Archive | Life in Oz RSS feed for this category

Return to Australia: 3 weeks in my home away from home

19 September 2015

9 Comments

Return to Australia: 3 weeks in my home away from home

Return to Oz Three months ago we had just landed in Australia and had a three week trip ahead of us! I was thrilled to return to a country I love and had been missing for several years. It’s hard to wrap my head around how much the trip meant to me leading up to […]

Continue reading...

Our Hunter Valley getaway: Hunter Valley Resort review

20 July 2015

2 Comments

Our Hunter Valley getaway: Hunter Valley Resort review

Hunter Valley Resort review As soon as we began discussing our recent 3-week trip to Australia, I knew I wanted to include a visit to the Hunter Valley, one of Australia’s well-known wine regions. Just 2-3 hours from Sydney (depending on traffic), the Hunter Valley offers Sydneysiders, Aussies, and travelers alike a getaway from city […]

Continue reading...

Return to Oz

22 December 2014

10 Comments

Return to Oz

I think most of us have seen The Wizard of Oz at least once. But hopefully most of you have been spared the film Return to Oz. When I was a little girl, my dad would rent a couple of movies for us to enjoy on snow days. And one cold, dreadful day, dad brought […]

Continue reading...

My job search in Australia with the WHV

7 October 2014

4 Comments

My job search in Australia with the WHV

Four years ago I was on a road trip, traveling along the east coast of Australia from Cairns to Sydney! As soon as I returned to Sydney, I kicked off my job search. I wrote the following post a few weeks after landing a job, publishing it elsewhere. Since it hasn’t been online for a […]

Continue reading...

Work and Holiday Visa: What to do when you finally get to Australia!

21 April 2013

3 Comments

Work and Holiday Visa: What to do when you finally get to Australia!

This is the last post in a 3-part series about the Australian Work and Holiday Visa for Americans. Read part 1 (the visa application process) and part 2 (the before-you-go research to consider) if you need to catch up before checking out part 3 (you’ve arrived — now what?!). Apply for your Tax File Number […]

Continue reading...

Australia Work and Holiday Visa: Before-you-go research

17 April 2013

2 Comments

Australia Work and Holiday Visa: Before-you-go research

This is the 2nd post in a 3-part series about my experiences with the Work and Holiday Visa in Australia. Links to parts 1 and 3 are at the bottom of this post. For me, researching a trip is half the fun of the experience. I love reading about my next destination and learning about […]

Continue reading...

Work and travel in Australia on the Work and Holiday Visa: Applying for the WHV online

7 April 2013

13 Comments

Work and travel in Australia on the Work and Holiday Visa: Applying for the WHV online

Australia was the first country I wished I could visit. When I was 13, my best friend spent 3 weeks in Oz on the People to People Youth Ambassador program. I was also invited to participate but the price tag was too much for my family. When she returned and shared every wonderful detail of […]

Continue reading...

Celebrating Australia Day 2013 in the USA

27 January 2013

13 Comments

Celebrating Australia Day 2013 in the USA

Happy Australia Day, everyone! Whether you’re an Aussie at home or abroad, or a fellow Australia fan like me, I hope you found your own traditional or unique ways to celebrate the day. If you’re asking yourself, “What IS Australia Day,” it’s a national holiday celebrated on January 26 which commemorates the arrival of the […]

Continue reading...

There’s No Place Like: Three Bags Full cafe in Melbourne

14 September 2011

25 Comments

There’s No Place Like: Three Bags Full cafe in Melbourne

This is the second post in the new “No Place Like” series in which I highlight places that have blessed me with a feeling of “home”. As I write, I’m sitting in a beach cottage at North Carolina’s Outer Banks (OBX), waiting for coffee to finish brewing and the griddle to be free so I […]

Continue reading...

A Year in Australia: By the Numbers

17 July 2011

40 Comments

A Year in Australia: By the Numbers

I quit my job as a career counselor for uni students at 30 to move to Australia for 12 months for a once in a lifetime opportunity. Following six months of travel + six months of living in Sydney, I realized there are MANY numbers that add up to one great year. Ways I made […]

Continue reading...