Lucky Girl

It's been a little over a year since I came to Australia. A year full of blessings and surprises that I have so many things to be thankful for. I made a list of the top 10, although, I know that there are more.

1. I have a gorgeous, healthy baby boy born in February. He is 5 months now, growing well everyday. I can't wait to see him again when I visit him in his grandmother's place in Sydney. Why he is there is another story. But, I'm happy that he is well taken care of by his nonna instead of us bringing him everyday in a childcare centre.
2. Got myself a cute, sweet, and loving husband who despite of the difficulty of moving to Geelong still opt to stay with me. We've also been thinking that he should move back to Sydney to be with our son while I fulfill my visa conditions until late 2009 or early 2010.
3. I have a supportive family-in-law especially a great mother-in-law. She stayed 3 months in Geelong when we had our baby.
4. I got nice and friendly colleagues in my first job at Chartwell. They are very supportive to me from being a new migrant to getting married to being a new mom. I will always keep in touch.
5. I was "adopted" by generous and helpful Filipino-Australian families in Geelong. They welcomed me with open arms eventhough they just knew me through the phone and the internet.
6. My husband and I are renting a cosy place and we are slowly filling it up with the necessary appliances and furniture - new and seconds from friends and St. Vincent de Paul. We have covered the basics and I am happy with that.
7. After the closure of the first company I have worked with, I managed to get a temporary job in 2-3 weeks and a permanent job in 5 weeks. It is a new industry to me but the work is still related to my qualifications and I love it!
8. My small and big families are happy and in good health. We managed to enjoy short trips, picnics, orange picking, and dining out without busting our budget. I am already thrilled for our future trips when we get our driving license soon.
9. I am coping well with the new environment, new culture, new life, and new responsibilities as a new migrant, new wife, and new mom. I am learning to cook and clean, things I did not do much before I migrated. Aside from the burnt brownies I did a month ago, I can say Im doing well overall. :D
10. I gained new friends whom I would like to know more and hang out with. It would be good if we can see them more often.

People say I'm a lucky girl and I'm thankful for that. Thus, I am paying it forward to other migrants in my own little ways.