Looking forward

I've had a special request to blog about what I'm looking forward to in Australia. Here goes.

1. Seeing my parents at the airport.
2. Having long, chatty lunches with my friends and catching up on all the news.
3. Hugging my two nieces who I haven't seen for two years.
4. Being closer to my sisters again.
5. Reconnecting with my city.
6. Going to the beach with real pounding waves and clean, white sand knowing that Europeans are still enduring the winter.
7. Getting good Thai, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Vietnamese and Indonesian food easily, just about anywhere in Brisbane.
8. Going shopping for new clothes and shoes.
9. Driving. I have driven once in the last two years.
10. Getting my hair cut.
11. Being spoilt and smothered by my mother for a few days.
12. Talking quietly with my parents over a beer or glass of wine.
13. Not having to walk around huge mountains of rubbish on the streets.
14. Having to use the pedestrian crossings, and knowing that when a traffic light is red the cars will stop.
15. Seeing how tall the lemon tree is at our house in Fitzgibbon.
16. Moving on to a new chapter in life.
17. Being able to go to the cinema and understand everything.
18. Taking public transport that is air conditioned.
19. Buying groceries at Coles, Chermside.
20. Improving my bank balance once I start work again in March.
21. Having my mother call me at 6pm every evening whenever we are both in Brisbane.
22. Wearing heels to work again.
23. Going to swear the oath of allegiance to Italy and receiving my Italian citizenship finally.
24. Carressing the growing bellies of my pregnant girlfriends.
25. Queuing up knowing that no one is going to try and jump the queue.
26. Walking on the footpaths instead of the road.
27. Driving up the the Maiala Rainforest Teahouse (where we got married) at Mount Glorious for Sunday brunch.
28. Going to Fat Boys Cafe in Fortitude Valley for breakfast.
29. Knowing I can deal with bureacracy.
30. Seeing Gi's cousin Marco who will be leaving Australia in March after spending a year living and working around the country.
31. Celebrating my cousin's 21st birthday party along with her parents (currently living in Kazakhastan)
32. Seeing the results of my father's recent nose surgery.
33. Meeting the new boyfriends in my girlfriends' lives.
34. Did I already mention swimming?
35. Barbecues, Dad style.
36. The lack of cigarette smoke everywhere.
37. Walking around without having to wear my 'don't mess with me' face.

That's 37, one for each year that I am. I figure the most important thing is to appreciate and savour each moment as it happens. Reflect back on the experiences and lessons learnt during our two years in Italy. Hope that we find out feet and look towards new challenges and goals.

Ironically I haven't been homesick at all, except for missing my friends and family, but not like other times living abroad. But I am certainly expecting some reverse culture shock. Coming home is just as scary and exciting as leaving somehow. It's all part of the ride.