Owling is a 'Hoot'!

The transformation of our apartment into a poorly maintained menagerie could certainly be cause for complaint. However, we've managed to stay upbeat and positive. Following my sister's (Caleigh) blog has helped put things in perspective. She has spent her summer travelling with MedOutreach through Tanzania, Africa. The group is comprised of four doctors, two dentists, and two nurses (Caleigh is one of the nurses) all of whom are students from the University of Western Ontario. For many people living in Tanzania a few critters or a leaky faucet would be the least of their worries. It's been very inspiring to read of her humanitarian efforts. In addition to lending a helping hand to the Tanzanians, she has been able to partake in some tourist activities too. She ran (and completed) her first marathon at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and later has plans to return and climb the mountain. Just recently, she sent a message via Facebook to Steph describing her upcoming plans. The highlight of the message is what she has in store once she reaches the summit. She is going to plank on Mt. Kilimanjaro's peak!

Part of the Ecosystem

One thing is for sure; our apartment has character (or should I say 'characters'). In many ways it's just like any other home: walls and a roof to separate the 'outside' from the 'inside'. But the difference with our apartment is that our apartment is lazy. It has all the fundamental tools, but lacks the motivation to apply them. Or maybe it's too friendly and doesn't want to be exclude the outside from the inside. Whatever the reason, our apartment plays by different rules. Rain is allowed in the apartment, but only if it drips over the toilet; the odd insect invades from time to time, but must remain undetected by the humans unless prepared to suffer the ultimate consequence; and extreme temperature fluctuations are expected. We've learned to accept and appreciate our apartment's unique sense of purpose and play by its rules.

Man Down

One detail pertaining to our move to Australia has continued to haunt our subconscious. That being our VISA status. We arrived in Australia on a Working Holiday VISA subclass 417. This VISA allowed Steph and I to live and work within Australia for a maximum of one year commencing on the date of arrival. Although, this included a stipulation that, as a VISA 417 holder, we could only work for a single employer for a maximum of 6 months. Thus encouraging us, and visitors alike, to work and travel keeping hard earned Australian dollars within its own economy. Initially, our VISA status wasn't the top priority - finding a job was. Moving to the other side of the world isn't cheap.