Kitchen Ranch

Sydney, Australia

After eating delicious tofu tacos at the spot above, I have concluded that I really like Sydney.  I could go on and on about how impressed I am with the multitude of transportation options, the urban support for pedestrians and cyclists, the beautiful outdoor spaces, the food (oh the food), the cheerful nature of the residents and the family-friendliness of the city. 

We saw The Cat in the Hat at the Sydney Royal Opera House.  The performance was enjoyed by each of us.  Contrary to what Jerry Seinfeld said, "Nothing in life is fun for the whole family."    

Rock climbing structure at the Royal Botanical Gardens.  The gardens are enormous and utterly stunning.  The location is beside a section of the harbor which contributes to a big sky feeling in such an urban environment.       

Beckett is in a state of bliss with so many trains and even a monorail to ride.    

Exploring with three littles feels like an extreme sporting event at times.  We all take turns being in first place and last place.      

Road Trip, Part Two

We have arrived in Sydney!  

After a trip down the coast of New South Wales and into the Blue Mountains, we are here.  At first glance, Sydney is great.  I am impressed with the urban design of this city: An abundance of outdoor spaces, parks, play grounds, gardens, metro, isolated bike paths .  . . There are even free filtered water bottle refill stations throughout the city. 

More on Sydeny to come (thoughts and photos).

Bike paths always capture my heart.

Pre-Sydney: A trip to Timbertown Heritage Park which recreates Aussie country life over one hundred years ago. 

The Lakes Way, happy on a boat.  A super coastal stop en route.

High in the Blue Mountains.  We are on a tram, funny how courageous one feels while traveling (normally heights really scare me).

A trip to the Toy and Rail museum in the quaint mountain town of Leura.  We were all ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the impressive collection of Tin Tin and Babar among many other themed toys.  No photos were allowed in the museum which is very sad because what sights there were to see!  I wanted to sneak photos but I was horrified at the thought of being thrown out and missing anything.  Surrounding the museum were model railways and delightful gardens. 

I am relieved to be so distracted by all these great sights because a severe bout of home-sickness has set in.  I miss friends so much, burritos, San Diego's lovely winter skies . . . and so much more. 

Road Trip

We kicked off our road trip through New South Wales this week.  We are making our way down the coast in the direction of Sydney.   We started in a sweet country town called Bellingen where I met up with some friends I hadn't seen in almost twenty years.  What a perfect start to a road trip, I am still trying to get my head around the fact that so much time has passed.    

Australia is chock full of adorable and unique towns.  I appreciate the lack of corporate big box stores which contribute to that "anyplace USA" feeling.  Don't get me wrong, the USA has imported plenty of the corporate brand names which are found all over Australia.  Still, there are plenty of towns that have loads of individual character.  

Friends.

I am floored again and again by Australia's beauty.

Super mosaic depicting evolution.

Aussie motel.

No road trip in Australia would be complete without a little wallaby feeding.

More from the road . . . soon.  

So Long Byron Bay

As I mentioned in my last post, we are making an exit from Byron Bay which has been a sort-of home for the past six months.  I also mentioned some of the challenges we have faced while here; I have a feeling that I'll be thinking about time spent here long after I have left.

Without a doubt, Byron Bay is beautiful and magical.  If you ever find yourself in Australia, be sure to visit Byron Bay.    

 

Getting Ready.

We are packing up and making plans.  In a few days we'll hit the road for an Aussie road trip through small towns and blue mountains.  After a couple weeks, we'll board a plane in Sydney and head across the water to Costa Rica.

The truth is, time spent here in Australia has been a mixed bag of goodness as well as big challenges. What we have loved most has also been what has been the most difficult. Let me explain, we have loved spending so much time together as a family.  We are driving each other mad because we are always together.  We love the nature we are surrounded by.  We are so isolated we are going crazy. Home schooling has been a great way to connect with the kids.  We are so tired of arguing with the kids about sitting down to do their work.  We love the fact that we can work from anywhere in the world.  Working in a different time zone and hemisphere has presented some big inconveniences.  We love this adventure.  We feel so far away, as if we are on another planet.    

See what I mean?

Additionally, the feeling of being in limbo has presented an emotional challenge: We are living here, but not living here.  Are we traveling or not?

After so many conversations, we have chosen to make a move to an old favorite: Nosara, Costa Rica. In Nosara, the older kids will attend a bilingual school (here is the school's website in case you are interested).  We will remain in Costa Rica until June or July and at that time discuss what will happen next.  

Being in Nosara will negate most (not all) of the challenging issues we have experienced in Australia. 

I will be checking in along the way and posting while on the road.

Happy Holiday Menu

I hope your holidays are filled with joy and delicious food.  Here is the menu for our Christmas dinner-

Gourges from Ina Garten

Crusted Pumpkin Wedges with Sour Cream from Plenty: Vibrant Recipes from London's Ottolenghi

Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms from Smitten Kitchen

Onion Galette 

Fresh greens tossed  in a red wine shallot vinaigrette

Salted Chocolate Tart (shown above) from Sunset Magazine

Bon Appetit all!

I did it!

Read more about the book below or jump straight to Amazon: The Book of Questions for New Parents

When we arrived in Australia, I had an idea banging around in my head that I wanted to explore.  As a new parent, I longed for a parenting book that would prompt discussion with my partner and inspire us to establish our own family culture.

Hence, the idea took shape for The Book of Questions for New Parents.   

A lot of the questions in this book are examples of real life discussions that my husband Rich and I have faced. Rich and I have been married for almost 18 years and we have three children: Pixel, Robert and Beckett. In truth, we often disagree when it comes to parenting styles.

A seemingly simple topic like, "Boxed sugar cereal and should we serve it to our children for breakfast," will send us into a heated debate about sugar, processed food, health, and good habits.

 Rich and I have very different ideas and we are not unique. After countless hours chatting with other moms in neighborhood parks and assorted mom and kid hangout spots, people in the same house oftentimes have very different approaches to parenting. 

When it comes to differences, a good conversation can result in a clear solution.

It is my hope that The Book of Questions for New Parents will elicit thoughtful conversations in relationships–conversations that will lead to a resolute understanding, a clarity of purpose and a strong family.

Lamington National Park

Sunday morning, over breakfast, we decided to head to the mountains for a get-away.  We chose Lamington National Park as our destination. Lamington National Park is a beautiful Australian rainforest located in Queensland, a three hours drive from Byron Bay.

The mountain get-away was exactly what we all required.  We find ourselves restless at moments and when that happens, the best solution is to do a bit of exploring.   

Super hiking that was enjoyable for all ages.

Spooky awesome suspension bridges.

Did I mention the suspension bridges were REALLY HIGH???

Treehouse Ladder (from the already high up suspension bridge).

The perfect accomodation includes an outdoor jacuzzi with a view.

We returned to our home-for-now totally recharged. 

Summer

Summer is finally arriving here in Australia.  The ocean invites us to take daily dips.  We prefer stillness in the heated afternoons in place of chores (some might say we are lazy bones).  We discuss options for the future and dream about what comes next.    

Travel reminds me that every step along the way is a chosen step.    

Happy

Usually I am pretty late when it comes to movie and documentary discoveries so maybe this is old news.  Last night Rich and I enjoyed the documentary Happy.  I recommend it, now available on Netflix watch instant.

Happy takes a close look at communities that enjoy long life expectancies as well as contrasting communities with lower life expectancies and high suicide rates.  The film is in line with a book I have probably mentioned before called The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest.

The documentary is very apropo because the topic of happiness has been an ongoing discussion around our table for a few months now. We made an exit from our (happy) life in Southern California and left it all behind to live abroad.  In doing so, a lot of questions have surfaced.  What did we love about Southern California?  What was missing from our daily life?  What stresses do we feel oppressed us without even realizing it?  Did we really spend our time in a manner that nourished us as individuals and as a family? Is home a place and a feeling?

And many more questions.  Our feathers have become ruffled, the conversation continues.