Australia, what a place!

Well, one more chapter of my life has come to an end...
It's been two and a half years since I came to live in Australia, what an experience.

But this is not exactly where the Australian experience started, it really begins with the negotiations at work and at home, the decision to come and the most important, the preparation.

About this time in the year, three years ago I felt myself ready to explore opportunities overseas, so I sougth for positions and a couple of them appeared. With the options on the table went back home and discussed with my girlfriend and of course proposed her marriage [thanks good she said yes :-)], from that time on everything was very intense; communicate the families, prepare the wedding, gather documents for visas etc.

From the decision it took three months for me to first come to Australia, once arriving here what a shock, initially a very good cultural shock, everything seemed to be so quiet peaceful and organized, but as time was passing being far from my loved ones and my wife started to make the new experience not so enjoyable.
At the same time my wife was back home, running with the wedding preparations and final arrangements before our definitive move. What a tough job, what an admirable woman! She managed to organize everything, contain the excitement, and sometimes conflicts with the families and cope with being alone. I've never really shared openly all my admiration for all she has done, I am absolutely sure I'm an extremely lucky man to have her by my side!

The wedding day finally came, so I went back home and got married, what an incredible day, the happiest of my life, with the blessing of our families we started a new era, now together as a new young family.
Despite being intense the days back in Brazil were short and soon Fernanda and I were back to Australia!

Once back and after getting settled we could start to enjoy what this blessed land has to give, beautiful landscapes, safe, vibrant cities like Sydney and Adelaide and people from all over the World.
A number of things here impressed us, but the respect for women and the value people give to spend time with their families are the two things that deserve a special note, specially spending time with the family, for me this is a great, the Aussies really know how to balance work and family, admirable!

After a number of extraordinary experiences and very good friends made, being away from our family, friends back home and our culture made us decide to go back.
I'd love to spend more time in Australia, but one thing this country has taught me is to value even more my family!

Now, at the end of this journey, all I have to say is thank you Australia and thank you my Aussies and non-Aussies friends, these two intense years were the best of our lives and all we experienced here will be in our minds for ever in as a very sweet memory!

Uru [hope this is spelled right :-)]

Anderson Assunção.