Sorry for the delayed blog but there have been plenty of distractions that mean I have a lot to write about.  I can’t believe March finally got here because I had been counting down the days until my Mom’s visit since I arrived in Australia but as fast as March got here, it is already over and I am in shock at how time is flying!  Of course the visit from my Mom and Viv was incredible so enjoy reading all about it.

First of all, just a little word of advice to everyone; if you are going to visit Australia please allow yourself a minimum of three weeks.  As much as we got to do, I didn’t even put a dent in the amazing things that I could have shown them for the week that they were here.  I was anticipating their arrival with extreme intensity and they could not get here soon enough.  I had arranged a taxi from work so that I could work a half day and just around the time of picking them up, I get word that their flight had been delayed!  Go figure!  Instead of hanging out at the airport, I went home with Tracey to get showered, ate dinner, and hung out with the girls for a bit until Jess took me to the airport.  I got there just in time to run into my Mom and Viv walking to the door with their luggage.  It was a surreal moment and it took a sec for reality to set in!  After our long hugs and kisses, we settled the rental car and took off in our fly convertible.  I put them straight to bed because I knew the next seven days were going to be non stop!

Their first full day in Australia just so happened to be my mom’s birthday so we made it an action packed day.  I took them straight to the wildlife park so they could experience kangaroos, wombats, and koalas!  At our wombat show, Debbie who was the commentator gave my mom a special birthday wish in front of the big crowd so she wasn’t too happy about that but it gave the rest of us a good laugh.  Tracey told everyone at the morning staff meeting that we were coming in and that it was my mom’s birthday so everyone I introduced her to over exaggerated the greeting and birthday wishes. Take for example my Italian friend, Andy…he grabs hold of her hand and starts to kiss it while exclaiming that my mom is a legend and he is so grateful to meet her!  It actually got to the point where my Mom was freaked out by all the enthusiasm!  She loved all of my friends and her favorite part was getting to bottle feed Hazel, a joey kangaroo.  After the park, we had lunch at a brewery and then headed to King’s park for the most breathtaking view of the city.  It was the shortened version of King’s park because we had dinner plans with Maureen but they got the picture and off we went back to my apartment.  We got all dolled up and met Maureen at her place for a few drinks.  She has the best view of the Swan River so my Mom and Viv enjoyed that and then it was off to Spaghi’s for a lovely birthday dinner.  We all enjoyed ourselves…some a little too much but all in good fun of course!

I unfortunately had work for the next two days so I left Liz to keep the two busy.  Their first outing proved to be disastrous because while on the freeway they witnessed a wreck that was really bad so being the first on the scene led them to a pretty brutal site.  My Mom was interviewed by the news so she was famous after only one day in Australia.  They managed to enjoy the rest of their day and find time to cook spaghetti for me so that when I got home I had a hot meal waiting.  The next day Liz took them to her winery and a few other stops in Swan Valley.  Needless to say the winery was their favorite part and they ended up spending a whopping five hours there!  It was a fun sight when they picked me up from work that day!  We set off to eat sushi that night at a very traditional restaurant where you took your shoes off and practically sat on the ground.  We enjoyed ourselves and some more lovely wine.  My mom was exhausted so she hit the sack while Viv, Liz, and I went to The Windsor for a few more booze.  We had a fun time drinking and hearing the latest gossip.  After a few drinks, we walked on home and went to bed.

The next morning, was the start of our adventure to Margaret River.  A few wrong turns along the way added plenty of character to the trip but alas we arrived in the heart of Margaret River. Our place at Merribrook Retreat was stunning and set in a lovely, peaceful forest so we enjoyed the quiet atmosphere (well what was quiet until we got there.)  I took them to the coast so they could see the beautiful beaches along the Indian Ocean and after wine and beer we decided to walk the nature trail around our retreat.  Viv was desperate to find a kangaroo in the wild to photograph so I tried to find one but in the end we wound up with nada!  The next day we hit up a local winery for lunch and then headed to the coast again for some rest and relaxation on the beach.  It was a pretty laid back day and we appreciated every minute of it.  We decided to stay an extra day so for our last day we hit the shops.  We ended the evening with some great pasta made in the retreat’s kitchen and dinner on the lake.  It was amazing and we all really enjoyed ourselves. 

Now the rest of the trip could have been better with a little more planning but I thought winging it would have sufficed…man was I wrong.  I have been hearing all about the land of the giants which is this infamous tree walk a little further south than Margaret River so I thought it would be worth the drive.  Well that drive left us in the car ALL day long!  It may have been worth it once we arrived at the tree walk but I forgot the small detail about my Mom being acrophobic.  I told her it was like walking on a bridge but that really wasn’t the case.  Not to mention we were all starving and I promised them that there would be a restaurant near the tree walk and there wasn’t.    The tree walk should have taken a half hour but when my mom hit that platform, she was through it in about ten seconds.  It was definitely not like a bridge…much more wobbly!  We had a good laugh as the three of us hung back and watched her run through the trees and not look up at a single one!  It was a pretty cool experience but again a small plan would have made a world of difference.  We hit the road shortly after the tree walk and drove and drove and drove and then drove some more until we finally arrived back home.

We spent their last day in the city letting them shop and enjoy downtown Perth.  Viv was in heaven with all of the shopping that was to be done.  We ended their trip with dinner at the casino with Maureen and her friend Mary.  Mary is part Scottish and she and Viv definitely hit it off even though Viv didn’t understand most of what Mary was saying.  The food was great and the company was fantastic.  To top it off, we hit up the casino floor for some gambling with Mom’s money…the best kind of gambling there is.  Liz and I once again had a very successful night at the roulette table and we are officially addicted.  We signed up for the casino club that night and we officially have a gambling fund that I am convinced will make us rich.  If you are interested in donating please email me!

Their departure date came way too fast and I was in denial that it was already time to drop them off.  It was hard to get dressed for work that morning knowing that when I got back home, they wouldn’t be there.   We all managed to say our goodbyes without crying and Ms. VIv threatened me with another visit if I didn’t come home soon.  It was with out a doubt a fun experience having them as my house guests.  I can only hope that they enjoyed everything as much as I did.  I know it made my mom feel a lot better about me being here knowing that Liz and I are doing just fine.  They were off to Sydney with rejuvenated excitement for the remainder of their trip.  I would like to report that they arrived safely back home with a greater appreciation for air conditioning and in Ms. Viv’s case…AMERICAN BEER.  She didn’t hesitate to ask every last bartender if they had American beer behind the bar and you could see the look of shock on their faces every time she asked.

Needless to say they were off and my life turned back to normal so it was off to work that morning for a full day of tours!  Giving tours are the absolute worst when you just don’t have the enthusiasm and considering my mood, it made for a hard day.  Maybe reading this blog will encourage some of you to come and visit me.  There is a chance that I will stay the full year so if you can’t bare to go that long without seeing me then I suggest you book your ticket!  I hope all is well back in the great U S of A.  I miss all of you tremendously and I can’t wait to see you in Australia!

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