Our "Unique" Home

After searching frantically, we found a pet-friendly apartment near the beach! It's a large 2 bedroom with tile floors and the ugliest decor we have ever seen. I've been told the style and colors are very "Greek," but to me they just look tacky. The walls are a baby blue color and there are 2 gigantic, crystal chandeliers hanging in the living room! There are bay windows off of the living room that overlook the main Street in Coogee;  however, the window is surrounded by a terrible border of sponge paint.

However, despite it's appearance, this place has a lot of checks in the plus column. First and foremost, they have no problem with pets. Secondly, it's actually really clean-looking, and there's a lot to be said for that in the Eastern suburbs. We have seen some real smelly dumps for about the same price as this place, which is $550 per week. The place is large; there's an an echo in the living room, but hopefully that will be better when it's not empty anymore. It has two bedrooms, which will be great for our visitors, i.e. the people reading this blog. Also,  we are free to paint and do pretty much whatever else we want with the place, thank God. I guess the owner figures there's not much we can do to make it less appealing. Also, the location is PERFECT. We are less than 1 block from the beach and there's a park and rugby field across the street. We are right on the main street with all of the shops and cafes below us. Also, Sean can catch the bus to work about 30 feet from our doorstep.

The following is a link to some pics of our new apartment:
http://www.domain.com.au/Property/For-Rent/Apartment/NSW/Coogee/?adid=6697748

Some more exciting news: In September, Sean and I will be making several trips to Melbourne. Sean's company is sending him down to work with a client  and since I don't really know people in Sydney yet and I don't have a job, his company has agreed to send me, too! Also, his company is having some kind of harbour cruise for everyone on Sept. 11th (and I get to accompany Sean). The people Sean works with have been very kind and welcoming to us. I'm really grateful that he works with such awesome people.

So far, we are having a great time and slowly meeting people. Yesterday, I went to lunch with someone who seems to be the first friend I've made. Her name is Paula and she's a "theatre" (Operating Room) nurse. I've been doing a lot of walking around the city and getting to know the bus system slowly. Sydney is beautiful. This morning, I walked Sean down to his office, then went to the Royal Botanic Gardens nearby. I walked through the different gardens and along the harbour. It was so peaceful. Now that I'm done searching for an apartment, I have some free time. Love you and miss you all!