New life
Isn’t it amazing how easy it seems to start a new life and soon turn it into something ordinary, as if you have lived that life for as long as you can remember?
This year, I have officially lived in three continents: the first five months of 2009 was the last five months of our life in Asia. When our employment contracts finished, Jeff and I left tropical Malaysia as it was time for us to move on. I went back to the beautiful Netherlands to see family and friends again. Thanks to my lovely sister, I even managed to get a Summer job to save up some money for my next adventure, the execution of the big plan, the move to Down Under. I spent the Summer months in Europe and September found me back on a plane again for the long journey to far away Australia, which I call home for now.
The thought of being reunited with Jeff was truly exciting, if not more thrilling than the realisation of finally embarking on a new life together. On the other hand, I had to make the tough decision of being far away from my family, something that I am coping with alright thus far but the future will tell how it goes. Saying goodbye to my mom at Schiphol Airport is absolutely horrible and it breaks my heart every time again. And whenever I look at the photo of my nephew Jaydey, I feel a certain sadness that I can’t see him grow up, talk to him and give him the chance to get to know me. You can’t have it all, they say.
Seeing the familiar smile of Jeff at Coolangatta in the September morning sun instantly wiped away all sorrows. We both knew that this was meant to be – that we were meant to be. And Australia is definitely not a bad country at all to settle down in. Sure, I tend to compare a lot of things with "how things are back home" and more often than not I conclude that "things are better back home". This is just me nitpicking and missing home really. Life is good here too. And the universe seems to be doing us favours as well. I found a job through my friend Laura after about two weeks upon arrival to the country. I am now working as Senior Administration Officer for the Mater Mothers’ Research Centre (MMRC), the first formal Research Centre at the Mater - Queensland's largest not-for-profit health care provider, comprising a network of seven hospitals. My primary role – as stated on the Mater’s intranet site – is to manage research funds available to MMRC members and employees of Mater undertaking research in one of the MMRC key priority areas. This basically means that I monitor the income and expenditure of various projects and provide reports on a monthly basis to the management team as well as the Mater’s Finance department. So far so good. My contract is only for four months though: I am replacing someone who is on maternity leave and my current Working Holiday visa only allows a maximum of six month employment for the same employer. Come next year – which is less than a month away - I will need to reassess my situation and decide what to do.
Work does help a lot with one’s process of integration into society and easing into everyday life. You get to meet people, learn about their culture, behaviours and habits, find out how things are done and experience the business culture. On a similar note, working hours pretty much define your schedule for the day and the week and badaboom, before you know it, daily routine has crept back into your system. C’est la vie. And because it is as simple as that, it is no one other but yourself who has to make sure that you get the maximum out of life and avoid being sucked into dull monotony.
Jeff and I have just started this new phase and we’re taking baby steps one at a time. We’ll be moving into our own apartment in two weeks time, not a grand mansion but it’s got all the basics that would contribute to our happiness. For the longest time I have been visualising this image of us sitting on our balcony, taking in the surroundings, sipping wine, enjoying the sunset view or countless balmy evenings, thinking to ourselves what a wonderful world we are in. Soon this visual will be reality. And we are ready as ever.
Another big change to our life this year – well, not so much physical change yet really besides what I’m sporting on my left ring finger – is our engagement. I would be glad to tell it in details all over again but for time saving purposes, I will just reiterate the story that was shared to my friends before. At this moment of writing, we have not discussed wedding plans – will do so in the first quarter of next year, I’d imagine. Will keep you posted. As for now, please allow me to end my note with a cheerful ending.
It was bound to happen sooner or later and it shouldn’t really come as a surprise but when the moment was finally there, I almost couldn’t believe the joyful sensation that overtook me. It was a proposal that everyone expected but nobody could anticipate, including yours truly.
Jeff’s dad Ron organised a family getaway to Fraser Island long before I arrived to Australia. It is the largest sand island in the world and the only place where rainforest grows on sand. As it turned out, Jeff had it all planned and the family knew about his intention to pop the question on Fraser. He picked the diamond himself, had the ring custom made and ready two weeks before our departure.
We left Brisbane early Saturday morning and arrived at Waddy Lodge, our accommodation on Fraser in the late afternoon. Fraser is 123 kms long and 22 kms wide so it was quite a journey for us to finally reach our destination. I was on this island before in 2003 during a backpacking trip through Australia and back then I was stunned by the exceptional beauty and charms that Fraser has to offer, with its endless white beaches, colourful sand cliffs, sand dunes, crystal clear creeks and freshwater lakes. Little did I know then what destiny was awaiting me.
Jeff’s brother Michael and his fiancée Megan would only arrive the day after so on Sunday - a blessed bright day - we went with Ron on a walking trip to lake Wabby, my favourite spot on the island (even before knowing what was going to unfold). From the beach it takes about 40 minutes to reach this freshwater lake. Where the forest ends, a sandblow awaits as far as eyes can see – it’s literally like being in the middle of a dessert all of a sudden. The sandblow ends at the lake, which on one half is surrounded by green forest and on the other half by sand. A variety of fishes swim in the green water, nibbling on swimmers as if looking for snacks.
Jeff’s father is twice as old as we are but walked twice as fast (note to self: work on fitness), so by the time we got on top of the sandblow, we could only see his footsteps and I wondered where he had gone. Not sure whether he had planned it that way, come to think of it afterwards. I told Jeff that we had to go find Ron but Jeff held me back and said that we should chill out there for a bit and that his dad surely could take care of himself. It was really an amazing view: the sand that was reflecting the sunlight, soft between your toes, nobody else around, the blue ocean in the far horizon, green forests surrounding and just below us a big green lake that seemed to have such a relaxing effect on me. Jeff suddenly held me and rambled about how much he loves me and that he wants to spend the rest of his life with me – yadda yadda you get the gist – and then he turned around and seemed to be in search of something in his camera bag. One split second later – which at that moment felt like an eternity – something went off in my neurological system and I thought “hang on, could this be it? Like, I think I know what’s coming now?” One split second of eternity when the ring was suddenly out there, the diamond sparkling in its splendour and my heart took a double jump. He asked “will you marry me?” I said “yes I will.” I asked “are you sure?” He said “yes of course.”
He stood there with the ring still in the box and asked me to put it around my finger. I was like “no, you should put it around my finger right?!” There was a lot of laughter and everything went pretty relaxed, which I thought was quite typical of our relationship, a lot of laughter and pretty relaxed.
We descended the sand dunes towards the lake when we saw Ron sitting under a tree deeply engulfed in his book. I told Ron what happened just then and he said congrats and that there’s a bottle of champagne waiting for us back in the lodge. I saw this bottle earlier but never had I wondered why it was there.
We went for a swim in the lake, smiles all over our faces but the world didn’t change. I didn’t feel any different than before but it was such an amazing moment that was lost in time. In retrospect, I wish I could go back to that moment again, playing it over and over so I could take it all in and keep it inside me forever. There were no strings playing in the background like you see in Hollywood movies. His proposal took place in peace and serenity, on one of the most beautiful places that you can think of. It was breathtaking. Except for the fact that Jeff didn’t want to go on one knee as he thought the sand was too hot. Chivalry is dead I guess.
There was no reception on the island so we couldn’t share the wonderful news with anyone on the outside. But Jeff insisted that I should speak to my mom and her first reaction was bursting into laughter. I think she knew it was going to happen. I think she’s happy. We celebrated the engagement with Michael, Megan and Ron the day after – with Ron telling stories of how he met Jeff’s mom Anne, how he proposed, giving us advices for a successful marriage life, it was bliss.
The wedding will be somewhere in Spring (Northern hemisphere) / Autumn (Southern hemisphere) 2011. Plenty of time to organise things (as you know me, I like to organise things). We came back to Brisbane on Tuesday and only then did we contact people. Eager Jeff went straight onto Facebook to change his status and by now the world is updated. Our wish is to have two weddings: one in NL and one in Oz. Nothing planned yet and we’d like to keep it that way for now.
Going back to the office was indeed quite a disillusionment but I’m allowing myself to enjoy this buzz of happiness that is surrounding me at the moment. If truth be told, I couldn’t ask for a better person to spend the rest of my life with. I wouldn’t want anything to happen any other way. And as I’m staring at this pretty shiny thing on my left ring finger, I know that I no longer need to pursue happiness. Happiness is right here and it looks like it is here to stay.
The thought of being reunited with Jeff was truly exciting, if not more thrilling than the realisation of finally embarking on a new life together. On the other hand, I had to make the tough decision of being far away from my family, something that I am coping with alright thus far but the future will tell how it goes. Saying goodbye to my mom at Schiphol Airport is absolutely horrible and it breaks my heart every time again. And whenever I look at the photo of my nephew Jaydey, I feel a certain sadness that I can’t see him grow up, talk to him and give him the chance to get to know me. You can’t have it all, they say.
Seeing the familiar smile of Jeff at Coolangatta in the September morning sun instantly wiped away all sorrows. We both knew that this was meant to be – that we were meant to be. And Australia is definitely not a bad country at all to settle down in. Sure, I tend to compare a lot of things with "how things are back home" and more often than not I conclude that "things are better back home". This is just me nitpicking and missing home really. Life is good here too. And the universe seems to be doing us favours as well. I found a job through my friend Laura after about two weeks upon arrival to the country. I am now working as Senior Administration Officer for the Mater Mothers’ Research Centre (MMRC), the first formal Research Centre at the Mater - Queensland's largest not-for-profit health care provider, comprising a network of seven hospitals. My primary role – as stated on the Mater’s intranet site – is to manage research funds available to MMRC members and employees of Mater undertaking research in one of the MMRC key priority areas. This basically means that I monitor the income and expenditure of various projects and provide reports on a monthly basis to the management team as well as the Mater’s Finance department. So far so good. My contract is only for four months though: I am replacing someone who is on maternity leave and my current Working Holiday visa only allows a maximum of six month employment for the same employer. Come next year – which is less than a month away - I will need to reassess my situation and decide what to do.
Work does help a lot with one’s process of integration into society and easing into everyday life. You get to meet people, learn about their culture, behaviours and habits, find out how things are done and experience the business culture. On a similar note, working hours pretty much define your schedule for the day and the week and badaboom, before you know it, daily routine has crept back into your system. C’est la vie. And because it is as simple as that, it is no one other but yourself who has to make sure that you get the maximum out of life and avoid being sucked into dull monotony.
Jeff and I have just started this new phase and we’re taking baby steps one at a time. We’ll be moving into our own apartment in two weeks time, not a grand mansion but it’s got all the basics that would contribute to our happiness. For the longest time I have been visualising this image of us sitting on our balcony, taking in the surroundings, sipping wine, enjoying the sunset view or countless balmy evenings, thinking to ourselves what a wonderful world we are in. Soon this visual will be reality. And we are ready as ever.
Another big change to our life this year – well, not so much physical change yet really besides what I’m sporting on my left ring finger – is our engagement. I would be glad to tell it in details all over again but for time saving purposes, I will just reiterate the story that was shared to my friends before. At this moment of writing, we have not discussed wedding plans – will do so in the first quarter of next year, I’d imagine. Will keep you posted. As for now, please allow me to end my note with a cheerful ending.
It was bound to happen sooner or later and it shouldn’t really come as a surprise but when the moment was finally there, I almost couldn’t believe the joyful sensation that overtook me. It was a proposal that everyone expected but nobody could anticipate, including yours truly.
Jeff’s dad Ron organised a family getaway to Fraser Island long before I arrived to Australia. It is the largest sand island in the world and the only place where rainforest grows on sand. As it turned out, Jeff had it all planned and the family knew about his intention to pop the question on Fraser. He picked the diamond himself, had the ring custom made and ready two weeks before our departure.
We left Brisbane early Saturday morning and arrived at Waddy Lodge, our accommodation on Fraser in the late afternoon. Fraser is 123 kms long and 22 kms wide so it was quite a journey for us to finally reach our destination. I was on this island before in 2003 during a backpacking trip through Australia and back then I was stunned by the exceptional beauty and charms that Fraser has to offer, with its endless white beaches, colourful sand cliffs, sand dunes, crystal clear creeks and freshwater lakes. Little did I know then what destiny was awaiting me.
Jeff’s brother Michael and his fiancée Megan would only arrive the day after so on Sunday - a blessed bright day - we went with Ron on a walking trip to lake Wabby, my favourite spot on the island (even before knowing what was going to unfold). From the beach it takes about 40 minutes to reach this freshwater lake. Where the forest ends, a sandblow awaits as far as eyes can see – it’s literally like being in the middle of a dessert all of a sudden. The sandblow ends at the lake, which on one half is surrounded by green forest and on the other half by sand. A variety of fishes swim in the green water, nibbling on swimmers as if looking for snacks.
Jeff’s father is twice as old as we are but walked twice as fast (note to self: work on fitness), so by the time we got on top of the sandblow, we could only see his footsteps and I wondered where he had gone. Not sure whether he had planned it that way, come to think of it afterwards. I told Jeff that we had to go find Ron but Jeff held me back and said that we should chill out there for a bit and that his dad surely could take care of himself. It was really an amazing view: the sand that was reflecting the sunlight, soft between your toes, nobody else around, the blue ocean in the far horizon, green forests surrounding and just below us a big green lake that seemed to have such a relaxing effect on me. Jeff suddenly held me and rambled about how much he loves me and that he wants to spend the rest of his life with me – yadda yadda you get the gist – and then he turned around and seemed to be in search of something in his camera bag. One split second later – which at that moment felt like an eternity – something went off in my neurological system and I thought “hang on, could this be it? Like, I think I know what’s coming now?” One split second of eternity when the ring was suddenly out there, the diamond sparkling in its splendour and my heart took a double jump. He asked “will you marry me?” I said “yes I will.” I asked “are you sure?” He said “yes of course.”
He stood there with the ring still in the box and asked me to put it around my finger. I was like “no, you should put it around my finger right?!” There was a lot of laughter and everything went pretty relaxed, which I thought was quite typical of our relationship, a lot of laughter and pretty relaxed.
We descended the sand dunes towards the lake when we saw Ron sitting under a tree deeply engulfed in his book. I told Ron what happened just then and he said congrats and that there’s a bottle of champagne waiting for us back in the lodge. I saw this bottle earlier but never had I wondered why it was there.
We went for a swim in the lake, smiles all over our faces but the world didn’t change. I didn’t feel any different than before but it was such an amazing moment that was lost in time. In retrospect, I wish I could go back to that moment again, playing it over and over so I could take it all in and keep it inside me forever. There were no strings playing in the background like you see in Hollywood movies. His proposal took place in peace and serenity, on one of the most beautiful places that you can think of. It was breathtaking. Except for the fact that Jeff didn’t want to go on one knee as he thought the sand was too hot. Chivalry is dead I guess.
There was no reception on the island so we couldn’t share the wonderful news with anyone on the outside. But Jeff insisted that I should speak to my mom and her first reaction was bursting into laughter. I think she knew it was going to happen. I think she’s happy. We celebrated the engagement with Michael, Megan and Ron the day after – with Ron telling stories of how he met Jeff’s mom Anne, how he proposed, giving us advices for a successful marriage life, it was bliss.
The wedding will be somewhere in Spring (Northern hemisphere) / Autumn (Southern hemisphere) 2011. Plenty of time to organise things (as you know me, I like to organise things). We came back to Brisbane on Tuesday and only then did we contact people. Eager Jeff went straight onto Facebook to change his status and by now the world is updated. Our wish is to have two weddings: one in NL and one in Oz. Nothing planned yet and we’d like to keep it that way for now.
Going back to the office was indeed quite a disillusionment but I’m allowing myself to enjoy this buzz of happiness that is surrounding me at the moment. If truth be told, I couldn’t ask for a better person to spend the rest of my life with. I wouldn’t want anything to happen any other way. And as I’m staring at this pretty shiny thing on my left ring finger, I know that I no longer need to pursue happiness. Happiness is right here and it looks like it is here to stay.
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