Ten Things I Hate About...Not Being Home.

So I have the DVR set to record the movie Ten Things I Hate About You tonight at 9:30pm because, in our household, we go to bed around 9:30 or 10 on most nights. I love Heath Ledger movies, and it's been a long time since I've seen this one. Plus, seeing as we have all the DVDs from America that don't work in our Australian DVD player, I record all the movies I can, in order to watch later :) The title for this list was inspired by thinking about watching that movie later tonight (or tomorrow, more likely).

In no particular order, except from the thing I miss least to the thing I miss most...here are the things I miss about being home. And by home I mean both Amarillo and Conway. Although Amarillo is my forever home, Conway is home too; I mean, I did spend my entire adult life (18-24) living there on my own (until I up and moved to Australia recently). Without further adieu: 

10. An endless closet - I'm starting to realize that I overpacked for this trip to Australia; I easily could have done with only one fifty-pound suitcase instead of two...but, there are still days when I miss having the option of "this plain white shirt over that plain white shirt" or "these black wedges over those black stilettos." I shop on Pinterest now instead of shopping in real life...because if I add one more thing to either of my suitcases, I'll be paying the overweight fee on the flight back home. Lord help me.

9. Netflix/Hulu - They don't have Netflix OR Hulu in these parts! Can you believe that!? I have to wait an entire week to watch episodes of shows...it's awful.

8. Wifi - I've enjoyed living more of a simple life, free of constant Facebook/Twitter/Instagram updates. I really think I am a much happier and observant person now, because my nose isn't constantly stuck in my phone. But, I will say, it sucks sometimes not having easy access. It was especially bad the first couple of weeks in Australia when I was job searching. I couldn't just take my laptop outside and bask in the sun while surfing the net. I had to wake up early to walk to the shopping center, and basically spend ALL DAY in a little corner of the cafe near Target so I could use the free wifi. And now it sucks because, say, if I want to check the weather app for the weeks forecast, I'm waiting on an important email, or needing to send a quick email, I have to walk the mile 'n a half to Target to use the internet for the smallest thing! I don't necessarily want to twenty-five minutes for something that will only take five seconds. And I don't like having to walk up to Target to talk to people back home either.

7. Normal time - I'm fifteen hours ahead of my family and friends here in Australia. That means, for the most part, there's a very short window of time for me to talk or text anyone. They're usually asleep when I'm awake, and vice versa. OR I'm not on wifi at a time convenient for both of us (see #8).

6. My art supplies - When I was home I had everything I needed: paint in every color, paintbrushes, rulers, scrap pieces of wood, extra canvases. You name it, I probably had it. I hardly ever needed to go to Hobby Lobby for supplies; I could start a project on a whim and spend very little money. Now if I want to be crafty, I have to buy all new materials...hellllooo, I'm trying to save money, which means art and painting is put on hold (because supplies are wayyy expensive here). And that sucks.

5. My car -  When I can, I walk or ride my bike. I don't mind walking and riding my bike; I'm happy to get the extra exercise of walking/riding those three miles to and from the shopping center or work everyday...because sometimes that's the only exercise I get. But when the bike tire pops and the nearest shop to fix it is seven miles from the house, do you think I'm going to WALK THE BIKE that far? Mmm, no. So the bikes out of the picture for now and I walk everywhere, because I hate feeling like a nuisance, and having to ask the boys for rides. I'd rather not fix the bike than ask for a ride. I already ask the boys too often for a ride because it get's dark at about five o'clock, and most days I don't work 'til six. And I'm not about to dish out the money I'm trying to save for a taxi. Life is just so much easier when you can hop in your car and go by yourself.

4. My sister's dog Stoney - I grew attached to this puppy on our eight hour car ride from the pound in Conway to home in Amarillo. I spent days trying to convince my sister Caitlin that she needed this dog; finally she caved and thought so too. I actually told the pound that I wanted the dog before my sister officially said yes...ha. What can I say? I had a good feeling about it. Stoney was perfect; the perfect size, the perfect color, and she was a calm puppy compared to her sister, who was in the cage with her when I first spotted her. She was everything my sister was looking for :)

The day I picked Stoney up from the pound was the same day I moved everything home from my apartment in Arkansas. I actually postponed my move a couple of days so that I could continue trying to convince my sister she needed this dog, and then pick her up on the first day she was available. My car was packed full - top to bottom; I could only see out of the driver side and passenger side windows...there wasn't room for anything (literally not a single thing) except for Stoney in the passenger seat. She only fit there because that's where I had to put the laundry basket (which I had made into a nice little dog bed). Within the first hour of the car ride she had thrown up in the laundry basket (because she was sick from getting spayed earlier that morning). I pulled ticks off of her left and right. She never barked, and never tried to get out of the laundry basket. We bonded on that road trip . She's the sweetest little dog. And I miss her. Of course I miss Daphne and Casey; that goes without saying. And I guess I miss Butch, too...

3. My "free" gym membership at UCA, with my very own "personal trainers" - This is the routine I miss the most. Stiner and Footio are the the best strength and conditioning coaches, hands down. And I don't just say that because I'm partial (for obvious reasons) to UCA and their athletic programs.

After I became a retired athlete, these guys still let me come around and workout in the weight room...eventually I started doing their workouts with them. I basically invited myself :) Generally the plan was to start at 10am. Did we ever start at 10am? Never. We were always waiting on somebody (TJ or Mike), drinking/waiting for the pre-workout to kick in, or we were just sitting in the office talking. We never actually got started until around 10:45 or 11, sometimes later. But I didn't mind, because I got to know a completely new and different side to them, rather than just the "Strength and Conditioning Coach" title they held. I liked talking about nothing, and everything. They became mentors, and friends.

I learned a lot...about exercise, technique, nutrition. And as hard and miserable as some of these workouts were, (it was Stiner's goal to either make us throw up, or not be able to walk/raise our hands the next day), they found a way to make them enjoyable, and fun, all while pushing me to get a little bit better, and a little bit stronger.

2. My friends - I wouldn't quite say that I've ever taken my friends for granted, but when you're not within walking or driving distance anymore, you start to realize how much they really mean to you. I miss the daily knocks on my apartment door from Lindsey and Teagan. I miss the (mostly) daily workouts with Kelvon. I miss going to New Life Church with Courtney. I miss talking about boys and the future with Jessie.

Today I really started thinking about how much I miss my best friends from high school, too. We used to always see each other a couple times a year when we would all come back home to Amarillo for Christmas or summer; but now everyone's graduated, grown up, and have real jobs that don't always allow them to come home for the holiday/summer. Our large, and very funny, group text has slowly faded away; and I miss that. I need to do a better job of staying in touch.

1. My family - Even though I wasn't living in Amarillo most of the last six years, because I was away at college, I miss seeing and talking to my family. Being six hundred miles away is so much different than being eight thousand miles away. I can't just hop in the car and go home. And it's hard not being able to call/text them whenever I want. We have one big family/group message that we all text daily through to see what's up, but now I have to rely on Facebook, FaceTime, or iMessage (all which requires wifi) for communication. And I can't be in the family group message because my sister Caitlin and brother Charlie don't have iMessage on their phone...I'm suffering from FOMO (fear of missing out).

Even though this is a list compiled of things I hate about not being home, I really am enjoying my time here in Australia. There are just quite a few things I took for granted while living in the states. 

XO - Cristin

My Five Year Plan...

Do you ever get that feeling where you are just completely overwhelmed with excitement? 

Earlier today, as I was walking to Target (to use the wifi) I had this mini-panic attack because I realized that I will be turning twenty-five next year. I literally just turned twenty-four less than a month ago, but I couldn't help but think about turning twenty-five...TWENTY-FIVE PEOPLE!!! How is that even possible!? I'm so young. I've always been one of those people who didn't mind having a birthday and getting older, unlike my sister Lindsay who preferred her thirtieth birthday to be called her twenty-tenth birthday (or something like that). But c'mon 25?! That's a freakin' milestone. I think I'm getting a little bit of anxiety all over again just writing about it now. 

I used to think that I would be married by twenty-four or twenty-five, and have three kids before thirty...HAHAHAHA what a joke. I can't even tell you the last time I had a real "serious" boyfriend. At this rate, it actually looks like the youngest sibling in our family will be getting married first! Not that Charlie is getting married anytime soon, he's just been in the longest, and basically only, relationship of the Siblings Curl. There must be a problem with Curl girls...or maybe it's just that we're all so independent (not to say that my brother isn't, of course. He's just found a keeper).

Okay, so clearly that story wasn't the part about being overwhelmed with excitement. I was going to Target this morning to sit in on a live webinar about teaching English abroad. Ever since coming to Australia I have had this longing to keep traveling. I spent six AMAZING years living in Conway, Arkansas while attending the University of Central Arkansas as a student-athlete; I milked my time there for all it was worth: five years of eligibility spread across three different sports, and two undergraduate degrees. 

How is it that preseason is about to be starting at UCA!? And then classes will be starting shortly after that? It's weird, after being involved in all that for so long, that it hardly crosses my mind anymore. I'm starting to see posts from former (but still current) teammates about how excited they are to "get back on the grind" and "ring chase," or from former (but now alumni) teammates who "can't believe it's over" and "want to go back and play forever." I used to be both of those people. Yes, I miss volleyball, soccer, and softball...the studying and going to class? Not so much. 

I was so engulfed in the spirit of UCA and being a (Sugar)Bear. I loved college. Of course I had my ups and downs, and it's absolutely crazy thinking about all the opportunities I was given, the friends I made, and the ones I lost, along the way. Two of my very best friends came from "playing" softball, something I never in a million years would have thought to happen. I am so grateful for all the trials and hardships that have shaped me and revealed the people who will stick by my side no matter what. But even still, it's still so strange to think that I won't be living walking distance from campus...I won't even be back in the United States until a complete school year has finished. I'm going to miss everything. But living in Australia for the past six weeks, and thinking about "what's next" for me, has made me realize just how small my world used to be.

Had I not booked this trip to Australia I would probably still be living in Conway, teaching elementary PE, coaching volleyball, and cheering on the Bears and Sugar Bears as often as I could. I would have probably stayed in Arkansas for the better part of the rest of my life...that sounds drastic, but I'm serious. I've always loved living in my comfort zone. I'm not a fan of change. I hate packing and moving. And I prefer stability and security. Here in Australia I have none of that really, and I am completely content and happy. 

Back to being overwhelmed with excitement...you know that thing I mentioned in a previous post called wanderlust? I have it. "A strong desire to travel." I've decided that I'm going to stay the entire year that my visa allows here in Australia. The boys and I are planning a week-long caravan through New Zealand at the end of September, and then in the beginning of October I plan on moving to Sydney and working for six months before spending the last two months traveling to parts I didn't get a chance to see. 

Then, after I get back from Australia, (by the way, this is all news to my mom, who will be finding out my plans as she reads this blog...haha), I plan on moving home and working for a year or two to save some money so that I can travel some more. This is where the InterExchange program that I mentioned earlier comes into play. I came across this website weeks ago that places people around the world to teach English. You can have contracts ranging from three to twelve months, and depending on where you choose to teach will depend on if you can save money that you're getting paid, or make enough to just live comfortably. I plan to do both, and either way I'll be rich in experience. 

I had an interview to be a recruiter for my university before I left the states. In the interview, they asked me what my five year plan was. That is one of the hardest questions to answer; they were probably wanting to hear that I planned on working for the university for the next five years and beyond. But I told them I had no clue, because everything that had happened in the last five years was completely different that how I had planned (which I was thankful for; not necessarily at the time it happened, but looking back now). 

I've never had a five year plan before. But if I were making one today, here it is:

• Now until May 2015 
• Australia
• May 2015 - January 2017
• Move home, work to save money, and take the TEFL online course to get certified to teach English abroad
• This time frame could also be extended in case anyone in my family, or a close friend (wink wink), happens to get engaged/married
• 2017
• Teach English abroad in South Korea or China (where I can continue to save money)
• 2018 
• Teach English in Thailand, and/or Vietnam
• 2019 
• Teach English in Latin America: Costa Rica, Brazil, Peru, and/or Chile

And you know what the best part about all this is? I'm ACTUALLY using my teaching degree, and I get to travel all at the same time! During each of those transitions I would plan on coming home to regather, repack, and see my family. I don't think I could be gone and not see family for a straight five years! 

Of course, plans can always change...but there you have it!

"The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." - Proverbs 16:9

XO - Cristin

Happy 4th of July

Besides the fact that the boys (which they want me to start referring to them as “the men” now, but I won’t) are super procrastinators, our “VERY-American-4^th-of-July-party-on-the-5^th” was a success. 

This post will be mostly pictures because, you know, 

“pictures are worth a thousand words.” 

  

 

It was definitely fun celebrating this day in a foreign country. We got to introduce everyone else to something new, and I think everyone had a great time playing new yard games, throwing the football (which they're only used to rugby), and grilling out!

XO - Cristin 

'Twas the Night Before the 4th of July

I had to work the night before our “VERY-American-4^th-of-July-party-on-the-5^th.” I didn’t get off until 11pm, so I declined the option of going out to The Valley with the boys and Taylor’s sister on her last night in Australia. Instead, I stayed up chatting with McKenzie (Taylor’s younger sister), and painting the cornhole boards, which had to be done by the next afternoon.

Let’s talk about this cornhole game. If you don’t know what it is, then you must not be American. Kidding, but it’s definitely a game worth playing…and it’s an easy DIY project, too.

We knew we wanted to introduce our Australian friends to this game, as well as the pcp pipe/beer bottle/Frisbee throwing game (not sure what it’s actual name is, or if it has one), about a week before the big day, when we REALLY started all the planning. That’s plenty of time to get things done without rushing, right? Right.

Weeellll, the boys like to procrastinate. The day we decided we were going to be playing cornhole, we also decided that Ethan and Taylor would be in charge of building the boards, and I would be in charge of sewing the beanbags and painting the boards (as an American flag) once they were finished. I like to get things done early so that I have time to organize, perfect, and stress a little less…the day we made the decision to play cornhole was the same day Ethan and I found a fabric store, and the same day I had the bags three-quarters done. The only reason the bags weren’t finished that same day was because, as a house, we couldn’t all agree on what the bags should be filled with.

• Ethan said beans, because “helllooo, they’re called “bean” bags…obviously you put beans inside.”
• I thought rice would be nice (didn’t purposely rhyme there, but ok) because rice molds a little bit easier when your trying to grab the bag just right. It just sits nicely in your hand.
• Taylor and his family mentioned sand, because it’s free (good point there). 

We finally decided that we were going to put beans in the bags, but when we went to look for dried beans, we couldn’t find them anywhere. It wasn’t until THE MORNING OF that we found beans, so I had to fill and seal the bags as people were arriving! Cue the stress. 

  

Let’s rewind back to the night before the party when I decided to stay in and paint the boards. Ethan had finally put them together after work that day, and now it was my turn to paint them. Well I had to work, remember? And didn’t get off ‘til 11pm, so I stayed up late to working on them. I think it was around 1am that I finished the stripes and the blue base of the flag (I was waiting 'til morning to do the stars because I needed a smaller paintbrush). Obviously I had painted the boards outside because that made the most sense in case I was to make a mess. It took me about an hour ‘n a half to get the blue base and the stripes painted straight enough without using any tape or a ruler. I eyeballed everything. And that’s not easy coming from a perfectionist like me.

After finishing with the paint, I wasn’t quite tired enough to go to bed. So I decided to catch up on a few TV shows. About halfway through the first show, I wanted a glass of wine. I went to the kitchen, grabbed a glass, and right as I was reaching for the bottle of wine to pour something outside caught my eye. When I looked at my boards I noticed a pool of red on the concrete below them. Weird, I thought. I had painted a thin enough layer that it shouldn’t have been running, even if the board was slanted down because of the way it was built. So I walked outside to take a closer look…IT WAS SPRINKLING! And I had no idea for how long, except that it was long enough to ruin all the work I had done.

Fast forward back to the morning of: since the rain had messed up my paint job, I had to wake up early to repaint everything. 

It also wasn’t until that morning that we did all the grocery shopping for the party; and since the boys went out the night before, they were pretty tired. Luckily, Taylor had to take his family to the airport at 8am, so Ethan got up around that time to tell them bye. It still took him a while to completely wake up and start moving around though, so we still got a late start…around 9:15am. People were supposed to be showing up around 11 or 12; we had a lot to do before then! Our grocery list included things like: 

• queso
• salsa
• sugar cookie dough
• ping pong balls
• frisbee
• red solo cups (because apparently these are a very American thing)
• sparklers

The list was far more extensive than this, but you get the picture…and these were a few of the more difficult things to find. First off, you can’t get any of this in the same store. Ethan put it best when he said, “I’ve never missed Walmart so much in my life!” I think we went to five different stores before finding “everything.”  And “everything” is in quotations because we had to do a lot of substituting; if you ask for salsa here, they give you marinara sauce…there’s no such thing as velveeta cheese…you can’t find pre-made sugar cookie dough…and frisbees and ping pong balls can only be found in one store (but separate stores, at that).

We ended up getting everything we needed, just before 11 o’clock. And then it was just a race to get the board finished, the bags filled and sewn, the house picked up, and the food semi-made. Did we get it all done in time? Nope.

XO – Cristin