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Sorry we’re late with this. In Nov./Dec. Meggie was in Japan and Scott was in India. And Joey and Daisy refused to help out. So here we are, woefully late.
Dominique moved to Perth, Australia in January of 2024. Meggie and Scott joined her to help her get settled in, which involved countless trips to IKEA, Costco, and many thrift stores. Neither Meggie nor Scott had Australia on our wish list of countries to visit, but we were pleasantly surprised with how peaceful Perth is. There is very little crime, homelessness, litter, noise, or traffic. Meggie went back to visit two more times, and we’re both planning another trip to Perth in April.
The first photo on the left is of the fridge of the AirBnB we rented last January. How appropriate that the only three items were Vegemite, beer, and BBQ sauce.
Meggie continued to travel to Japan for work, training corporate executives and managers on how to be better managers and also how to communicate effectively in a global environment. One of her trips allowed for a side trip to Kenninji Temple in Koyto. (see photo to left) This is both Meggie and Scott’s favorite temple in Japan. She made four trips in 2024, a much more reasonable travel schedule than in earlier years.
Scott went on a religious pilgrimage with his Buddhist buddies to India. Stops included Dharamsala, the home of the Dalai Lama, Lumbini in Nepal, Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Ladakh. Though one of the highlights of the trip was a long layover in Tokyo giving Scott enough time to take a bus into the city to get a bowl of ramen from his favorite ramen shop. The travel in India was grueling, with up to 12 hour bus rides and one day of travel that lasted 25 hours. But it was exciting to visit holy sites that draw people from all around the world.
Dominique finally has her whole family with her in Perth. After Dominique moved to Perth, Kyle was stranded in Seattle caring for their two dogs and two cats. It took nearly eight months to have the four animals jump through all the hoops to bring them to Australia–vaccinations, vet visits, applications, wait lists, quarantine, and lots of money. But now Kyle, Annie, Isla, Toby, and Luna are all happily living in Perth, reunited with Dominique. Dominique had enrolled in a Masters of Teaching program at Edit Cowan University in order to help her get a job teaching dance, her true passion. As it turns out, midway through this program Peter Moyes, a private primary & secondary school, hired her to teach in their dance department.
Daisy and Joey are doing well. They have their own private chauffeurs to take them to the dog park every day. That’s nearly two thousand trips to the dog park since we moved to Vancouver. Daisy is now 11 and is still going strong, perhaps in part due to the new chicken-free diet, turmeric and CBD anti-inflammatory supplements, and join supplements. Joey is now 7 and shows no signs of slowing down. They are indeed lucky dogs!
If you’re ever in the Pacific NW, please do come visit. Lots of fun things to do around here.
