The First (Jet Lagged) Week

 We have officially been in Australia for a week and two days.  I think we are just starting to get into a rhythm. But we are all still a bit tired. Many people have said that it takes a couple of weeks to really adjust. The first night here we were all so tired that we passed out and slept basically all night, but the rest of the week we've been waking up around 3 or 4 am.  I think this morning was one of the first where everyone slept past 630am.  

We had hoped to get out and see and do some fun things in the first week, but it rained most of the week, and there were just so many not fun things on the to-do list. We did a ton (TON) of shopping, we went into the office to do some check ins, we researched, shopped for, and bought a car, registered the car, got drivers licenses, got the girls fitted for their new uniforms, etc. etc. Here are some observations from the first week:

Shopping

Though we came here with a total of 16 bags, there was still a lot of stuff we needed. Our fast shipment, while physically already in Australia, hasn't yet appeared to clear customs.  Not really sure how long it will take, and our slow shipment could still be months and months away from being in our home.  

The first day we were here, we went off to Ikea to get the girls small desks and bookshelves for their room.  Ikea is Ikea is Ikea. I did notice a lot of things we wanted/needed were out of stock. Not sure if that is typical, or just part of the supply chain type issues that are affecting everyone. 

Next we went off to Costco.  Yes, Canberra has a Costco and our American Costco card actually works there, so we didn't have to sign up for one there. Like all Costco runs, it cost way more than we planned. It was crazy crowded because it was the weekend and Costcos are always crowded on the weekend, but also this Costco is near the airport and they were doing some kind of airshow right by it, so there were just people everywhere. It felt very much like an American Costco.  We were all so tired though and it was so crowded that we didn't really have time for a lot of it sink in. One difference from the Maryland Costco is that this one can sell wine and liquor, so that is nice.

We also checked out Target, Big W (like Walmart), Kmart, and Woolworths (Woolies-- a grocery store). Target is not like target in the US.  It is much smaller and had mostly clothes (at least the one nearest to our house). The Kmart actually felt more like a US Target to me, so we were able to find some things there that we needed. One of the differences is that there really isn't just one store with all the things, you have to go to a lot of different stores.  Another difference, they call the shopping carts a "trolly" and you have to stick a coin in them to unlock the trolly from the other parked trollies.  Also, the wheels on the trollies don't really lock in one direction, which I find really annoying. The trolly will pull to the side in an inconvenient way that just doesn't happen in the US. Another thing that we are getting used to is that you have to bring your own shopping bags. This is true now in Maryland too, but when you forget your bags in Maryland you can buy the normal cheap bags for like 5 or 10 cents. You can buy bags here too, but they are more substantial plastic bags meant to be used over and over again. 

Another difference is that the mall and shops tend to close earlier than in the U.S., but grocery stores seem to have hours that are similar to what we are used to.  It is not, thankfully, like the business hours in Germany. Shops are open on Saturday afternoons and on Sunday here. In the end, less available than in the U.S., but more hours than Germany had when we lived there. 

Cars and Driving 

Something that the grownups in our household are struggling to get used to is driving on the other side of the road. I have been heard mumbling to myself to stay left each time I'm out driving. It is weird to be sitting on the other side of the car as the driver, and to have the middle console be by your left foot.  I feel like there is not enough room for my left foot. Also, the turning signals are on the right side of the steering wheel, while the windshield wipers are on the left. We keep accidentally cleaning our windshield instead of turning on the signal. I'm not sure how long it will take to do that right, but I fail at least once each time I drive the car. 

Another difference is that Canberra fines you quite steeply for speeding and will take points off your license if you are caught speeding. We've been advised to not do the American habit of driving 5-10 over the speed limit, but rather we should aim for one or two below the posted speed limit.  This is a huge adjustment for one of the adults in our house. I won't say which one. 

We also had to apply for an Australian drivers license. Luckily we didn't have to take a test (like we did in Germany). A difference here is that they expire them on your birthdays that end in 0 or 5. She called them "significant years." For both of us, that meant that they're only good for a little over a year, which is a bit annoying. They also don't hand you the drivers license when they take your picture.  I guess they no longer make them on site. So we were told it would come in the mail sometime in the next 90 days.  Until then we have a piece of paper we are supposed to keep in our wallet.

We did a lot of research on what car we wanted and in the end decided to pick up a used Mazda CX-5. It's a small, automatic AWD SUV with a 2.5 liter petrol engine. Registration was also a lot more expensive than we were prepared for, but part of the registration fee is mandatory insurance. I believe our registration is also rather short-lived, and we will likely have to register (and pay) each year that we are here.

Out and About

Masks are not mandatory here, so we've seen a lot more people without them. The difference here being that something like 98% of Canberra's adult population is vaccinated.  The vaccination rates for kids are a bit lower, but probably still higher than most of America. We spent so long at home trying not to catch covid, that this is a bit of an adjustment for us. At the moment, the kids are generally choosing to still mask-up inside public places just out of habit. We have a tour of their school scheduled for this week, and then I will find out if they need them at school, but someone told me that kids under 12 typically are not required to wear masks at the moment.  Thought this may change as we head into winter. 

We've eaten out a lot more in the past week than we had in the past two years. That has been a nice change for us. Poor Lauren keeps getting excited when she sees lemonade on the menus and quickly disappointed when given a can of Sprite. I guess they generally don't have the old fashioned lemonade that we're used to. However, we were able to find proper lemonade in a local grocery store, and I guess with our lemon tree we will be able to make our own lemonade. 

School

The girls haven't started school yet. We got here during the last week of their school year's first quarter. Now there is a two week break between quarter one and quarter two (they call it term one and term two). School will be a big change for the girls as they will be at a private school for the first time. And, they will have to wear uniforms. Pretty formal uniforms. It was a big shock for us having to pay for fancy uniforms. I haven't cleaned the uniforms yet but will post pictures of them when I do. The girls also have to wear a hat, and can only wear navy-colored socks, tights, and hair accessories.  It is also an all-girls school which will be quite a change.

Another difference is that Canberran schools do not have regular school buses. The city does run some bus routes for the schools only, but it is still a public bus, so the girls will need a bus card and will have to pay to use the bus. We will write more about school when the girls get started in a couple of weeks.

Roo Spotting 

I'm going to post a couple of pictures from this past week. We haven't seen too many (non-roadkill) (kanga)roos just yet. Our first sighting of live kangaroos was at a park, exactly where friends told us we might see some.  We spotted a whole mob of them just as we were driving away.

Mob of roos at the park

Lego Roo

Lego Canberra

Since then we have spotted one BIG roo in our neighborhood.  I'm going to see if I can get some sort of widget for this site that will let us keep a creature count, but, if not, we will just mention creatures of note when we can.

Friends - Old and New

Other things of note, I'm lucky to have a friend in town already. I'm so thankful to my friend Bitsy, who has been fielding all sorts of questions from us, came and greeted us when we got here, and invited us to a family Easter gathering. Bits has been instrumental in making this a smooth(ish) transition. It has been amazing to see her, and I look forward to spending more time with her and her family, and asking more and more questions.

We were also given a fantastic welcome to the neighborhood by an older couple who lives a cul-de-sac away from ours. They invited us to a happy hour at their house and were just so very kind. Our girls spent much of their time playing with their dog and eating when they weren't. As it turns out, the couple was quite close to the American family that lived previously in this house. The Australians are truly so nice and kind.