Oi Oi Oi!

G'day Mates!

Here are a couple videos for you to enjoy to see a little glimpse of my life here in Australia!

Aussie Day Chant

Selfie Stick Fun!

Pool Party!

I am going to go through what's been up, 
day by day:

Monday

Relaxing day at home with Zoe. Jodie was working, Mad was with her Grandma, and Blake was at a tennis camp. Zoe and I face timed with Embry and then Ford. We got a good belly shot of Baby Lucy in Ruthie's tummy. I woke up on this day feeling a bit homesick. I watched the movie What to Expect When Your Expecting... a movie about pregnant women and babies and it made me miss home A LOT! It is such a unique feeling to want to see my family but knowing I can't. I say so many times through out the day... Thank God for FaceTime! Later in the evening I finally face timed with my Dad, although we had spoken via text and email, it was the first time I had seen him in awhile. It was great to catch up with my Mom, Dad, and James. My dad is known for asking really good questions and he asked me, "What is your favorite thing about Australia? Least favorite?" Besides missing my family and friends, I answered him with something I miss is not having my own car. Jodie said I could borrow their car when I am comfortable driving, but it is the first time I don't have my own car in 6 years... however, it is a good learning lesson for me to rely on other ways of transportation: the train, walking, friends, etc! I also really miss good Mexican food! Hoping when my parents come visit me they can sneak some queso onto the plane haha. Something I love about living here is the weather, the family I live with, and my new friends I am making. It is such a unique experience meeting people and connecting with them. I have always made friends pretty easily, but you usually are thrown into friend groups' in school, sports, organizations, etc. So this is the first time I feel like I am just having to put myself out there to make friends :) I have met a great group of girls who are doing the same thing as I am and so they understand every bit of how I feel - good or bad!

FIRST TIME TO DRIVE

Tuesday

My new breakfast is poached eggs! Yummmm. I have been making that for breakfast the last couple days. So delicious! Zoe was having a bit of a rough morning and so I took her on a walk and laid her down for nap pretty early! During her nap, Madd and I both fell asleep and when we woke up, I gave Madd a mini manicure! We continued having a relaxing day and Jodie and Blake met us at home after they went to the Australian Open for the day. We had lamb cutlets for dinner, I had never eaten lamb before and it was DELICIOUS! After dinner, the "Medifit" (HIIT workout) instructor Stella came over and taught a lesson on the tennis court. It was SO hard but so good. I needed a good kick in the pants. After the workout, I sat and talked with Jodie for awhile. I am so happy to have her, if I start to feel a bit homesick I just tell her and she immediately makes me feel better! I told her about my date on Wednesday and she was really excited for me. I was asked to dinner by this guy who I had met a couple weeks earlier. My family was making fun of me that I can NEVER get a date in Austin but I am in Australia for 2 weeks and manage to get a date hahaha :)

Zoe and me hanging out outside!

Singing me to sleep on FaceTime!

Delicious poached eggs on toast :)

Wednesday

Another relaxing day, Zoe and I walked up and down the hill a couple times :) I made a homemade pasta sauce for the family. Today was the day of my dinner with the guy! When Jodie got home from work, she saw how nervous I was and insisted on me having a drink. We had a little afternoon gin and tonic as I got ready. Melbourne is SO big and the guy I was going to dinner with lives in Brighton which is on the opposite side of the city from where I live. It took him about an hour to come pick me up. It was SO good to get out of the house and have a conversation with another adult about something besides kiddos. We went to dinner in St. Kilda at a pub to order a Chicken Parma - it is a delicious giant piece of chicken covered in cheese and marinara sauce, with fries on the side! The guy had to pick up a friend from the airport later on and so soon after dinner he dropped me back off at my house. It was really fun but unfortunately it felt like we were stuck in traffic the whole time. Again, it was SO nice to get out of the house so I will not complain.

Yummy Chicken Parm

Madd and me, after my dinner!

Thursday

I loved this day! Blake was at a tennis camp and so Jodie, Madd, Zoe, and I headed to Doncaster which is a nice shopping center in town. The girls needed to do some school shopping and I had been keeping a running list of random things I needed, so I went off by myself. That was another small luxury that I miss. Just being able to run to the store and walk around by myself. I went a little crazy on the shopping. I bought two tank tops for Australia Day weekend coming up and a couple swim suits! After shopping, we went to go pick up Blake from tennis and a couple of his friends and their moms came over for a swim party. It was a crazy household filled with crazy boys but it was fun to socialize with the moms!

Friday

Friday morning we woke up and did some housework... I am having a better appreciation for cleanliness and for how much my mom does for our household at home! Jodie, Blake, Madd and I loaded up and we headed to the Australian Open. It was a REALLY hot day. We took the train into the city and it was my first time on public transportation. The train is really great here... WAY more affordable than a cab or Uber. So I am glad I am learning how to use it. The Australian Open was really nice. There were fun booths and things to do and we saw a couple tennis matches. Bouchard was one and Federer was the other. It was just really really hot, and since it is so quiet in the arena, I was feeling a bit sleepy. When we were done at the open, I went home and showered and went to Bek's house for a girly hangout. It was just Maddison, Rochelle, Bek, and me. We ordered Thai food and just hung out. We had a big weekend ahead of us and so we wanted to stay in. It was nice to just hang with the girlies :)

Look at my mom!

Heading to the Australian Open

Australian Open

Australian Open

Giant ATM at the Open

Gorgeous day

Australian Open!

Girly night in!

Saturday

The Quick's were leaving for the beach on Saturday morning and I was having girls over for a pool party! Maddison, Morgan, Rochelle, and Bek came over around 1 and we began eating and drinking. Taking pictures with our Aussie stuff was also a MUST! It was such a gorgeous day. Sherry, Shauna, and Stella came over a bit later and joined the party. It was a perfect summer day! After a long day of day drinking, we started to get ready for the night and ordered pizza. Around 10pm, we took a cab to Hotel Precinct. I should have known I shouldn't have gone - I was SO tired from the day that I ended up going home soon after getting there. I watched Frozen when I got home and hit the sheets pretty early. It is hard for me to go from day drinking to night drinking, I can't hang very well!

Bek's and me!

Perfect day for the pool

Happy Australia Day!

Shauna, Bek, and me! 

3 musketeers!

We are quite the melting pot: Americans, Aussies, Finnish, English, and Irish!

New friends! 

Sunday

Sunday morning we woke up and had a delicious breakfast of poached eggs and toast. Today was Australia Day Eve and so we knew it was going to be another big day. Most of the day consisted of eating, drinking, and laying by the pool. It was perfect. Around dinner time, we got ready and decided we would be heading to a bar called Arcadia for dinner and drinks. They were having a special on Kangaroo Steaks and so I was excited to try! The kangaroo steak wasn't too bad - it was a bit smoky tasting to me though. So our group of girls just continued eating and drinking. We had planned on going to a house party we were invited to later on in the evening but we were not in a rush to get there. Out of no where, this group of guys started chatting us up and turns out they were all there for a Bux party (Bachelor party). We made friends with them really quickly and they began buying us drinks and having fun! I think they thought we were cool because we were from America. This was one of my favorite experiences so far. We hadn't planned on meeting these guys but we did and had SO much fun with them. We continued to drink, and eat, and celebrate Aussie Day with them. They were heading on to the Strip Club and invited us along, but we kindly rejected that invite. We went on our way to this house party at a Footballers house, but it ended up being a really quiet get together type thing... so I ended up going home pretty early again. Big weekend = I was just so tired.

Australia Day Festivities!

Rochelle and me!

My first Kangaroo Steak - yum!

Happy Aussie Day!

I love free head bands!

New friends at the Bux Party!

New Friends at the Bux Party

Bux Party time

New friends at the Bux Party

The Groom!

Monday - Aka Aussie Day!

I woke up Monday and I was SO tired. Since it was actually Australia Day, we felt like we had to do something. We organized going to lunch on Chapel Street which is a really cool area. Rochelle and I hopped on the train and headed into the city. We went to a restaurant called Hello Sam, it served delicious burgers and fries. After lunch we went and shopped a bit but I headed home shortly after that. I curled up in bed and watched movies. I figured out how to use Netflix - PRAISE THE LORD! That is a total game changer. So I am going to start watching shows at night. Last night I watched a couple episodes of Friends!

Hello Sam deliciousness!

My first burger in Australia!

Happy Australia Day!

Man at the train station really getting in the Aussie Spirit

My 3 kiddos at the park!

After park ice cream treats!

I am looking forward to another great week filled with unexpected FUN! :) I feel so lucky every single day to be doing what I am doing, in this amazing place. Thank you to everyone for your support and kind wishes!

Love y'all!
Tomi Xx

Tennis Obsession, Selfie Stick, and Mexican Food!

Howdy y'all! (Everyone here goes crazy over the word y'all!)

This was basically my first REAL week with duties. The beauty of my job is every day is different and the schedule is always changing. The Quick family is so busy that it forces them to be flexible and adaptable and so I am here to just make their life a little easier! I am learning how to help run a household. Cooking, cleaning, ironing, etc. I am going to come home a changed woman, basically a domestic goddess haha.

Another thing I love about the Quick family is they have all of their extended family in town and so during the week one of the children is almost always with one of their grandparents or aunties. They have been on holiday for a couple weeks now and so I think the kids tend to get bored, so it is nice when the grandparents swoop in and take one of the kiddos for a couple days. Makes my life easier too! I can easily go from 3 kids to 1 kid in the blink of an eye.

Teaching the Aussies about Texas

From Right to Left: Zoe (2), Olivia their cousin (5), Madd (8), then Blake behind (12)

After nap cuddles with Zoe

Missing my Doodle Bug! He is so sweet cuddling his loveys

Sick

My first weekend here I began to get a bit of a cough. I figured it was just allergies and adjusting to a new climate. Then after two BIG nights partying… I think I overdid it. I was up all night coughing. I ended up getting put on the antibiotic amoxicillin and continued taking lots of vitamins and drinking tons of water. I have heard on long flights like the one I took that you can sometimes pick up a sickness in the air. So the mixture of my flight, the new climate, going hard on the weekend, I was NOT feeling good. I just had a terrible cough that moved into my chest. I talked to my friend Jilly and she said I probably had a case of bronchitis. Not the best way to begin my trip here, but I am feeling a lot better now. I am going to make sure I get lots of sleep and drink tons of water to keep up my health!

Side note:

I still have not driven yet! I am hoping to get some practice this week. I am going to have to drive while I am here and my license works with my visa, but I just have to wait until I am comfortable enough. Hopefully Jodie will take me to an empty parking lot soon so I can practice a bit haha.

Tennis

Wednesday night I went with Jodie, Matt, Blake, and his friend Owen to the Australian Open. The Open actually starts on Monday and so this game was more of a charity preliminary match. Tennis is a huge deal in Australia and I had never seen a tennis match before. I knew basic rules but besides serve the ball and try to make it in the line… I didn’t understand too much more! Jodie was kind enough to sit and explain it to me. The match was between Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco. Lemme just say…….. after watching the match I LOVE TENNIS AND I LOVE RAFAEL NADAL. He is so amazing and athletic and Spanish. AH! He was so fun to watch J I will be going to the actual Australian Open this Friday, so I am excited to see another match!

Gorgeous view of the city heading to the Tennis Match!

Jodie and me!

Great view of Rafael Nadal :)

The gorgeous Rafael Nadal and me!

Side note: 

I was eating a banana and peanut butter and the entire Quick Family thought I was disgusting! They had never heard of anyone doing that. I informed them that was a staple in my house! Funny how little things can be so different

The kids love taking pics on my phone

Friday I had most of the day off and everyone was gone so I spent the day laying by the pool. I put on a bit of sunscreen but didn’t realize how hot the sun is in Australia. Supposedly because we are so close to Antarcica there is a hole in the ozone layer which makes the sun and UV rays way more extreme. So needless to say I got a bit burnt!! I learned my lesson though. Tons of sunscreen next time.

Later on in the day I met up with my new American friend Bek and we headed to Chapel Street which is a cool area to go out in. We went to a place called Slow Beer and had some sangria. It was a warm summer evening, so it was perfect! Bek has been a good friend for me to have! She has been here for 2 years and so she knows the ins and outs of the city and has plugged me in with her social crowd.

Trying out the Mexican Food in Oz

Moment of Truth... Trying the Queso!!!

Summer Sangria with Bek!

Southern girls love our Mexican food!

The gorgeous Rochelle! 

Au Pair friends!

Side note: 

I was just telling my mom and sisters how interesting it is to not know ANYONE and then just have to go out on a limb and reach out to people and try to connect with them! It is such a cool learning experience right now. I am not a shy person but it is making me really come out of my shell!

Our plan for the evening was to try this Mexican restaurant called Tequila. As a Texas girl, chips and queso was a part of my everyday life. Since being in Australia, I haven’t had ANY queso, so I was wanting to try. Bek and I arrived at the restaruatn called Tequila for our reservation. Rochelle, who is from Nebraska, and Maddison, who is Australian met us there too. We began ordering appetizers and margaritas. I have to say…. The queso was not the same L it was not very good. Maybe I have officially kicked my addiction. I ordered chicken flautas… which again were not as good as my Tex-Mex flautas from home. But they were okay. Another Au Pair named Morgan met us for dinner. She was so nice and from Canada. I love meting so many people from different places! After dinner we started walking Chapel Street and went into a couple different bars. We ended up at a place called Lucky Coq. It was upbeat and crowded and pretty fun. But I was really tired, so I ended up taking Uber home. It was nice to be in my own bed and sleep in late!

Saturday I laid in my bed almost all day. In the afternoon Maddison and Bek picked me up and we went to a yummy café. I ordered a cesar salad for a late lunch and when they brought it out to me, it looked a bit funny. On top of the salad, along with the cesar dressing, was two pieces of bacon and a poached egg. I AM OBSESSED. It was pretty much the best meal I have ever eaten. I want to go back there ASAP and get another one J yummmmmmmyyyy. After we ate at this café we went to Doncaster which is a shopping center (looks like a mall). We walked around, people watched, took pictures where there is a good view of the city. The girls dropped me back off at my house and I began getting ready for another night out. I ate a delicious dinner with the Quick family before heading out.

Delicious adorable cafe!

MOST DELICIOUS SALAD OF MY LIFE!

I see you Melbourne

New friends from all over the world

Alley ways

Morgan and me :)

Selfie stick!

Selfie stick love

Side note: 

I am SUCH a TV person and they do have TV and cable here, but it is weird not to be watching it all the time like I used to. I don’t have a TV in my room here and so it has forced me to do other things: read, write, watch movies on my laptop. Did I also mention that Netflix does NOT work here?!?!?!?!?!?

Maddison came back to pick me up and we headed to the area Albert Park to go to Morgan (the Canadian Au Pair’s house) before going out! Again I need to reiterate just how fun it is meeting so many new people! We had a drink at Morgan’s before catching a cab to meet some other new girls! Sherry is someone I met on the Newbie Facebook page and she invited me out with her friends! So Maddison, Morgan and I went to her friends gorgeous apartment. There we met Sherry, who is from Ireland, and then 3 girls from Finland, Stella, Melinda, and Rosalie. We are just quite a melting pot friend group!!!!!

We had some predrinks and took full advantage of the selfie stick that one of the girls had! Those are just too much fun J we took a cab into the city and began bar hopping. We went to one place called Deck and then went to another called CQ. Both were pretty fun but again, I just couldn’t hang! I was so sleepy! I took an Uber home and I think I was asleep by 3:30am.

Side note: AUSSIES STAY OUT SOOOO LATE. At home our bars close at 2am and it is pretty much a miracle if I stay out that late. Here, people go out around 11pm and then stay out until at least 4am. I need to start napping before I go out so I can last longer haha. I am such a Gramma.

I haven’t felt too homesick, because I really am having so so SO much fun! Of course I miss my family and friends and the simple American pleasures. But the experience I am having here is just unbeatable.

Today is Sunday and the Quick family has been at lunch at their grandmother’s house all day, so it has been a quiet day for me, hence why I am able to sit here and write. This upcoming week will be busy but fun! The Quick family will leave for the weekend to go to the beach because next Monday is a public holiday. AUSTRALIA DAY! Supposedly it is bigger than The 4^th of July in America. BBQs, parties, food, drink! So I will be excited to celebrate the weekend with my new friends.

Much love,

Tomi Xx