The Agrinautica

   Today, the 18th of June, officially marks 6 months I've been living in Australia (if we overlook the fact that I've spent a month of that time abroad). My how time flies! I feel like I just got here! And yet, I feel like 6 months is the smalelst amount of time that can officially be called a long time.
   Last time I was in Australia I was here for abut six months (I never sorted it out exactly, but within half a month of six months I'm pretty sure), which means I've now been here onger than I was last time (which means something to me at least, because I felt like last time was "a long time"), and that all totalled up I've lived here a full year. Even Sweden I only lived in for 11 months and I felt like that was definitely "a long time."

   I suppose one's current situation never feels as etablished and permanent as anything one looks back on nostalgically. Last time I lived in Australia, in Bundaberg, I feel like it felt more established and settled than I do now, though arguably it should be the opposite. Maybe Bundaberg had more routine. I worked 60 hours a week, watched rented movies in the evening 3 days a week (the movie rental place had a deal for renting up to three movies for pretty cheap on tuesdays you see), went into town on Saturdays, had Sunday roast at the local bowling club on Sundays. It was very routine.
   Now I work only 40 hours a week (first time in my life to work so little!) It's like working half time!), and it seems every evening I'm up to something! Las week I got back from the beekeeping convention Friday evening and immediately showered and went out again because Billie had invited me over for roast. Saturday I don't remember, Sunday a bunch of us got together to play Cards against Humanity. Monday evening my friend Trent and his lady friend were passing by this way and invited me out to my local pub. Tuesday Billie invited me out to "parmi night" at another local pub. Can't for the life of me remember what was on Wednesday but I had something on, Thursday I usually go to trivia night with a meetup group but I decided to have my first night at home in more than a week, Friday evening was the local beekeeping club meeting, tonight (Saturday) is a 20s theme party (excuse to wear my bowler hat!) ... I wasn't nearly this busy back in California! I haven't been this social since college!

   Comparing again to Bundaberg, it's funny how nostalgia makes everything better. I do remember kind of hating Bundaberg, I was lonely, I was working my butt off, it was wicked hott, nearly everyone there was kind of a bogan (ie Australian redneck) or squirrelly alcoholic 18 year old backpackers. But now I fondly think back to the tropical warmth of Bundaberg, living on the beaches, living in a little community I could walk across barefoot in the rain without being cold. One thing I wasn't prepared for her ein victoria is being cold so cold. All the time. cold and dreary. People who live in places where it snows like to give me grief about the fact that it's only maybe 40f here, but hey most of you work indoors! I work in an unheated shed, and it's cold as heck!!! Even in summer int was too cold half the time., I wasn't prepared for this!!

   I've been unable to leave the country for the past two months because I'm informed it will reset my current visa application. If it's not sorted in the next month I have to leave the country anyway by the terms of my current visa, which requires me to stay no longer than 3 months at a time. Either way, at about the time this one would require me to leave I'm planning on going to Guinea for my next project there. I probably won't have much time for development projects after that, so that means this year I'll have only done two, I would have liked to have done three, but oh well. Next year I should be able to make up for it.

   And this is getting kind of rambly so I'll wrap it up. But yeah, six months!