my first days in Perth

Hello people!

I arrived in Perth (Australia) 3 days ago and now finally found some time to fill you in on what has happened so far. I'm safe and sound, feel good in my new home and of course I'm more than happy to have my boyfriend back after 8 months of long distance relationship stress.
But let's start with the flight:



I had one of the "shortest" flights available to Australia from Germany and in total it took me about 22 hours from Düsseldorf to Perth. I was so lucky to fly with Etihad Airways, an Abu Dhabi based airline, which offered amazing service even though I "only" booked Coral Economy Class. There were plenty of meals and snacks, as many blankets and cushions as you liked and friendly stewardesses everywhere.
I had a smooth 6 hour flight from Düsseldorf to Abu Dhabi, then a 3 hour layover and afterwards the 12 hour flight straight to Perth. I watched lots of movies on the first flight and slept through most of the second one, so it was absolutely pleasant and unproblematic.




Jarryd picked me up from the airport, which was overwhelmingly awesome and made me cry tears of joy and relief. It was so good to hug him again after such a long time and I've been enjoying every minute with him ever since.
On my second day here he took me to the South Perth Foreshore from where you have a lovely view on Perth's skyline. The weather was mild and a bit rainy, but it was still a great view and it was the weirdest feeling to look at this city and imagine that it will be my home for at least 12 months now. I'm happy but somehow can't really process this fact yet.



My new neighbourhood is called Victoria Park. Jarryd already showed me around a bit and I really like it here so far. There is a shopping center and the main street with some nice cafés and restaurants right around the corner. We're also not far away from Perth city center, so this will be my next destination to go and explore. But tomorrow  I will have to open up an Australian bank account  first, otherwise I can't pay my ticket. 



Another corner of the city I've already visited is North Perth. We went to a lovely street festival there on Sunday wih lots of food stalls, music, kids activities and local handmade products. I got to know Jarryd's sister, brother-in-law and his adorable little 1,5 year old nephew.

I'm feeling really good here right now. Some things are still a bit weird and hard to adapt to, but it's only been 4 days, so I'm sure I'll settle in more and more over the next few weeks.
I'm really surprised because I thought it would be much harder for me to leave my beloved Düsseldorf, friends and family behind. I also thought I couldn't stand the hot weather and the yucky insects. And I really didn't think it would be possible for me to quit smoking.
BUT everything worked out just fine! I'm in contact with my friends and family over social media a lot, the weather has been merciful with me so far, the insect encounters have been staying within bearable limits and I am a non-smoker as of 4 days now.

Have a nice day everyone!