So I should say it's about being closer to my family. But, to be honest, right now it feels like I saw them more when I lived in Seoul. The whole house thing has sucked all my time and all my energy. They've come to visit me (which has been ace), but I haven't been to Melbourne since before xmas, and I'm not going to get there before May. I see photos of my nephews on Instagram and they look so freaking grown up; it happens so quick! Which makes me sad, but not sad enough to book a whirlwind trip to Melbourne (I value my sanity).
I
should say that it's about spending more time with the step sons. But when we were in Seoul it was permanent school holidays - sleep ins, slap up breakfasts, pyjamas days, trips to the country and the
crazy lion, tigers and bears show. The most stressful thing was making sure there was enough food in the house. And North Korea, sometimes. But now - now it's 6am wake ups and attending school recitals and whole days seemingly spent in the car. Oh, and the reminding - any homework tonight? Have you got a uniform for tomorrow? Do you have a train ticket? Done your viola practice? Aren't you meant to be somewhere else, right now? Sigh. I shouldn't complain, because really it
is actually awesome. Just a bit of an adjustment for me to make, and a bit Groundhog Day-ish. (I know, I know - you've all been living that for years, welcome to your world, etc, etc...).
Anyway. It could be clean air (and it kind of is), and easy access to beautiful, beautiful beaches (and yes, it kind of is), and a mild climate and great restaurants (yep, this). But…no.
Call me shallow, call me a junk food junkie - but right now Cheezels are the best thing about moving back to Australia. They're so cheesy, so crispy, so salty, so tasty (especially compared to the appallingly bland puffed rice cheese treats you get in Asia). They're my guilty pleasure; my crutch when I'm sleep deprived or cranky, or both. And just look at how orange they are - orange is happiness, isn't it?
And if you only eat a mini packet (and share it with the dogs) they're not so bad for your calorie count. (FYI I've also found that a Cruskit topped with aged cheddar works quite well if you want that crispy cheesy hit with a few less chemicals.)
In between kale smoothies and chia porridge do you have a guilty pleasure? Are you an expat lusting over some kind of junk food you can only get back home? Do leave me a comment, but I can't promise a reply - I'm off to eat some Cheezels…
*Many, many Cheezels where harmed during the production of this blog post.
