It’s good to have friends

*Warning* – this post contains what some might refer to as “sentimental tacky crap” (to quote Jack Black from our favourite movie “High Fidelity”).

When we made the decision to move to Australia, we realized that we would be leaving behind plenty of good people, both family and friends. Laura and I have been surrounded by fun, caring groups of individuals since we were young. These groups ranged from sports teams to co-workers, childhood friends to university friends, and fellow EWBers to soup kitchen volunteers, just to name a few.

As the time of our leaving drew closer, both Laura and I got very emotional. She was able to link it to her pregnancy hormones, I had no excuse. We would lie awake and wonder if we were making the right decision. Just before Christmas CBC Radio was running a Charity drive and when they joyously announced the final tally – something like $60,000 – I found myself leaking fluid around the eyes. We were a collective mess, and the wonderful going-away parties and well-wishes we were given only served to heighten the emotions. I never fully expressed how much that meant to us, even though there were plenty of opportunities.

And then we left. We made the journey from there to here. Life was such a whirlwind for six months that the time for reflection was limited and our feelings of sadness slowly passed. Just read our old posts and you’ll see how that comes across. It was a roller coaster ride but we slowly established a routine. So we’re good now. It’s only been in the last week or so that things have really slowed down, as we watch the minutes tick by waiting for the Goob to arrive, that my thoughts have returned to the importance of friends in our lives.

The friends that we’ve made here are an eclectic mix to say the least. Perhaps not surprisingly, we have more friends here who are foreigners than those who are Aussies. I guess there’s something about having no roots that forces you to find others who are in the same boat. Our friends here hail from all corners of the globe. Probably the people we spend the most time with are a couple who arrived around the same time as us – Lisa from New Zealand and Mike from the Netherlands – and their three kids Brennan, Gemma and Kaine. We’ve leaned on them considerably for company and moving furniture (and vice versa). That’s not to say the locals have totally ignored us. We’ve been completely embraced by the crowd at the Salvation Army and the 29 so-called “surrogate grannies” in the Women’s Home League there. They’ve thrown a baby shower for Laura and the folks at Sunday services have made us welcome since day 1 (hence our willingness to participate in the talent show Laura spoke about last week). People at work have also been excellent. Though we don’t tend to hang out with them due to mutually busy schedules, there have been numerous offers of help should we need it over the next few weeks. And it doesn’t end there. We’ve been given a car to drive from our friend Peter (a Canadian from Surrey, B.C., who is proud of his “Surrey-ness”), baby gear from our next door neighbours Derek and Nikki (from England), and just yesterday lettuce from Marcia across the street, a true-blue Aussie who has a daughter-in-law and grand-daughter that lived in Fredericton a few years back.

So with all this kindness shown to us as we navigate our way through parental planning in a strange land, my advice to you is this. If you’ve lived in your community for a long time and feel comfortable there (as though it is home), take the time to befriend someone from overseas who might not quite fit in as well as you do. Offer them something that seems trivial to you (like lettuce!) You might just well make a difference in their lives. It certainly has for us. Also, it’s time I said it. If you are still reading this blog six months after we started it, obviously you are a friend; know that you are important to us and we think of you often. Despite the fact that I am an introvert and usually prefer a quiet night at home with a good book to the company of others, it’s hard for me to imagine living a life in isolation from family and friends. That’s why this move in unlikely to be permanent, unless of course we can convince you all to move here.

Ps - The next post you see will most certainly be post-baby (the due date is Tuesday), so keep an eye out for news and pics.