Rope: 365.

And just like that it's officially Summer!

I can tell by the sweat marks. And by sweat marks I mean the pool of sweat I get when driving to work in my un-air-conditioned car.

^ Two exciting things about that sentence (unless you find my sweat exciting... and then that's three).

One, I'm driving! Successfully still with no problems (other then the fact my car is leaking fuel and has a broken something in the engine and shakes when it drives...). Very occasionally I turn on my windscreen wipers instead of my indicators, but most of the time I'm a success. Mostly thanks to Gamin, my American accented GPS.

Most exciting, I finally got her registered! Which means new plates. And not just new plates.

BUT THE BEST NEW PLATES OF ALL TIME.

just what you wanted to see right?

wasn't sure what to do with my hands...

The 365. Which is awesome because:

1. It accidentally spells a word. Awesome. And

2. My visa is 365 days, one year. I am the 365. It's so perfect sometimes I cry about it.

And two, I started work! FINALLY.

hot.

I've been in training for two days with my final day today. I'm making a giant $2.13 an hour. And while in training? No tips. There's nothing like working for 5 hours and earning $10.65; which is less then a half hours work at home, and all of which I burn in petrol just getting there. And next week I start paying rent, oh dear.

It's been.... kind of overwhelming. It's tough, working for your money and there is just so much to remember. But on the plus side during the first three days of training I get to try every single thing on the menu. There's 100 items on that menu. Let's just stop for a second and bask in the fact of how awesome that is.

The reaction to my accent so far has been mixed. One table was OBSESSED with me. To the point where I tried to avoid making eye contact for the barrage of questions. Every time I left they made bets amongst themselves about Australian facts.

Does it snow in Australia? Does "the bush" mean "a bush" or "the wilderness"? Do kangaroos eat people? And on and on and on.

Everytime I passed they would ask me to clarify, and then the victor would do a few fist pumps. So there's that.

Then the other reaction is just general annoyance as they can't understand me, I'm foreign and I say everything just plain wrong. Like apricot. And my new favourite word, leinenkugel.

Week four in this strange town.

I saw a beaver crossing the road, which made my life officially successful. And, I genuinely had this conversation:

Her: so did you drive here?

Me: to... work?

Her: no, to America.

Me: from Australia? no... uh, I flew.

I celebrated Mothers Day, made a lasagne, worked out, went to a centre with a floor made of trampolines, drank a tonne of coffee, found my new favourite store (the Goodwill!), discovered my new favourite place (lake Zksfhdgjbkyaghfhg), saw the Grat Gatsby, tried a thing called Puppy Chow (delicious), moved houses, went to a Bachelorette party, made a new four legged friend, got a tour of the University of Nebraska campus; and had some truly wonderful time with God.

I can't believe it's really been four weeks, and as I slowly come down off my "I'm on holidays" high and get into the nitty gritty of life here.. like working, having responsibility, paying bills and watching my stomach expand, it's been a little bit emotional. Sometimes good emotional, and sometimes challenging emotional.

But truth be told I'm a lot more adaptable then I give myself credit for. There is definently at least a small part of me which was made to cruise down interstates, with my windows rolled down, country music blaring; as I marvel at the tractors which plough the empty fields across the sunset.

Like some sort of hill-billy moss; Nebraska sure is growing on me.