the rest of it

What was I thinking, assuming I could blog every day in October about things I would miss from our old place AND pack... AND clean... AND move stuff to the new place... AND unpack... AND take care of the dogs???  Needless to say, I haven't had time for everything, so my blog was the one to take the hit (again).  My things I will miss segment reached day/ number 14 and then dissolved.  Grr I'm so frustrated! I keep setting myself these seemingly easy blog goals and then letting myself down!

That being said, we're all moved in to our new place - furniture arranged, kitchen fully functional, doggies getting into a new routine, plants basking in their previously unattainable morning sunlight; and I like it here a lot more than I thought I would.  It feels truly peaceful here, oddly zen, despite younger residents and many more activities on-the-go than at our old place.  I'm quite shocked at how fast this new apartment, on the third floor - overlooking the swimming pool, has began to feel like home!  And although I meant to mention 31 reasons (coinciding with the 31 days of Oct) about why I would miss our old place so much, I don't miss so many things at all!  Here at the new place, I have all the other things I didn't mention and I feel happy to leave my list at 14, with the exception of three more: 

15) my neighbours. Vicki, Ana, Russel, Jo and Yevengi. 

Will and I ended up building actual friendships with our neighbours: double dates, dinners, cocktail nights, hanging out, crying on each other's shoulders... and my all time favourite: popping into each other's houses whenever we wanted or seeing each other around and just talking!  Obviously here, we're starting from scratch...

16) Allen Park.

Our neighbourhood park was seriously the best.  It was the first real glimpse of Austin's flora and fauna that we had: where we saw our first bluebonnets, woodpecker and tiny brown rabbits! The doggies ran around free off their leashes, scoping out the park, saying hello to their friends and I had the whole mile/ time/ steps taken/ calorie burning ratio perfectly worked out.  All of us will miss Allen Park.

17) the backyard.
Truthfully this time of year that backyard was unbearable.  There were no less than 65 mosquitoes ready to attack the second you walked out the door and nobody used the backyard at all unless covered in half a can of bug spray, but Baxter adored that yard.  He would wait patiently (sometimes for a full hour) beside it, just sitting there without making a sound, looking out, longing to be out there.  Whenever I would finally open the door, he would do the usual perimeter sweep and then decide his next activity based on whether the neighbour's dog was behind the fence or not.  If yes, he would sniff endlessly up and down the fence line, occassionally giving a little bark to make his position known.  If not, then he would just lay in the sun - either chewing a stick or simply looking around at the never ending scurry of wildlife that lay beyond our glass door.

things I'll miss about living here | No.13 terrace homes

There's something so romantic, so dreamy, so tidy and just plain perfect about terrace homes (or row homes)!  These houses were the first thing I noticed about our neighbourhood and really what gave it the character that sealed the deal.  We don't feel like we're in Austin around here - our street resembles an English town instead - and I fight a daily urge to photograph these terrace houses sitting happily amongst tall oak trees!  A sight that fill my heart with glee and one I shall miss!

No.12 | five miles to downtown

While I'm on the topic of downtown, it warrants mentioning that the apartment we are leaving is only five miles away from it!  Although we only go down there (on average) about twice a month, being so close has unlimited advantages, but to list a few: 10 min travel time // traffic = 20 mins // we can see the skyline and enjoyed 4th July fireworks display from down the street // its convenient for friends to stay with us when visiting from out of town // it's not a stretch to enjoy a night on the town or one of our fave restaurants ... and so on! 

Goodbye Northwest Hills and this amazing location!  I won't ever take you for granted xx.

things I'll miss about living here | no.11 one dollar to Downtown

The bus to downtown is on my street, runs late into the night and costs $1.  ONE DOLLAR!  That's basically unheard of in today's crazy expensive world and when you take into account parking (which is roughly $15 dollars/ 4 hours) or cab fare ($20 one way), you'd be mad to travel there any other way!

Unless of course the bus stop isn't on your street and you don't have that option... like me in just a couple of weeks from now, when I become one of the disgruntled mass paying through the roof to go downtown! #spoiledbrat #firstworldproblems

No.8 & 9 | Texas sage & morning light

I love Texas sage bushes!  With their silver-green leaves; small violet, bell-shaped flowers; hummingbird magnetism; drought tolerance; low maintenance and overall appearance: they are without doubt my favourite native plant.

Here at our place in Northwest Hills, we have a Texas sage bush growing right outside our kitchen window and I enjoy admiring it any time of the day, but especially in the mornings when the sun shines its soft, white rays directly through the leaves - making the bush appear as if it's creating its own, angelic glow.   

Other plants with greener leaves look radiant when the rays of morning light fall upon them, and are beautiful in their own way, but the way my beloved Texas sage is illuminated in such a heavenly light, I find myself staring, mesmerized and awaiting descending angels. 

things I'll miss about living here | No.7 the birds

I've mentioned before that I feel like a Disney princess whenever I walk into my living room here in Northwest Hills.  The trees that surround our apartment almost always contain songbirds within them and their songs can be heard clearly from  every room, but especially from the couch, making me smile daily as I drink my morning coffee.  

The song birds include chickadees, Carolina wrens, mockingbirds and yellow finches. Then there are the cardinals and tufted titmice that make short chirps; the mourning and inca doves that coo; and the bluejays that shriek (even though they can get annoying, their appearance makes up for it). 

We have been so fortunate, I know, to have this chance to experience the birds of Texas so close and personal and I am happy... But it's bittersweet because I don't know if we will ever live with them again.

-Ps: photo above of cardinal was taken by my very talented, very spectacular cousin whom I love very much- Thanks Rita!!

things I'll miss about living here | No.6 the deer

Although White Tailed deer are prevelant all over Austin; it's common knowledge that the northern neighbourhoods are where you'll see the most.  Here in Northwest Hills they roam all over the streets, parks, people's front and back yards too!  One of my favourite things in the world to do when we have guests visiting from out of town, is driving around after dinner and spotting deer throughout the neighbourhood, like we're on a suburban safari!  Ahhh, I will miss it so. 

things I'll miss about living here | No.5 the grocery store

Yes, there seems to be a bit of a theme going but our grocery store is currently within walking distance too and I shall miss that as well!  There's nothing quite like nipping into the store any time we please with very minimal effort... Although perhaps without the convenience of buying things on the slightest whim, we might save some extra cash! Still, now we'll have to drive and do our grocery shopping once a week like normal people... Damn!

things I'll miss about living here | No.4 nail salon

Nails are important to any self-respecting female and I searched high and low when I moved to the neighbourhood for the perfect salon!  After many trial and error visits to the various ones in this area, I found the perfect salon, within walking distance from my house!  I shall miss it but if I can't find one on par with it at the new place, then I'll just have to make the drive.

things I'll miss about living here | No.3 the library

This place is within walking distance to a public library 💕

things I'll miss about living here | No.1 proximity

This list isn't in any kind of order at all, but when I began to ponder what I'll miss about moving from our current apartment, the first thing that popped into my mind... is its close proximity to everything.  I'll talk way more about my fave places nearby as the month goes on, but for now, just a general shout-out to this location!  Northwest Hills rules! 

I took the above photo at Bull Creek Park - just two miles from our place and one of the most incredibly beautiful places I've ever seen!  It was in that fresh, clear water that Baxter learnt to realized he already knew how to swim and if you follow this link to his blog, you'll find his adorable post all about that day!  Here's another link to his blog where he posts about spring time at Bull Creek!  Both are cute as, and both feature HEAPS of photos and videos of the picturesque Bull Creek area! 

this week's tip | house hunting

As I mentioned in my last post, Will and I have decided to stay in Texas and make a home close to the Austin area.  We spent much of the first half of 2014 looking at neighbourhoods and house prices, trying to see what feels right and where we would be comfortable.  Now, with that finally agreed upon, we've spent the past week in full house-hunting mode!

As exciting as it is looking at various estates and houses, fantasizing about decorating and buying new things: there are a lot of frustrating aspects of house hunting too.  One of the most frustrating things for me is finding a house we really like, walking through it, liking it even more and then being disappointed for one reason or another.  Regardless of whether the disappointment comes from the house selling from underneath us, or because of structural issues or blah blah: every time I see a house / floor plan I like, I begin to envision our life there.  I imagine what every room will contain, I picture our existing furniture mixed with fabulous new pieces, I see the kitchen cabinets painted a certain way, what kind of landscaping would be done and even the letterbox!  It crushes me when my dream bubble bursts and I need to farewell my mental home! 

Granted, so far it's only happened twice, but to stop myself (and hopefully some other eager buyers too) getting carried away again, I've made a checklist based on months of experience and some advice from a couple of friends that are in real estate:    

1)  See a Seller's Disclosure Form!

Assuming this form is filled out honestly - it is major (hence being #1).  It contains all the information that the seller knows about the house: how old it is, what repairs or remodeling have taken place, whether any insurance claims have been made, whether anything needs repairing or replacing, and assuming appliances are included: how old they are plus warranty information etc.  

2)  Don't take their word for it

The Seller's Disclosure Form is a great beginning and will tell you things your real estate agent often can't, like whether the water is septic, or when the roof was replaced.  In an ideal world, everyone fills it out 100% honestly without omitting a single detail, but you never know what the seller's situation is - or how desperate they are to sell so it's always best to double check what they say.

3)  Professional inspection

This is where the professionals come in!  In most cases, they will be able to call baloney on anything that's misleading in the Seller's Disclosure form and they are vital for ascertaining that the foundation, roof, electric work and drainage are all sound.  Choosing a home inspection company can be daunting, but here's a detailed article I've found that helped Will and I narrow it down.

4)  Go along for the inspection! 
It actually amazes me that people don't.  Maybe I'm a total cynic, but I believe it's always best to see things for yourself and be part of a process that determines one of the biggest investments you make in your life.  Not that inspectors aren't trustworthy by any means - but I'd rather see any problems firsthand and immediately get their professional opinion about whether they're easy to fix or can eventually lead to larger issues.  Being present for the inspection will definitely help you get to know your future home and as you walk through the halls and rooms, receiving positive feedback from the inspector, feel free to start dreaming... <3  

This advice is for myself as much as anyone else!  Hopefully it will serve as a reminder before the next time I jump the gun and begin mentally moving into a place with (according to Will) obvious foundation issues!!  From experience, it's not worth getting excited purely based on the appearance of a house.  Sure, it ticks all the aesthetic boxes, but do you really want to live in a beautiful mess that's crumbling in around you? If so, you'd better have thousands of dollars spare to invest into repairs, because you'll never be able to sell it otherwise!

fun times and panic attacks

I've been busy catching up on work assignments since we got back from South Padre Island last Thursday and I'm almost up to date so I'll be posting all about our trip and sharing lots of photos etc over the coming week.  We had a brilliant time with lots of opportunity to unwind and refocus, and I'm looking forward to sharing it all with you in a new (and very exciting!) way.

One thing I briefly mentioned a while ago, but haven't touched back upon, is the topic of house-hunting.  Since Will and I moved to Austin without knowing anything about the area, we rented the place we're in now, to scope things out and find our niche.  While we love the area we're in, we've decided for various reasons that we aren't going to stay here.  It became apparent pretty quickly that we need to be close to Austin, but not in it.  So here we are.  Swiftly approaching the end of our lease (just three months to go, eep!) and looking at places outside of Austin's metropolitan zone!  This is very exciting for me since my whole life I've lived in big cities but at the same time, it's very frightening.  So frightening that yesterday I had somewhat of a panic attack thinking about moving 'into the county' and 'being remote.'

This will be my 10th move in 8 years.  Will has had a similar amount. Not all of those moves have been inter-city or major; but all have warranted moving trucks, lots of cleaning and rearranging furniture.  It will be my fifth major move into a brand new city where I know no one and that's always frightening.  I have hope that as we are buying our new place of residence, we may spread some roots there at last, I am weary of moving and anxious to build a home, yet simultaneously nervous about committing to a community we are unfamiliar with.

I often smile when I think of just how many of life's biggest decisions Will and I make based on our intuitions.  I know this makes little sense to many, but it has truly worked for us thus far.  Sometimes we feel different things - like yesterday when I let fear grip and shake me wildly, while he drove steadily on to our destination, unyielding and determined: his logical left-brain rationalizing the decision his gut has already made.  I admire that about him so much!  And while I'm not a fan of sexist stereotypes that dictate all men are logical while all women are emotional, in our case it holds true.  When we are deciding a massive, life altering choice - I truly take comfort in the constancy of Will's resolve.  Once he makes a decision, he rarely wavers on it, unless my gut is absolutely screaming NO!

Then again, that's the thing about soul-mates: you're usually intuitively connected.

The places I've called home

The scariest thing in the world to many people is moving away from their family and friends.  I’ve moved to completely new cities – where I knew no one and started my life over, completely from scratch, four times in my adult life and five altogether, if you count moving from Kazakhstan to Australia with my parents when I was 5. 

Honestly, it IS hard and scary and lonely and completely, gut-wrenchingly depressing at times.  There are times when I weep for past lives of mine that lived happily in places where I was whole – with friends, family, a job, a car, stability, purpose.  Sometimes it seems that the moment I have it all together, I leave.  Sometimes I’m desperate for a permanent home; a piece of land somewhere in this world that belongs to me, where I can spread some metaphorical and physical roots (I love gardening).

I want to give a shout out to all the places I’ve called home, places within the city limits of which parts of me are confided, like Voldemort’s horcruxes. 

Almaty – Kazakhstan (yes, the place Borat is from)

I was born and lived here until I was 5. Although my recollections of it are scattered, the memories I do have are very powerful and are mainly of a family that I have long since become estranged from; but I think love is the strongest emotion of all and those feelings and faces have remained with me throughout my life.

Brisbane, QLD Australia

School, work, church, family, growing up, first friends, first fights, first unforgivable circumstances, first love, first kiss (Chris Lokteff - I get to brag because... well google him!!), first disappointment, first designer handbag, first everything I guess… it all took place here in the beautiful capital city of Queensland, Australia.

Sunshine Coast, QLD Australia

Although I never technically lived here – every school and family holiday, as well as many, many weekends were spent at various beaches here on this breathtaking shore.  Caloundra, Mooloolaba, Nambour, Noosa and the mountainous hinterland all left huge footprints on my existence.  Kings Beach at Caloundra has remained my meditating center: the spot I always go to in my head when I need to feel at peace.

Gold Coast, QLD Australia

Same as above – although not the family holiday part.  Once high school was over, my friends and I spent many weekends along the shores of this part of the world.  Southport, Surfer’s Paradise, Burliegh Heads and Coolangatta were always my favorites.

Rockhampton, QLD Australia

My first solo adult move. I came here for university and a boy, neither of which worked out.  Instead I found my truest and bestest friends.  Friends that have withstood time and heartbreaking distance.  I miss this place (and Yeppoon) so much that I get chocked up when I think it.  I lived here for almost 4 years and undoubtedly left the biggest chunk of my heart here in this small town.

Scarborough Beach, WA Australia

My next solo move; but during this one, I became tied to Will and we have traveled together everywhere else since.  Although we only lived here for 6 months, it was an incredible experience.  Truly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.  I spent a lot of time in the capital city Perth, which was a short train ride away from me, in Fremantle, on Scarborough Beach and neighboring beaches.

Yeppoon, QLD Australia

Will and I got married here and then stayed for a while before moving to the US.  This small town is only half an hour away from Rockhampton and it’s where many of my friends live.  It’s the unofficial beginning of Australia’s iconic ‘Great Barrier Reef’ – amazing, awe-inspiring; life changing experiences were had here. 

Atlanta, GA USA

The lonliest I’ve ever felt, moving to Atlanta was a culture shock, a test of my marriage and friendships, yet another growing experience and the single most self-altering 3 years I’ve ever had.  I spent the first year being heartbroken and homesick for Australia, completely determined to hate the city and not assimilate at all.  But it’s seriously impossible to hate Peidmont Park in the fall, Centennial Park at Christmas, Stone Mountain any time of year or Midtown where we lived.  Eventually, after meeting people, figuring out the public transport and getting to know Will’s family, this city became another home with many more people I’ve come to love.

Austin, TX USA…

Doesn't feel like home yet but… Stay tuned!  After a month here, I like it a lot.  In many ways it reminds me of Australia! And now that I’m no longer homesick for Aus every day, it’s an ironic and almost painful reminder of how far I've come but now have to start again! The attire of shorts and flip/ flops and the wildlife, nature and environmental consciousness are all very reminiscent… expect that here it’s deer, raccoons and squirrels abounding the streets instead of kangaroos, cockatoos and possums.  I think moving here will turn out to be a good thing, eventually. The people are very welcoming and genuine, shouldn't take too long to assimilate.  For now though, it's back to homesickness and loneliness.  

Transitioning

Just over two weeks ago Will, the pups and I moved from our brand new, high rise condo in Midtown Atlanta GA to an old, ground floor unit in a lush, green suburb in Austin TX.  After spending the first week without furniture, as we waited for the moving truck to make its marathon drive across States, we made do eating and relaxing in the evenings on a pair of outdoor chairs that we purchased from Lowes and watching DVDs on our laptops that were either perched atop the wetbar or a step ladder. 

Now that we have our things and are (mostly) set up, it’s beginning to feel more like home but still not quite as we adjust to hearing bird song outside our windows instead of traffic, horns and sirens or seeing a plethora of wildlife on our evening strolls, instead of people and expensive cars.  The pups love where we're at because they have a front balcony, a back patio and plenty of grass space nearby to chase their balls, which is a definite improvement on how they lived in the city!

We might never stop grumbling about the old kitchen appliances, the air conditioner that barely works but sounds like a freight train when it does, the bugs or the constant moisture in the air; but we are happy we made the transition.

Welcome to my life

Hi.  Here's a little about me: I'm a girly-girl, wife, mother of two puppies, daughter of a happily married couple who live in Australia, bilingual, a free spirit; lover of wine, music, antipasto and sitting around a campfire, under the stars, with friends.

My background is: born in Kazakhstan, grew up in Australia, moved around a lot after university, which I never finished so that makes me a failed business graduate but also one of the lucky few in this life who find their passion: writer and world traveler. My husband, my best friend and my all shares my passion for travel and it's because of him that I'm able to see so much of planet earth.  We travel a lot.  We move a lot.  

I named this blog the Unwavering Part of Me to signify the unchanging part of who I am inside, in amongst all the constant moving, exploration, lessons and changes in my life.  At times I feel homesick and lonely so I want this space to be my home and a place where I can reflect on experiences.