How about this? Monday was my five year anniversary in NYC! ? It's weird to think back to the evening sitting in Adelaide airport before I moved, or the memory of stepping into a huge pile of snow as I climbed out of a taxi when I first arrived in January wearing boat shoes. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.
Little did I know that five years later I would be sitting in an apartment (right around the corner from that snow pile), with my American wife next to me, my American Australian Shepherd (his accent is unique) at my feet, writing to thousands of people like me who have either taken the leap or are planning to one day.
CRAZY.
For my first few months in the US I knew that I'd made the right decision but that didn't make it easier. As you will no doubt have discovered or will discover, even if everything's going great and you're having a ball, it's not home, it's not familiar, and even the small things can really knock you on your butt.
For me it was a sandwich at a bodega, and not knowing how to order it properly because they just ask “What do you want?”… Who the hell knows!?
But in that stress comes steps forward to building a life, whether it's temporary or permanent. Every little thing you do, even the things that seem inconsequential, add to your knowledge of your new normal and when you walk into that bodega next time you're like “PA POW CHICKEN SANDWICH ON A WHITE ROLL THANK YOU NEW FRIEND!”
I'm not one for grandiose statements of life development or advocating that this is for everyone, but for me, it's been pretty damn fun and I wouldn't change it for anything.
So cheers to the people who got me here, my friends from when I first arrived, my friends from today and the last five years, and all of you who have shaped this crazy adventure whether you're in Australia or the US.
I can't thank you all enough.
