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Longer Trips – Australia – and suddenly it feels like a holiday

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sunset australia mornington beach

I’ve been back to Australia three times since moving to Austria, but it wasn’t until the most recent trip that it actually felt like a holiday.

The first time, triggered by an expiring plane ticket, was spent madly running around, organising documents, throwing stuff out and working out exactly what I would need in Austria for the next x number of months/years (under 30kg). The second time was our wedding, which, while it was perfect, involved quite a lot of time-consuming organisation which I could only do once I arrived in the country.

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Homeward bound – the push and pull of ‘the new’ over ‘the familiar’

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Backpack flying home
Can’t wait to be carrying my trusty old backpack round again!

The lead-up to any holiday is exciting, the lead-up to a trip home when you live overseas is something else entirely.

On one hand, you’re super excited to be heading back into familiar territory, to have the chance to talk properly to people who have known you your whole life and understand your subtle nuances … and just the opportunity, to put it simply… to feel less isolated.

On the other hand, you’re just going home. You’ve been there before – many times. You grew up there. It can hardly be called a holiday, right?

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10 reasons why I’ll never be a true European

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Looking the part
I might look the part… but will I ever really pull it off?

On the opposing end of last week’s post about why I was always destined to live in Austria, there are also plenty of reasons why I should not be here at all! Here are the top 10 reasons why I can never be a true European.

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10 Practical things to consider before moving overseas

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The day before I left
The day before I left

Moving overseas is an adventure! But it is also a lengthy and difficult experience, and along with all the emotional ups and downs, there are plenty of annoyances and bureaucratic processes that you have to deal with, usually when you least expect them or have time to deal with them. This post might not be much fun, but if you want an idea of some of the more practical things you should try to do before you leave your home country, keep reading.

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Beach, family & my dog – the Top Ten things I’m looking forward to in Oz

debbiekaye19801 Comment

I’m loving life here in Austria… especially as it slowly but surely progresses from winter to summer. But there’s no doubt I’m extremely excited about a few weeks back in my homeland, amongst familiar sights and surroundings. So I thought as a farewell post before I head to the Land Downunder tomorrow, I’d list the top ten things I’m most looking forward to. Please note that this excludes things like catching up with family and friends and getting married, which are obvious ones. Continue reading →

Austrian food – what’s missing

debbiekaye19801 Comment

Food plays a very important role in my life. Not only do I need it to stay alive, but I love to eat it, I love to cook it and I love to read menus! After a few months living in Austria (remember, small town) I found that most things I knew existed in some way, shape or form… it was just a matter of translating and hunting.

First pie attempt in a tart dish... unacceptable.
First pie attempt in a tart dish… unacceptable.

But more than a year in… there are still some things missing. I’m not talking about the classic Cadbury chocolate, Tim Tams or Vegemite, I’m talking things you wouldn’t initially think about. Here’s my top five:

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Home-sickness… it’s not fun, but it is a privelege

debbiekaye19803 Comments

It seems appropriate to write about home-sickness now since it’s been quite a dominate presence these last few weeks.

And I know it’s not the worst thing in the world and it’s not really going to hurt me and I’m not going to die… but when it hits you… quite frankly… it just sucks.

homesick like Captain
Missing my boy

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