My trip over...

Hey everyone,
Sorry that it has been nearly 2 months since my last blog. I will try my best to update you on my experiences so far. I'll start off with my the events on June 17-19th.
I arrived here on June 19th a few hours later than expected due to a crazy trip over. After leaving Amarillo, my plane was re-routed to Abilene due to storms in Dallas. As I sat on the plane in Abilene, I called mom to see if there were more flights to LA that day and she couldn't see any except for one. I sat in Abilene on the plane for about 1 1/2 hours and then finally got to DFW. After I arrived, I knew I had missed my original flight to LA and also the next one that my mom infomed me of, so I rushed to the counter to ask for a plane ticket to LA and they had one leaving in about 30 minutes, so my luck had changed! I got to the gate and it kept being delayed due to the plane arriving late from all the delays earlier. Finally I get on the plane and I arrive in LA about 3 hours later than expected. So then I still have about 6 hours to lull around LAX until my flight to Sydney. I spend my time sleeping and calling my mom and I charge my phone and eat some food until about 2 hours before my flight. I walk to see if my flight is on the departures list and it is but the time is red and it says 3:20 AM when it was supposed to leave at 11:50 PM. So I still have 5 hours before my plane leaves due to a never-ending delay of the Qantas Sydney to LA to NY plane. Finally getting ready to board I get my new boarding pass with a different seat on it than I had originally chosen. When I board the plane, I am pleased to see that I am in the bassinette row!!! With about a foot of room in front of me to stretch out! Hooray for good luck in the end!

I get to Sydney about 2 hours late and guess what?!?! I have lost one bag somewhere along the way. So I have to go to the baggage services so they can put a search out for it. Then I have to wait for my ride. Chris was going to pick me up when I was arriving on time but he had to go to work so he had his mate Brad come but he couldn't come until 4 hours after I arrived. So waiting again in an airport. Oh well, he came and we went to my new home in Engadine. Phew! What a trip. By the way, my bag came a couple of days later. Thanks QANTAS BAGGAGE SERVICES!!!

The Day Before

I have just about 20 hours until I leave. I am completely packed now except for a few more things that go in my carry-on. I have weighed my suitcases and they are about 50 lbs. Hopefully I won't have to remove anything last minute at the airport. Before I fly I always worry about time delays especially flying American because they always seem to postpone flights. Hopefully good luck will be with me tomorrow and everything will go on schedule. I'll have about 9 hours at LAX waiting for my flight on Qantas...boring! Oh well, it goes by pretty fast, especially if i find someone to talk to.
I have been waiting for tomorrow for about 2 years. I am very excited and feel very blessed to have this opportunity. I used to think that I would live in Amarillo forever but I have grown a lot after meeting such a great guy from Australia and I think that this is a risky move...but it could bring some great rewards. I know that I have much of my family in support of me and my friends couldn't be more jealous! :) Soon, I will be in Sydney and having a blast in my new life. Pray that my flights go well and that I arrive safely. Feel free to comment on my blog.

Job hunting

First off, job hunting sucks! Especially in a foreign country where they have a totally different name for jobs. I have been looking for work in Sydney. It's hard to choose what to search for because I will be a temporary worker due to my visa restrictions. Although I have a teaching degree, I can't become a teacher in Australia on this visa. So I am looking elsewhere for work. My dream job is a PA (Personal Assistant)/EA (Executive Assistant) for a company. Weird I know but that's what I want to do. I have searched for these positions but it seems like all of them want you to have previous experience in the office. Which I have not, so I am gonna have to start at the bottom. So now when I search, I look for Office Assistant/Junior so that I can find something entry level and hopefully work my way up. I have started saving the jobs on seek.com.au and I have also posted a resume online. I won't start applying until June but my search is ongoing.

Enough about jobs. I check my YDU website daily and sometimes I read the posts that look interesting. One of the guys on there posted about his relationship ending. He was in an online relationship for a while and moved to Sydney to be with his partner. Soon after arriving, his partner said he did not find him attractive. You think that his partner would have known this before the YDU guy moved to be with him. It is heart breaking to hear but I know it happens. Some people can be so cruel. I have had a fear of this but right now I am confident in everything. I am trying to stay positive so that my experience will be positive.

Here is one of the best things I will miss:
A West Texas sunset

Onward with the job search...

First Post

Hi everyone,
I hope you enjoy reading my blog about all my adventures in Australia. I have approximately 5 weeks until I leave on a big jet plane to my new home and I am very nervous. I have made this trip twice before but I dread that long plane ride. It is a 14 hour flight on Qantas. I will be leaving LAX at 11 pm and arrive in Australia at 7 in the morning. My visa starts on the day I arrive and will end a year later.
At the moment I am looking for a job and will start applying next month for casual/temporary jobs throughout Sydney. If I find a job in the CBD, I will have to take a train to work everyday. I would like to find a job where I will be living, Engadine, so that the commute will not be so rough on the pocket. I am looking forward to spending time with Chris' family and friends and making some new friends of my own. I hope to meet up with my YDU (yanksdownunder.net) friends in Sydney.
This blog is for my family members at home in Texas and other states as well as my new Aussie friends. Thank you all for your support. Send me comments often and emails too. Love you all!

-Val