Brisbane

It has been 3 days since I arrived in Brisbane, and the first thing I noticed upon stepping off the plane was the stagnancy of the air. After living with the ocean at my bed side for so long, my senses instantly grasped the change, but the 'no ocean' factor was a sacrifice I was aware of before arriving. Brisbane is set out on a river, and today I took the ferry for the first time from the city to the suburb of Bulimba, where I'll be living and working as a part-time au-pair for the Copland family. At the moment Jonathan ( the dad) and I are staying in a temporary apartment in the heart of the city, and the rest of the fam officially moves over June 18.  This may be an awkward predicament, but we both have our separate  room and bathroom, and Jonathan is far from creepy or awkward, so I feel completely comfortable given the circumstance.  My job the first few weeks is to basically be the overseer of the families move from Perth to Brisbane. My duties involve being at the new house when all their belongings start arriving, being in control of unpacking and setting up the house, getting utilities set-up, ect.  I see this as good practice to get my organizational skills in tact. A mental challenge to achieve and stay completely focused on tasks that typically wane my interest. Setting up space and creating ambiance has always been my forte, however;)

Walking the streets of Brisbane the city has much more of a 'city' vibe than Perth, with a bit more hop in its step, soul to the eyes of the people, and more diversity to the culture. I haven't missed America until arriving in Australia, because the two countries have so many similarities. Living in Asia for over a year and being immersed in the foreignness, unfamiliarity, and sublimity of it all, I was distracted in my adapted Asian life. I was distracted in my environment,  and in love.  I've found, ( and am constantly catching and correcting myself) from the judgments that are constantly surfacing and causing me to compare the American vs. Australian life.  I hate to sound like an arrogant American and commend the stereotype that America is the greatest, but let's just say for the first time I have the most appreciation for philly than I ever have. I have not made it to Sydney or Melbourne yet, and its only been weeks since i arrived in brisbane, but living in Perth there was an overbearing sense of compliance , artifice, and "white is right," vibe to the culture. I've had an incredible longing for home. 

I've spent the past 2 weeks trying to make connections and finding my bearings here. I've found an all womens circus group http://vulcana.org.au/about-us/....and here I've started circus training again 3 days a week. One of the girls  asked me to join her in the schools  showcase on july 5, so I'm looking forward to having the chance to finally perform. I also interviewed and taught a sample class to the owner of a yoga studio down the street from where I'll be living, and she's keen on having me teach a class, so things are sloowly falling into place. 

Perth was difficult for me, but I feel brisbane has provided me with a breath of fresh air, and I'm feeling really inspired once again. I took a few dance classes this week , which I haven't had the opportunity to do since leaving philly. I'm inspired to do everything at the moment, advance as a performer, evolve my teaching, get involved in community, and I've even considered looking into taking a course at one of the many universities here, more specifically on alternative medicine.  My question is, how do you narrow down your interests and passion to one specific niche, when you have so many?  In order to really excel should one choose an area and focus only on that?  This is why it's so difficult for me to settle, because my brain is currently latched to so many dreams and ideas.