Leaving Melbourne

I don't feel like I really got to say goodbye to Melbourne. The visa, resignation, and move were really close together.

Melbourne has been a lot of fun and a great experience. We have had the chance to see and do things that many never will, and I don't want to marginalize what we got to do. But I would be lying if I said I didn't have some regrets.

We did a great job of seeing Victoria. We did a good job of seeing western Tassie. But for the other states and territories we really didn't excel.

Trouble is, with different work demands and schedules, it was really hard to do exploring that went longer than a long weekend.

I even have regrets in Victoria. We didn't spend nearly enough time in the alpine region. We didn't spend enough time backpacking. My new job strung out long enough that we (or at least me) sort of checked out of Australia prematurely and didn't take enough advantage at the end.

And that's the thing. For me, this is the end. I expect to make a trip in January. I'd like to think that before it's time to return to the US we will still get to drive around Oz, but I have no idea. I never expected to not be returning to SF when Shannon's assignment ended.

I just hope we really take advantage of NZ. We are embarking on a weeklong trip to Auckland to try to fond a house and a car. If we can knock that out fast, can we break Shannon off her job fast and get started exploring? NZ is small by comparison, but there is a lot to see. We will have more holiday time, but we may have booked out three weeks walking down the street last night.

How does one make the most of a place you aren't sure will be home for all that long? Our two and a half years in Melbourne really flew...