Hello everyone!! Our apologies as we have not updated the blog in some time. The end of October marks our 3-month anniversary of being in Sydney and we are really enjoying ourselves! Some updates from our lives…
#1: We finished Game of Thrones!! Not an Australia-specific update but an important one nonetheless… (we’re a little late to the party but if anyone wants to unpack that ending with us we’re hungry to discuss). With Emily’s newfound passion for medieval fantasy, we are looking forward to enjoying the Lord of the Rings trilogy together (after a ‘nerd break’).
#2: Erik has a job!
Erik is working as a “creative technologist” at a digital advertising tech company called Playground XYZ. After being rejected from coffee shops and hobby stores, he somehow landed a 6-month contract gig designing and programming digital ads. As a lifelong hater of ads, Erik has proven that you either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. Despite this, he is very lucky to be learning from other amazing designers and creating the occasional Pokémon ad:
#3: We took a long weekend trip to the Blue Mountains, where we did some amazing hikes – “bush walks,” as they call it – and saw some cool wildlife. Well, we thought it was cool, but apparently those gigantic birds are just called bush turkeys and are pretty common even in the city. With so many exotic birds around, we have taken to a bit of casual birdwatching. We hope to have a collection of bird photos that we can assemble into a ‘bird-nal’ at the end of out trip.
Our first day in Katoomba was pretty cloudy. It felt like the edge of the world. 
Much better the next day! 
The majestic bush turkey. This guy chased us.
#3: In an effort to nurture and care for living things, Emily has planted some herbs and flowers. Also we have signed up to be a foster home for cats whose owners are in crisis. We will probably get a cat this week. Don’t tell our landlord. 😀
#4: We had our first cockroach in the house. This is an unfortunate update. Nevertheless, we have decided to stay.
#5: Emily has taken up ceramics, an old hobby she did in high school. There’s a lovely little community arts center two blocks from our house that offers weekly classes. Erik has joined a local rock climbing gym in a nearby town, and has enjoyed watching ten year olds easily climb routes he’s been practicing for weeks.
#6: Emily’s Fulbright research is moving slowly but steadily. She’s realizing that experimental psychology involves a lot of computer programming, something she is not comfortable or familiar with. But she is learning!!! And gets to see lots of cute babies along the way (which makes it all worth it).
#7: Emily’s advisor Denis’ partner Maggie owns a Thai restaurant called Maggie’s Thai. Denis and Maggie invited us for her monthly banquet for friends and family. We ate the spiciest food we have eaten, literally, ever. So spicy that we both felt a little unwell. But so delightful and fun!!
#8: We found pumpkins to carve!! They are most definitely imported and very expensive but we bought and carved Ernie (pictured). Unfortunately Ernie started to rot in two days and attracted about a million little flies. RIP Ernie, he did not make it to Halloween but we had fun making him nonetheless.
Us and Ernie 
Ernie in the sun. RIP Ernie
#9: Looking ahead, we have excitedly booked a trip to the irresistible Kangaroo Island in November – a short ferry ride from the city of Adelaide in Southern Australia. Home to Koalas, Echidnas, Wombats, and more, we are excited to meet some Australian wildlife in its natural habitat.
#10: Though we are both very sad to be away from home for the holidays, we are planning on hosting a Thanksgiving celebration here in Sydney with some other American friends in town for Fulbright. We will, of course, miss our families and traditions from home, and will be thinking of you ❤
Emily and Erik.au 