In 2006, I had the good fortune of meeting a family from Australia at a BBQ in Omaha, Nebraska.
20 years ago, a group of college friends and I had good intentions when we said we would get together once a year during the holiday season; Christmas break, Easter, or the 4th of July. As plans like this usually go, we never met up. So one night over a few drinks we decided to create our own holiday to ensure we honored this idea. Bea Arthur Day was formed.
Bea Arthur Day was a fun, fictitious holiday usually hosted in May at my friend Kelly’s home in Omaha. We planned out the date and a theme for each year’s get-together including custom-made t-shirts, food, and sometimes party favors that matched that particular year’s theme. Each theme included the word “Bea”. I think the first year was “Bea All You Can Bea,” a military theme, including a military-style print t-shirt with Bea Arthur’s face enveloped in a big gold star. We served finger foods and handed out “Dorothy Zbornak for President” stickers. Anyone love the Golden Girls?
The year I met the Aussies was “Lucky Bea A Lady” Casino night. The t-shirts had Bea’s face on a deck of cards. We even made poker chips with the slogan on them. These BBQs were hilarious and so much fun. I looked forward to them every year.
There’s always a story…Kelly’s mom & dad had met Susanne and Sheldon from Australia in a wild sequence of events. Both couples were in Washington D.C. Susanne and Sheldon were there because Sheldon had been stationed with the RAF to work with the Americans at the base in Omaha. So, they were basically in town, reporting for duty. Sue and Bob, Kelly’s parents were in D.C. on vacation. They were all staying at the same hotel and happened to be in the bar in the lobby at the same time. Susanne tells the story best. She said we were sitting at the bar and Bob and Sue walked in. Sue came right up to me and said, “are you, Olivia Newton John?” When Susanne replied with her Australian accent, “no, sorry, I’m not,” Sue didn’t believe her. They continued talking and sharing general details of their lives when Susanne asked them where they were from, Sue replied, “Omaha, Nebraska.” Susanne and Sheldon laughed and said, “we are on our way there, that’s where we are stationed.” And a lifelong friendship was formed.
Fast forward a year later to when Susanne’s parents, Joyce and Ken were visiting America from Australia. Their visit coincided with our Bea BBQ. Sue invited the whole Aussie crew over to join us and that’s where I met them and we became instant friends. I ended up talking with Joyce and Ken during the entire party, leaving my friends to play poker without me. We even have photos of the very first time we met.
Given my love of travel and desire to visit foreign lands, I had many questions for my new Aussie friends. They were gracious and answered all my inquiries about their country and even invited me to come to visit. We swapped email and mailing addresses and that started our pen-pal friendship for the next four years. Joyce would send me birthday and Christmas cards every year – I would do my best to keep up with her. We would email back and forth. She would show my picture to her friends and tell them about me, their American granddaughter. It was such a sweet connection.
Finally, in 2010/2011, I made the looooong trek to the other side of the world to visit them. It was fantastic. I celebrated my birthday and Christmas with them. They let me use their house as a home base as I traveled around the country – popping in and out. I saw the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Sydney Harbor and went to a Jimmy Buffet concert at the Opera House. I enjoyed 10 days on a yacht in the Great Barrier Reef with another friend connection from back home. I saw my first ever professional tennis match at the Australian Open in Melbourne. It was an amazing game. The semifinals between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. It was one of the longest matches in the Open’s history. Melbourne is known for their unpredictable weather. The game was over three hours and we experienced all four seasons that night. I had to buy a sweatshirt in the gift shop because it got so cold – in the middle of summer! I was sitting 13 rows behind Federer’s bench. I had bought the ticket from a kid who was a Novak fan but had to go to work so he needed to sell his ticket quickly. Score for me! I was cheering for Federer but sadly, he lost and this started the launch of Djokovic’s big run to being number one back then. I had many other fantastic experiences including, driving on the opposite side of the road, and learning to do “hook turns” (it’s amazing I’m alive to tell the tale) on my way to check out one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited; the Great Ocean Road.
I had an amazing time on this trip. Not to mention I went to New Zealand, Tasmania, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Laos. It was incredible. One of my favorite trips ever. Plus, I got to spend a lot of time with Joyce and Ken and meet their extended family and many of their friends. We made oodles of wonderful memories on that trip.
Since my visit to Australia, Joyce came to visit me twice in New York City, in 2013 & 2015. Sadly, Ken passed away in 2012 so I was honored when she said she wanted to come to visit me to lift her spirits. Most recently, we had a reunion with Susanne and Sheldon in 2019 along with Kelly and her family in Omaha. These folks have become more than friends, they are my extended Aussie family.
Now…Since I was being kicked out of the EU because of the 90-day rule, and I want to keep this travel blog interesting, I decided I’d come back for another visit. I landed on Tuesday (Australian time – Monday for the rest of the world) and Joyce and Susanne were at the airport to pick me up. Susanne captured the moment I exited customs after traveling for 35+ hours from Italy. Yikes!
The trip so far has been a success. We are staying with Susanne and Sheldon at their home on the Sunshine Coast but will head down to Brisbane for a couple of days to visit more relatives. Then Grams (aka Joyce) and I will make the journey to Yamba for a few days to see Stephen, my Camino hiking buddy.
After traveling so much, it feels nice to be welcomed with open arms and treated like one of the family. They’ve thought of everything. We’ve stopped by the beach, taken walks around the neighborhood, had a “cuppa” at a local coffee shop, witness beautiful sunsets, eaten delicious homecooked meals, and spent quality time catching up. I’m so grateful for their kindness. I’m looking forward to more relaxing days with the family and enjoying the summer weather.
Goodnight and much love from Australia! 🇦🇺
