The flights from MSP to MEL were good. Matt slept almost 2 hours on the LA leg and we each got 6+ hour on the Melbourne leg. So we felt fairly rested when we arrived. The flight from LAX to Melbourne actually "wasn't excruciating" to use Marlys' term. With the sleep and an open seat next to us we could spread out and relax. Biggest letdown was we slept through dinner and drinks and so missed the first VB (our favorite Aussie beer, Victoria Bitter) opportunity! The oddest moment was about an hour from landing when we flew over the Dividing Range and saw snow. Not they way you think of Oz, even when you know it's winter.
While in LA we met our friend Anne and she took us out Hacienda Del Sol for a little Mexican (and I don't mean Speedy Gonzalez). We love HdS - fabulous food and a great way to break up the trip. And next time Matt will finally say to hell with long flights and have the garlic shrimp.
Walking out of customs, we were surprised by our new co-worker Jen at the airport. She drove us to our temporary housing and had thoughtfully stocked our fridge and cupboards for us! We then popped by the PDI office for a quick tour and then Jen dropped us at the South Melbourne Market (big farmers market) where we enjoyed breakfast and a sunny morning. Weather was warm and sunny like a crisp fall day in Minnesota, which felt wonderful after a day on planes. If only there were college football.....
With all the events, work and stress of moving (Thursday was more than a mite stressful) we really haven't had a chance to think about what we are doing for a long time. But somewhere over the South Pacific it started to hit us: this is not a vacation and we were not going to be back at home in a few weeks. A very introspective moment. We are nevertheless very excited about this unique opportunity and consider ourselves so fortunate to have this adventure.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
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