American In Sydney

A Visitor for the next 2 years...

I'm back! I just got back to Sydney yesterday early morning and am mildly suffering from jetlag (of course it helped that I was only awake for 8 hours yesterday). It was nice to come home to a clean apartment full of our stuff!! While I was away, our stuff finally made it to Australia from Boston and I have been reunited with my clothes and shoes and bags (the important things...I know). Jackson asked that I go through my things and throw away unnecessary things, however, reunited with my babies...how could I? I just looked at them and did a happy dance that I now had enough clothes to last me more than a week. Needless to say, I didn't throw anything away, but rather hid more stuff just in case he looks around. :)

The biggest thing I've done since being back is....drumroll please....I've also been able to secure healthcare! Here in Australia, we have public healthcare, so every resident is eligible for free care! Apparently, that means that when you go to the doctor, you pay the fees (it doesn't seem so free yet) but then you go to a Medicare office and submit a claim and then they pay you back! It seems kinda tedious to go to the office each time you have a claim to submit...but I'll let you know once I submit my first claim. So I am now the proud owner of a Medicare card - it's incredible what a sticker in my passport can do! Granted, it is just a piece of receipt paper about 3x3 inches, but it gives me healthcare! I have healthcare for the next year. Year you say to yourself? I thought you were living there permanently. That's right I am. So why a year? Apparently, I will be treated as a permanent Visitor while I wait for my permanent visa some time in the next 2 years. So I'll need to renew my healthcare card annually until I hear from the embassy...in other words, for the next 2 years, nothing's really permanent at all. =/

posted by Leighna @ 1:32 pm