LIVEALITTLE

How wonderful it is to have friends that go out of their way to send you off. I may only have been in Australia for 3.5 years, but I have definitely found friends for a lifetime.
Still a bit sobby right off the plane from Darwin, Cho flew over from Canberra to spend a couple of days with me to ease me into Melbourne life and to send me off. Thank you Cho, I had a super time rediscovering Melbourne with you and rediscovering our friendship!
Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/livealittle/sets/72157620867098945/

Leaving Darwin has been a whole lot more difficult than I expected. Despite my continued "I'm over Darwin" attitude, I've come to appreciate the numerous niceties available in this small town. I will look fondly back in my 1.5 years here and realize that Hurricane Karen was very comfortable in Darwin and did actually love the place and the wonderful people. I really do hope to have another opportunity to swing back to these parts in the future and also hope that the Darwinites I've met here can meet me in New York as well so I can share my life there with you as you have so gratiously shared yours with me. Thank you, Darwin!

From Darwin, I will miss:
- impromptu sunset dinner picnics on Casuarina beach
- never being cold (except in the cinemas)
- walking around in thongs every day I'm not working
- wearing singlets and shorts 24/7
- living in a house with a lawn, backyard and pool
- being able to hang laundry out on the hills hoist and have it dry within a few hours
- going to the tip (especially the tip shop)
- easily finding city parking
- walking 10 minutes to work
- knowing there will be no rain once the dry season starts
- being glad for rain and being wet when the wet season starts
- being laidback
- near-empty beautiful beaches
- pollution-free night skies
- wildly growing frangipanis
- waking up to the call of native birds
- 20 minute drives to anywhere
- 10 minute drives to the airport
- discovering salmon, ginger beer and pinot noir
- trying Louis XIII cognac
- easy access to remote Australia and SE Asia
- all the great people I have met

From Darwin, I won't miss:
- lack of customer service and competition (all of Australia!)
- relying on a car for transport instead of walking
- shortened business hours (minimal 24 hr service)
- dealing with Telstra (all of Australia!)
- intermittent power outages and having to readjust all the clocks
- seeing someone I know almost everywhere I go
- Mitchell St pubs
- not swimming in the beautiful beaches
- inconsequential croc and UFO stories on the cover of NT news

Truly, these gripes are insignificant. I will surely miss Darwin. My last week pics.