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!!!!!!!!!!!!