As you may have noticed if you happened to visit the Registry, the bride and groom plan to relocate to Australia immediately following the wedding celebration in Hawaii. Many people have asked us why Australia; and the answer is that Australia holds special significance for both of us.

Allison has visited Australia several times during her lifetime, and has had some truly life-changing experiences there. On her most recent trip to Australia in 2005, Allison was staying in a condo in Caloundra. From there she could see the beautiful ocean waters. Something else caught her eye though; it was the skydivers floating majestically above the ocean and landing gracefully on the beach. She thought about how cool that would be, and the next day she was suited up and harnessed to an instructor. She spent a few moments wondering why on earth she was doing this, but once she was out of the plane the reason became obvious; the view of Australia while falling from 6,000 feet above the ocean was awesome! It was breathtakingly beautiful and peaceful. The experience skydiving over Australia was spectacular and life-changing, and Allison's only regret from that day is that she didn't go even higher.

Another experience that Allison will never forget is visiting beautiful Heron Island, part of the Australia's Great Barrier Reef. She remembers this as one of the most beautiful places she has ever visited. The water here is a beautiful blue-green with a remarkable coral reef ecosystem. The animals here are truly noteworthy as well, from the brightly colored fish, to the sea turtles, and even the sea cucumbers, urchins, and other coral inhabitants. It is an amazing place, and one that she hopes to bring the groom to one day.

Adam has also spent some time traveling in Australia; he was there for about a month back when he was 15. During that brief time, he toured all along the country's Eastern coast and visited some of its most iconic landmarks. From the Sydney Opera House to the Gold Coast to the Great Barrier Reef, from the familiarity of the big cities to the arid plains of the Outback to the hot and humid Daintree Rainforest, he visited them all, and feels that he can safely say that Australia is a beautiful place to be, pretty much no matter where you are.

But the thing that struck Adam the most, and that would make the most lasting impression, were the beaches. Easily a rival for even the best beaches in Hawaii, Australia's beaches put most of the rest of the world to shame. Apart from the spectacular beauty of the clear blue water and bright white sand, Australia's beaches (and other outdoor environments) possess a kind of pristine, untouched quality that is not easily matched. Hawaii's Hanauma Bay pales in comparison to the kind of unspoiled biodiversity that can be seen along Australia's Great Barrier Reef, and that's just a single example. There aren't many places where you can stroll along a beach in the middle of the day, stop for a picnic huddled by the rusting hulk of a beached shipping vessel, and be the only person (or group of people) around, but Australia is one of them. Nowhere else in the world can you find the same variety and calibre of settings, so lightly touched and unmarred by human hands. It is the most perfect place left for the adventurer and the explorer, and because of this it is the place where Adam feels he most belongs.

Additionally, Allison has many family members, most of whom she rarely gets to see, and some that she hasn't even met, living in Australia. While we will not be living in the same part of Australia, visiting will become much easier without a vast ocean and a 14 hour flight in between. It is a comforting feeling to know that while we are leaving our immediate families behind in the United States, we will be moving to a country where there is still family. Allison's Aussie relatives are already excited about having her and Adam there, and we are equally excited that we will have a support system in place when we arrive.

Australia itself is a truly amazing place. The people are warm and inviting with a good sense of humor. The animals are unique as well. Where else are you going to see kangaroos crossing the street, koala bears perched in a tree, and some of the deadliest snakes in the world?

It is for all these reasons and more that we are excited to make Australia our new home. This is a big adventure and we can't imagine doing it without each other. We will of course keep in touch with all of our friends and family in United States, and come to visit when we can manage.