Progress! A little bit, but still!

WE HAVE PROGRESS!  Yes folks, this is a much more positive blog posting than last week!  So sorry about that, it wasn't exactly the happiest of all posts :s  I'm sure it didn't help that I'd just broken up with the guy I was seeing, so I was in an overall funk for a couple of days, but we're all past that now :D  In fact, feeling very happy and at peace and back to my old self!  SO, here are the updates on my little move across the globe:

Registration:  COMPLETE!  Yup, got the police check in to them on Tuesday, and by Friday I had an email saying my registration has been completed!  What does this mean?  Well, it means that I have finally reached the end of my 'getting licensed in Australia' saga!  No more exams, no more ridiculous fees (other than PI insurance).  Nope, it means I have no more hoops to jump through!  Now I just need the jobs to roll in... haha!  I have locums already set from the last week of November right through until the first week of January (and those come with house-sitting roles too, yipee!).  I also have a potential locum from April to the end of my work visa (June 29th?)  Then it will just be a matter of figuring out the process for getting sponsored.  I know I have the sponsor already, just need to talk to Immigration to see if I can go right into the permanent residency process... fingers crossed!  Ideally, I would like to be working as soon as next week :s  At least, that's when my PI insurance kicks in, so I could legally begin working then!  But yes, I am now, officially, LEGALLY, a chiro in Australia!  WAHOO!

Cargo:  SO CLOSE and yet so far.  Haha, my cargo has indeed arrived in Adelaide, and has made it to the shipping yard where I'm supposed to eventually meet a quarantine inspections officer to go through it all, however one little hiccup.  I received an email from the shipping company stating that they found bugs in the container which my stuff was in.  So, now I am waiting for my stuff to be fumigated (well, the whole container of stuff, not just mine :p), then aired out, and THEN I can book my quarantine appointment!  I'm just DYING to see what I packed away again!  Haha, can hardly remember what I (aka Stephanie) packed.  And of course, when quarantine asked if I packed everything myself I said yes... at least I knew what went IN to the bags/trunk, right?  And thank GOODNESS I had skype proof last weekend (at Heather's birthday dinner) that Chatty Kathy did NOT make the overseas trip to join my in Australia.  Let's just say, if I had opened a bag to be inspected and found a doll I would have just zipped it back up and said, "Nope, sorry, not my bag!"  Ah well, won't be long and I will be reunited with my dresses, summer clothes, hats, shoes (hurray shoes!  Now I just need someplace to wear them...), sporting equipment, and best of all my TEA!  I'm relieved too that David's packs their tea in tins that are sealed tightly!  I would not have been happy to get fumigated tea :(

In other news, the weather is getting SOOOOOOOOOO lovely out, I'm back to my usual summer colour.  This is from going out and running in the mornings, or cross-stitching in the backyard in 20C weather.  I'll be glad when I get my favourite sunscreen in my luggage!  On the friends front, I'm reminded (by some wonderful people) that I DO have friends down here in Australia.  Yes, 3 of them live in Sydney (Amanda, Claire, and Sydney), but I'm also reminded I have a friend in Melbourne (Jenn!!!).  Claire has suggested, if we are both free in the middle of January, that we meet in Melbourne and go to the Australian Open!  Now, I don't really follow tennis, but I would never give up a chance to take a quick flight to visit with some friends!  Now knowing Jenn is there I could visit her too!  Then I'm thinking I will need to pop by Sydney before I start a more long-term locum... maybe a Valentine's visit?  Claire, would you be my date?  Haha!  I also have made some friends here in Adelaide, and although I don't get to see them too much I have had some great chats with them and know that I have friends around if I ever need someone to catch-up with :)

Okay, I hope this post makes everyone feel a little better about me being down here.  Haha, I got a few 'perk up, it'll get easier' emails/messages on facebook after the last one... now you can all be jealous of my wonderful beach view, palm trees in the backyard, and awesome roo wildlife!  MUAHAHA!

xoxoxo D

And Still Waiting...

There have been so many hoops to jump through in order to register as a chiropractor down here in Australia.  And unfortunately, the national registration board for chiropractors hasn't exactly been consistent state to state!  I met a new friend while writing the board exam in Sydney, and we both filled out the same application, sent in the same required paperwork, have the same working Holiday visa, and yet since she sent hers in to the Sydney office (still for the same national organization) and I sent mine into the Adelaide office, well, she is registered and I am not.  Why? you may ask... well, because Adelaide has asked for me to send an original Police Check/Clearance from back in Canada.  Did my friend have to do this?  No she did not.  She asked, when I mentioned that I had to do it, and they said that they do their own police clearance.  You would also think that since we both have arrived down here through a visa, which meant we had to be cleared police-wise via immigration before coming, that it would count.  But this is not the case.  Anyways, venting nearly complete, my police check was done with the help of my wonderful mother, and a letter sent by me (yay electronic signatures!).  As well, I was lucky enough to leave my old passport, the very full one (from backpacking a few years ago) and my SIN card at home, which counted as 2 pieces of ID.  Hopefully this means that at the end of next week I should have a number to be registered as a chiro!  YAY!

Next venting point, my cargo.  Haha, I can't wait to see what is IN it because I've almost forgotten now!  It'll kind of be like shopping through my own stuff!  I'l have more than 4 pairs of pants, more than LuluLemon clothing to wear, and my camping gear.  As the weather is getting nice here that is on my list of things to do (love camping!).  Back to the quest for my cargo: I have been to Customs House, I have paid more than $400 AUD on this side for just the shipping, and yet another $100 when I cleared quarantine, but I still have to book an appointment with an inspector once my cargo has become available to me.  Yes it is here in Adelaide, and I think it has arrived at the shipping house it's supposed to go to, but it just hasn't been released from its crate yet.  I have to wonder whether they are having problems moving my trunk?  Hahaha!  I even was completely honest with my quarantine form saying that I had loose leaf tea, and when she read through that and my packing lists, she was only mentioning that I would probably be questioned about my camping materials.  Funny, since mum and I actually bought the tent here in Adelaide!  Ah well, good to know that I can get some of my favourite teas sent over from Canada every now and then!  I haven't found a tea house yet that has all of the spectacular blends like David's.  And you never know, maybe eventually they will open a store somewhere in Australia!

The one thing I have come to realize during this move, is that it is a bigger deal than I realized to pick up and leave your friends, and more importantly, your hobbies/groups.  It's probably even tougher because I have to wait for work to start so I can have an income so I can finally stand on my own two feet.  It was great having a gym membership (trial) for 14 days, because then I had that to go to again.  Right now I'm walking and running outside... but I do miss those evil... ahem... motivational group workout classes!  And now that I'm not studying, and no longer looking for a car... well, it leaves me with a lot of time, and it's weird!  It would be so nice to be able to call up a buddy, and say, "Hey, let's go camping!".  And yes, it's great to have family around, but it's just not the same.  I know this will get better, and it will get better when I finally start working and can settle in a certain area, join an orchestra in that area, join a gym in that area, and get myself a life again, but right now... well, it feels a little lonely.  Thank gosh for skype, because I don't know what I would do without it!!!  If only it was 4D... then I could eat dinner with the family for birthdays, get hugs from friends and family at home... ah well, it will get easier as time goes on :)

Hmmmm, alright, I realize this probably wasn't quite as 'feel-good' like most of my other entries, but just keeping it real hahaha.  The GOOD thing is the weather is becoming REALLY NICE!!!  The downfall again, even though it's 20C, I can feel my skin roasting rather quickly!  And we all know that the sun and I have a very good relationship, but I gotta watch out here... not quite as much ozone layer :s

Hope everyone at home is doing well, and I hope my friends around the world who are reading this are doing well too.  I miss you all.  And please remember, you are ALL welcome to come and visit!  Well, of course, that is when I have my own place ;)  And as long as you bring your own bed ;)  Hahaha!

xoxoxoxo Me