My blog has been moved!! 

aorifkin.wix.com/therifkins2013

See you there! :)

Today, I submitted an application for an excellent position as an adolescent counsellor with a youth services organisation. It took everything in me to not include this with my resume and cover letter. 

Please, please, please hire me! Thanks, Australia.

The devil is in the details. 

Until recently, I never gave that idiom much mind. Mainly because I love details. I enjoy knowing. I like making plans. I adore schedules and routines. I'm very detail oriented.

Associating the devil with something as heavenly (to me) as details was never even considered. Until recently.

Kyle and I have dreamt, prayed, and hoped that we would move our life abroad, and always talked about it being our five year plan. We realized that our opportunity to move to Sydney was a very clear, albeit accelerated, sign that our hearts and desires were in the right place.

The big picture was clear: We were supposed to move to Australia, and for at least a couple of years live, work, make long lasting friends, eat new foods, create memories to cherish.

But damn, the devil is in the details!

As much as I want to romanticize this time in our lives - I can't gloss over the daily details that have made these past few weeks extremely tough.

The Sydney housing market is a nightmare. We came into this search mostly prepared and fully determined to not be like every other American couple you might see on House Hunters International.* But it's frustrating to get to an inspection, walk into the apartment to realize that the entire thing fits into your old bedroom back home. Oh yeah, and it will cost at least $400/week. Apartment inspections are mandatory, that is if you want your application to be considered. They usually last fifteen minutes, and are typically attended by at least twenty people. These other people want the exact same apartment as you do and are willing to outbid you for it. Yes, it is common for people to offer even more money in order to secure the tiny space. And while I am sure there are some very lovely real estate agents here, many of the ones I've interacted with have been quite difficult, for lack of a better word. This process has been all consuming and so far hasn't yielded many results that won't leave us completely bankrupt. 

The other detail is the job search. I am very thankful that my visa sponsorship is linked with Kyle's so I won't need to seek sponsorship from employers. This may make me a more attractive applicant. However, many social work positions require applicants to own a car, which counts me out indefinitely  as we do not plan to acquire one here. A job search can seem overwhelming no matter where you are, but it's even more daunting in a new country. "Applicants must have degree level tertiary qualifications"…. uh, pardon?**

A cell phone has been another devilish detail. It seems I can't get on a cell phone plan without signing a blood oath, swearing over my first born child, and converting religions. That's an exaggeration, but only by a bit. I'm using an old Nokia phone a friend gave me. It looks like a brick, has a B&W screen, and holds a charge for days. Which is great, but... I can't use it to help me out when I get lost on the bus. So as far as it goes right now, as I'm trying to learn a new city, it's useless.

These details are wearing me out. It's part of why I've been silent the last few weeks. If I'm not on the housing/job/anything search all day every day I feel like I'm wasting my time. It's exhausting and disheartening especially since, despite my efforts, these details haven't been sorted.

But while the devil's in the details, the stressful, tiring, endless details - I can be certain of one thing: This is where we are meant to be. This is the life we hoped for. And at the end of the day, we get to tell people that we are living in Sydney - so really, we're living the dream.

But sending a few prayers and positive thoughts our way as we sort these details would be much appreciated.

*We tried to be on House Hunters International, sent in our picture with an application and never heard back. Fine.

**Of course I've looked up the terminology and adjusted my CV so it speaks to these requirements.

Food Tour: The Boat House

A new friend brought me here the other day.

What began as a coffee and a chat turned into sipping delicious drinks, and sharing banana bread along with our stories and hearts.

We were lucky enough to snag a table at the end of the dock. Our view of Balmoral Beach was the perfect background, even with the overcast skies.

The menu was simple and locally sourced. Everything sounded scrumptious, and I'm sure they were worth the Sydney-sized prices. Thankfully, my companion agreed that a shared plate was the (economical) way to go. 

After much deliberation we decided on the grilled banana bread with marscapone and compote. Served up on a wooden platter with mango, plum, strawberry, and two slabs of butter. 

I also ordered the iced chai, as this isn't an option I've seen often around here. And it seemed like a great way to beat the 80-something degrees 32 degrees C heat.

We had a nice, winding chat. You know, the kind that starts at one point, then the next minute you're talking about something else and you're not quite sure how you got there, but you know it was the right time for it. We talked about places we've travelled to, delicious foods we've eaten, fears we have, people we grew up with, things we've learned, and finally, places we want to travel to.

We sat and talked, letting the food settle before we began the short hike back to the car. 

I'm already planning my next visit to this scrumptious place!