Stale Taste of Recycled Air...

5:02 pm EST Sept. 8: I am midflight on my way to Detroit. I just dropped my airbourne tablet into my cup provided by the flight attendants (yes, I am that passenger) and declined the $9.95 wifi (per flight! I would be racking up 30 bucks of wifi by the time I reached Sydney!) I love my window seat. I forgot how much I love looking out while flying. And no one sitting beside of me. All 3 seats are mine! I also seem to love taking off, which most people hate! It's almost surreal to me. It's kind of like a roller coaster, and for a split second, you contemplate what it would be like if for some reason your plan didn't go gliding off into the sky, but instead resulted in in a fiery inferno on the tarmac. And maybe it's just me, but I find myself accepting that possibility and just hoping for the best...Again, maybe that's just me.
I will be arriving in Detroit 15 minutes ahead of schedule, according to the pilot. I had my mother drop me off at RDU this afternoon 2 hours ahead of departure. Why do they act like it takes hours to get through security? Maybe some days, it does. But today, no lie, it was 15 minutes from the time I dropped my checked bag off at the counter and got tags for my carry-ons and passed through security shoeless, praying all boarding passes and passport made it safely out the other side of the x-ray machine (I guess I was expecting it to eat them?) to when I made it to my terminal and sat down. After catching my breath (freaking out again, as I have been all day), I decided it was dumb to sit for an hour and a half waiting to board when I would be sitting on the plane at least that long. I picked up all my stuff, checking and double checking that I had all my bags, and walked around. I decided I needed to get some water, and maybe some gum too, to make it through the pressure changes in the plane. I also saw my favorite chocolate covered pretzels, and decided I deserved some of those too, and picked them up for later. $8.45 and a bathroom break later, I was back at my terminal. I watched them roll in the incoming flight and deplane the passengers (I know there's a better word for that). It was only a little while later, after throwing our stuff under the plane (me sending up some good thoughts that my detergent, shampoo, and conditioner, if making it through security, would stay sealed), they asked us to board the plane. It was very efficient, we were all boarded in like 15 minutes!
One last thing for my update for RDU-DET, what is the deal with everyone using the bathroom on the plane? Is it because it is a novelty or something? Because I peed twice before boarding, wanting to avoid attempting to pee in a 18 x 18 box while juggling my carry-on and my laptop, plus it's only an hour and a half flight. Can you not go that long? Anyway, we are already "desenting," I will check in later!

10:15 pm EST Sept. 8th: I'm not as big a fan of this flight as I was the RDU-DET. For one, the plan is at least twice the size and slam full. It ups the anxiety level quite a few notches. Although I am enjoying my seat-back screen thingy, even if they are trying to make me pay $2 for one episode for Curb and $6 for Prince of Persia and Sex and the City 2 (good luck). The funniest thing about the movie selection is that they have "Babies," which Dan and Hines can tell you if they ever read my blog, is a documentary about babies all over the world, and apparently Time Warner Cable must have a hand in making it because they will advertise this film to you constantly over and over during their in demand channels, even for stuff like South Park. Also, apparently their complimentary viewing selections were a couple of episodes of TV stuff (the office and how the world was made on one channel, how I met your mother, psych, and the middle on the other), but isn't on demand, so I missed the ones I would want to see. I'm giving how I met your mother a whirl because Hines has been raving about it, and he's usually ok with this stuff. Anyway, I have also been using this screen to watch our progress. Looks like we are currently over Kansas, about to enter Colorado. They even keep track of when they expect us to land, which seems to vary greatly from 9:35 to 10:15 (yikes!). This flight is originally scheduled to land at 9:32, and is currently showing 9:41 to land, which I think I can deal with. They apparently begin boarding that flight at 9:40, even though we are not scheduled to take off until 10:35pm. I am just crossing fingers and holding my breath that I catch it. Yes, it's not the end of the world if I do miss it, but I just want to be done with this travel and there, and if I get bumped to a later flight, or at the worst, the next day, it will just be more to deal with. Also, I am getting dried out from this constant recycled air, so I have to battle between toughing it out and drinking water, which will inevitably leave to needing to pee. Such is my current situation. Anyway, I will be checking in again soon, hopefully on my way to Sydney! YAY!

10:06 am EST Sept. 9th: I think I am beginning to understand why they refer to Australia as Oz. I feel like I have been traveling through several Kansas tornadoes over the past five hours, and between jet lag, the fact that I have been traveling now for almost 24 hours, and the fact that it has been dark outside the entire LAX flight has added to the confusion and deprivation. And the fact that I was fed dinner at 10:30 pacific time, or like 1:30 EST, then was fed again just just now, of which I could only eat the apple and milano cookies, adds to the weirdness (How can I ever get on Sydney time if they wake us when we’re supposed to be sleeping and fed us at insane hours?) I can’t decide whether it is better to have it dark outside during this turbulence or not. I have slept less than three hours, I think. When the turbulence wakes me from sleeping, I have been dreaming I am riding on a bumpy road in a car, which is what it feels like. You just have to keep the fact that this car is a jumbo jet, and instead of being on a bumpy road, it is 30,000 feet in the air out of your head. The couple next to me, also making the trip for the first time to vacation for two weeks, called me “ballsy.” I think that’s about right. Anyway, I will update again once I get to Sydney, through customs, and have a clearer plan. I am hoping, nay, demanding that this update occur over some type of coffee drink, the stronger, the better.

7:45 am (Sydney Time) on September 10th: I am sitting in Sydney airport, having been completely waved through customs (maybe I have a nice face?) and taking about 30 minutes to clean out my pack in the bathroom- my shampoo and conditioner completely exploded, and my soap detergent leaked a little. I managed to salvage the soap, but I think I will just pick up little containers of shampoo and conditioner as I go along. I had to use one of my shirts to mop up the mess because the bathroom had only air dryers for your hands. I wrapped this shirt in one of my plastic bags, I will just have to wash it before I wear it.
I don’t really know what the plan is. I cannot check in until 2pm, which is 6 hours away. Should I get a prepaid phone? It’s kind of cool to be unreachable, but at the same time, if I do make friends within the country, I will not be able to reach them. I think I will hold off on the phone for now. Also, I stink! I guess it’s been over 24 hours since I showered, and I’ve been sweating a lot, running from plane to plane and fretting endlessly. Also, there are already a lot of hotties around me, and I am just in the airport. I think I’m going to like it here.

I Will (Or Not) Be Missing You...

With less than 48 hours to go until I will be departing for Australia, I decided it would be a good time to reflect on some things I would miss on my trip away from the country I've always know. And also to mention the things I will love to be leaving for a while...

THINGS I WILL MISS:
My family
My friends (all of them, even the one with red hair and the annoying one who leaves 20 minute voicemails)
DVR
Copious and free internet (I'm told it is sparse and expensive in Australia)
Mexican food (I'm told it is horrible or non-existent in Australia)
Margarita dinner dates with the red head mentioned above
College Football (I'm going to try and replace it with Australian Rules Football. It's hot guys in less padding and clothing and with more running and smashing, aka sheer torture, right?)
The Food Network
American Television in general (I will be hulu-ing whenever possible. Fall is a bad time to miss TV.)
Fall weather and leaves (My favorite season. Why did I pick this time of year?)
Diet Dr Pepper (I don't know, will they have this?)
Silver Lining Beers
A private bedroom
A private bathroom
Privacy in general
Two Guys Named Chris on Rock 92
Chapel Hill
My clothes I left behind
My stuffed Bunny
My farm
OCRCC
Lots of birthdays (including both my parents and Grandmothers and a 25th that is kind of a big deal)
Grilling and cooking for my family
Halloween (Apparently not big down there)
Thanksgiving (but not too much, I will be hot-air ballooning in Alice Springs that day!)
Speed dial
Not having to use country codes for calling
Mom's breakfasts on Sundays
Kicking Dad's butt on Wii

THINGS I WILL DEFINITELY NOT MISS:
Having a schedule
Having anyone to answer to
Tipping (I'm not planning on being a tight-wad, it's not practiced in Australia)
Driving on I-40 and traffic
Headaches and eye aches brought on by too much work computer
Jeff Dunham (or even billboards or posters or commercials mentioning Jeff Dunham)
Grits, Oatmeal, and just about anything with that consistency (yes, I realize I am going to the country that glorifies Veggiemite, so I shouldn't be expecting much)
The Duggars and all the multiple birth shows in general
Actually, all reality shows in general
America's current political climate (I'm gonna give the Aussie multiple party system a whirl)
Boring dollar bills (see blog below with pic of Australian dollar)
Allergies (actually, I might still have them in Australia, we will see)


So, even though my "Miss" List is a lot longer than my "Not Miss" List, I think that I will survive. Think about it this way: it's a great thing that I have so much to miss. I will be coming back to everything I went without for 3 months. And who knows, by then, I will probably have a nice long list of "Miss" from Australia too!

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Arvo (Aussie Talk for "Afternoon")...

Yesterday morning was great. I went over to New Hope and gave a presentation on Australia to second and fifth graders (which can be amazing on your ego, since they gasp at every picture you provide that comes sliding or bouncing into your powerpoint.) There was lots of inquisitive and thoughtful questions, and one girl that was very concerned about me staying in an underground hotel for fear that the walls would fall on me while I was asleep (I was made to promise that I would check them each night before falling asleep). One of the fifth graders even taught me a little about Tasmanian devils because he had done a project on them in second grade. Then I ran some errands and picked up my favorite Chinese food from a buffet to eat for lunch when I got home. So the morning was a wonderful, marvelous, very good, no bad experience. I suppose that was it's purpose, to create a marked contrast to the afternoon that followed.

I don't know if it was my allergies, the fact that I got up so early, or the pound of Chinese vegetables and noodles I had consumed, but I ended up taking a nap after lunch. After I woke up, I was feeling groggy, but I knew I needed to wake up because my mother wanted me to attend a taco bar with her and some of her friends for dinner. In preparation before she picked me up, I re-did my makeup and do what I always do when there is a possibility I will be carded for purchasing margaritas or other spirits- I checked my wallet to make sure my license was there. It wasn't. In that second, my mind raced and I freaked. Don't I need my license to board that plane next week? How will they ever let me on the plane? Can I get a replacement this soon? It's Labor Day weekend! They are closed Monday! And NCDMV, in their infinite wisdom and foresight, has for some reason changed their rules so that the convenience of sitting and waiting for your license to be printed within ten minutes at the DMV office has somehow and for some reason been transformed into waiting at home for ten days for it to arrive by mail. I DO NOT HAVE TEN DAYS!!!

Frantic, I tore apart my room looking for that tiny card. The last time I remembered having it was on Saturday night when my mom and aunts and grandma and great aunt and second cousin took me to dinner. Was it possible that I drove around all week without it? I looked in the purse I carried that night, emptied the box I had been piling everything for Australia in, looked under everything in my room- no license. At this point, I was crying and almost hyperventilating. I called mom and told her to go without me, I had to find it. She offered to come help, but if I couldn't find it, I didn't think she could. Her and her friends stayed on hold with the DMV to find out what I needed for another license while I continued to scour the house and began trying to located my birth certificate in case I needed it. I turned on my netbook and tried to apply for my license online, but it required you to know your license number, which I didn't and I knew was incorrect on my checks, so I had no way of finding it out. My last chance was to go to the DMV and and request it in person. I couldn't find my birth certificate and didn't want to involve my father, so I grabbed my passport, hoping this would qualify and looked at the clock: 4:17pm. The DMV closes at 5pm. I needed to leave now.

On the way to the DMV, trying to drive as fast as I could to get there but to avoid attention and being pulled over since I didn't have a license, I got a call. It would be my mother I suspected, but no, it was Dad. Did someone tell him what was going on? I answered, figuring I would find him in the same emotional state that I was, which would not help at all. He told me that Grandma and Pop had checked the mail and my tickets for the plane were not in it. Great. More fabulous news. He offered to look up the AAA number for me to call, so while driving frantically to get to the DMV before 5pm, dad gives me AAA number to call and ask where my tickets are. So I called AAA and found out that because it was an online ticket, I would have to remember to log on 24 hours before my trip and retrieve the ticket. I texted dad to let him know so he wouldn't call me while I was in the DMV.

I got there right at 4:30pm. I walked in and looked around. The waiting room was full- not a good sign. I tried to sign in, but there was no sign in book. I felt the hyperventilate feeling rise again. Do they not take anyone new after 4:30pm? Was this it? Ignoring signs on the door not to come in until called, I opened the door to the testing and meeting room and asked someone who finally acknowledged me. They said they would be with me in a second. I sat down beside two people, trying to calm down and control my breathing. A man finally came out. He asked them what they needed first. The man explained he needed a replacement license because he was going to be flying soon and he didn't want the airlines to freak out- the exact same situation I was in. The man then asked me and I explained that I needed a replacement license. He said I would need 2 forms of ID. "Does a passport work?" I said. "That's one," he said. I shuffled through my wallet, offering college IDs and credit cards. He explained I needed something with my address on it. I happened to have a credit card statement. "That should work," he said, and handed me and the guy numbers. I talked to the couple, explaining I was in the exact same situation with them. The girlfriend, right as they were called, offered that she had lost her license before and ended up finding it less than a week later. They then disappeared behind the coveted door. I was finally called, approved for a new license, declared myself an organ donor, and had to straightened my frazzled and red eyed self up enough to take a picture that I would have to live with for a while. He gave me a temporary paper license to use until I got mine in the mail, so at least it was on the way. And I found out that all I would need to get on the plane was a passport, so at least that wouldn't be a problem. But since I wanted to drive some in Australia, I would have to have my parents mail it to me sometime in Australia.

I looked more throughout the night as I was packing for Australia, but no license. Then, right before bed, it happened. It's like something clicked in my brain. I hadn't even considered it earlier when I was searching my room frantically crying and hyperventilating. I knew exactly where it was. I pulled open my pool bag, reached into the side pocket, and pulled out my driver's license. Crikey.

So concluded my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. But something I need to remember- I will have terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days, even on my trip. And if this was a test, I crash-and-burn failed. I need to focus on remaining calm and breathing. I did not yesterday afternoon. Granted, if I needed my license to board the plane, it was good that I went and got the temporary ASAP yesterday, but my freaking out helped none, and even hindered the process of solving the problem. But I haven't done any of this before, and despite all the research I have done, there is still a lot that I do not know about this trip, so there is potential a lot of unpredicted things could happen. I just have to remember what Alexander taught me- terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days happen- even in Australia.

Roller Coaster Analogies, Driving on the Left, and a Hint of Marsupial Pouch Goo...

So I have officially stepped away from my job for several months. Everyone was very nice, telling me I would be missed, and came by my office one by one on Friday to tell me goodbye. I have signed something pretty much guaranteeing that I will return in December, which is good, because I can't expect to walk off the plane from being in the southern hemisphere for 3 months and expect to find another job instantly. I am kind of looking at this as a summer vacation for grown ups. The only thing is, it's not like I am going to be able to do this every year, although that would be amazing. It's a once in a lifetime thing, most likely, even though I am already planning a second trip in the future to see things I will not be able to fit in the trip this time, haha.

As the 8th draws closer, I am feeling more and more pressure to get things in line. I am fighting an urge to start packing my bag, mainly because I know I will be packing and unpacking and repacking several times before I get it right, so there is really no point to start before I have everything I will need. The anticipation is kind of like this picture: there is a huge adventure ahead, but you can't quite see it, although you are approaching the beginning of it. It's always my least favorite part of roller coasters, that "klink, klink, klink" you hear, jarring you as each chain moves you closer to the top, you feel it pulling you closer, against the force of gravity, your stomach anticipating the horror of the drop that awaits at the top, even though the imagination of it is always much worse than it ends up being. It's that anticipation that creates thoughts in my mind when I find myself asking, "what am I doing? I'm going to Australia for 3 months? By myself? This is a little insane!" Of course, these thoughts don't fill my every thought, but seem to be bubbling up more recently. I am attributing to the "cold feet" syndrome that engaged couples feel right before the wedding. They love each other, and are dedicated to this step, but one cannot deny that it is not a huge step, and causes these feeling to come up, no matter how much they want to be married and love each other. I think it's a natural thing to happen. It doesn't change the fact that I want to do this so badly and am so excited about the whole thing, but I think it is healthy to be moving into such change with at least a little reflection and caution.

I am basically booked for the last two weeks of my trip in Alice Springs, Uluru, Cairns, and Sydney. Matt has bought his ticket and we have decided we will be renting a car to drive to Uluru from Alice, stay overnight in a cabin (the only economical way to stay at the Uluru "resort" area), then drive back to Alice and fly to Cairns the next day. I am so excited by the prospect of driving in Australia. That in and of itself is going to be a great adventure. The car will be on the other side of the road with the wheel on the other side of the car. Granted, we will be driving in part of the least populated land in the country, it will still be a weird experience. We have a couple more flights and rooms to book, but we have decided on dates and have that part of the trip plotted out (and my over-controlling and plan oriented spirit inside rejoices!)

I have been studying up on the Aussie lingo via my very informative book that I got on Amazon called the American survival guide to living in Australia. I realized that the Australia accent and word slang is closer to Cockney English than the regular English accent. This makes perfect sense when you think about the origin of most Australians. Since the modern Australian society started out as a penal colony for England to rid itself of an underclass, it would go to reason that Cockney was a common accent to hear in the early settlers living in Australia. Of course, the modern Australian accent has evolved and is distinctively different from Cockney, but the way they stretch words and the rhyming and shortened slang is a definite Cockney trait. Some of these slang terms seem like more work to me than just saying the actual word you mean. Remember the yank = septic tank = seppos from an earlier blog? A major stretch, in my opinion. Another one I learned recently: lie rhymes with pork pie, which is shortened to porky. So when someone tells you that you are telling a porky, you have to quickly make this rhyming connection that they are accusing you of lying. So lie = pork pie = porky? Seriously? Right now, this rhyming and shortening stuff is a little too cutesy for me. Maybe it will grow on me by the time I am leaving, but right now, just say what you mean and we will all get along.

Notice anything different about this map? I think Sal would appreciate this map too, since it has her country front and center. This is what google gives you when you type 'Australian centered world map.' I wanted a map to show my course of travel without having to draw a line of me flying off the side of one page and coming in on the other side. When you look at it this way, it doesn't look quite as far as everyone thinks it is right? It's not really on the 'other side of the world' now, just across the Pacific ocean from California, not too bad, haha.

This map is of the route I will be traveling in Australia once I land there. I will be landing in Sydney, then will go north to Brisbane, before heading down to Melbourne and then west to make a clockwise circle around the country. I wanted to create this map to let people see what would be next for me as I travel throughout Australia. I also gives me a more clear view of what is ahead.

I found this while searching google images of Australia. Heed The Simpsons' warning: do not try to ride in kangaroo pouches. It is not as fun as it might seem.

10 DAYS!!! (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!?)

Cold, hard cash and senioritis

Today I went to the bank and requested Australian money, $100 worth in fact. I know it might be obsessive, but I will feel better if I at least have a little legal tender the second I get off the plane.
Have you seen their money? It's gorgeous. The $1 is redish-yellowish in color with Queen Elizabeth the second, the $2 is greenish-yellowish with John Macarthur and William Farrer, the $5 is a pinkish-purplish color with Queen Elizabeth the second again, the $10 is blue with Andrew Barton Paterson and Mary Gilmore, the $20 is red with Mary Reibey and John Flynn, the $50 is yellow with David Unaipon and Edith Cowan, and the $100 is green with Dame Nellie Melba and Sir John Monash. (I promise myself right now that I will at least read what each of these people mean to Australia- thank you Wikipedia). The coinage comes in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, $1, and $2. I like the $1 coin because the reverse side is covered in kangaroos. I wish we had colored money. Keep things a little more interesting.

Matt has to push back his dates he is coming to Australia, but I think this will actually work better. I now plan to see Brisbane at the beginning of my trip instead of the end. So now, when Matt arrives, he will come to Alice Springs, then after a few days there, we will rent a car (did I mention this yet- I don't need an international driver's license because mine is in English, score) to drive to Uluru (we want to do some desert driving, plus steering wheel on the other side and driving on the other side of the road = adventure), stay overnight, then fly to Cairns. After a weekish in Cairns, we will both fly to Sydney where he will depart for America and I will spend my last 3 or 4 days in the harbor city before coming back. Exciting!

So as time draws closer, I am getting more and more excited. At work, it is pretty much the topic of any interaction I have with anyone. But I don't mind, it gives my last two weeks more of a end of the school year, or even senior year quality. I'm very upbeat and distracted and thinking toward the future. I almost feel like I should be carrying around a yearbook for people to sign. I'm very emotional about this. It's becoming very real, and when I sit and think about for more than a few seconds, I find myself tearing up from sheer jubilation. I haven't been this giddy or excited about my life since freshman year of college. Despite the fact that I always say I am against change, I just love taking huge new steps in my life. I know it's just 3 months for now, but who knows what possibilities and ideas this might open up.

22 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kupa Piti, Aussie Opals, and Grass-less Golfing Greens

Ok, I know I have written 2 days in a row already (this will be 3), but I am getting so freakin' excited about everything. The more I research, the more exhilarated I am. I was doing a little research on Coober Pedy today. The name of the town is actually derived from the Aboriginal "kupa piti," which means "white man in a hole," which I don't know if this comes from them mining or the fact that they build the buildings into the sides of rock or underground, maybe both. Coober Pedy is known as being the opal capital of the world. I've already decided I want an opal necklace with the opal in the shape of the continent of Australia. Do I know they make necklaces like this? No, but doesn't it seem like they should? I'm already picturing what I am going to be buying for myself and for other people (currently accepting postal donations!)

There is actually a golf course in this town (note the picture, at least they have sense of humor about it!), which I would imagine is like no other golf course in the world.

And this area of Australia was also famous for being the location of the Mad Max films, as well as Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (one to be adding to the Netflix list if you haven't seen it, trust me. And yes, that is Guy Pierce and the agent guy from the Matrix that always calls Neo "Mr. Anderson." Didn't you always dream of seeing him in drag?). I mean, this place is empty as far as the climate, vegetation, and sheer number of people, but at the same time, it seems this void is filled with a sense of wackiness. I am so excited it's on my list of cities.

I had sent an email a few months back to inquire about the rates and availability for October. I received a very polite email response from someone named Mike. Anyway, fast forward to today. While researching hotels in Coober Pedy, I came across the TripAdvisor website, which always reviews the top hotels for each city (and was very important in the selection of my parents' hotel for their 25th wedding anniversary) and guess which hotel was number 1? My Underground motel. And every single review was not only positive, but glowing. And people were talking about how amiable Mike was, that he offered free lifts to and from the airport and bus terminal and around town, and advice on what to do and where to eat. I was so excited to hear my instincts had been so dead-on. I cannot wait to get out to the outback, to Mike and the opal and the grass-less greens and the underground hotels. Gah, what an amazing, crazy town.


30 Days!!!

Ugly Americans... in Superb Seating!

So I've been pondering something lately that never really concerned me until just recently when I was reading a blog of a stranger that traveled down under almost exactly 2 years ago (yes, this might seem a bit sketchy, but it you post something publicly online, you can't be surprised when complete strangers start reading it. And it's not like I'm stalking him or something, so just relax.) Anyway, he mentioned that Aussies have a derogatory term for Americans- "seppos." Take a guess at where this comes from, but no googling. Go ahead, I'll wait...
No clue? So seppo is short for septic tank, which rhymes with yank, but which also implies that Americans are full of shit. Charming, no? And the "yank = tank" a bit of a stretch? I thought so too. Anyway, when I had first started dreaming about this trip in the late winter, I had emailed my dad's friend Jory, who had backpacked through Europe in the late eighties, for some tips. He had actually mentioned this "ugly American" viewpoint in his email back in February, but I noted it and thought that maybe it would be something I may have to overcome at some point in the trip, but it was nothing I thought about for long. Recently while talking to my dad about this issue, he just suggested I tell people I was Canadian to avoid the whole issue. Of course, I won't be doing that because, one, as soon as I do, I will be confronted by a real Canadian, asking where I live, why my accent has a distinct southern hint to it, and why I'm not insanely obsessed with hockey. That scenario will end like every B comedy movie where someone has been caught in a lie and tries desperately to escape the position, but is ultimately exposed for the faker they are (and more hilarity ensues). But also, and maybe it makes me an "ugly American" to say this, but, say I'm from Canada? Seriously?
In a book I just purchased after reading the introduction on Amazon, the author said to not be offended if Australians first ask if I'm from Canada. He said Australians do this to avoid offending Canadians, because apparently Canadians are more offended by being confused for Americans than Americans are for being confused as Canadians. It's just terrific that I've picked to be born at this time and come of age as the world no longer idolizes America but seems to hate our guts, but there's really nothing I can do about it. I don't know that this will even be an issue, but I guess I can only be myself (since I am not the typical tourist ignorant American) and show anyone that I meet and feels they need to put me down that I'm not who they think I am. Maybe I can change some minds about what people think they know. But, if worse comes to worse, I might pick a Canadian city, do some research, and practice that accent just in case.

On a good note, this ugly American has the seats I asked for on all flights to and from Australia! I requested window seating and got it for each stop round trip. I found this out, not because the itinerary says "window seat" but because I googled seating charts for each plane. I know that the LA to Sydney flight might be annoying because I will have to climb over 2 people to use the bathroom, but I will get to see Australia from above and I'm just glad I'm not in the middle. On the domestic flights, I have an A seat, either 21A, 45A, or 32A, depending on the flight, which means I'll be on the left side of the plane, if you're looking down from above. To and from Sydney, I will be in 55J, which looks like I will be on the right side. This picture is of the Boeing 777 that will be taking me down under and bringing me back. It's pretty massive, also note the enormous amount of room the snooty-snoots have in the "business elite" class.

In other developments, I ended up sending my boots back because I felt like a half size larger would be perfect. I was getting worried they were a little snug, and snug shoes is not something you want on a three month backpacking trip. So when I sent the boots back, they had 8.5, but by the time they received my boots to exchange, they were out of them and were not anticipating purchasing any more in the near future. So, after discussing my limited options with a sales person on the phone, I decided on another pair that were the same brand and type, but were a different color, not waterproof, and slightly higher topped. They're still cute, but I really was set on the other ones. I have had tons of gray shoes in the past and was trying to branch out. But they fit nicely and are my new addition. I also got my notebook today. It's the same one Salley has for Africa trip, but mine is royal blue. It's really cute and I can't wait until it gets here.

So yes, we've finally made it:
1 month until departure! I'm trying hard to not be overwhelmed and I keep reminding myself that, while I feel like I don't have enough time to plan and do things I need to do, I will have a full week and a half of no work before I actually leave. I still have a lot to wrap my mind around before my plane is touching down in Sydney (including that, upon further research, it is going to be much colder up until about November than I had originally thought/planned for) but I am getting more and more excited by the day!

You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out!

In general, the reaction to the news of my trip has been positive. Yes, of course, lots of jealousy, but still positive. But this entry is dedicated to the negative ones. It’s seems the people that have the biggest issue with trip, and specifically that I am taking this trip alone, are older women. When they find out about the trip or I tell them about it, most often their next question is “who are you going with?” When the answer ends up being “no one,” there is an immediate reaction on their face of disapproval, followed by either, at best, warnings of being alert at all times, and at worst, threats on my life and health and invoking of Natalie Holloway. At this point, I am having to restrain myself from openly laughing at their reaction.

Yes, I know, I am a girl.
I had no choice in the matter. It’s something that happened about 25 years ago, so it’s nothing I can do anything about now.
I am alone.
No real choice in that either. I would prefer to have traveling companions, but no one else is in my unique circumstances, and I’m not waiting around for some of my friends to become independently wealthy and maybe decided they would like to take a trip to the other side of the world with me.
I am in unfamiliar surroundings.
It’s a given, but it’s also part of the great adventure. What do you want me to do, take a dry run of Australia? How would I even do that?
Of course, everything and everyone in the area surrounding has unsavory ideas for me.
What, that last one was too extreme? Paranoid even? Exactly.

I get it. I am always alert, conscious, aware of my surroundings and the potential weirdoes around me. Every day of my life. Because, make no mistake, there are plenty of people I encounter everyday in Hillsborough, Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill that give me pause and make my senses become heightened just by how they are acting around me. When this happens, I am immediately plotting my next move if they approach me, brandish a weapon, somehow are able to kidnap me. I am fumbling for keys or mace and mustering my strength and adrenaline to kick some butt if need be. Wait, he kept walking, it’s a false alarm. It happens a couple of times a month. It might happen in Australia. But I’m not staying home because of old fashion notions that since I’m a female I cannot travel or do things by myself. And like I said, it only seems like older women that have issues with it. Are they just resentful they let these imaginary restrictions keep them here? Are they truly worried about me? Or are they just trying to put me back in my place? I just don’t understand the reaction an almost perfect stranger feels entitled to make to me. I could maybe understand my family, my grandmother reacting this way. But she has been so much cooler about it than random old women telling me I’ll be raped or murdered and that I cannot go. I can’t go? Who are you? You know nothing about me and have spent less than 30 minutes of your life interacting with me. I just don’t get where the nerve comes from. I know, it’s a bad, bad world we live in. I live here too. And I get it. But I cannot let that keep me home. Because then, don’t they win anyway?

Oh, Happy Day!

Yesterday was a pretty amazing day.

I have been dreading for weeks telling my boss about my plans to travel to the other side of the world for three months. Several times last week, I was on the edge of telling her, even though the original plan was to wait until the last day of the month to tell her so that I would be giving her exactly a month's notice. It really could not have gone any better than it did. Due to some unforeseen errands I was asked to run, I had to tell her earlier in the day than I had planned. After some initial talking down, she insisted that I must take this trip, that it was an opportunity of a lifetime, and that she was absolutely definite on the fact that she wanted me back at work when I returned. So not only did the news go over better than I could have hoped, but I am pretty much guaranteed a job immediately once I return.
Wooo Hooo # 1.

So still flying high on this successful semi-notice-of-resignation, I went to dinner with Matt to plan the last leg of the trip. These plans occurred over pints of beers and dinner at Carolina Brewery. We had planned on meeting Dan later that night to go out. We decided that once Matt gets permission to take the weeks around Thanksgiving off, we will book all the flights and events we need to book for Alice Springs and Cairns. This includes the Stargazing Buffet near Uluru, the hot air balloon flight, and the snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef.
Woooo Hoooo # 2.

We went to R&R, me thinking we would just be meeting Dan for drinks. Needless to say, I was shocked to see about 10 people I recognized sitting with him, staring at me. Dan had put together a surprise party for me. It was totally unexpected. I got to see couple of people I never see, as well as hang out with some of my best friends. It really meant a lot, and it was the perfect way to cap off this fabulous day.
3's a charm.

So now I am trying to nail down my last minute details. Yes, there are still several large purchases to make (notebook, maybe a camera), but it's a huge load off my mind to have cleared the air at work about this trip. I was pretty much giddy on the way home after having made the announcement. It's just a huge, amazing bonus that the news was received as well as it was because I just wanted to get it over with.

Yay!

Too Early to start a Countdown?? Too Bad! 54 days!!!

I've spent 9 of the last 16 days at the beach. Heaven, you say? Why yes, it was. I actually shed a tear about having to return to work. While at the beach, Australia wasn't far from my mind. I've re-read the Bryson book again (4th time). It seems to get better and I learn new things each time I read it. I find the history of the country so fascinating. Lots of the events that changed the face of Australia (like that fact that it ended up British instead of French) is based on chance and luck and shear timing. And the rich and ancient history of the Aborigines is amazing. I will try to learn as much as I can while I'm down there. I'm sure people around me must be sick of me talking about the book and the trip, but it does consume a large majority of my free thoughts. And if you ask me, THEY'RE JUST JEALOUS!

Reading the Bryson book for the 4th time reminded me once again (as if every television program about the country and person discussing Australia wasn't enough to remind me) that more so than any country in the world, Australia has plenty of natural ways to injure and kill you. Throughout the entire book, Bryson is very vocal about his fears of falling prey to some snake or arachnid or sea creature upon his arrival to every new portion of the country. I think he would get quite a chuckle out of this "accurate" map of Australia I found while mindlessly surfing Google images of "Australia":


Pretty impressive, huh? I know that some of these things are real threats (Steve Irwin? Old map I guess. So no, he's not a threat- not unless it's zombie Steve Irwin... too soon?), but I'm honestly not too concerned. I don't plan on spending a whole lot of unsupervised time out in the wild among the crazy, magnificently evolved wonders of the island because I understand they are real, can kill, and so my instinct for self preservation tells me I'll be ok and even if I did have some sort of death wish or got a sudden urge for adventure, that fact would not venture far from my mind.

And, oh yeah, GOOD NEWS!!!! I will officially have a travel companion for the last leg of my trip! Matt is going to be spending some time with me in Alice Springs and Cairns/Port Douglas the last two weeks of November. Now when I say officially, I mean he's called me and told me the dates and talked to me several times about it and are already planning stuff to do, but he hasn't bought his ticket yet. But he's not going to back out... not if he knows what's good for him. Plus, why would he want to? We've already planned to hot air balloon over the outback at sunrise in Alice Springs, spend the day out on the Great Barrier Reef snorkeling on the coast of Cairns, and we will be making our own Thanksgiving dinner (since it's a specifically American holiday and probably won't be observed by many in Australia.) It's going to be lots of great fun packed into about 10 days (it takes a day to get here and a day to get back, and you lose another day on the way here because of that pesky international dateline.) I'm so excited to have a travel buddy, even if it's just for a couple of weeks.

Even with these things to be excited about, I do find myself stressing a little. The realization that I will be on the other side of the world for 3 months by myself is a little overwhelming. Every decision will be mine to make. Every day will be my own. It's kind of sad to me that I find these things scary. Every time I feel frightened by these ideas, I take a step back and realize that it's freedom, true freedom, that somehow I find suffocating. I can do anything I want, I have to answer to no one. If I don't feel like doing anything one day, I don't have to (even though I think I will feel lazy to waste one day in another country. I like to think I will at least go sit in a park or at the beach and watch people). If I feel like eating lunch at 10am, or 3pm, or never, I can. My rules, all the time. So when I feel myself starting to flip about this trip, I breathe in deeply and and take a moment to realize what a gift this is. It shouldn't be overwhelming to not have structures or deadlines or people to be answering to. The fact that it is my natural reaction to freak when these things are removed from my life shows how long I have lived and been supported by these things; they were a crutch. For these three months, I will be free to do whatever I want, whenever I want. And I need to make sure I live every minute of it.