Holiday Time!!

Well the holidays are finally here and it is nearly 100 degrees outside!! On Christmas day it is supposed to be as hot as a desert, so this will be very different from every other year. People here are planning on going golfing or going to the beach, and I'm thinking 'this ain't right...' But still, we will be having a Christmas dinner with family. I will be traveling North with Brett and Zareena to Bretts parent's house in Dogara (pronounced Dongra). Apparently their house is right on the ocean so I should get a nice burn!! First though we have their holiday street party later today. Should be a good time.

The job hunt isn't going quite according to plan. I met with Wikid Creative on Wednesday morning in a area of Perth called Subiaco. The area reminds me of Lincoln Park in Chicago as many shops are lining the streets and people walk every where they are going. The area is also known for their two famous Markets and the Subiaco Oval, home of WA Football. I met with the owner, Ben, for about 45 minutes at a coffee shop and we discussed his needs vs my experience. In the end we reached the conclusion that I probably needed about 10 more years of experience. But, he was nice enough to give me the names of 4 other agencies in the area.

The second company I met with was Meerkats and they were located directly downtown. I left home an hour before the interview (knowing that last time it took me 40 minutes) and I was still 5 minutes late!! The area where Meerkats is located is like trying to drive and park at a mall the day after Thanksgiving!! It was insane, not to mention that the streets weren't properly labeled. In the end I ended up parking about 3 blocks away and walked to the place. When I arrived, Liz, said that she though I would have arrived later because the city was so crazy. She was sort of impressed!! We went across the street, talked for about a half hour, and then she took my resume and said she would pass it on. But, because of the timing (Christmas and all) she said it could be quite some time before I get a call. The person I was supposed to meet with won't be back until mid January sometime. But, she was also kind enough to give me the names of other agencies in the area.

It's crazy, every person I have talked to said that the job market is really wide open right now. Ben said that he really didn't want to turn me away because their is such a labor shortage (but he just couldn't justify it because his company is so small). Liz said that if I didn't get a job with Meerkats I would get picked up in no time by another agency. I really hope it turns out that way because I'm getting sick of having nothing to do all day. I go out and explore and all that, but I do want to get into a day to day routine. I also want to meet people!! I think once footy starts things will get much better.

Well I hope everyone has a great Christmas. It won't be the same without seeing family and friends back in MI, but it should be a good time. I miss all of you tremendously and I can't wait to send photos from Donagra!! Safe travels and Merry Christmas!!

Pictures

Below is a link to where you can view my photos. I use Webshots.com and I've had this account for a while. I don't want to have to post my pictures to two different places either time because it would be a waste of time and the internet connection that I'm using isn't the fastest. Copy and past the link into a browser and it should direct you to the proper place. Sorry for the inconvenience!!

http://community.webshots.com/user/mupatty2

One Week Down

Well it has now been one week since I've arrived and so far the experience is great. Last Thursday I had my first training session (pre-pre season stuff) and it went well. I was still feeling the jet lag a bit, but once we started running all that went out the windown. We did a few miles with running and sprinting intervals and ended with hill runs. It wasn't too bad and I held my own. I got to meet some of the guys which made me feel welcome. The best part was that we were right on the beach. A beautiful backdrop can do wonders for a workout. After, I had some dinner back home with Jared and James (two Americans from the Milwaukee squad doing the same thing, but they've already been here a year) and Brett and Zareena. It was a great night.

The next day wasn't too busy. I had another run but after went to the beach for a nice swim. The water is crystal clear, warm, and has a sandbar about 50 feet from shore. Once on the sandbar, I played around in the surf and watched the surfers and boogie boarders just down the way. I think I am going to sign up for surfing lessons sometime soon. It looks like great fun. That night Brett and I went out with one of his friends to a local bar. No biggie, but it was fun.

Saturday was a crazy day as I tagged along with Brett as he went to a Buckshow (a Bachelor party). Starting at 11 am we met up with the guys at the Best Man's house and that's when the craziness started. The Bachelor showed up wearing a blue japanese animation wing (made of foam), neon green and black tights (see through, luckily he wore black boxers), the Borat swimsuit, and no shirt. There are some things you just can't un-see. The rest of the day was a blast as we went Supa Golfing (which is played with a hard foam golf-ball about the size of a baseball. The clubs are oversized and the ball doesn't travel more than 70 yards), then to a couple local breweries (at the second one we got kicked out because Brett and his friend got into a water/beer fight inside), and then to a local pub to end things. We traveled between locations on a rented bus that let us bring alcohol on board, which in hindsight probably wasn't the best idea. Either way though, we had a great time and paid for it the entire next day. Great memories.

First Couple of Days

Well I am safe and sound here in Perth. The journey over was quite long, but everything went smoothly and no real problems arose. Tony Fairhead picked me up at the airport and drove me down to his house in Fremantle (our friend in Perth was at work). He had to take off for a couple of hours for a birthday party so I had a few hours to kill. I spent just over an hour wandering around the city and around Tim's old stomping grounds. In honor of him I made a stop at the pub Sail & Anchor and had a pint of Redback, Tim's favorite beer. Delicious.

After I was done exploring I headed back to Tony's place, but first had a stop at the beach. The water was nice and warm and the sand was nice. It was great to feel like I had finally arrived. After I got back to Tony's we jumped in the car and drove North to Brett's place. He lives with his girlfriend in a nice house just North of Perth in a town called Marmion. Upon arrival we sat around, had a couple of beers, and had a pleasant time cathching up. After about an hour or so the jet lag started kicking in so I headed off to bed.

The next morning I decided to do some more exploring; so I burrowed Brett's car and took off down the road. Luckily, his car is automatic, so that only thing that I had to worry about was driving on the correct side of the road. I did just fine and managed to make it to a shopping center for some supplies. Now I am all set with a cell phone, toiletries, and most importantly...deodorant!!

After that little trip I headed back home and out for a run. The beach is only about 1/4 of a mile away so it was a great place to jog. Too bad I have been sitting on planes for the last 2 days, so the jog only lasted about 20 minutes, but it was worth it.
So far everything is falling into place and I am loving it. I miss everyone back home, but I think once I find my way this place will feel just as nice.

Home Stretch

Monday morning of my last day of work and I am getting overwhelmed with anxiousness. All the months of preparation are coming to fruition (in different ways) and time is moving way to fast. In a little over seven days I will be getting off a plane on the opposite side of the world where the temperature is in the 70s and the ocean is right next door. Incredible. I am going to miss everyone and everything...except snow, which Milwaukee has way too much of. Also, for anyone who doesn't know, Perth is 15 hours ahead of Milwaukee time. So this way when the bars are closing in the Midwest (2 am) it will be 5pm and time to have a few beers!!

Going Away Surprise

The Monday morning at work is the worst part of any surprise party because you can't stop thinking about all he great memories. I have been sitting at my desk for 30 minutes now and that's all that has gone through my mind. I can't stop thinking about my incredible family, friends, and girlfriend. For everyone to pull together to make the surprise such a success; I am incredibly humbled. Even my dad showed up!!! How cool is that!!

But, since all the beers have been consumed and the ribs have been eaten, everything is really setting in. Lisa and I sat and watched TV all day yesterday (day after the celebration) and everything was running through my mind. So many loose ends to tie up; people to call; arrangements to make; and work to be done. I'm freaking out a little bit because it seems like time is against me. I feel like I'm going off to college again!!

Just over one month until I leave and it is getting scary. Practically everything is in place and ready to go, except me. I can't help but question if I made the right decision because of all the great things that I'm leaving behind. What if this? What if that? In the end though I know this will all work out. It always does.

I just want to thank everyone for the support and encouragement that has kept me going. Without my safety net of friends and family I know this decision and journey would have been much scarier.

I am going to try and update this as often as I can, but I really don't know how much that will be. So many questions are still unanswered that nothing is a guarantee. But, I hope everyone will enjoy reading it as much as I will enjoy writing it.