5 Things I am Grateful For This Very Second

I don't like corny blog posts, so this one won't be corny! But I am just in a mood where I have felt like reflecting on things I love in my life right now.

1. Shhh don't tell him but - successfully planting the idea of getting a dog in Mr Aussie's head without him even realizing it.

2. The sales guy who talked me into NOT getting dinky little Apple like headphones and getting these babies instead:

Sennheiser and adidas teamed up to make some awesome headphones. These headphones are 'sports' headphones so they come with special attachments (which you can see in the pic) that keep the ear buds actually in your ear when you're doing anything active! They come with a few different accessories to change the ear buds including just regular squishy padding. They're also much more durable than other dinky Apple-like headphones and are sweat proof! Pretty cool. And most importantly, the sound quality is great.

3. That college football is in full swing and exciting as ever. No explanation needed there. Roll Tide. Go CLEMSON Tigers.

4. Tickets to go home for a month are BOOKED. See ya soon, America! :)

5. My silly little cats

Yes, I am cat and dog person. They do exist.

Anything your feeling extra grateful for lately? Or just loving in general at the moment?

Conversation 1

We may both speak English, but it doesn't always seem that way

Mr. Aussie: "Will you open the boot?"

Me: "I will if you call it a trunk"

Mr. Aussie: "You bloody American"

Missing Fall

This is what it looks like where I live right now.

For those people who don't know, the northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere are complete opposites when it comes to seasons. So right now, it is Spring here. Plus, where I live it is never really Fall. I live in a state that is essentially the same climate as Florida where the seasons are comprised of warm, warmer and warmest. To say I miss actual seasons is the biggest understatement of the century. I practically yearn for seasons. During 'winter' I would just pretend it was colder outside so I could actually wear wintery outfits. I'd say things like 'brrr it is cold tonight' and 'ah the air is so crisp' in hopes of tricking my mind into actually thinking it is winter weather. Nevermind the fact that it was June/July/August  and all my mind could really think of was summer (I will never get used to that). .

It is killing me seeing everyone and their mom (literally) obsess over pumpkin everything! I find myself longing for cool weather, riding boots, sweaters, pumpkin patches and good ole American Halloween.

What I miss dearly:

And finally, but certainly not even remotely the least, CLEMSON FOOTBALL:

Don't even get me started on fall outfits and college football or I will just spiral into a lack of sweater/tailgating induced depression!

Are you suffering from a lack of fall? What are your favorite things about fall?

Small Changes

Well, we all know that is true. 

Awhile ago I read an article in some women's magazine which featured a few different women who each made a small change in their life for 30 days. I remember one writer decided to wear red lipstick every day, and discovered she found a new sense of self-confidence from just wearing red lipstick! People noticed her new confidence too and soon the red lipstick led to other small changes that made her feel great.

So I have decided to make a small change for 30 days just as an experiment for myself.

As background: I do not exercise regularly. I used to but some how I just stopped. I blame the old age (alright, I am only 25).  

Before you worry, I am not about to be one of those bloggers that SUDDENLY has a new found love for running and has to talk about it every 2 seconds. No one likes that, do they? Unless you're a runner, then you can like that. But for the rest of us human folk - running sucks and hearing it about almost sucks even more.

So, for 30 days I am going to do 10 push ups a day. Not a big change, but enough to likely see a change. Let's face it, after this month I will probably be a bikini model.

So the challenge starts TODAY. That's Oct 25 Australia time. Join in on the challenge if you want!

I will be reporting periodically on how this challenge is unfolding. Until then, happy small changes!

Another Path

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both"

I've mentioned this a million times, but I am in law school. If you're in law school, have friends/family in law school, I am sure you are aware that about 98% of everyone in law school has moments of doubts. We like to think things like:

"WHAT WAS I THINKING?!

"LAW SCHOOL HAS RUINED MY LIFE!"

"SOMETIMES I WISH I WAS JUST A HIPPIE ON A BEACH WITH A MOJITO IN HAND"

and the worst:

"WHAT IF I DON'T END UP WANTING TO BE A LAWYER?"

(just to name a few)

Lately my friends and I have been talking about what we MIGHT have been if we followed a different path. A path that we had once considered but for some reason or another we didn't take. 

I've been on a couple whale watching trips recently which were amazing! I didn't get any pictures because I just wanted to enjoy the moment otherwise I'd share. On one trip a humpback whale was seriously about 4 ft away from me. If I had been allowed, I could have reached over the front of the boat and touched him! I also saw many whales on a hike I did. They are seriously beautiful creatures. This reminded me of the path I almost took: becoming a marine biologist. I also had another path: becoming a vet.

Sometimes I sit and think that maybe I should have taken one of those paths. But really, that's just a waste of time! If I had done that then I may not be where I am today. I certainly would not have met Mr. Aussie and I  probably would not be in Australia.

There is a reason I took the path I did, even if I don't fully understand it! At the end of the day I LOVE law school and I think I am going to love being a lawyer. I love where I am and who I am with. 

differences can be fun!

“I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort where we overlap"

- Ani Difranco

Last night, Mr. Aussie and I went to a concert for this Canadian rock band called the Tea Party. I'd never heard of them but I ended up having a good time and enjoyed the music. That got me thinking: Mr. Aussie and I are very different people. Aside from the fact that he's Australian and I am American, we have some very different interests. The most important things are the same: values, morals, both want kids, yada yada yada. However, the smaller things are quite different.

For example, we have polar opposite tastes in music. We have some music that we can agree on, but those are typically the "classics" like The Beatles and Simon and Garfunkel. 

I have to admit though, I love how different we are! I am constantly learning about so many new things. 

Mr. Aussie is introverted and quiet, I am extroverted and loud. However, being around him has taught me how enjoyable it can be to just sit with someone you love, not saying anything at all.

I have a new sport obsession: Aussie Rules Football. It is very different than American football and I didn't like it at all at first, but once he taught me the rules and I saw a few games, I really started to love it!

The big one: music! Mr. Aussie is very passionate about music. He also loves live music. During our relationship I've realized that so do I! I'd never been really that interested in going to concerts before, but now I love it. I've been to a few concerts with him in which I had never even heard of the band before and/or it didn't fit into the genre I prefer, but I've enjoyed them! He loves showing me the music he likes and I love learning about all these new bands. 

I think these differences make things more fun! 

Do you have any relationships in your life like this? Where the person is very different, but you learn about so many new things?

Being Yourself

I very reluctantly call myself an "ex-pat" but I guess I am one. And I bet my other fellow ex-pats encounter some of the same issues I do. 

In my group of friends here, I am the only American. This combined with an Australian boyfriend sometimes makes me feel like I am losing things about me that are American.

Mr Aussie loves pointing out things I say that are most definitely Australian and that I have definitely picked up from him. One habit I have formed is the Australians' weird habit of saying similes without actually finishing them. Example: "Today was sweet as!" Sweet as what?! You'll never know. 

Other things that are different:

Lollies = candy

Jug = Pitcher

Biscuit = Cookie

Mince meat = ground meat

I love living here but I don't want to lose who I am. At the core, obviously my morals and beliefs are the same, but the little things like phrases are what differentiate all the English speaking countries and that's what I don't want to change! But at the same time I need to just accept that I am going to pick up Australian habits. Australian policies and way of life are changing me too. I definitely have a different outlook on a lot of things since living here.

It's like I am a new "you". My "you" is now mostly American with a dash of Australian. Some days I feel like I am losing my identity but really I am not - I just have a new identity! And really, this doesn't just apply to living in another country. As we get older life is constantly changing right? We're constantly having experiences that change us and so we've got a new identity!

Are there changes in your life that are making you feel like you're losing some of what makes you, you?

P.S. don't worry - I still say "y'all" constantly. Not sure that will EVER change.