It’s here. The official-no-going-back countdown we’ve been planning for and slightly dreading. The end of a new season and the coming of one that is still very undefined.

We’re 2 months away from being more permanently based in the US and it carries with it all sorts of emotions, decisions and impending transitions. Lately it feels as if we’re straddling 2 worlds — wondering about the life we imagine back home and the associated tasks to get us there and the ticking clock of time left in Melbourne while we try to savour the last moments of this season. A few snaps of life in our part of the world lately:

Cole throws a softball into a milk can and wins big

token vineyard shot from wine tour

one oblivious child

inspired by the cooler weather and wild hockey, cole has been playing more music and rocking hair fit for team iceland

easter sunday in the botanical gardens

a treasure on a river bike ride

riding bikes on docks

cole getting used to melbourne coffee

This office plant near my desk has been a perfect visual to mirror the life transition I’m currently finding myself in.

our million dollar question these days…

In some great ways, being away has freed us to think more creatively, more openly perhaps, about the things we want life to be about…free of any previous expectations or pressures we may have had before. We’ve met lots of people who’ve inspired us to go it our own way..and we have some ideas of what that might look like, in theory. But how any of this translates into “real life” back home is still unclear and lots of the big stuff like jobs, housing, etc is still undefined. I’m currently finding this fact maddening!

So here’s what we do know:
We arrive in July. My brother gets married. We go camping at a sweet music festival with some friends and my sis. We adjust to jet lag. I try to find someone to hire me with my Australian accent (kidding. kind of). We aren’t transient forever (we hope).

We’ll be looking forward to all of the best parts of MN summer and sharing them with you – some we’re really craving right now include cookie dough blizzards, light until 10 pm, lake swims, rooftops in good weather, camping, summer cocktails and the good ol’ American BBQ.

We’re trying to be realistic with our commitments during the first few months, so our re-entry commitments may be few and considered. When we’ve got our feet under us, you can be sure we’ll tell some stories and would love to hear yours.

Until then, the countdown is on.

On an unrelated note, this video perfectly sums up life in our hotel with ever changing neighbours. Or life in our old apartment in St. Louis Park.

2 months and counting.