And the Australian Adventure Began (will probably give the highlights out of order):
- Met a girl who came over from Queensland with her husband and 3 kids before classes started and we immediately clicked! Vet School would not be the same without you Heidi and I am so fortunate that we met! AND I miss you! Come back from QLD any day now!! 2014 hasn't even begun to experience the weird we have in store for it! Nude Calendar Fundraiser for Vet School perhaps??
- Started Vet School and am loving every second of it. Passed all my classes! :) and moving onto second year
- Co-raised (Heidi did most of the bottle feeding) a two week old kitten that was dropped off at our work - Little Man Squirt is hands-down the most interesting cat we have ever owned!
- And now its time to announce another addition - Scooter!! She is also a ginger kitty that came into Rainbow Bridge Fund (the kitty rescue/adoption centre that Brian used to volunteer at until we got to busy). She came in because she was hit by a car and her tail had to be amputated. We of course said we would watch her until her surgery healed so she didn't sit in a cage and pick at her stitches. Well…. we all know how much of a sucker Brian and I are…. and now she is a permanent addition! <3 The weirdest thing about her, is that she acts JUST like Mooki, the kitty Brian and I had to put down before we came to Australia due to her health and mental problems. Scoots is much more sane and not as skittish as Mooki was, but it is CREEPILY similar and hence why we became so attached!! She won't become FIG's (Feline Interest Group at Murdoch) mascot anytime soon and she is best left to sleep in her cubbies or cuddle the crap out of us in the privacy of our own home. She LOVES the big windows at the farm house and loves to watch the birds and critters for HOURS! She is absolutely amazing and Dude and Ting would fall in love with her if they get the chance to meet in a few years! :) Why do I always fall in love with the damaged ones? OK… If I am being honest.. we have had her for a little while now… but I didn't want to fully admit to being a full-on crazy cat lady! It took her a bit to warm up to the addition of Squirt and she had two people come to meet her for adoption but she just wouldn't warm up to strangers…. so she is ours.. She has no mothering instincts and leaves all baby kittens well enough alone… Squirt is the foster parent for sure!! OH, and she really likes our landlords even though they didn't think they were cat people, squirt and scootie have converted them :) RYAN HILL - You would enjoy her tail nub, because it looks exactly like a white-tailed deer! She flags and everything Its black at the end/top and super fluffy white underneath! Its super funny!
- We started walking a dog, Nomsa, in the early months of 2013 and we love her to pieces! Her mom is the nicest and kindest lady I think we have EVER met! So generous and light-hearted! Apparently her son is dating one of my co-workers! :) How neat is that?!? small world!
- I love the beach and go as often as I can - even after surviving my first jelly fish sting right on the boob! And I received yet another smaller sting on the back of my left knee not to many days ago… two of the worst spots to get stung! AND the worst part about the second sting was that there were 100s of people at either end of this really long beach and Brian and I went to the middle entrance and I get stung… just me…. but I probably deserve it because thats where I got stung last time as well… I just really really like that beach!
- Brian and I went to go see Sir David Attenborough and it was the BEST thing I have done!!! He seriously is one of my idols! He has been to so many corners of the globe and seen so many AMAZING things!
- We have moved 3 times since landing in February and I am hoping it is pretty safe to say that phase of our life is over! Time to settle in with the horses and kick vet school's bum!!
- I had to sit my first supplementary exam EVER! still so weird to think about… I guess even all the top students have to fit into a bell curve… darn statistics!
- I have seen some of the absolute coolest flowers and critters EVER!! The colors of all the blossoms are hard for my own eyes to comprehend the vividness and I wish pictures could equal what are eyes can!
- Went camping at a rehabilitation center and I learned so much about proper bird handling!
- Took Brian to the Perth Royal Show for his birthday :)
- Spent my first birthday EVER in class and it was my first birthday celebrated in the "winter" (crazy southern hemisphere)
- I bought my first iMac desktop computer - I feel so adult not just having a PC laptop anymore…. actually I haven't had a working PC laptop since two weeks after landing and have used my iPad for EVERYTHING! but this desktop man…whew its a beauty!
- I bought my first car with all of my own money (well the US government helped a bit with my student loans)
- I have driven on the opposite side of the road and I find roundabouts WAY better than 4-way stops… because MOST everyone here knows how to use them correctly… you get the occasional jackass who stops at the yield sign when they clearly are on the right and have the right-of-way…. AND perth drivers are THE absolute worst drivers I have ever encountered in my life!! seriously….
- I bought a grown-up bicycle and really need to slow down so I can enjoy riding it again!
- I was strongly vegan for most of 2013 but have fallen off with being lazy and busy… The cooking has slowed down in general and I really really really miss it! I still eat loads of fruit and salads, but my creativity has been elsewhere. I love hunting for recipes, devising new ones, or turning a dairy-meat nightmare into vegan deliciousness and I need to get back at it!
- My hair has been mostly plastic free (I am talking about Shampoos, conditioners, and products) for 2 years with an occasional break when I have gone to the salon to get it trimmed… which is like once a year so not too bad!
- I enjoy not having a dryer majority of the time, but once in awhile I need something washed and do not have a day for it to dry out on the line… thats always a bummer… but I swear by putting a decent amount of white vinegar in the rinse cycle and everything is way less crunchy. I have tried conventional softener but again do not like the plastic and overbearing perfumes that are used, not a fan!
- I am increasingly getting less sunburnt with the same amount of sunblock on! :) AND 110 degrees F actually didn't feel to bad to me the other day… The only time I am super uncomfortable is if it is too hot to sleep.. I am not nice when I do not get enough sleep or get really crappy sleep! :P Brian knows this all to well and so do you mommy!
- I got to perform MULTIPLE rectal palpations this year and it was AMAZING!!!!!!!
- I AM LIVING THE DREAM & LOVING EVERY SECOND OF IT!
From here I will just post a BUNCH of photos: Sorry in advance if you have seen some of them before….. way to many to sift through, but I hope you enjoy!!
BRIAN'S BIRTHDAY
AUSSIE FLOWERS
Walk at The Cliffs - Oct. 11, 2013
Coogee Beach - Oct. 24, 2013
Freo Harbor - Oct. 29, 2013
Kayleigh's Send Off Beach Party of Three
Walks with Nomsa
Scooters and Squirt
Desperate To Escape
If you have any questions about the photos let me know the title of the video and I will put up a description :) Just way to many photos to talk about in each video to add to this blog, so I will only write commentary if you ask for it! :) I hope you have enjoyed my first year of my blog and I hope to continue to write as often as I can for you all! :)
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