Nothing quite like family ...

Family has an amazing way of touching you, even when you don't expect it.

When I was driving home from Boston I organised to call in and visit Tylene and Alain on my way back up to Maine. They live in Portsmouth, New Hampshire so it's roughly half way inbetween Boston and home. I planned on stopping in and saying hi, taking a short break from driving and just catching up on how everyone was going. Grammy had been in a car accident a few days earlier so it was also my first chance to see her since the crash and see how she was doing.

I arrived just in time to see Mum visiting, but unfortunately she had to head off to work so it was a short catch up. I stayed for a while and caught up with Ty and Frenchie and to my delight Ty had made me some dinner. Totally unexpected but 100% appreciated. It's gestures like these that touch me.

I caught up with Grammy, who had suffered a couple of cracked ribs from her accident. She was a little shaken but mostly ok - just in a little bit of pain. Thankfully no one was injured in the accident, although it sounds like the car is a little worse for wear.

Before long I jumped back in my car and headed north - with some food in my tummy and happiness in my heart. I know it sounds cheesy, but that's how I felt. I am touched by the acts of kindness that Ty and Alain have shown me since I arrived.

Boston - still more than a feeling!

From the first time I visited Boston I felt relaxed and at home. Walking through the city, the vibe I got was very similar to that back home in Melbourne. The people seemed friendly enough, the town was big yet small enough to walk through at your own pace and not feel overwhelmed, and the layout was easy to navigate and fairly tourist-friendly. Throw some friends into the mix and you've got a really great city.

This time round is a little different. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm not in a rush this time. So I can take things at my own pace, visit places I want and if I run out of time then I can just come back. It's literally only a 2 hour drive away from home (not very far!!).

It was so great to catch up with John and Larry again - and this time spend some decent quality time with them (the last two visits it's been a quick "hi" and "bye" out to dinner somewhere on our way through town.

John and Larry organised dinner/drinks on the first night and a movie night at their place so I could catch up with some of their friends (some who I know already - Steven and Jimmy - and some new people - Nick and Trevor (another Aussie living over here in the US) and Joe and Jay). We also headed into the city and had lunch at a funky place called The Salty Pig! So delicious!! On the way home we drove by the Bunker Hill monument and took a look. We didn't have time to climb it then, but I think I'll go back and do that sometime. It's really quite tall when you stand up close!

I had Monday to myself and headed into town again just to walk around for a bit. I'd been told about a place to eat called KO Catering - run by an Australian guy. They make and sell meat pies so I was sold. There are two stores in Boston so I went to the one closest to a train station (it was very easy to find). It was great having a pie for lunch! I went with the original as I was craving that taste (they had about 6 different varieties). It was pretty good! Flaky pastry and minced meat inside - could've done with a little more gravy but I'm not complaining. Obviously I took a stack of photos, then ate my pie, and then headed into the city.

I walked around town for a bit, doing a spot of window shopping and taking a few more photos. It was a really warm day (for this time of year) so it was lovely being outside. The weather has been quite mild so far since my arrival. I'm sure that will change when Mr Frost arrives to welcome in winter though!

I caught the train back to my car and then drove up to Portsmouth to meet up with Mum, Tylene and Alain. They gave me a bite to eat (bless) and then I drove home via Kittery and Biddeford for a spot of shopping in each. Didn't really need to stop but thought I'd just check it out as I had the time.

I feel so lucky to have met John all those years ago (12 or so). We have become great friends over time and it's nice to know I have a good friend living so close by. Larry is awesome too, and I can't wait to get to know him better. Should be fun next summer when we can all hang out a bit. Can't wait for April when D is over so we can all spend some time together!!

Road trip.

Going on a road trip has always seemed like a very American thing to do. Obviously we have roads and cars back in Australia, but our major cities are quite far apart and there's not always a lot to do or see in between them. 

I guess it's also something I've seen on tv and in alot of movies. 

I'm happy to say that I've taken my first proper road trip since moving here!! Granted it was only down to Boston (2 hours south) but it's a start.

I wasn't sure how the car would go on the freeway, or how busy the traffic would be. But to my surprise (and delight) the drive was easy, pretty quick and very painless. Not too much traffic on the road and I was able to stay in the middle lane for most of the way without having to worry about overtaking/etc (they overtake on the left here and that's something I'm still getting used to). 

I'm down in Boston now for the weekend, catching up with some good friends. 

Now that I've survived this journey I am looking forward to planning a few other trips in the surrounding areas (Montreal. Ben and Jerrys Factory and other parts of Maine to name a few). 

Now it's time to go relax and unwind...

Walking ...

Before I left Australia I thought a lot about what I would be doing when I arrived here. In my mind I had it all figured out - I'll setup a routine to go walking every day, I'll go first thing in the morning, it will be fun and easy, blah blah blah. I got myself a Jawbone UP wristband just before my departure and thought that it would be great motivation to setup a regular walking pattern for myself.

Well I'm happy to say it has worked, sort of.... I've definitely found that the Jawbone has made me more aware of when I do and don't exercise. I've set it to vibrate if I am still for more than 45 minutes. It also measures my sleep, although I'm not sure how accurate it is (I tend to move around a lot when I'm sleeping and it interprets some of that as me being awake).

The walking is meant to be part of a bigger plan - eating better, joining a gym, drinking more water and generally living a healthier lifestyle. I thought that of all places for me to do this America will surely be the hardest. And if I can achieve it here then I've got no excuse for not being able to do the same thing back in Adelaide!

My overall aim with the walking is to hit 10,000 steps every day. On face value I thought that would be easy - go for a walk and I'll hit that each day. Wrong. 10,000 steps is a lot. I went for a walk today for an hour and still didn't hit that many steps (I didn't do much else during the day so had to add a little walk this evening to get me over the line). It also doesn't account for the days when I can't go for a big walk for whatever reason - bad weather, other plans, seeing friends/family - or when I start working and don't have as much free time. Mum said a lot of people head to the mall in winter to do their walking - and it makes perfect sense. I can see a lot of time spent inside the Mall/Hannaford (supermarket) and Walmart during my winter months here. They are all big places where I can walk and walk and walk.

I have plans for joining a gym next month but I'm still doing some research on that. I want to wait until I start working before I commit to a particular gym location (ideally I want to go to one near where I end up working).

I'll also save my rambling about a healthier lifestyle and losing weight in another post. It's kind of late now and I really need to get some sleep.

Speaking of which, I've noticed that I feel like I'm sleeping better now that I'm walking more. A good side effect!

Daytime weather ...

When you grow up in a certain part of the world, you get accustomed to the weather in that area. You learn that clear skies usually means a certain level or warmth, dark clouds mean that rain is on it's way, and even in the middle of winter the sun's rays can be very warming.

That is not the case in Maine (and other parts of the world).

Mum and I were talking the other day about how deceiving the temperature is when you look outside.  Even when it looks like its a nice clear and sunny day outside, that doesn't necessarily mean it's warm....

All of the houses in Maine have some form of oil/gas central heating. It's not central heating by Australian standards - it's heating through the entire house from the pipes under the house to the ceiling. They do this not just to stay warm, but to also prevent the pipes from freezing during the winter months. 

Right now the sky outside is perfectly clear. The sun is shining and it appears to be a lovely day.

But one step out the door reveals something very different. The temperature at the moment is a chilly 3 degrees celsius (feels like -1) - that's 38F for the locals. When I woke up this morning it was -3 celsius!! Of course sitting inside you don't notice the heating is keeping you warm. We have the heat sitting on around 15 celsius (60F) so it feels just like it would back home on a regular day. The shock is when you go outside to do something.

Today is a calm day - when it's windy outside the cold is even more noticeable (very icy). I'm still going out wearing one layer of clothing under my jumper/hoodie/jacket, but I think it will very soon be time for two or more layers. So far it hasn't bothered me but I'm sure I will feel the cold as the temperature continues to drop.

Social Security ...

Well, I can happily say that I'm really impressed with one part of the American system - Social Security!

Today was super painless and very quick. I went into the office in Portland to apply for a social security card/number. I filled out a very basic form, waited less than 2 minutes, spoke to a lady at the desk, showed my passport/visa, answered a couple of questions (under oath) and was told the card will be posted out in the mail in about 2 weeks. 

That was it. Simple!

It's probably the first easy/simple thing that I've had during this whole experience. I was actually really shocked by how easy it was. Shame the rest of it wasn't that simple. 

Now I'm looking forward to the card arriving so I can open a bank account, get my licence, and most importantly start looking for a job!!

Frustrations.

Yesterday I got a little frustrated with a couple of things to do with moving here. At times it just feels like different governmental departments don't speak with each other. And there are no clear guidelines about how everything is connected. 

Before I arrived in America I had to pay an immigration fee. On the day I arrived this then automatically triggered a system whereby my green card gets posted out to me. The limited paperwork I got about this (via email) gave the impression that this took 2-3 weeks. When I called yesterday to ask some questions I was told that it takes up to 45 days for the card to arrive. No worries, the green card is not that important. When I asked about my social security card I was told that I need to talk to a different department and apply for it separately.

That's when I felt really frustrated. You can't do anything in this country without a social security number. You need it to open a bank account, to apply for work, to get your licence, pretty much to do anything. So when I was told I need to apply for that separately it was kind of annoying as I could have done it weeks ago!

So today I went into the social security office. Filled out a one page (very brief) form. Spoke to an official at the office and then it was done. My social security number will be allocated and a card will be posted out in the mail in about 2 weeks. That was the best part of the day today - what a relief. 

I am really looking forward to finding a part time job and working over here. Now I just need to work out what I want to do. I think it will be easy to find something part time. Seems like everyone is hiring for the holidays. 

Friends and family ...

I think now that I am feeling more settled that I need to make more of an effort to make plans to catch up with friends and family. I've been here just over three weeks and I've only seem some people when I first arrived. I haven't even caught up with some of my closer friends yet and that makes me feel like a bad friend.

Once I have my apartment full time I am going to organise a get-together to have drinks and some snacks. It will also be a good way to catch up with a few different people all at once.

In the meantime I think I need to be more pro-active about how I spend my time.  I'm starting to feel a bit lonely in the evenings as I don't really have anything to do but sit around watching tv ...

*yawn*

*stretch*

Time to go for a walk ...

Goals.

This coming week I am setting myself a few goals. Going to make a list of things to do this month, some places I'd like to visit, people I'd like to meet and stuff I need to buy before winter sets in for real. 

Hopefully I'll also be able to start thinking about a job.

I am still tossing up whether I should invest in an exercise bike or join a gym. Or maybe both if I can find a cheap gym and a bike that's not too expensive as well. 

I've almost been here three weeks now and I'm just starting to feel weird. I can't explain it, but it feels like I'm overstaying my welcome in some ways. 

Mum has been really great in keeping me company and checking in on me all the time. I guess I'm just feeling a bit out of place. I don't have any close friends here, and the good friends I do have are all married/partnered and don't want to catch up all the time to chat or hang out. 

I feel like I'm complaining or something, and that's really not my intention. I just thought I'd be seeing friends alot more than I have been. Maybe it's because when I've visited previously it's been a small window of time so every night has been spent meeting up with friends or family. Now I'm here long term and feeling a bit lonely I'm just noticing it more. 

Anyway, back to the couch for me. An eventful Sunday night indeed :)

American Family.

It's always a nice feeling going to Portsmouth to visit our family there. I don't think there has ever been a time when I haven't felt completely welcomed with open arms. Today was no exception. 

It makes me feel happy to know that Mum has family here to offer her support and love. 

We went down for a visit today and spent some time with Tylene and Alain, and then took Grammy out for dinner. 

Just these simple acts of being around family make me feel a little home sick. 

I got an email from my grandma today and it nearly brought tears to my eyes reading it. In that instant I felt so far away. I wanted to pick up the phone and call her but it's not that simple. I think I need to sort out a cheap way to call her! The same thing happened yesterday when u got an email from my Dad. Made me happy to hear from him, but sad to feel so far away. 

Might need to get them to install some apps so we can exchange voice messages and calls online. That can be my project for this week.

Working and getting out of the house ...

I think that I am well and truly settled into Maine life now. My body clock is on the same time zone and I feel like I have everything I need to look after myself (thanks in a big way to my Mum who has helped with a car, a phone and somewhere to live for 6 months). I think that it would have been a lot tougher if I didn't have her around.

I'm getting to the point now where I think I'm ready to start looking for a job, even something part-time, just to get me out of the house. Hopefully my greencard/social security number will be arriving any day now which will allow me to start applying for jobs.

I've been looking around a little and I think it's a good idea to get something to keep me occupied during the winter months. The income will definitely help as well, although it will be hard to accept the low hourly rates over here. I know it's a different country, and things work differently here, but I will be getting paid less than I did when I started working at McDonalds some 20 years ago (oops, that's showing my age!!).

But the pro's for getting a job are not just financial. I will get to learn how the 'system' works over here. I will hopefully make some new friends and met new people. I will get out of the house each day. It will keep my brain occupied and give me more of a purpose. It will also mean I won't have to dip into my savings, and that I can (hopefully) travel a bit more while I'm over here.

Now it's just the waiting game - come on Mr Postman!  :)

Food, glorious food!

I have to say that I am a little proud of my restraint since I arrived here. Normally my ritual in America is to consume as much food as possible, whether it be good or bad for me. My rationale is that I'm on holidays, have access to food that is otherwise not available to me and that I'm only here for a limited time.

This time around it's different, so I need to think differently as well.

I think the only candy I've bought from the store so far has been a couple of small chocolate bars with Christmas flavours and some halloween candy (because it won't be around much longer in the stores). I've eaten some of it and I'm keeping some for later.

I will admit that ice-cream is a weakness of mine, but I am pacing myself with that as well. While I'm here I have decided to create and participate in the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Challenge. It's something I've made up myself, but I want to try and eat every flavour that is available in stores. I went to their website and made a spreadsheet of every flavour that is listed there. Over the course of the next year I am going to try and sample every single one of them. I'm also going to put together a table of my thoughts on the taste and whether I would try it again. It's just something I came up with when I was thinking about living here.

The only soda I've had has been a can of Dr Pepper on the plane from New York to Boston and little bits here and there when I've been out at a bar or restaurant. Mostly I'm trying to drink water, both still and sparkling. They have a lot of variety here with flavoured sparkling water but I think I still prefer the plain one best.

Meal-wise I have tried to start cooking food from day one. I've made pasta, slow-cooked pork and shredded chicken so far. Portland (Maine) is so amazing as far as restaurant eating goes, so I definitely want to experience some of that. But in a way to watch what I eat and save some money, I still want to eat at home most of the time.

Once I am settled into my apartment full-time I am going to do a juice detox/fast for 7 days as well. I'm excited about that - hopefully it will help flush out any crap from my system and help to lose a little weight. Once the juice detox is done I will also be looking to start going to the gym, but that's a whole other post for another time.

All in all, I am trying to eat as well as I can and my goal is to come back to Australia weighing less than I did when I got here. I know that is going to be a challenge but 'game on' ...

Happiness!

It's funny how emotions can change so quickly. Was able to have a great chat with David earlier on Skype. It felt like we were almost sitting next to each other in the same room, talking away the way we normally do. Caught up on a lot of stuff as we haven't really spoken properly all week. I'm starting to love his days off even more now!!

I started the day feeling down and depressed and now I'm feeling happy and up.

Thanks "Mr Skype" for inventing the technology to video chat!

Music and emotions ...

It's amazing how certain songs can have such a power effect on us.

A while ago David played a song to me 'I Choose You' by Sara Bareilles. He said that it reminded him of me and summed up how he felt about me. I had a listen and liked the song. Sitting here this morning it started playing on iTunes, however this time it had a much more profound effect. I stopped what I was doing, sat down and listened to every word of the song. Not even half way through and the tears started flowing. By the end of the song I was a blubbering mess.

It's been really hard with the time difference the past few days to have a proper chat with David so I'm really feeling far away from him at the moment. Now that we have started daylight savings here the only time I get to speak to him is in the afternoon/evening here (unless I get up at 4am). It really sucks.

I am trying to keep myself busy with stuff here - walking, taking photos, going to different shops, hanging out with friends, etc. But none of that replaces the little hole I have inside :(  Nothing makes the fact that he is half a world away feel any better.

I think today is going to be a hard day :(

Cabin fever ...

I'm not sure that I'm there just yet, but I'm starting to feel a bit anxious about being at home all the time. Every time I've visited Maine it has always been for about a week. And during the times I've visit (and there have been quite a few) it's always been a quick run around to the usual places. Various stores and supermarkets to buy bits and pieces, souvenirs, fun foods, cheap clothes, random cds or cool things from the comic store. But now I am here long-term. Now I don't need to rush around. This time I'm spending more time indoors at home and just relaxing.

I don't know whether it's the fact I'm not doing much. Or the fact that I don't have a job. Or the fact that I'm away from David. Or maybe it's a combination of all of the above. It just feels weird.

I wake up in the morning and don't really feel like I have to rush to get out of bed. After about half an hour I get up, mostly because I got bored of just laying there and can't go back to sleep. I check out FaceBook and then get myself some breakfast. I'm trying to make breakfast a regular habit now and I'm trying to eat something a little healthier.

The past week I've had a small bowl of granola with a couple of spoonfuls of stewed apple, topped with some almond milk. Add a 1/2 glass of orange juice and presto, breakfast is prepared....

I eat it sitting at the table with my laptop opened, reading through FaceBook and catching up what all my friends back home have been up to. By the time I'm reading it almost everyone at home is either in bed or getting ready for it. I post a few photos or comments and then think about what to do with myself for the day. Again, it feels weird not having a purpose or a set thing to do (i.e. a job!). I know that will come in time, but I'm just not used to having nothing to do like that.

At this point I can hear David saying something like "ha, you always sit at home and do nothing" - well, maybe he wouldn't put it as harshly as that but he'd say something similar. I guess when I would sit at home and relax it would be on my day/s off, and I'd do it to unwind after working hard all week. This feels different - kind of like I have my engine running but it's just idling in the driveway.

I find myself constantly wondering what David is up to. I am still sad about being so far away from him, but during the day it isn't just sadness - it's something more. I find myself wondering what he is doing, what he did yesterday, what he had for dinner, what he's watching on tv - lots of little things. A couple of times it's felt like I have been waiting the whole day just for it to be time for him to wake up so I can talk to him.

The longest we've ever been apart since we started living together is 2 weeks. It's approaching that part now and it makes me feel uncomfortable. We both have separate lives at the moment - and this is by my doing. I made this happen, so I can't exactly complain about it. But at the same time living here is something that I have wanted for as long as I can remember. So I find myself constantly trying to balance my thoughts between missing the man that I love, not having any regrets, fulfilling a dream, blah blah blah ...

If I go back to the part about me feeling uncomfortable I guess it's because the reality is that life goes on. Just like my life is happening here right now, David's life continues back home. I know that it's crazy talk, but I'm just scared that his life is going to keep on going without me in it and that things will change while I'm away. I know I will have my good moments and my bad ones and I think tonight I'm just getting a little too sentimental and overly emotional. I'm also a bit tired which probably doesn't help. I do have faith in our relationship - but I just wish he was closer! Simples.

And now that I'm unloaded a bit of emotional baggage I think it's time I head to bed for some shut eye! Goodnight world, you are a bittersweet mistress!

Surreal!

It still feels a little bit surreal me being here. Kind of like I’m on a holiday and I’ll be leaving soon. Except the pace is different - this time I’m not in a mad rush to do anything (shopping/try new food/catch up with friends and family). 

It feels weird.

New phone!

One of the first priorities once I arrived in the US was to organise a phone and a phone number (or cell phone as they call it here).

Seeing as the new iPhone 6+ has just been released it seemed like the perfect timing to get one. 

Mum took me to Verizon and before I knew it, this happened ....

And then this ...

And then finally BOOM - new iPhone up and running :)

My cell number is 207 373 8638 just in case anyone wants to send me a text or give me a call.

It has made such a difference having a phone with Internet access the whole time. I can stay in touch with David whenever I like whereas before I had to wait for wifi to access the Internet. 

Plus the phone itself is amazing. I'm loving it, even if it is a little big to use with one hand. And with the plan I'm on, it will be paid off and out of contract within a year :)

Halloween 2014!

I planned my arrival to the USA to be just in time to celebrate Halloween. It's one of my favourite holidays (even though we don't really celebrate it in Australia). I have been in America for Halloween once before and spent it in Salem, which was pretty amazing!!

I hadn't really made any specific plans and wasn't sure what I should do for the night of Halloween, which this year fell on a Friday. I considered heading to P-Town for Spooky Bear but found out about it a little too late which meant driving on my own for a few hours (I think around 4 each way) and then having to pay for expensive accommodation on my own. I also thought about heading to Salem again but I decided that I wanted to experience something closer to home. I wanted to see trick-or-treaters coming to the door, and to feel the excitement and atmosphere on the night so I stayed in Maine. 

Jeff and Michael (some close friends of mine) invited me over to their place, so I headed over and watched them hand out some candy to the local kids. Before I left home we had a couple of kids come to the door, but the area that I'm living in is not really built up, so not a lot of kids walk the streets around here. Driving over to Jeff and Michael's house was pretty awesome - there were kids everywhere, walking the streets in costumes with their parents nearby (most of whom were also in costume). It really felt like what you see on tv! I loved it!

As Halloween was on the Friday night there were quite a few parties being held over the weekend, and I got invited to join Jeff and Michael (along with a couple of their friends, George and Chris) at a Halloween Party in Ogunquit (a town about 30 minutes south of where I'm living). The party was at a Bar called MaineStreet Ogunquit and the event was called Super Heroes and Villains. Naturally a costume was in order and Michael was kind enough to drive me around to look at some options. I narrowed it down to either a Priest or a Viking.

Viking Ben! I just need a sword and shield!

Forgive me for my sins!

In the end I went with the Priest as I thought it would be fun turning it into an evil Priest. Michael helped with the horns and make-up, and I got some fake teeth as well. The costumes and in particular the accessories/make up are just incredible over here. There are entire shops just dedicated to Halloween. It's really hard to appreciate how much people here get into Halloween. 

So we got dressed up and headed to George and Chris' house for some drinks and to add finishing touches to our costumes. 

The end result - Evil Priest!!

George offered to be the designated driver for the night, so we jumped in the car and headed to Ogunquit. The party itself was amazing - again, it felt like I was watching a tv show. Everyone was dressed up in all kinds of crazy costumes and it felt so surreal. There were two difference dance floors and an up-stairs section. We spent the night chatting, people-watching, drinking and dancing. No Kylie, but they played one ABBA song so I danced along in David's honour!! I think it was a great way to be introduced to Halloween properly in America and had such a great night!

Seeing some of the costumes that friends had this year has really inspired me for next year. I am definitely going to put in a lot more effort and try to come up with something original, creative and fabulous!! :)

Time Zones (continued)

The time difference continues to play havoc with my sleep patterns, although it's getting slightly better day by day. 

All week I've woken up around 5am and by 6am I find that I can't force myself back to sleep again. Consequently I'm getting really tired by about 8pm every night. I'm managing to stay awake until around 9, but then find myself either falling asleep on the couch or having to go to bed. 

Anyone that knows me will know that I'm not a morning person. Lol! So it's quite unusual for me to be up so early. 

It's not the end of the world though, I just need to find something to do in the mornings to make me feel more productive!

Time Zones Suck!!

I'm starting to realise how hard it's going to be to speak to David whenever I want to :(

With my jet lag I've been waking up around 4 or 5am each morning. I try to stay in bed and force myself back to sleep, but the one saving grace is that it gives me a chance to speak to David. When it's 4am here it's around 6:30pm in Adelaide which is generally a good time to have a chat. But when I go back to sleep and wake up around 8/9pm it's a little too late in Adelaide (around 10:30pm) and David is either heading to bed or already asleep.

This week has been tough with David working day shift because he has to be up around 4am. This means he heads to bed really early to try and get enough sleep.

We managed a couple of brief chats (via text) but apart from Wednesday morning we haven't been able to speak properly all week.

I had a little breakdown yesterday. I was just sitting here and my mind started thinking about him. I miss him so much :(

I'm hoping we will get a proper chance to speak later today. I have a phone now, so we can get in touch with each other a bit easier now..... I'm just waiting for him to wake up - so hurry up time!!