Just a warning - this will most likely be incredibly long, boring and rambling as I am determined to catch up and write about the last week and half all in one post... Strap in, this may get bumpy....
In my last post, I left off with my adventures to Chinatown on the Tuesday before last. I went off to work the next afternoon and when I was passing through Hyde Park, I realised that the Night Noodle Markets which are part of the Sydney International Food Festival were due to end in a few days. I had been looking forward to this event ever since I saw the first tents being erected in Hyde Park so I made a date with Joe to have dinner there that night. It's actually a bit strange as he was working from home that day and I was working in the office - it's usually the other way around! We aren't really the "festival going" type of couple; but this really wasn't too bad. We didn't get there until a bit after 6 when I thought it was quite busy - silly me, by 8 it was a complete and total madhouse!
We started off by buying a bottle of wine... as we were standing in line, the real estate agent that showed us our unit saw us and came over with some friends of hers to say hello and ask how we were settling in. It was nice of her to come over to talk to us and it made me like her a bit better. As you may remember from this post, she was a bit witchy when I tried to see the apartment for the first time so I am now revising my opinion of her! Anyway, we got some pork and duck buns and then started looking for a decent patch of ground on which to sit (I think you would have to get there around 3 to actually get a table)... We found a perfect place and as soon as we sat down, a family sat down about 4 inches away from us complete with a screaming toddler in a pram that got parked facing us. Yeah, we totally moved! I'm glad we did though because; as we were settling our stuff around us in our new spot the woman next to us said something to us and I realised she was American. So, of course, me being the shy thing that I am (ha ha ha) struck up a conversation with her. I've exchanged some emails with her and I'm hoping to meet up for a coffee soon. Call it what you will... fate, kismet, providence etc... but I believe that we ended up on that little patch of grass for a reason. The American woman, her British husband and adorable baby left soon after we sat down. Joe and I stayed in the park to finish our wine and watch dusk and twilight come down on the market. 
In my last post, I left off with my adventures to Chinatown on the Tuesday before last. I went off to work the next afternoon and when I was passing through Hyde Park, I realised that the Night Noodle Markets which are part of the Sydney International Food Festival were due to end in a few days. I had been looking forward to this event ever since I saw the first tents being erected in Hyde Park so I made a date with Joe to have dinner there that night. It's actually a bit strange as he was working from home that day and I was working in the office - it's usually the other way around! We aren't really the "festival going" type of couple; but this really wasn't too bad. We didn't get there until a bit after 6 when I thought it was quite busy - silly me, by 8 it was a complete and total madhouse!
We started off by buying a bottle of wine... as we were standing in line, the real estate agent that showed us our unit saw us and came over with some friends of hers to say hello and ask how we were settling in. It was nice of her to come over to talk to us and it made me like her a bit better. As you may remember from this post, she was a bit witchy when I tried to see the apartment for the first time so I am now revising my opinion of her! Anyway, we got some pork and duck buns and then started looking for a decent patch of ground on which to sit (I think you would have to get there around 3 to actually get a table)... We found a perfect place and as soon as we sat down, a family sat down about 4 inches away from us complete with a screaming toddler in a pram that got parked facing us. Yeah, we totally moved! I'm glad we did though because; as we were settling our stuff around us in our new spot the woman next to us said something to us and I realised she was American. So, of course, me being the shy thing that I am (ha ha ha) struck up a conversation with her. I've exchanged some emails with her and I'm hoping to meet up for a coffee soon. Call it what you will... fate, kismet, providence etc... but I believe that we ended up on that little patch of grass for a reason. The American woman, her British husband and adorable baby left soon after we sat down. Joe and I stayed in the park to finish our wine and watch dusk and twilight come down on the market. 
I know you married folks will understand when I say that sometimes couples don't have much to say to each other over a quick weeknight meal. Especially when you work in the same place and spend as much together as we do! This was not one of those nights... We couldn't stop talking - couldn't stop holding hands - couldn't stop smiling at each other.... You know what I mean! We sat with our wine in the grass and really talked... about the big (and mostly fantastically wonderful) things in our lives right now. When we finished the wine, we really wanted to eat a yummy desert to round out the night; but there wasn't anything at the Noodle Markets that looked good to us. We walked down to Circular Quay and had some delicious coffee and some tirimisu at Rossini at the Quay. I think we missed about 2 ferries while we were sitting there holding hands - we just didn't want to leave and spoil the great conversation that we were having. It's moments like those when I realise just a fraction of how lucky we are as a couple. How lucky we are that we found each other in the middle of our crazy lives, and how glad I am that we both stuck it out through much of the crap that we had to deal with early on in our relationship. Our marriage is worth every bit of stress that we ever had to face.
I can't ever have imagined moving halfway around the world - that just wasn't in my wheelhouse... I'm a homebody, I don't like change and I don't like my routine to be altered. It still seems pretty crazy that we are here and that I'm actually happy with my new and different life here. The only thing that I can figure is that being with Joe is like being home to me - as long as I have my hand in his than I can go anywhere without fear or worry. I know this might sound a bit schmaltzy (ok, probably more than a bit); but big life events can either strengthen a relationship or they can reveal all the tiny cracks that will eventually lead to a full break. Moving in general can be very stressful - let alone moving to a new country. I was always worried in the back of my mind that our move might shake our marriage up and cause some fights etc... 
In the end though, I was completely unprepared for the effect that this move had on our relationship. I didn't think that this big stressful move could make us fall even more in love. I didn't think it could strengthen our already rock solid foundation. I guess that putting yourselves in a position where your spouse is the only one you can lean on for a while can deepen your patience and trust in each other in a way not many things can.
In the afternoon, we headed up to Pymble for a housewarming party for a coworker. Their new apartment is huge and completely gorgeous! The company was wonderful, the food was truly beautiful (especially the whole broiled fish with ginger) and we had a wonderful time. About halfway through the party, the sky opened up and it rained absolute buckets... in the back of my mind I pictured all the open windows in our apartment and had a mini heart attack but what could we do? It cleared up by the time we left which was good as we had to walk back to the train station to head home. Well, you can probably see where this story is going... we got home to complete destruction and devastation (ok, I'm exaggerating a little but it was pretty bad). Lamps were blown over, there were puddles on the side tables and the couches were completely soaked. Joe's computer equipment was ominously wet; but all survived save his keyboard. Our bed was so wet from the rain blowing in that we actually had to sleep in the spare room that night. We closed our bedroom door and turned the heater on in there full tilt to try to speed out the drying process. Really though, we were very lucky that both Joe's desktop and my laptop which were both left right in front of open windows made it through unscathed. Needless to say, we have been pretty militant about closing the windows every time we leave the apartment now - Lesson learned.
I can't ever have imagined moving halfway around the world - that just wasn't in my wheelhouse... I'm a homebody, I don't like change and I don't like my routine to be altered. It still seems pretty crazy that we are here and that I'm actually happy with my new and different life here. The only thing that I can figure is that being with Joe is like being home to me - as long as I have my hand in his than I can go anywhere without fear or worry. I know this might sound a bit schmaltzy (ok, probably more than a bit); but big life events can either strengthen a relationship or they can reveal all the tiny cracks that will eventually lead to a full break. Moving in general can be very stressful - let alone moving to a new country. I was always worried in the back of my mind that our move might shake our marriage up and cause some fights etc... 
In the end though, I was completely unprepared for the effect that this move had on our relationship. I didn't think that this big stressful move could make us fall even more in love. I didn't think it could strengthen our already rock solid foundation. I guess that putting yourselves in a position where your spouse is the only one you can lean on for a while can deepen your patience and trust in each other in a way not many things can.Anyway, I digress ((I mean, that was a seriously long, vomit-inducing digression) I hope you are still reading; but, if not, I would totally understand). We hopped on the next ferry, still holding hands and then it was homeward bound.
I've been trying to discipline myself into taking pictures of anything and everything that I like or find beautiful - even if it makes me feel silly or even if the picture turns out looking like crap. I was lying bed that night reading a book and Joe was sleeping - I glanced over and realized that my husband's back, as he sleeps in bed next to me, is one of the most beautiful things that I have ever seen. So I snapped a picture.
Thursday was a free day for me; and I can't remember anything remarkable about it. There was probably some laundry involved - Ah yes, I believe I finished the last season of The Tudors... yikes, they were really into the torturing and beheading there at the end.
Friday was work and then out for a few drinks with coworkers. Joe got dinner at the pub; but I didn't eat. So, when we all left the pub, Joe and I went around the corner to a little Italian place where I got a salad and a bowl full of mussels. Oh, and I had the best cappuchino of my life... Really, like the total best. Also, I think there was a redback spider in the toilets....
Saturday morning (or maybe it was Thursday? At this point I'm not completely sure of the days) we were quite shocked to hear the buzzer. It was the postman! OMG! The postman actually rang our buzzer and then actually brought a package up to us instead of just leaving a card in the mailbox! I guess my complaining finally paid off. The package was a from my fabulous and wonderful sister Julie and it was full of incredible goodies. Peanut butter M&Ms, Reese's Pieces, Bath and Body Works Lotions, Magic Erasers and some Skyline Chili seasoning packs. Oh the rapture! The lotion has to be my favourite item - she sent me one of their new line (I think - I am so out of the loop on all things involving American shopping) called Dark Kiss. I'm just letting all of you know, up front and right now, that I would consider doing pretty much anything to get my hands (ha ha - literally... wow, that was a bad pun) on more of that specific scent. I might even consider smuggling a koala out of the country for someone if they offered me enough of this lotion - just saying....
In the afternoon, we headed up to Pymble for a housewarming party for a coworker. Their new apartment is huge and completely gorgeous! The company was wonderful, the food was truly beautiful (especially the whole broiled fish with ginger) and we had a wonderful time. About halfway through the party, the sky opened up and it rained absolute buckets... in the back of my mind I pictured all the open windows in our apartment and had a mini heart attack but what could we do? It cleared up by the time we left which was good as we had to walk back to the train station to head home. Well, you can probably see where this story is going... we got home to complete destruction and devastation (ok, I'm exaggerating a little but it was pretty bad). Lamps were blown over, there were puddles on the side tables and the couches were completely soaked. Joe's computer equipment was ominously wet; but all survived save his keyboard. Our bed was so wet from the rain blowing in that we actually had to sleep in the spare room that night. We closed our bedroom door and turned the heater on in there full tilt to try to speed out the drying process. Really though, we were very lucky that both Joe's desktop and my laptop which were both left right in front of open windows made it through unscathed. Needless to say, we have been pretty militant about closing the windows every time we leave the apartment now - Lesson learned.Ok, I am now admitting defeat. I still have a weeks work of blogging to go and this post is so long that I doubt most of your will have even made it to the end without falling asleep.
Next up, a wedding, a week of being irritated and a Halloween Party. I'll try not to wait another week again so that I can keep these entries a bit shorter.
(Also, can I just say that I am having such a love affair with parenthesis in this post)
(Yeesh!)
Posts
Awww Mimi, you sound such a sweetie! Long and rambling post, yes, but never boring. It's so heart warming to read of your happiness with Joe; so many blogs and other online forums are filled with stories about unhappy relationships, it can be quite depressing to read about all those sad people. Oh, we all have our whinges; I've just posted one on one of my blogs, complaining about the arthritis in my hands that is spoiling my enjoyment of stitching. But that is just a small issue in the scheme of things, and I just deal with it.
You took your rained out experience very philosophically - a sure sign that you are a well adjusted person with not many hang ups!
I feel the same way about moving to QLD with my hubs-it had to take a super special guy to get me to leave everything I know. I'd looovvee to live in Sydney, if only for 6 months! It sounds like you had a fantastic week, and FYI, I DID read the whole post! Hed hed down under
Hi Mimi, totally with you on the international moves can be make or break, but if it is make then the bonds you form are so enriching and strong. We started trotting round the world two weeks after we got married - if we had stayed in London, every time Simon and I had an argument I would have shot straight round to my girlfriends for a good moan along the lines of "men, can you believe it?". As it was we had to sort everything out ourselves and the highs and lows were intensified - and I wouldn't swap that intensity for anything.
C
I love this post- it covers so many things I also just did and feel... not sure if that even makes sense?
Made it to the end! Phew!! Just kidding of course! I really enjoyed this post - partly because I now have a couple of ideas of items to send to my friend in Sydney! (As I'm assuming you don't have those things available there?) I've been wondering what to send and she's not from the US (nor has she visited). Your date night sounds very sweet and I'm glad to hear you both had fun! And the rain? I'm not too fond of it all over things, but glad things dried up! Ha!
Take care,
Mandy
Oh Meemsie, I'm glad that you're happy... and that you have such a wonderful sister who sent you a care package with fabulous scents in it! I, of course, feel the same way about my Davey Gravy. We didn't move halfway around the world together, but we did get through a lot of $hit, and despite losing parents and home and everything else, I'm happy wherever he is!
julie
@ Gina - Thanks for your kind words :) I'm sure many people would laugh at your description of me as someone without many hangups - I think my husband would especially ;) I really am very very lucky in my marriage and I try to remember that everyday.
@ Hed - Thanks! Ha, I would have killed to be in QLD during the winter here! Maybe we can switch next year :)
@ Catriona - so true! It's just the two of us and we have to work it out at all costs. Definately makes for a much more intense marriage experience. We should really get another coffee soon - I'm dying to hear about your novel!
@ Florida Girl - totally makes sense... Also, I loved your post about the Noodle Markets and I love that you are such a cool Mom that you let your son dress in costume if that's what he wants to do :D
@ Mandy - Well, don't send her peanut butter chocolates if she is a born and raised Aussie... they think that combination is really gross here - weird, I know!
@ Julie - Thanks again for the package... it was so nice to have a bit of you and home with me. It is funny, I never could haveimagined being this happy or content with Joe, just cause of how things were in the beginning. It's almost like you and I needed to lose all of those things in order to pave a happy road ahead with our men :)