My husband is a bit unusual.

But in a good way – it’s why I adore him! Anyone who worked with us in 2005 at ANZ  could attest to that too. Let me set this up for you: picture an open tie and floor-length leather coat, all topped off by the pièce de résistance: huge, furry brown slippers.

Got that? Let it sink in!

I loved Cam’s kookiness. I still do. With the nickname “The Iron Monk of Analytics” (yes, you can laugh), it wasn’t all about his looks, though. Cam also had a reputation for being incredibly smart.

Fast-forward 12 years (oh my god!) and he’s just accepted a once-in-a-lifetime job offer from a major Silicon Valley technology firm. I’ve always loved travelling, and taking our family of five abroad was always part of our “plan”, but we simply never thought it would happen so quickly. Lo and behold, in July of 2017 – on the same day Cam received his offer – I was made redundant from my banking job in Melbourne.

A sign? Yep.

I realised some time ago that Cam and I were meant to be on this crazy journey together. Recently, I’ve also realised that sometimes you’ve just got to listen to the universe. Our girls are still young, and so ready to enjoy new people, places, and adventures.

Will they pick up American accents? Probably!

But this is good. I’m always up for a challenge. Have you read About Me? Knowing that we’ve only just settled in Melbourne as a family, you’d probably wonder why we’re moving at all. Well, here are some things that really excite me about this international relocation:

• • The opportunity to explore California and the rest of the US
  • A (possible) change of career for me
  • Meeting new people – Americans are so friendly!
  • Having a very 21^st century existence in Silicon Valley, the technological centre of the world (goodbye NBN, Australia’s failed attempt at 21^st century internet)
  • Experiencing American culture (first-hand, instead of in the newspaper or on the movie screen)

But as any seasoned traveller will tell you, wherever there’s excitement, there’s also trepidation.

Want to know what scares me?

• • Guns – need I say more?
  • Rental affordability (especially in the San Francisco Bay Area)
  • The man in the suit with the red tie and perpetually orange skin
  • Date conventions like MM.DD.YY as opposed to DD.MM.YY – bets are on for how long it’ll take me to adjust!
  • The (possible) return of the brown, furry slippers
  • And obviously the most important thing: we’ve flown with a six-month-old before (hell), but this time we’re doing it with three under four!

But more than anything?

I can’t wait to do this with my family. It’s going to be ace.