Australia is a fascinating country. It’s roughly the same size as the United States but only has 24 million people vs 319 million. Of the those 24 million, 85 % live with in 50 km’s of a coastline.

I am currently living in Brisbane, which is in the state of Queensland. It located in the northern half of Australia, and has moderate tropical feel all year round.

Since leaving the snow and gloomy winter days behind in Chicago, I have been trying to embrace my new city’s blue skies and lush vegetation.

I am staying near the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens. On Sunday mornings, they have a Garden Market.

I was up early and headed out to walk the Garden before the market opened. I entered at Albert St. and turned left and took the path along the river, with full intention of heading back towards Albert St, which where the markets are. Now I remember seeing the Mangroves but I am not quite sure where I went off the path. I was so lost in my music, that it took me a while  for me to notice that I was no longer in the garden. I was a bike path along the River. I kept walking until I figured out a way to get off the path.  I finally saw a crazy set of stairs and a elevator ( lift).  Just was I was approaching the elevator, a lady was pushing the up button. I guess it was stairs for me. Luckily,  she turned saw me and held the elevator. I thought wow we could totally be friends.

Well my new BFF agreed and we started chatting. I told her about my misadventure and how I was new to town and learning my way around.  She introduced herself as Helen and invited me to go the movies with her and husband, Steve, that afternoon. I left safety of my comfort zone and said sure why not. Well then she said OK, we will pick you. The paranoid neurotic American in me tried to rear it’s ugly head. I just smacked it away and said Great!

Now Helen had the same thoughts as me, called me and said here is, my information, you can google me. And upon arriving to pick me up, providing business cards of both her and Steve with someone just so they knew who I was with.  I told her I knew we would be friends when you held the elevator for me. We went and saw The Reverent.  Which was grizzly but it was nice to have people to talk about it afterwards.

I am slowly acclimating to living here in Brisbane. I do miss a lot of things from home, but I embracing the change.  I am definitely learning to eat healthier, an American medium is as Australian large. I am learning to live with what I have, given that I still living out of a suitcase. I am surviving with my extremely crazy hair, ponytails have become my BFF.  I am digging the no tipping culture. I am getting my fill of vitamin D on a daily basis, rather then have to take a tablet.  I am living without a DVR oh and a TV. I would like to see how Downton Abbey ends but it will show up eventually here. I don’t take my phone everywhere, I am embracing being unplugged, well that and nobody is really calling me.

While so far this journey has not been all rainbows, I am taking it for what it is, one day at time.