Who?

Us.

What?

Moving to Australia. Didn’t I already say that?

When?

Stan’s tentative start date at his new job is March 5, but it all depends on when the visas come through. So, somewhere in that ballpark.

Where?

A little city called Adelaide. It’s on the southern coast, near beautiful vineyards and miles of undeveloped coast line (think California in the 1920s). It’s about the size of the Salt Lake City metro area, with a population of about 1.2 million. It’s the 5th largest city in Australia.

Why?

The biggest reason is that Stan got a job down there. Like, a real job doing what he’s been wanting to do. He just finished his master’s degree in geology, and this job will use his skills to study groundwater management. They want him bad, too. :)

Other reasons include:

  • Why not?
  • We’re young with no kids (and wouldn’t it be fun to come back in a few years with a brood of little Aussies? Right Stan?)
  • Skype- it’s easier than ever to keep in touch when you live halfway around the world
  • I’ve always wanted to make Vegemite a staple of my diet

Of course, there are plenty of reasons to stay, too.

  • We’ll miss our families and friends (seriously, don’t even get me started, holy crap).
  • We love our house (although my bro-in-law will take good care of it while we’re gone).
  • We love Salt Lake City and will miss being able to drive 20 minutes and be in the mountains, or a few hours and be in a slot canyon in southern Utah.
  • I’m picturing myself wandering the streets, moping and loner-like, begging anonymous people in coffee shops and the gym to be my friend.
  • We may have to live like college students again for a while, buying a bunch of furniture from Ikea and eating off the same two plates.
  • We can’t take the animals. Please, before you freak, rest assured that both Jesse and Blanche are going to good homes and this was not a decision we made lightly at all. If you’re my friend IRL, you can vouch for my tears and stress over this topic. But ultimately we know it’s the right decision. Look for a possible future blog post on this.
  • You know those facebook status updates where people are all, “I freaking LOVE my LIFE!!!!!!! Best everrrrrr!!!” That’s how we feel. And it’s hard to leave it behind.

How?

I have no idea! So far we’ve been starting out by making some inquiries about shipping costs, submitting everything for the visas (Stan’s covers me, so yes I can work), and browsing online a bit for places to rent. I’ve also been reading a ton about Australia, and I’m going to be the geekiest, most informed person on the history, climate, culture, flora, fauna, and geology by the time we get there. I hear it’s about a 24-hour journey that will most likely go SLC – LA – Sydney – Adelaide. Stan is looking forward to listening to me whine about how long the flight is. We’ve also been going through stuff, getting rid of a lot, packing some stuff up, finishing up projects around the house, etc. Now that the secret is out, I am able to share the process with you guys more on the blog.

Other questions include:

How long will you be there?

Stan’s job term is 3 years. So, 3 years and then we’ll see. Stan thinks it might be fun to stay longer, and I think it will have gotten old buying $2000 plane tickets to visit home by then. We’ll see.

What are you going to do down there?

Sit on the couch and eat bon-bons. I’m married now- isn’t this what I’m guaranteed? That, or be a trophy wife. My schedule is going to consist of getting mani/pedis, going to the gym, preparing and delicately eating 200-calorie meals, and making lip-injection appointments.

Of course that’s just me being hilarious. I’m not sure what I’ll do yet. I enjoy my current line of work which allows me to write, design some stuff, plan events, etc. But I also kind of wouldn’t mind building roads or working in a nursery (the plant kind) or something totally different. The world is kinda my oyster right now, which is both exciting and scary.

Do you have any other questions for us? Any suggestions from anyone who has moved further than just across town (something I haven’t done since starting college)?

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