Your end of the week update...

Friday morning, Dominik dropped me off at the Greenhouse Backpackers hostel downtown on his way to uni. I was told by the front desk that they were completely booked. Luckily a guy that worked there called the Base in St. Kilda, a more artsy community near the beach about a 20 minute tram ride from the city, and they found room for me. The guy also knew another graphic designer looking for a short term roommate. They were supposed to meet up with me that night at the hostel I was staying at so we could be introduced, but never showed. I waited as long as I could but since I was exhausted, I went on to bed around 8 pm. I found a cool coffee shop near my hostel that has free internet, so I had some coffee and caught up on Facebook and emails yesterday afternoon for a couple of hours. I had to buy a SIM card for my new Australian phone number and an adapter for my plug ins and chargers. While I was still in the city that morning I attempted to visit the bank to get my money squared away, but they were extremely busy and I didn't have time to wait. I did manage to set up an appointment for 11 am on Monday, so next week I can stop using the credit card and access my own funds locally.

I woke up this morning around 8 am. I slept pretty good the first night in the hostel except for the loud drunk foreigners shouting in the hallway around 3 am. Upon waking up, I walked down to the coffee shop for breakfast and called my dad using Skype and chatted with mom on Facebook. I know they were happy to finally hear that I am doing well. It has been difficult staying in touch while I have been getting situated. I think once I get in a stable living environment I will be doing better at staying in touch.

I went for a short run on the beach today. The weather is great. Cool but sunny. Perfect running weather! I wore shorts and a sleeveless shirt with a hoodie, which was quickly shed in the sun. I am still so out of shape with my running. I hope to manage to comfortably get back up to 3 miles or so. I barely did one today. My plans are to work my way up to a half marathon somewhere in Australia by next year. I hope to find a job and living arrangement in St. Kilda. It is a great beachfront area and all the artsy trendy people (my sort of crowd) live here.

After a shower, I took the tram back to the city. I spent a few hours just walking around. This city is so amazing. As I walked around, all I could think is, WOW. WOW. WOW.

Last night, we went for dinner and dessert to celebrate Dominik's and university friends grade postings. The food here is amazing. I had fish and chips and then the desserts were fantastic! All homemade chocolates, tarts, etc. I can definitely get used to all the food here.

Woke up this morning and the drunk messy English guys are packed up and moved out. Thank goodness. I have new quieter roommates now. Looking forward to getting out of the hostel, but it hasn't been a bad stay. It's a good location.

Don't have much plans today other than to relax. Tomorrow I open my bank account and prepare my CV (resume) and portfolio in search for work.

My last day in the States

Ok, so I tried to make a blog thing work on my website, www.mattbroome.com, but it was too complicated and too time consuming compared to blogger. So here I am back again. I left Mississippi on June 18 bright and early. I spent the next several days in New York City visiting with my friend David. It was wet and rainy most of the time I was there. A few bright rays found their way down though. Late nights, sleeping in until noon ... perfect vacation schedule. We spent that Sunday in New Jersey at his mom and stepdad's house for a bbq. I met his sister Jaime who is also moving to Australia but on a permanent basis. She will be living in Sydney, so when I get a chance to go there I have another familiar face.

I arrived in California on Wednesday night, June 24. Since I've been here, I have been to El Matador Beach in Malibu, shopping on Melrose for some vintage cowboy boots, and hiking in Runyan Canyon. My high school Brittney and her boyfriend Matt have been excellent hosts. We've been cooking in and watching movies and lounging by the pool. Friday, Brittney and I went to see a sketch comedy show at the IO West Theatre. I've LOVED the California weather! Sunny all the time. Warm/hot but not humid. I've had a little bit of allergy troubles since I've been here, but the weather has made up for the all the sniffling. I've managed to get a pretty good base tan! I'll have to enjoy this weather while I can. Soon I will be headed into winter.

Yesterday two other high school friends met up with us in Los Angeles, so we will had our own little class reunion. Tuesday night I will be heading overseas. I've had such a wonderful two weeks of just vacationing. It's hard to believe that I just spent my last night of 2009 in the United States! Time to finally begin my journey down under!

I'm an international banker now.

I opened up an account with Westpac, the bank of choice for Australia apparently. They are sending me my account information via mail and once I get it activated I can start transferring money overseas. Can't access the funds until I find a place to live and meet with the bank to show proof of identification. But that's one more thing to check off my to do list.

I have almost made it to my last two weeks of work. I completed my last big job of getting the design award submissions together for the MS AIA Awards. It was a big project and I am glad to have shipped it off today! I learned today they intend to throw me a breakfast farewell party at the office. I was surprised. I have been there a year and 3 months. I wasn't really expecting anything grand or really more than a "see ya later, keep in touch." Guess I made somewhat of an impact. Made me feel important.

On the home front, I have been doing some serious cleaning to just get the place more organized so we can work more efficiently. The master bath has still been the biggest project and it is coming together nicely. My intent is to have all the walls primed and painted by the end of the week and the floors and shower and tub deck tiled by next. Plan to get the rest of my hardwoods installed in the hallway this weekend so next weekend I can sand them down and get ready to finish them. After those two big projects, the bath and the hardwoods, I can focus on the smaller tasks of just painting and trim work mainly.

Little by little, it's all coming together....

Correction....

I thought I was giving a three week notice, but it turns out it was a four week notice! Good for them I guess! I have three weeks left now at work and four weeks to complete the house projects. That's really not that much time! But as long as we get the big stuff taken care of and clean out all the junk, I'll be happy.

I am working on the master bathroom now. I will post some in progress pictures tomorrow afternoon. Its way past my bedtime.

29 more days!

Well, I turned in my three week notice on Monday. My last day of employment as a graphic designer is June 12. I'll still do it on the side freelancing as I have done in the past, but I am definitely looking forward to getting away from the computer for a while.

I have been thinking about what I want to do career-wise, and I have decided that I want to go back to school for my masters in exercise science. Not sure where I will go for that or when I will start. Who knows? Maybe I will find a great program down under and decide to stick around a while! I'm not thinking too far ahead anymore. I think that's where a lot of my dissatisfaction lies ... always trying to plan too far ahead or wishing my life was a certain way. Time to live for the present and just be happy with what I have. I can't change the past and I certainly can't predict the future, but today and right now I can tackle and that's what motivated me to take the plunge and go to Australia now.

The house is coming along quite nicely. I have had quite a lot of requests for photos. Well I am not quite to that stage yet, but once I get there in the next few weeks, I will definitely upload some images of the house. My brother and two of his friends will be moving in beginning in July. My big project is the master bath. I almost have the walls ready for painting. Have to connect the plumbing underneath the house and tile the floors and shower and finish my vanity top, which we are creating from an old solid oak art table from Mississippi College. I am so excited to see how that turns out!

RECEIVED!

My Work and Holiday Visa Approval Letter

Claire's Tacky Prom Birthday Party

Me & my date, Rachel of Machel


Me & the Prom Queen/Birthday Girl Claire Kinsey


There are few things I am going to miss about Mississippi ... my dear friends will be several of them. You know who you are. Thanks, Claire, for an awesome themed birthday party and always being there when I need you. Thank you, Rachel, for being a person who can parade all over town with me dressed like that and not have a care in the world about what people think of us.

Six more weeks ... 39 days.