Dunkirk, Baltimore, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Sydney.

Wednesday morning I woke up for the last time in America, got dressed and went out to breakfast with my dad at our favorite place, the Countryside Delhi. Getting breakfast out with my dad is a tradition I will miss a whole lot these next six months. I said goodbye to Mom, Dad and Adi around 3pm that day. My mom hugged me tight and told me that I was doing the right thing. Adrienne stood and waved at me in the security line for about five minutes after we'd said goodbye. I hate saying goodbye to my family. I am embarrassingly prone to homesickness. It something I have to consciously not let dictate my decisions. However, this is certainly not the first time I've left them, and as I rounded the corner into the security check point, I found myself completely void of sadness. I pulled my suitcase down the airport walkways and felt only excitement. I am so proud of that! I feel like I have come a long way since my first three weeks of sobbing in England :)

My flight was as pleasant as a twenty four hour flight can be- I slept for five hours!! (a special thanks to my sleep-asking-prayer-warriors: Devin, Mandy, Caleb, Leslie and Sami. I honestly felt those prayers!) On two of the three flights I had an empty seat next to me, including the LA to Sydney leg. That was unbelievably lucky because there really weren't many seats open on either flight. I curled up into a ball and laid my head down. That extra seat made all the difference.

I also sat across the aisle from a Jay Z look alike who dramatically bobbed his head and conducted with his hands during take off and landing, so that was pretty entertaining.

I stepped off the plane and immediately knew I was in Australia as the signs pointed me to the "toilets" not the restrooms. I don't know why I find that so embarrassing. "Excuse me, where are the restrooms?" "Oh, the toilets?" What if I just want to power my nose? I just can't feel like a lady calling them the toilets. Next I spent an hour getting through customs, where the cutest beagle sniffed my bags. Then FINALLY there was Paul Schiavello. I look for Paul differently when I'm searching a crowd in that I simply skim the tops of everyone's heads- yup, there he is.

Paul took me to his grandparents (the Nonnies) house because they live in the city. I had a much anticipated bubble bath and one of Nonna's delicious lunches of homemade salami, pasta, salad, cheese, steak, salmon and bread. Can't wait for Christmas at that woman's house. Paul's Nonnies immigrated from Italy some fifty years ago, and don't speak much English. Paul is quite the translator. Nonna looked through every single page of my England scrapbook and commented "beautiful, beautiful." Being around Nonna makes me miss my dear Mom mom.

That afternoon on the way to pick up Paul's sister, Grace, we got a flat tire on a two way street in the city. I was so impressed with Paul's relaxed response to the whole thing, and double impressed as he changed the tire with no problem while dodging oncoming cars. Talk about your man skills. The three of us went by Paul's Uncle Mike's new cafe on the water and had a coffee. I was shocked at how well I was feeling having not slept for forty hours or so (minus those five magical hours on the plane :), and opted to go see some of Paul's friends that night. However, when jetlag hits you in hits you hard and fast. In a matter of fifteen minutes I went from my happy go lucky self to this pitiful sobbing thing, and couldn't tell Paul or myself why. I just sat there in the car crying like a baby, mainly because I just wanted to get in bed all of the sudden, and I didn't know where my toothbrush was in my suitcase, hahaha. It's funny now but I wasn't laughing then. Paul was so understanding, told me I was just really tired, and took me home where I fell asleep for the night at 5:30 pm (3:30am MD time.)

I am so happy to be here in Australia, and to be here with Paul. I am currently blogging at 4:30 am, so I am obviously not quite adapted yet. I did stay awake until eight last night though! I miss you all and hope you're doing well. Another update soon!

Abby

Why

Corny, but I once heard in a bible study that we should make all of our life's plans in pencil and then hand God the eraser, and now I will tell you why I am currently living in Sydney, Australia.

I met Paul two years ago after his year studying abroad at the University of Pennsylvania. I was struck by first his height and then his Australian accent, and although I didn't see him for another six months after our initial meeting, I was surprised and delighted to find that he was not a person I could easily forget. Paul fascinated me, and still does. Being in love with Paul has been one of the most challenging and rewarding things I've ever done. We work hard to make our long long looong distance relationship work, but have found that that extra effort makes our relationship that much greater :) Paul has spent the past six months living in the States which has been so wonderful. However, the US and Australian governments play a definite role in our relationship, and visa rules state that he leave the country every three months. I said goodbye to Paul in late June and he flew back home for what he'd planned to be a month long visit. Two weeks ago Paul called and told me he was on the way to the hospital with a collapsed lung. Ooooh crap.

The doctors were shocked (this same thing happened last October and they performed a surgery to ensure it never happen again) and after they temporarily fixed Paul's lung, they told him that it was only a matter of time before his lung collapsed again. This left the option of another surgery, but they warned Paul how painful it would be, (Paul and I watched a video of the surgery on youtube and probably shouldn't have...) and that the recovery would be long and hard. On top of that, he would be unable to fly for at least three months.

The decision to move down to Australia was big, but easy to make. I considered my options: Stay in America, finish up my last semester at Towson, and graduate while Paul recovered in Australia, or move graduation back another semester, head down to Oz and be with Paul while he is sick. I considered what gave my life happiness on the day to day, and I'll tell you what, it's not Towson University. And with that, I packed up and left home. People have been shocked with my news and told me they could never do this sort of thing, but I know that they probably could. I think that at the end of the day most people would drop anything and go anywhere to be with the person they love when that person's in trouble. To me, it is only natural to have moved down here. My parents have been so supportive- that has meant the world to me.

I am starting up this blog again for a few reasons:

1. I am a writing major, and to be consistently writing is the best thing I can do for myself :)

2. I LOVED blogging in England, and am so glad I did. I reread my blog and am amazed at how much of it I have forgotten!

3. This will save me from giving the same update to 18 people when I call home.

4. I enjoy it so much :) If at the end of this six months my mother is the only one reading this, and I am aware that that's a definite possibility, I won't mind :) Writing for me, is the ultimate form of stress relief and self expression. (thanks for being my number one fan, mama :D)

Here's to another adventure abroad!!