Sometimes the hardest thing in life is taking the first step towards something we want.

Marcel (my husband) and I have lived in the Peace Region for eight years while he has been working in the oil and gas industry.  Fort St. John, Whitecourt, and  Grande Prairie have all been places we have called home. But with so much uncertainty these days we knew it was time for a change.

Don't get me wrong, I love Canada! I've been living here 14 years this September but the truth is.... I hate the snow. No, I mean I really hate it. I'm a vegetarian and when winter is in full swing there is no amount of dead animal I can layer on that will keep me warm.  So it only seemed natural to start the ball rolling to move from Canada to Australia.  I am an Aussie and in my mind I was simply moving my family back home. However somewhere in all the excitement of finally taking that first step, I forgot just how hard it was really going to be.

Silly things like: I haven't lived in Australia for 30 years and while I don't remember being afraid of crocodiles, snakes and spiders when I was a child, I'm sure as shit fearful of them now! We have a dog, Besse who in a few weeks turns nine. Which doesn't seem that old but for a Saint Bernard/Bernese Mountain cross she is ancient. At first I was like of course she is coming with us, she is a family member. But now, I realize a move that big might not be the best thing for her. I have an SUV, a Lexus LX570, that no word of a lie, took me three years to find because I wanted it in blue, Costa Azul Mica, to be exact. When I bought my Sexy Lexy, as I like to call her, she was going to be my baby for the next ten years but I haven't even owned her two yet! (Yes, I know first world problems.) 

Not to mention where are we going to live? What are we going to do for work? Are we bringing stuff with us or selling everything and replacing it once we move? Where is our six year old going to go to school? And for that matter what grade is he going to be in as our school year runs September to June and Australia's runs January to December? 

It's going to be a long and bumpy ride. A ride that I hope you'll join my family on as we share our adventures finally building a life that we don't want to take a vacation from. 

Before the Bloom

Image: Before the Bloom

Because sometimes you have to remind yourself flowers don't bloom overnight, there is a lot of hard work before the bloom.

(If you like the image you see click on "prints for sale" at the top of the page. It's in the landscapes!)