Wow! It has been over seven months since I arrived in Australia. It feels like I’ve been here a lifetime and no time at all, at the same time. It also seems like a lifetime since I blogged. If I’m here seven months, it means that I have less than six months left of my visa. Time flies when you’re having fun, and even if you’re not, a year is nothing, the blink of an eye in a whole lifetime.
Whenever I call home everyone says “You’re missing nothing”. What are ye talking about? I’m missing loads. I’m missing all the wedding preparations and hen parties and weddings and nights out. I’m missing the little things like a milky coffee and a gossip. So to everyone: you will always find the money and you can sleep when you’re dead so appreciate the fact that there are people who think enough of you that they want you to be part of their lives. Life is short, nobody knows what’s around the corner so enjoy the company of the people you care about while you can.

Well, I suppose that a lot has happened in the past six months. I got my lovely little flat about a month after I arrived here thanks to my Angels and Goddesses. I live with a girl called Rhiannon who has just turned 20 but we get on like a house on fire. We pretty much instantly clicked. It doesn’t feel like there are 10 years between us when we’re having a laugh and being eejits or talking about boys/men but I do appreciate the experience and wisdom (?) that those ten years have given me. I remember myself at 20(and right up to 29!) and how much time I wasted punishing myself for not being perfect and trying to figure out why I couldn’t “get a man” and poor Rhiannon is going through the same thing. But, sure the only thing you can do with good advice is pass it on. So I speak my truth and then try to be there for her when she gets let down and feels bad. She deserves a really great guy who will appreciate her and treat her right but unfortunately he hasn’t showed up yet.

Here’s the story so far on the work front:
Well, I got a bit of work initially through a recruitment agency for a week working in a big storeroom. The work was mind numbingly boring but the people were lovely and the day went in pretty fast. I then had a couple of interviews for work in some of the children’s homes. I know! I shouldn’t have gone back to it, after all, I came to Australia to get away from that pressure and all the crap that goes with it but I suppose it’s easy to fall back into what you know and I thought that my amazing summer in New York and Louisiana had cured me. I was actually offered the job of being a unit manager as the organization were so impressed with my CV but I really didn’t need that responsibility! So I started in Hedley Street resi unit in October. Well basically, it was a case of same shit, different country. I have to say I enjoyed it for a while, there was a good team and it was pretty tight but then soon, like back home, staff and kids come and go and the consistency was lost. I, again, ended up breaking my balls trying to stick to the rules while other staff let the kids rule the roost so I ended up being the wicked witch and getting verbally abused and bullied when I didn’t give the kids what they wanted. Then at the start of December I had an awful night with the 4 boys which involved drink and drugs and fights and offensive weapons and assaults and windows getting broken and the house getting trashed and I was on my own through it all except when the police arrived. So after that, I started to think that maybe I should look for something else.

I think, at this stage, I’ve just about had enough of the whole residential system and I probably won’t go back to it but I have learned a huge amount from all my experiences over the last 8 or 9 years and I’ve met some great people. I suppose in a job like that you see the best of people and you see the worst of people and you realize that life is rarely just

I was so glad that I decided to stay that extra weekend in Louisiana. Om my last morning in US Amanda, the kids, Kayla (the babysitter with the new boobs who had an appointment in Baton Rouge that day aswell) and me set off early on the road to the State Capital. We stopped for a huge breakfast before going to visit Amanda's cousin Kim in Baton Rouge. The logistics of the whole expedition which included getting me to the airport and getting Amanda and Kayla to their respective boob doctor appointments proved a little tight to fit in with everybody but thankfully Kim stepped in to sort things out. So, like every other goodbye I've had on this trip, my cheerios to Amanda, Promyse and Chase were rushed and slightly awkward. And then I walked into the airport on my own again once more.
My flights and connections all went smoothly and 20-something hours after leaving my friends in Louisiana I arrived in Sydney with an amazing sunrise to greet me. After another short flight, I touched down in Melbourne.
I've been here now just over a week and a half and I love it. Melbourne is a beautiful city. It looks like a little New York with a touch of Edinburgh. It has a big cafe culture and it is hip and laid back with funky clothes and shoe shops and lots of great places to eat and drink. My friend Nicole is just so good to me by allowing me to stay with her in her lovely little flat, showing me around and taking me out and introducing me to her lovely friends. Her warm welcome, help and friendship have been invaluable to me here. I am slowly but surely getting myself sorted. I have opened a bank account and I have got an Aussie mobile phone set up. By the way, my home mobile is on a roaming account so to phone or text me will only cost the same as if I was at home so no excuses! I am 9 hours ahead of the uk, remember. I am looking on the internet and in the papers everyday for jobs and places to live and that is mainly what I spend my time doing at the moment along with going for some nice walks. It is winter here but it isn't that cold at all. It is usually bright and dry but cool enough to need jacket. I really haven't got too much to talk about now. Things are a little slower but I suppose that's real life kicking in. I can't wait to get my self sorted. I just know I am going to get a fantastic place to live and a fabulous job very soon. So keep your fingers crossed for me. The blogs might not be as exciting for a while but that's ok by me. Ciao for now.

Well, having arranged to stay for the rest of the weekend, on friday, Amanda and i threw the kids off with her folks and headed to mr Jolet's again where we were going to meet up with Bill and the lads. There were a few more people there this time. I met Aaron who is Mr jolet's son and his wife Kayla and their cute, crazy dog Cheech and another one of the troops called Brendan O'Very. When they first introduced me to O'Very, I thought they were saying Ovary and I was thinking that it was a bit unfortunate to be named after a part of the female reproductive system! However, everyone thought I was hesitant because I'd recognised another Irish connection (never heard of the name o'very in my life)so yes he was another wannabe. Ireland took great pride in showing me his T-shirt that said "kiss my ass, I'm Irish", classy! There was another friend of the Jolet's there called CJ, i think, and he was quite comical, the texas version of a culshi though i think he was a bit scared of me as he hardly said a word to me except to say that he had no intention or inclination to leave the good ole USA. There was another young fella there too who was also in the military and had been stationed in Hawaii. I can't remember his name, i think it was something Spanish and he didn't say too much to me either and left at some point in the evening (he was the smart one!)
Well, the margharitas were strong, the shots were pure vodka (and for some came straight back up as pure vodka) and the craic was great! The boys were demonstarting how to "shotgun" cans of beer and it was a wile session. These guys are pretty crazy, hard working so they need to let loose some time. At one point, Aaron was demonstrating how hard he could punch himself in the head(!) and he explained that he was punching himself 20 times a day so he could toughen himself up. So to see how tough he had become, he asked Ireland to headbutt him. And Ireland did...and split Aaron's head open! The blood was all over him. So I thought this was mad until O'Very explained that during another night's drinking he'd got stabbed in the leg! Ah..ok! But it was all harmless fun, erm...! Everyone was friends at the end of the night and it was a blast.
The next morning, there was a few hung over heads and some piss-taking and again Mr Jolet made a great breakfast to set us up for the day. Amanda and I drove back to hers and picked up her mother and Chase and the little 4 wheelers to go back out for the afternoon. It was a beautiful day and so peaceful and that evening Mr Jolet showed me how to make fried deer ribs and homemade garlic and cheese biscuits. They were so yummy though maybe not to everyone's taste (right Orla?) but definitely to mine. We were having such a great day that it progressed on into the evening and after a while we decided to stay another night. It was another great session. The karaoke machine came out and everyone had a great time singing away at Country songs! It was fun though, thankfully, slightly tamer than the night before. When the neighbours started to complain about the singing, we decided to go out into the forest on the four wheelers again. This time I went on with Mr Jolet and we got absolutely covered in muck from head to toe! It was great, though as Mr Jolet is a big man there was no room left for me on the seat so I was kinda sitting on the bars and I got a massive bruise on my arse from it! I then went for a drive with O'very but the bike kept dying out on us in the middle of the dark forest! I was glad when Bill caught up with us and made sure we got back to the house in one piece. So ended my 4-wheelin experences which were all pretty much unforgettable!
We got cleaned up and drank some more and the only casualty this time turned out to be Bill who, after being dared by Aaron, put a cigarette out on his head! I dunno...!
After saying my goodbyes, we headed back home. In the afternoon, I went out in Wayne's newly fixed boat with him and the kids in their t