I know I haven't posted in almost two months. Gosh, where to start?
I guess firstly, I have officially visited Asia. Oscar and I went to Singapore July 26-29. It was the most amazing experience ever. I saw temples, got caught in a rainstorm in the rainforest, ate Asian food in REAL Asia. It was incredible and unreal.
Thinking of this made me realize. I likely would have never been able to experience all of these amazing things if I hadn't married an Australian. I never thought I'd visit Asia. I never thought I'd have pet kangaroos. I never thought I'd leave the USA, other than maybe visit Canada. I always thought I'd be one of those people who has such intense wanderlust, but never gets the chance to travel. I know a lot of people feel this way.
Even when Oscar and I had been together for almost 3 years, I didn't ever stop to think that marrying a foreigner might possibly be a passport all of its own. It never crossed my mind that marrying someone from another country would open so many doors.
I never thought I'd be able to visit Europe, but now, having seen how easy it is to save up some money and book a plane ticket, I feel that it is a very real possibility someday.
I guess my whole point in saying this is, stay strong if you are in a long distance relationship. It not only makes your relationship stronger, but it likely will open so many doors for you that otherwise might have been shut. Don't be afraid to take a leap of faith and start a relationship with someone who isn't from your country. Yes, it's HARD. But, speaking from experience, it's utterly and completely WORTH it.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
A month since I've posted already? WOWEE!
I honestly cannot believe it has been a month since I have posted, however, not much really has changed. I know, I know, that's what everyone always says. "Oh, hey what's up?" "Not much... Nothing ever changes."
But something always HAS to change, especially when you're visiting a foreign country, right?
Wrong. I know things should have theoretically changed heaps in the past month, but keep in mind I was already here for a month the last time I posted. :) Something I've said a couple times to locals here is people back home in NY probably think I've been going on all kinds of exotic adventures here in Australia. Scuba diving, riding camels across the Outback while playing the Didgeridoo. Nope. Actually, life has been pretty standard. After the novelty of seeing the Indian Ocean for the first time and having palm trees everywhere wore off, we settled into a pretty average routine of selling laptops and meeting up with people who hadn't met me yet for dinner or coffee.
We have, however, found some places we really enjoy. One of them being a little cafe called "The Blue Wren." It is in a really beautiful country town called Dwellingup. Another cafe we quite recently discovered is near a town called Kalamunda, and the name of it is Mason Hill. It is a more modern-type cafe, while The Blue Wren is more of a rustic, country, slightly bohemian cafe.
One adventure I recently had, actually while on the way back from Mason Hill was our car broke down and I got to go waltzing through the Aussie bush to go pee.
Twice. Annoyingly small bladder won that round.
We had made it about 1 mile or 2 km up the road from the cafe, when the car completely died. Just shut off in the middle of driving and DIED.
Thankfully, David and Ruth (Oscar's parents) were with us, and Ruth had roadside assistance. If it had just been Oscar and me, it would have been a near disaster, and quite scary. Thank God we had a phone signal as well, or that wonderful roadside assistance would have been completely useless. It took over 2 hours to finally get a tow truck to haul the car away and for us to be on our way home.
The car ended up being fine, as it was just the fan belt.
We are thinking seriously about moving in with Daniel and Vanessa, Oscar's brother and his wife. Overall, it would be easier for Oscar to sell his refurbished laptops, and closer to where more sales would be, so we would be saving on gas/petrol. We are unsure about it, so please pray for us to make the right decision. It is a very hard one, as I really love it at Ruth and David's. I am so pleased to be able to live where there are four horses I can take care of and be friends with, six cats, and four kangaroos. I have been told by many Aussies how rare it is I actually married an Australian with kangaroos.
It's just a very hard decision and we need prayers for guidance on it. There are certainly pros, but there are also cons, mostly emotional ones, but still there.
But, speaking of animals, I got a bunny about a week ago! Her name is Lavender and she is a Netherland Dwarf/Cashmere Lop mix, and she is just the cutest thing ever. She is light grey with one ear lop, one ear up. So adorable!
I will try to blog more, as I was hoping to turn this into a lifestyle blog, but I am unsure if I will find the time, as I still am doing college/uni and we are working as well.
Hope you're all having a great day!
But something always HAS to change, especially when you're visiting a foreign country, right?
Wrong. I know things should have theoretically changed heaps in the past month, but keep in mind I was already here for a month the last time I posted. :) Something I've said a couple times to locals here is people back home in NY probably think I've been going on all kinds of exotic adventures here in Australia. Scuba diving, riding camels across the Outback while playing the Didgeridoo. Nope. Actually, life has been pretty standard. After the novelty of seeing the Indian Ocean for the first time and having palm trees everywhere wore off, we settled into a pretty average routine of selling laptops and meeting up with people who hadn't met me yet for dinner or coffee.
We have, however, found some places we really enjoy. One of them being a little cafe called "The Blue Wren." It is in a really beautiful country town called Dwellingup. Another cafe we quite recently discovered is near a town called Kalamunda, and the name of it is Mason Hill. It is a more modern-type cafe, while The Blue Wren is more of a rustic, country, slightly bohemian cafe.
One adventure I recently had, actually while on the way back from Mason Hill was our car broke down and I got to go waltzing through the Aussie bush to go pee.
Twice. Annoyingly small bladder won that round.
We had made it about 1 mile or 2 km up the road from the cafe, when the car completely died. Just shut off in the middle of driving and DIED.
Thankfully, David and Ruth (Oscar's parents) were with us, and Ruth had roadside assistance. If it had just been Oscar and me, it would have been a near disaster, and quite scary. Thank God we had a phone signal as well, or that wonderful roadside assistance would have been completely useless. It took over 2 hours to finally get a tow truck to haul the car away and for us to be on our way home.
The car ended up being fine, as it was just the fan belt.
We are thinking seriously about moving in with Daniel and Vanessa, Oscar's brother and his wife. Overall, it would be easier for Oscar to sell his refurbished laptops, and closer to where more sales would be, so we would be saving on gas/petrol. We are unsure about it, so please pray for us to make the right decision. It is a very hard one, as I really love it at Ruth and David's. I am so pleased to be able to live where there are four horses I can take care of and be friends with, six cats, and four kangaroos. I have been told by many Aussies how rare it is I actually married an Australian with kangaroos.
It's just a very hard decision and we need prayers for guidance on it. There are certainly pros, but there are also cons, mostly emotional ones, but still there.
But, speaking of animals, I got a bunny about a week ago! Her name is Lavender and she is a Netherland Dwarf/Cashmere Lop mix, and she is just the cutest thing ever. She is light grey with one ear lop, one ear up. So adorable!
I will try to blog more, as I was hoping to turn this into a lifestyle blog, but I am unsure if I will find the time, as I still am doing college/uni and we are working as well.
Hope you're all having a great day!
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
The Ins and Outs of Cosmetics in Australia, From an American's Perspective + Must Have Items from Australian Pharmacies
Well, hey there! Long time no post! I think I have a good excuse though, since I am now living in Australia! Yes, I am now living in Perth, Western Australia, with my husband while the spouse visa goes through. We sent it in right before I left, and the waiting game is currently being played. Since that topic is one that worries me and stresses me out a little bit, let's move on to what this blog post is all about!
Cosmetics!
Unless you've been to Australia, or you know someone who has, you probably don't know how much Australia has to offer when it comes to cosmetics you typically can't find in America.
There's three stores that offer Korean cosmetics, one of which is the cutest little Kawaii-themed shop you'll ever see, called Morning Glory in Perth on Hay Street. One of the others is the ever popular Face Shop, which is present also in NYC. The last (and least hehe) is a supermarket in Southlands shopping centre which stocks Missha brand. I still prefer to order off of w2beauty.com, though, even though that takes super long to get here as it is from Korea. However, if you're in a pinch and you just need Korean cosmetics, a quick dash into Morning Glory is just right.
So, there's more Asian cosmetics here. Alright, that definitely makes me happy, and kept me pacified for the month I've been here. It wasn't until we housesat for my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and I saw a can of Avene thermal water that I realized maybe it just wasn't only Korean makeup that they have more of here. I didn't get my hopes up, though, thinking maybe she got it elsewhere or had a French friend that brought it back from France for her. I did, however, get to Priceline (the best store in the world for anything cosmetics related by far, sorry Ulta) ASAP, and to my wonder and excitement, found they carry the entire Avene line, Bioderma line, LaRoche Posay line, Bourjois, Nuxe, and I'm sure MANY others I have yet to look at. All brands you can usually, to my knowledge, only get from French pharmacies. They even have the travel sized Bioderma. So here is a list of things you NEED to get from Priceline, if you ever visit Australia.
1. Bioderma Micellar Water
2. Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation
3. Nuxe Reve De Miel lip balm
4. Avene thermal water
5. Avene cicalfate restorative skin cream
This is a very short list, however, I really have enjoyed these products. Some items I wouldn't recommend are the Nude by Nature powder foundations, and also the Natio liquid mineral foundation. I don't find them to be as good as Bare Minerals, and they are a bit on the pricey side. I know I have SO much more to try, however, my budget cannot take such a blow right now! I think I've already overdone it quite a lot!
I hope this helped you a bit, and also, I hope to write more blog posts as I discover more beauty products, and also as I adventure more! Au revoir! ;)
Cosmetics!
Unless you've been to Australia, or you know someone who has, you probably don't know how much Australia has to offer when it comes to cosmetics you typically can't find in America.
There's three stores that offer Korean cosmetics, one of which is the cutest little Kawaii-themed shop you'll ever see, called Morning Glory in Perth on Hay Street. One of the others is the ever popular Face Shop, which is present also in NYC. The last (and least hehe) is a supermarket in Southlands shopping centre which stocks Missha brand. I still prefer to order off of w2beauty.com, though, even though that takes super long to get here as it is from Korea. However, if you're in a pinch and you just need Korean cosmetics, a quick dash into Morning Glory is just right.
So, there's more Asian cosmetics here. Alright, that definitely makes me happy, and kept me pacified for the month I've been here. It wasn't until we housesat for my brother-in-law and sister-in-law and I saw a can of Avene thermal water that I realized maybe it just wasn't only Korean makeup that they have more of here. I didn't get my hopes up, though, thinking maybe she got it elsewhere or had a French friend that brought it back from France for her. I did, however, get to Priceline (the best store in the world for anything cosmetics related by far, sorry Ulta) ASAP, and to my wonder and excitement, found they carry the entire Avene line, Bioderma line, LaRoche Posay line, Bourjois, Nuxe, and I'm sure MANY others I have yet to look at. All brands you can usually, to my knowledge, only get from French pharmacies. They even have the travel sized Bioderma. So here is a list of things you NEED to get from Priceline, if you ever visit Australia.
1. Bioderma Micellar Water
2. Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation
3. Nuxe Reve De Miel lip balm
4. Avene thermal water
5. Avene cicalfate restorative skin cream
This is a very short list, however, I really have enjoyed these products. Some items I wouldn't recommend are the Nude by Nature powder foundations, and also the Natio liquid mineral foundation. I don't find them to be as good as Bare Minerals, and they are a bit on the pricey side. I know I have SO much more to try, however, my budget cannot take such a blow right now! I think I've already overdone it quite a lot!
I hope this helped you a bit, and also, I hope to write more blog posts as I discover more beauty products, and also as I adventure more! Au revoir! ;)
Monday, January 26, 2015
More Updates + New Phone!
The spouse visa is still plugging away, and the date Oscar can finally come back is still unknown. However, we are getting through it together, even though we are 12,000 miles apart.
My Samsung Galaxy s3 finally saw its last days, and I got an LG G3, which is really a great phone. The screen is massive, about the same size as my entire s3! And, I thought the s3 had a big screen! The G3 has the ability to control basically any TV or cable box, which comes in handy. I have it linked with the living room TV, and the TV in my bedroom. I actually chose this phone over the iPhone 6 Plus. I'm very glad I did. If you're looking for a new phone, I highly recommend this one.
Update... Sorry I've Been MIA
I'm FINALLY having a good day, so I am FINALLY writing a blog post. I know it's been ages since I've posted. A lot has changed since I last posted, and no, I'm not getting a divorce or having a baby or anything else. Things have just been extremely busy, and then two weeks ago, I ended up in hospital for acute pancreatitis. For the last two weeks, I've felt sick and really didn't want to address this issue, but now, I feel I can and I am brave enough. They are unsure what exactly caused it, but we have pinpointed two other times it's happened. I cannot eat fatty foods, so basically I am not bothering with the low-carb diet anymore, but I've been eating healthier than I ever have before. One thing is certain, my body does not process fats well, since all times were after eating fatty foods. So, I am staying away from that. My first week was okay, but I only had a couple good days. Then, this second week, I got progressively worse. I have figured out it is the medicine they put me on to help me. I decided today to not take the medicine anymore, and so far, I have felt perfect.
Anyway, I'll go more into what acute pancreatitis is. It's caused *usually* by excessive drinking or smoking, or gallstones. However, those were not the reasons it happened, so I'm apparently, so far, in the (un) lucky 30% that they don't know what caused it.
When pancreatitis happens, it's because the pancreas is not adequately doing its job to aid in digestion with its enzymes it produces. Then, it freaks out and over-produces enzymes, which leads to it attacking itself, causing inflammation, low blood pressure, pain, bloating, and in extreme cases, pancreatic bleeding and death of pancreatic tissue.
Thank God, my case was not serious, and my GI doctor said 1-10, how bad my case was would be a 1-2, 3 at the most. Which is fantastic.
Due to what is apparently bad side effects from the medicine, I was having bad discomfort after eating for the past two weeks, which was permitting me to only eat about on average, 500-600 calories a day. Some days, even less. I will admit I also have been afraid to eat, which is a big side effect of pancreatitis, which, can in some cases, lead to anorexia. Even without anorexia, I have lost 20 pounds in the last two weeks. Something, which I am finding as a silver lining to all of this.
As for mentally hurting me, this has been the scariest medical thing I have ever personally dealt with. It has truly taught me to cherish every second.
Anyway, I'll go more into what acute pancreatitis is. It's caused *usually* by excessive drinking or smoking, or gallstones. However, those were not the reasons it happened, so I'm apparently, so far, in the (un) lucky 30% that they don't know what caused it.
When pancreatitis happens, it's because the pancreas is not adequately doing its job to aid in digestion with its enzymes it produces. Then, it freaks out and over-produces enzymes, which leads to it attacking itself, causing inflammation, low blood pressure, pain, bloating, and in extreme cases, pancreatic bleeding and death of pancreatic tissue.
Thank God, my case was not serious, and my GI doctor said 1-10, how bad my case was would be a 1-2, 3 at the most. Which is fantastic.
Due to what is apparently bad side effects from the medicine, I was having bad discomfort after eating for the past two weeks, which was permitting me to only eat about on average, 500-600 calories a day. Some days, even less. I will admit I also have been afraid to eat, which is a big side effect of pancreatitis, which, can in some cases, lead to anorexia. Even without anorexia, I have lost 20 pounds in the last two weeks. Something, which I am finding as a silver lining to all of this.
As for mentally hurting me, this has been the scariest medical thing I have ever personally dealt with. It has truly taught me to cherish every second.
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