The First 5 Months

What was meant to be a reflection on our first three months has somehow turned into five! Those early weeks were packed to the brim and flew by so quickly...

Now it’s early June! After a stretch of hot and humid weather, we're welcoming the cooler days and crisp nights. It's not quite Tahoe or Germany cold, but daytime temperatures hover around 65°F (18°C), with cool and cozy evenings. The rain has somewhat eased up and the days are sunny and pleasant - perfect temperatures, if you asked me.

Our days have been full, setting up life in our new home. We’ve ticked off a long list: getting our driver’s licenses, applying for Tom’s visa and all our Medicare, receiving our shipment of furniture and goodies from the U.S., and slowly making our rental space feel like home. Selling our house in the US and looking for a new home over here. Julian is settling well into school, and we’ve found a fantastic guitar teacher so he can continue exploring his love for music.

Even though we truly love our new home, there are definitely some things that have been a bit tricky to adjust to. For one, Australia isn’t exactly a haven for organic produce - at least not in the way we were used to. It took me ages to find a farmers market where actual farmers sell their organic goods. As it turns out, there's only one dedicated organic market in all of Brisbane, and it's open just once a week: Sundays from 6 to 11am. So much for lazy Sunday mornings - no more sleeping in, ha!

We’ve finally mastered driving on the left side of the road (a small victory!), but navigating Brisbane itself is still a work in progress. The city has changed so much since I left in 2005 - new buildings, roads, tunnels, bypasses. It’s practically unrecognizable, so in many ways, we're all exploring it from scratch together.

And then there are the painfully slow speed limits, which are very strictly enforced with cameras. I already got a ticket for doing 67 in a 60 km/h zone - on a quiet country road! Fines are steep, so I’ve reluctantly become one of those annoying drivers who stay just under the speed limit. Coming from the land of the Autobahn and BMWs… let’s just say it’s been an adjustment!

Some things here are just a little more expensive or less convenient than what we were used to in the States. Clothes, especially anything unique or made from quality materials, cost noticeably more. Dining out is pricier too—but since there’s little to no tipping, it tends to balance out. Julian and I are constantly surprised at how much things like art supplies, guitar strings, and craft materials cost. That said, because so much is imported, the quality is often excellent. Housing and car prices are also climbing in price! Even in outer suburbs that used to be more affordable and working-class. A lot of it seems to be because of the upcoming 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

We recently bought a beautiful home in a lovely neighborhood. We paid roughly the same as we sold our house in San Rafael for, and our saving grace was getting a good exchange rate and we won't need a mortgage (yay!). Still, Tom and I are both contemplating part-time work, ideally doing something we truly enjoy.

Julian is more settled at school now and is really enjoying the familiar rhythm of Waldorf education again. He landed in a warm, welcoming class of 25 students, and it’s funny—if his new Aussie friends ever met his Marin friends, they’d all get along beautifully. They’re cut from the same cloth: kind, adventurous, supportive, easygoing. It really feels like Julian is stepping into a new chapter with open arms.

Of course, some days the homesickness hits harder than others. The best remedy we’ve found is to let ourselves feel it fully, move through it, and then reconnect with all the reasons we’re here in the first place.