In the Beginning......................

Once upon a time there was a great need for teachers in the land of OZ. At the same time there was a developing glut of teachers in the land of plenty (USA). Two young, recently married Americans answered an ad on the wall of the California State University at Fullerton's placement center. After an initial interview at Cal. State Hayward this young couple decided to take the chance and move to Australia. The State Department of Victoria was recruiting teachers with the incentives of Free Air and Tax Free Salary. Six weeks after the interview this couple, from here on out know as us, Mike and Karen, were on a plane, having sold, stored or packed in two suitcases all their belongings.

We landed in Melbourne Victoria and after a brief orientation were taken to housing, given our job assignments and told "good luck mates". Karen taught at a school for students with disabilities and Mike taught music as an itinerant at several secondary schools. Thus began the adventure. We worked, traveled, made many friends for two and a half years.

On March 1, 2008 we will finally return to a country we learned to love. The following posts will chronicle 80 days as we circumnavigate the largest island continent in the world by planes, trains and automobiles.