 is ancient, its not, I may be closer to 40 than 30 but Im not there yet and I know the more I take with me in way of life experiences as I age the more able I’ll be to embrace the accumulating years. So with all this playing on my mind, the end result was Jim got thrown a bone, or should I say thrown a country, just the one. I was very considered in my choice of country including what locations and as well requested no permanent positions, 1yr at most. He wasted no time in identifying a suitable position and applying and they wasted no time in responding and he has a phone interview tomorrow!! When Jim rang me from work to inform me my first response was absolute excitement, surely that has to be indicative that I am willing to do this?!

Clues as to which country it is were given in the previous post but clearly more are needed if someone as well travelled and sharp as Sally cant work it out. So here is the mother of all clues……As I mentioned for the most part they speak English, but in certain parts our French will come in handy!!! Having said that though the French say they can barely understand their French and laugh uproariously when they hear it spoke, regardless of fluency. I swear you cant win with them. And Sally Im pretty sure you’ve travelled there and if I remember right may have suffered an accident that left you shackled to a bar!!

Wow, it’s been a seriously long time since we have posted! Our excuses are events that left us unable to attend to anything superfluous, followed by a much needed trip to Italy, entertaining a EU house guest and Orthodox Easter. Christos Anesti!

I will try and post pictures soon, but my blogging muscles are seriously atrophied and will take time to strengthen. However just this past week the weather is finally displaying signs of Spring and with that has come a renewed vigour and enthusiasm to lengthen my daily list of things to do.

In brief I can share that Jim and I are making plans to head home to Australia in October, not for a holiday but to settle! Take note I say Australia* as there can be no promise Jim will score a job in Melbourne, in fact one promising prospect is in Adelaide!! I can cope with the idea of Adelaide as it’s not that far from Melbourne and Mum reckons it’s a very managable drive for her. Though it would sadden me not to have ready access to my two new friends, Harry & Grace…..yes for those of you who don’t know Heidi & John had their twins!! I confess to some tears and a pain in my heart at not being able to see my dear friend & her bubs, but I figure they’ll still be babies when I get my hands on them. I suspect it will take both Heidi and John to wrestle them off me once I do get my hands on them, but then again juggling twins may take it’s toll on them and they might happily relinquish them to me for a spell. Heidi and John aren’t the only ones to be blessed with twins, Sofia and Joey had their girls, Isabella & Michaela earlier in the month, we’ll ask permission to post the photos they sent, adorable!!!

*Shhh, just quietly I have granted permission for 1 country outside Australia to be applied to, Jim acted quickly before I could change my mind. I was specific on the country and no its not New Zealand, a little further than that but not as far as Europe, its not the USA and for the most part they speak English. If you cant work it out from all those clues I’d have to risk insulting you and suggest you’re a wee bit challenged!!