This holiday season, I lucked up bigtime and won a door prize at a holiday party – one free ticket anywhere Qatar Airways flies. Qatar airways flies to over 150 places as of the time of this post (with more being added almost monthly). I could have chosen pretty much anywhere, but settled on checking out the home of a bunch of my new friends – Sydney, Australia.

Things didn’t mesh up with DH’s schedule (or desire for a 14-hour flight), and I found myself on one hell of a visa bounce – an 11-day Grand Adventure to a hemisphere and country I’d never been to.

This trip was fantastic. I absolutely loved Sydney, and had a splendid time getting in 20 – 30,000 steps a day, eating as little or as much as I wanted, sleeping in a schedule that made little sense, and speaking to no humans unless I really wanted to.

Sydney itself feels like a cross between New York City, Seattle and the California beaches – lots of big buildings, lots of beautiful coastline, a bustling maritime life – and of course, beaches (and that laid back beach life) aplenty.

Since I saw a bunch and took a ton of shots, I’ll be splitting the pictorial into 3 parts. This is the last installment – part 3.

Part 1

Part 2

Thursday, February 1

Today was my big beach walk. I hopped a bus to Bondi Beach, then set out for Coogee Beach via the Coastal Walk.

I think this was my favorite part of the trip – I may hate going to the beach and may refuse to swim in the ocean, but I loooooove the coast. The salt, the noise, the immensity of the ocean – love it all.

After my beach walk, I was super stoked to check out Target – Target is on the short list of things I really and truly miss from the US – and I almost cried when I discovered that Australia Target is not the magical basic bitch playground as the ones at home. This one felt more like (old school) Big Lots than Target – the lighting was sad like at some Burlington Coat Factories, the shelves were too short for the space, the goods looked kinda off, and the whole place looked kinda dingy. I was so sad.

Friday, February 2

Escape the city! I took the 2-hour train ride to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, and did a super light amount of “hiking” – electing to only see Echo Point and the Three Sisters and head home.

Walked to Finger Wharf and stumbled on some more Navy

And had dinner next to the Opera House – right in time to catch the sunset light show.

Saturday, February 3

My last full day in Sydney.

I wanted to make the most of it and hit as many neighborhoods and markets as possible.

I did the Farmers Market in Carriageworks

Hit Oxford Street for the Paddington Market, and unfortunately completely forgot to document it.

#photographyfail

Wandered Newton

Hit the Fish Market for lunch

Did the craziness that is Paddy’s Markets in Haymarket

And took a looooooong walk through Darling Harbour, Barrangaroo, and up to Circular Quay in the evening.

Sunday, February 4

Only half a day! I hit The Rocks to catch that craft market one last time

Finally made it to the Observatory and learned more about *why* and how Australia was discovered

And took a little time to wander as much as I could on the way back to Central train station to grab the bag I’d stashed that morning.

THen it was off to the airport and on a 14-hour flight home.

This holiday season, I lucked up bigtime and won a door prize at a holiday party – one free ticket anywhere Qatar Airways flies. Qatar airways flies to over 150 places as of the time of this post (with more being added almost monthly). I could have chosen pretty much anywhere, but settled on checking out the home of a bunch of my new friends – Sydney, Australia.

Things didn’t mesh up with DH’s schedule (or desire for a 14-hour flight), and I found myself on one hell of a visa bounce – an 11-day Grand Adventure to a hemisphere and country I’d never been to.

This trip was fantastic. I absolutely loved Sydney, and had a splendid time getting in 20 – 30,000 steps a day, eating as little or as much as I wanted, sleeping in a schedule that made little sense, and speaking to no humans unless I really wanted to.

Sydney itself feels like a cross between New York City, Seattle and the California beaches – lots of big buildings, lots of beautiful coastline, a bustling maritime life – and of course, beaches (and that laid back beach life) aplenty.

Since I saw a bunch and took a ton of shots, I’ll be splitting the pictorial into 3 parts. This is Part 2. Stay tuned for the rest!

Part 1

Monday, January 29

Today, I went on the hunt for new hiking shoes in the CBD (Central Business District) and the open and closed-air malls populating the area – finally settling on a pair of minimalist barefoot runners from Merrell. Highly recommend these shoes if you hate bulk, love flexibility, but also need at least a touch of padding. I wore these exclusively for the rest of the trip – did 20 – 30,000 steps on pavement every day, and was comfortable.

Tuesday, January 30

Back down to Circular Quay and on a ferry to Taronga Zoo.

A friend of mine had said that if I happen to have any unscheduled time, hop a ferry and go where it takes you. I took her advice and headed to Cockatoo Island – I was not disappointed. This is kind of like Governors Island in NYC, but with onsite camping and a much richer history (convicts, a girls school, shipping center, military – the whole lot).

Then it was back to Circular Quay and to the Opera House for some golden hour exploration.

Wednesday, January 31

Walked down to the Botanic Garden and Mrs. Macquaries Seat, with a stop first at the Hyde Park Barracks Museum. If you ever have the chance to visit Sydney, I highly recommend this museum detailing the city’s convict and refugee past. Lots of artifacts really lovingly displayed and some really great stories to go along with them. A must see!

I also took the ferry out to Watson’s Bay to see The Gap (the entrance to Sydney Harbour) and the Lighthouse.

Part 3

This holiday season, I lucked up bigtime and won a door prize at a holiday party – one free ticket anywhere Qatar Airways flies. Qatar airways flies to over 150 places as of the time of this post (with more being added almost monthly). I could have chosen pretty much anywhere, but settled on checking out the home of a bunch of my new friends – Sydney, Australia.

Things didn’t mesh up with DH’s schedule (or desire for a 14-hour flight), and I found myself on one hell of a visa bounce – an 11-day Grand Adventure to a hemisphere and country I’d never been to.

This trip was fantastic. I absolutely loved Sydney, and had a splendid time getting in 20 – 30,000 steps a day, eating as little or as much as I wanted, sleeping in a schedule that made little sense, and speaking to no humans unless I really wanted to.

Sydney itself feels like a cross between New York City, Seattle and the California beaches – lots of big buildings, lots of beautiful coastline, a bustling maritime life – and of course, beaches (and that laid back beach life) aplenty.

Since I saw a bunch and took a ton of shots, I’ll be splitting the pictorial into 3 parts. This is Part 1. Stay tuned for the rest!

Thursday, January 25

This was mostly a travel day. Bye, Doha!

This was my home for the duration of my trip – Space Q hotel (hostel) in Haymarket (the Thai/Chinese area of town).

This place was really cool. The location couldn’t be beat – I was 20 – 30 minutes from pretty much anything I wanted to do, and blocks from Central Station and it’s trains, buses and light rail.

Friday, January 26 

Australia Day! I woke up and headed to Circular Quay to see the festivities, wandered The Rocks a bit, and headed over the Sydney Harbour Bridge to catch the Australia Day Harbour Parade.

Australia Day was cool. The whole city was decked out in Australia and Aboriginal flags, music was everywhere, street food was flowing freely, and the general atmosphere was one of a big party. Since I’ll miss my own country’s celebration day, it was great to take part in somewhere else’s.

Saturday, January 27

I woke up super late, wandered around downtown a bit trying to figure out what I wanted to do, decided to point my feet toward Darling Harbour and checked that out, went to the Sea Life Aquarium, wandered over to the Queen Victoria Building juuuuust as everything was closing (as I was discovering, much to my American chagrin/mild outrage, almost every damn thing barring restaurants and bars closes by 7pm), and decided to drown my lack of shopping options sorrows at this really cool viking bar I’d heard about on Facebook – Mjolner.

Sunday, January 28

I hopped down to Circular Quay and onto a ferry to Manly Beach. Walked that beach a bit, hopped the ferry back, decided I wasn’t done and hopped another ferry to Milson’s Point to check out Luna Park – which was cool, looks a crazy amount like the Luna Park in Coney Island (for good reason – it’s modeled after it), headed back to The Rocks to check that museum out and learn more about Sydney’s early history, walked the craft market going on there, grabbed Korean bbq on the way back to the hotel, and called it a night.

Part 2

Part 3

Took the train out to the Blue Mountains for some very light hiking

Then back to town to explore Finger Wharf

And get screamed at by wild, loose cockatoos

Then back to the Opera House to catch the sunset light show

I recently had the opportunity to join a bunch of fellow Doha bloggers on a fantastic sunset dinner dhow boat cruise from The Pearl, past the Katara cultural village, the stunning skyscrapers downtown, West Bay and almost to the Museum of Islamic Art at Doha Port.

This trip was sponsored by the only dhow boat cruise operating out of The Pearl – National Cruise and coordinated by the woman who runs a really cool and useful blog I’ve used as a resource time and time again – New In Doha.

The boat we were on was stunning – if I remember correctly, the gentleman that gave the safety rundown said it was hand made out of Teak and can be configured pretty much however you want with a few hours’ notice. The cabin is also air conditioned, which was really appreciated since the day was warmer than most of us had prepared for. We were also treated to a buffet catered by the Four Seasons, and all the fresh juices and water we needed to stay hydrated and happy.

The A/C was great and all, but we spent sunset lounging on the upper level deck, which was decked out in fine carpets and textiles in a relaxed seating lounge area.

 

Apparently I’m also a photog failure and took exactly zero pictures of this gorgeous boat. The wood grain was beautiful, and the sweeping lines were really charming. Plus, it’s been outfitted with completely modern electronics and all the safety bells and whistles – something pearl divers of old would probably have appreciated a bunch.

Also on the “I’m a failure as a photog” front – I was starving and took no pics of the food … and too busy eating to try and capture the skyline at night. Looks like I have an excuse to book another cruise with the DH. 🙂

I had a fantastic time getting to know my fellow local bloggers, learn a bit from a really talented local photographer (shoutout to Najla Nabil Photography), and partake in a really cool “only in Doha” experience that I can’t wait to share with friends and family!

I’ve started and re-started this post about a thousand times and have zero idea what I’m actually going to say about something that has taken up so much of my internal life for so long, and something that I’ve done pretty much nothing but pour all of my energy into for for months and months and months. Now that the move itself is over, and life has returned to (a new) normal, 1000% surprising for me (as a freaking writer who can be waaaaaaaay too in their own head and self-reflective), I find myself grasping for the words to describe this move in any sort of meaningful way.

Hmmmmmm ….

If you’ve been here awhile, you may remember that I recently started a YouTube channel with the express intent of keeping friends and family (you all included) updated on the move, the process of picking up and moving ones life across the globe, and the adventures I find when I get where I’m going.

Well, I’m where I’m going (for now). To keep up with more daily/weekly life kind of content, visit my channel here: Gastography on YouTube  I post 2 videos a week – Tuesdays, I aim for some sort of tour or showing you all something neat (this week was a tour of the new place); Fridays, I post a weekly wrapup of things I’ve accomplished or what has happened. This Friday will be a Doha Week 1 post. I’ll 100% ramble. As I do.

This space I intend to keep relatively the same. My POD (Picture Of the Day) posts keep me grounded, and sharing recipes with you all is something I love doing and hope to get back into the swing of creating and sharing. It also helps that when I’m posting recipes regularly, I’m also eating healthy. Need to do that. I also look forward to sharing mini pictorials with you all from around town as well. I’ve not been inspired to create those in awhile and really hope that this change of location will spark that fire again because I miss it.

As for the move ….

A lot of changes have happened in my life in the last two months. Changes that have been percolating for a few years, simmering since last year, and really getting going full-force since mid-summer. Since the beginning of the year, DH (for those of you that are new, DH is my Darling or Dearest Husband) and I:

• In February, moved boroughs from our beloved Brooklyn out to the wilds of Staten Island
• Dealt with that move and all the drama it created in our lives. This “new normal” adjustment period was rough – the logistics were a whole other level of difficult (for those of you that don’t know, Staten Island is a borough of New York City – that’s only accessible by Ferry or by bus/car. It has internal and limited train service, and to get anywhere I wanted to go in Manhattan or Brooklyn took at least an hour there and an hour back). The culture clash between our beloved neighborhood and new neighborhood was challenging to navigate, as was the emotional turmoil brought on by no longer living in an area of town we’d built a comfortable and easy life in
• Made some awesome new friends and built a nice little social life in our new home
• Went through a crazy rollercoaster of will we/won’t we get the job opportunity that will move us across the planet
• Dealt with aaaaaaaaalll that. This was also rough and fraught with drama
• Got the final final final go-ahead that this move was happening
• Threw ourselves into the huge amount of planning an international move requires (me mostly and at super helpful times like 3am when I should be sleeping)
• Dealt with a sick dog and the worry that caused
• Went through a whole yo-yo process with his health – he seemed sick, then fine, then sick, and we ultimately lost him to a fast-acting cancer
• Had zero time to deal with that – and had to go through that process separately, since DH had already made the jump
• Traveled to visit family and friends, renewing relationships and taking time to bask in the familiar
• I at least completely jacked my sleep schedule up in this process. Turns out that I don’t sleep so well without a DH and pupper to share the bed with – I also had a lot of different beds and locations to try and fall asleep in (plus a lot on my mind), so that didn’t help
• We both also quit even attempting to eat healthy. I crawled into a carb and have yet to crawl completely back out – my body misses green vegetables and my pants size is screaming for a cease-fire from fries and sweets
• In the process of this past 10 months of constant change, I’ve also quit working out. This is no bueno, and something I need to return to post-haste. I’m starting to get winded from climbing stairs or mall walking
• DH and I spent about 6 weeks apart – he setting things up here and getting used to a new job + new country + new schedule; me wrapping our life up in the US, shipping things over to him, and jettisoning 98% of our possessions — if you are interested in what we brought or how to possibly start getting rid of your own pile of “stuff”, check out the YouTube channel. I detailed what we packed and what we got rid of there.

And those are the major highlights. The only constant this past year (and really, the year before it) has been change and I’ve really felt myself growing into someone who doesn’t immediately panic in the face of it anymore – which is totally good for me, but a different state of being. I suppose that’s part of why I don’t have a deep well of allthefeelings to pour onto the page about this big move — it’s just one more bump I’ve driven over this year. Maybe with age, I’m becoming more relaxed? More go-with-the-flow? I’d say more nihilistic, but that’s hard to imagine. I suppose moreso with the small things in life that really used to get under my skin.

It’s not that I didn’t spend a whole wellspring of energy freaking the F out about logistics involved in moving, just that I consciously chose to focus that anxious energy on tiny nitpicky things (like the availability of toilet paper in a bidet-using country and making sure my DH was stocked with creature comforts like familiar condiments) instead of the larger identity-related issues like the nature of home and country and nationality and dwelling on the loss of my fur baby love.

I suppose in time I’ll finish unpacking all that internal sturm and drang and I’ll have some lengthy exposition posts on it all.

As always, thanks for listening. I feel like I’ve done a crap job at explaining this whole move, and have talked about it so many times with so many people individually that I have a 0% chance of remember who all I’ve spoken to while in what process of this whole thing + the content of what we spoke about. Including you guys. Questions? Leave a comment below.

Now back to our regularly-scheduled food-related content.

Why I’ve basically ghosted y’all that are here for recipes and have been a failure of a food blogger:

Life.

In short: I got into a bit of a slump with cooking, my DH was offered a position halfway across the globe, the on-again/off-again nature of that job offer and the ensuing d-r-a-m-a that came with it was emotionally exhausting and I crawled into a carb, I went into research/freakout mode and didn’t want to cook, we thought the pup might have cancer, the DH jetted off to said other corner of the world, and in short … life got reaaaaaaaaaal complicated.

But … if you’ll bear with me … I’ll be back soon to my food blogging self, with new cuisines to explore and new experiences to share.

Where are we going? 

Doha, Qatar!

Yes, I am aware how nutbuggy insane that sounds.

I am moving to the other side of the planet – to a tiny muslim country most people have never heard of before. On purpose. Me. With the half-shaved head of currently purple hair. Me of the foul mouth and loud opinions. In an overwhelming patriarchal monarchy that practices Sharia law. Wikipedia

FAQs

No, I will not have to wear a burka. Or a hijab. Yes, it is polite to dress modestly (no see-through tank tops or hoochie shorts) – think tees and capris or maxi dresses.

Yes, it’s a quintillion degrees. And it’s humid. Even though it’s the desert. Weird.

No, Qataris don’t want to murder Westerners – quite the opposite. Qatar depends on having an expat workforce. And, while Western workers are treated quite well, the country doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to unskilled labor. Wikipedia

No, I won’t lose all my rights. While it’s jacked up to my Western sensibilities that my DH will hold my visa, I can get a job if I so choose, can come and go freely in and out of the country, and can drive a car if I want. I’m sure there will be a thousand things to piss my feminist self off once I get there, but you know what? It’s not my country of origin, and they do things differently. Not necessarily how I would choose to do them, and I’m sure I’m going to struggle with that, but I’ll be okay. Deep breaths.

Yes, things are expensive there. The country is covered in sand – oil: yes, tress: no. According to Wiki, they also have 142 fungal species and the national animal is the Arabian oryx. I had no idea there was enough vegetation to support more than camels. I’ve got a lot of cool stuff to learn.

Yes, we are bringing the dog. Importing a dachshund doesn’t seem like the most difficult thing in the world (famous last words), and I should be able to show up at the airport with him + paperwork and all should be well (bwahahahahaha that sounds naive).

Yes, we have somewhere to live. It’s a one bedroom fully furnished apartment.

And those are the high points of the frequently asked questions I’m getting. If you have any other questions, let me know in the comments below.

Ooh.

And, you guys – in an effort to allay my #1 fans’ anxiety about the move, I’ve started a YouTube channel. Before the move, I’m detailing things like: planning for the move, packing for the move, getting rid of 98% of our stuff, and the thousand other little things that need to be done to accomplish something of this crazy magnitude. After the move, I’ll be posting about things I’m experiencing and giving general life updates weekly so my Dad (#1 fan) worries a little less. And so I can keep in touch with my friends and family back home a little easier. I figure if I have you all to “talk” to, maybe the transition won’t be as rough.

The channel is here – current posting schedule is attempting to be Tuesdays and Fridays; we shall see if I can keep it up. Don’t forget to like, subscribe and hit the notification bell to keep up-to-date there. I won’t always remember to post something on the blog.

I’ll still be posting here as well, but for the time being I’ll mostly just be uploading my pictures of the day (consequently, this move is why this year I have missed more PODs than in the last – what? 6? years total). I have 2 recipes in the pipeline I made for DH’s going away party to share, but I’m not planning on cooking for myself a whole lot. I’m mostly grabbing deli takeout at the moment. That, or cobbling together whatever looks edible from the bodega on the corner. Or, eating in the building. Or, eating waaaaaaaay too much out at places that are just too damn delicious but not what I need to be eating in life (hellooooooooooo cumin lamb noodles from Xi’an Famous Foods).

If you want more on my NYC “bucket list”, let me know and I’ll post more about it now that I’m not actively avoiding posting anything too major in life because I’m all up in my head about the move.