Thanks Mum! I am a little sad that Adrian and I won’t be able to return to Australia this year to attend our graduation ceremony for our Masters of Public Health. So my mother sent us these two cute little representatives who received their gown and mortarboard in our place.

We still haven’t been sent our final grades for our last course – hope this doesn’t jinx us.

How strange it is, to be back in this country after 22 months of absence. Crossing the street is difficult, as I am still looking the wrong way. And the loss of my iPhone is almost crippling, as I am no long able to bring up an instant map of my location, or able to check my email anywhere, or find out where the nearest movie theatre or when the next bus is coming. The sign and smell of the local Starbucks elicits fond memories of all my hours curled up on the couches of that Seattle-bred coffee house. I miss the friends that I have made in Seattle, their stories about the intricacies of American culture, and their interesting perspectives on national and international events.

Still, it is refreshing to be back in Australia, and in a strange way it almost feels like I have never left. Very little cognitive effort is needed to get around. The supermarkets are filled with delicious and familiar delicacies. Our cupboard is filled with Aussie ingredients. I have been eating Weetbix for breakfast and vegemite and honey sandwiches for lunch (and sometimes also for dinner). My aunt and uncle generously welcomed us back to Australia with a spectacular spread that included vegetable pasties and beetroot – both items that are impossible to source in the USA.

I am enjoying my intense Masters of Public Health blocks – not starting the day until nine o’clock is such a luxury, and the other students are friendly and enthusiastic. We completed our first joint presentation on Friday, and I am proud of how well everyone pitched in to produce such a great seminar. I now have a bunch of assignments hanging over my head, but with no more 14-hour experiments to do, I feel quite confident that they will all be completed in time.

I am savouring the luxury of speaking the same language as the locals, of understanding the etiquette and the signposts, and of being so close to friends and family. Apart from the terrible storms, the weather here is generally warm and mild, and the days are full of sunlight. These are the comforts that I will miss in Belgium.

The University of Queensland is pleased to offer you a place in the following program:

Master of International Public Health [by correspondence]
Commencement: 26th November, 2007

How exciting. My first unit: Introduction to Substance Use & Misuse.

I’m going to need to buy some shiny new stationary. And maybe an iMac.