Back up and running!

Well it's been ages since I last wrote on the blog cos we've been up to heaps and now that we're both working full time and training for a marathon/half marathon (well, bragging that we are anyway!!), and since the weather is so awesome that we've just been by the pool, having barbecues and just generally partying, and since we've now got more visitors, and since....... you know how it goes.....
We're still having a ball over here, I've now started working in the Risk Mgmt Division of one of the main Hospitals here and I'm really enjoying it - so much so that I decided to stay on full time when they asked me to. It looks like we'll be moving back to Deutschland at the end of the year though, Marco has been offered a really good job in Muelheim, and we'll be (hopefully!) looking to live in the lurvely metropolitan Duesseldorf on the Rhein...pending rental prices of course. Still aiming (like hell!) to make it back to the lovely land of Oz for Xmas next year, can't wait! For the time-being we've still got loads going on: have two friends from Germany staying with us at the mo - heading off to a holiday house on the coast with 6 people on the weekend, then we have mates from New York staying for a weekend, then my sweet little mum comes in August and we head off to New York for a bit. Next on the list are friends from Germany (don't i have any aussie friends anymore!!!???) in Sept and Oct, we'll see what we get up to when they come, have heaps of ideas. We discovered a hilarious cowboy club here "Coyote Joes" - check out the video clip of Me and Marco riding the mechanical bull (until Marco finally falls off in pain due to his genitalia getting extremely squashed, he he) and a wicked 80's club "The Breakfast Club" - we've just about doubled the photo albums online now so check'em out! Lotsa luv Nell :-) PS - also went white water rafting on the weekend at the US Olympic Training site - F*#$king AWESOME!!!!!!

Washington D.C - the american themepark of history

So after shedding our trademark bahamian surnburnt skin and spending the week seeing the sights of Charlotte we discovered we had a long weekend ahead of us due to Memorial Day, which was celebrated on Monday. Not really knowing much about this public holiday and wanting to use the extra day of freedom we opted for the 6 hour-drive to the nation's capital...and as we discovered, we had made the right choice. Being in the US Capital, on what happens to be the most patriotic day of the year, we certainly got a rich and varied taste of american culture. As a person not really expecting much of the city, all of my expectations were definitely exceeded. The city is gorgeous, really pretty and green and full of amazing historical buildings: we saw Abe Lincoln, Kennedy's grave, the FBI buildings, the monument, we got to watch the live memorial day concert on the lawns of Capitol Hill - with Natalie Cole singing live...and, the absolute must, "visited" (sounds a bit too polite really..) Bush at the White House. We also caught the Vietnam Vet's "Rolling Thunder" Protest Rally - not sure how many but definitely a couple of thousand Harley Davidson riding, american flag bandana toting, american flag waving, american flag everying everything(!!!) american war veterans riding their course through the city. Although nearly passing out from exhaust fumes my hightlight at the rally was of course the small group of aussie vets who'd turned up for the show. All in all D.C. was defininely an experience and we'll be back here. For the time being, having just dropped off the inlaws at the airport after their 3 week stay, I'm looking forward to relaxing and being a total hermit on my birthday tomorrow!

Cruise to the Bahamas....

Wow, it's been ages since i've updated this site! We've been up to so much lately i've barely had time to turn the PC on! Marco and I just got back from a 4 day cruise to the Bahamas with Marco's parents and needless to say it was an awesome experience! We drove from Charlotte down to Orlando to get on the ship but first spent a day in Sea World - where we even managed to drink free beer the whole day!! We had a bit of bad luck with the weatheron the cruise at first but there was plenty of stuff to do inside: casino, day spa, theatre, bars and restaurants, shops, FOOOOOOOOD!!!! Everything was fantastic, cruises are definitely recommendable! Anyway, the highlight was by far day number three - where the ship anchored in shallow water and we were ferried to "Coco Cay" - a private mini island owned by the cruise comp. Amazing!!! Live caribbean music going the whole day, white sands, palm trees and coconuts, snorkelling with hundreds of fish and finding a crashed plane and sunken boat (no, they were planted there!)...i even managed to get my first full-body tan...at 25...how sad! Marco got so burnt though he had blisted on his back!
By the way last month i organised a surprise visit from Marco's best mate Thomas and we spent a couple of days in the great smokies in a beautiful log cabin and spotted some black bears! We also have met some people here over from Siemens Germany so it's cool to have some company. Though i almost can't believe it - finally back in an english speaking country and i'm still having to speak german all the time!!!!