Store interior. Melbourne shopping guide.

Melbourne shopping guide

I’ve written before about some great shopping spots in Melbourne, but there’s a difference between shopping like a tourist and shopping like someone who has just moved to a new city. Once you’ve got your souvenirs and gifts out of the way, you might be wondering where to buy shampoo, a new mobile phone, new camping … Read more

Young woman sitting on the road looking at a map. Culture shock.

Culture shock

Recently on an American expat group that I belong to, someone asked about the things that caused us culture shock when we arrived. The answers were humorous and some ring true for me so I thought I’d share. They’ve been edited for grammar and clarity and names have been removed to protect privacy. On shopping … Read more

First car accident. Toy car accident.

Our first car accident together

Couples share so many special moments together. A first date. A first kiss. The first night spent together. The first vacation together. The first car accident together. It happened over the weekend. We were in the car park of the large home improvement store Masters. A black BMW pulled in between two parking spots to … Read more

Airplane wing in the sky.

What’s in your carry-on?

Tomorrow is the big day! It will take me about an hour to pack today. I’ve packed so many times before that I’ve got it down to a science. My carry-on luggage is more important. I want to be as comfortable as possible on the long flight. Most airlines let you to carry on two … Read more

An airplane cabin. A long flight.

15 ways to entertain yourself on a long flight

Door to door, the flight from Miami to Melbourne is about 25 hours. It can get boring fast. Here are 15 ways to entertain yourself on a long flight. 1. Read. Thanks to the magic of the e-reader, you can carry a library of books with you. It’s good to have variety. You might want … Read more

Young woman at an airport.

What to wear on a long flight

What do you wear on a long flight? Door to door, the journey from Miami to Melbourne is about 25 hours. It goes across the hemisphere into the opposite season to Los Angeles. Then, across the US to Miami. When I travel, I want comfort, but also want style, and I prefer to look like … Read more