This week has been full, in the best possible way. I’ve spent heaps of time with family and friends, and more often than not this has involved great food. Despite all the eating out, easily the best meal of the week was the lunch Dad made on Wednesday when one of his work friends came over.

Melbourne

This time next week, I will be in Melbourne! Exciting but scary at the same time.  Any tips for moving to a new city?

Gold Coast

I’m so deeply relaxed as I’m writing this that I’m on the verge of falling asleep. David and I spent the weekend on the Gold Coast and even though we were only there for 24 hours, we managed to totally unwind. After a stressful and busy few weeks it was so great to be able to getaway and have no plans for a little while.

We watched the sunset from Skypoint, the viewing deck on the Q1 tower. I love the view up and down the coastline, across the canals and out to the mountains, I can’t think of anywhere else in the world which is quite like it.

Releasing Expectations

I expected Melbourne to be a lot of great things – Australia’s best city for amazing food, innovative fashion and an all-round cultural hub. But before I’d even moved, I mourned the Queensland beaches I’d be missing.

Brisbane is wedged between two beach regions, the Gold Coast & the Sunshine Coast.

Sydney has Bondi and is surrounded by water and beaches.

Melbourne is not.

Sure, there’s the pretty St Kilda Beach, but it’s not really meant for swimming. The Mornington Peninsula isn’t far away, but from what I gather, it’s more a place to go be by the sea, rather than swim in the ocean and enjoy a beautiful beach.

This week I learned that there is going to be a beach within 15 minutes’ drive from our new place. I could walk, if I really wanted to! The weather might not always be perfect, but the beach is really beautiful. How has South Melbourne beach stayed such a secret interstate?

It’s yet another pertinent reminder that expectations are a waste of time. To be more precise, future tripping is a waste of time.

For better or worse, has anything ever turned out exactly how you’ve imagined? Whether it’s something as big as life in a new city, a new job or a trip overseas or something as small as a party you don’t really want to go to, a date you’re stressing about or even just your day ahead.

This is something important I want to do more of, but it also makes me think about the possibility of moving to cities I’ve prematurely decided I probably wouldn’t like living in – I’m sure I’d be surprised.

(PS – Melbourne was not one of those cities)

Eating around Brisbane & the Gold Coast

Kwan Brothers

Kwan Brothers has been on my to-eat list since it opened. Coming from the brains behind Limes Hotel, Alfred & Constance and Alfredo’s Pizzeria, I had high expectations.

We had the opportunity when I met two of David’s friends from uni for dinner. It was so nice to finally meet Billy & Hannah and to squeeze in a meal at Kwan Brothers before I leave for Melbourne.

It did not disappoint! We ordered a few small plates and one large plate to share, which is the best way to try a little of everything. My favourite was the large plate, pork belly on a bed of pickled watermelon. Not more than two days after declaring “I am so sick of pork belly” and resolving to stop ordering it, I was tucking into the best pork belly I’ve had – probably, because it tasted different. Pickled watermelon sounds like something you wouldn’t like, but it had an “It’s weird. But a really good kind of weird” effect on me.

Avanti’s

An oldie, but a goodie, my farewell dinner with my past workmates was at the local Italian restaurant. We worked together at Video Ezy and even though the store closed nearly three years ago, some of us have still kept in touch. It was great catching up with them, and my pizza was delicious – I tried to get my go-to margarita, but they’d run out of tomatoes. I can’t imagine how scary an Italian kitchen with a tomato shortage would be!

BBQ

We finished the week with a BBQ at David’s family’s place, which is probably the first time both of our families have had a meal together – after 2.5 years! We feasted on salad, salmon and prawns and had fresh fruit & ice cream for dessert. I love meals that are simple and let the delicious ingredients steal the show.

Lola’s

My new favourite Gold Coast café has the best juice & smoothie menu in town and an awesome brekky menu. My avocado, poached eggs and mushrooms were delicious, but I wish I’d ordered the acai bowl!

Throwback

On these humid summer days I’ve been longing for some of the delicious gelato I ate in Europe last summer.

France & Italy: The Gelato Diaries

Words

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