"Do you realize how far away Australia is?!?"

Now for some Frequently Asked Questions....You're wondering about all this, and you're in luck-we have answers for you!!

Q. So...why Australia?!? That is so far away!!!
A. Why not? We've always talked about moving out of the country since we've been seriously dating, and Australia has always been in our top places we've wanted to visit. Among all of the English speaking countries, it is by far the most appealing. (Well, besides Ireland of course)

Q. Well then, why are you interested in Brisbane?
A. Brisbane is just our starting point. They have excellent public transportation (no more sitting in Phoenix traffic!!), and more importantly Brisbane is filled to the brim with jobs in the IT sector. (Obviously, Brian's line of work). Brisbane also is known for their beautiful beaches, surfing, and wildlife. It is located up on the east coast, near the Great Barrier Reef, a few hours north of Sydney. The major cities of Aussie are hurting for IT workers to maintain their communities, universities, and governments. (Kind of like how we really need nurses here in the States) If any jobs lead us to Tasmania...New Zealand...Fiji...or back to Phoenix, AZ, so be it! Our lives will be packed in 4 bags- bring it on!

Q. Have you ever been to Australia before?
A. Nope. But we're so excited and just can't hide it!

Q. Do you have jobs lined up? Are you going to school?
A. No, we have no jobs lined up. Just college degrees, several solid years of related experience under our belt, and interview skills to kill....plus we have sexy suits and a list of websites with jobs galore on them. Summer is considering going back to grad school, and there are more universities (per capita) in Aussie than any other country. Once we gain residency, Summer is going to seriously look into grad programs.

Q. So shouldn't you just get married already?
A. We're quite different than "most" people, if you don't know it already. ;) Why else would we take such a leap of faith? Oh, and if moving across the world with the person you love doesn't show commitment then sue us. :P

Q. What do your families think about this?
A. Our moms have shed some tears, but mostly because they are so proud, excited and will miss us terribly. Our best friends are just in shock because they thought we were just talking crazy this whole time. Most of the people who know us aren't surprised in the least bit.

Q. Are you scared? Why are you doing this now?
A. Summer has lived/traveled all over the world, while Brian has lived in Glendale his whole life. Both of us just feel like this is a natural next step for us while we are in our mid-twenties. Our siblings haven't had kids yet, (so we're not missing out on nieces/nephews) and our parents are still doing great. Oh and if you haven't noticed, we have no kids that we have to drag around with us. We aren't scared at all. We feel lucky, and ready to go!

Q. How long are you going to be abroad for?
A. Our visas are good for one year. They are technically called "working holiday visas" which means that they allow us to work in Aussie for one year, and not allowed to go to school. Once we start interviewing for jobs, we hope that a company will like us so much that they will want to upgrade our visas to a "work-sponsored visa" which would be...like a golden ticket! A work sponsored visa will allow a person to work in Aussie for 4 years, receive national health care, and go to school if they would like. The beautiful thing is that Australia has such advanced domestic partnership laws that if Brian got offered a job with a work sponsored visa, it is very likely that that visa would cover both he and I, since we are domestic partners (even though unmarried).

Q. Is it true that Australia is one of the top 10 "best countries to live in"?
A. Definitely- check it out for yourself: article on happiest countries in the world
Also, Australia's economy is similar to the States, and our American dollar will convert pretty evenly into Australian dollars. *Side note: we can't wait to move at a time like this when the American economy is approaching a serious recession, and our politics are more tumultuous than ever. (The Aussies are much more passive and politically neutral!)

Q. Are you guys selling all your stuff?
A. We are selling EVERYTHING we own! Cars, B's motorbike, tools, furniture, etc. Keep your eyes peeled for craigslist ads, and postings for our garage sales we'll do in April. A simple website will be launched soon with pictures of all of it. We've been saving money like crazy for these last few months, but we'll need more cash to fund our first few months there.

Q. How will we get in touch with you guys?
A. Well you can bookmark this blog for updates and pictures, you can email us, chat on skype, chat on instant messaging, buy a phone card and call us, or mail us food and/or letters.

There you have it! Any more questions, just ask. At this point we'll probably just shrug and say "Yes, we're moving to Australia. You only live once, right?" ;)