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.

Meat pies, Kangaroo, Veggiemite? Oh, My!

***Before I begin this blog, please take a second to note the fact that my two previous blog titles reference two works of Shakespeare (Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet). I have to say I was impressed when I discovered this, as it was completely unintentional, and I was just naming them the first natural thing that came to mind. By the way this makes me cultured, NOT a dork... Maybe a nerd.***

Now, back to the issue at hand- my mother, who has apparently been following Salley's Zambia blog diligently, asked me today if I had even thought about what kind of food they have in Australia. It had crossed my mind, I will admit, briefly, but I figured if I found it all completely inedible, they will have American chains everywhere. This, mind you, will be an absolute last resort. I feel like some of the excitement and adventure of this trip will be the "when in Rome" aspect, and I will try to become as native as possible (at least as native as one can be carrying around all their belongings on their back.) My mother suggested that maybe they had mainly English food. I shuddered and protested- English food! No way, those freakish, medieval inspired, gray-ish, meat-ish, gravy-ish based dishes with strange consistencies, colors, and odors. I mean, I've never been to England, and admittedly, never eaten real English food, but their reputation for their food is almost as bad as their dentistry. I decided to consult the modern encyclopedia of everything- Wikipedia. Imagine my horror at the first picture on the website:

A MEAT PIE!!!! And not even a remotely appetizing-looking one. But, my trusty Wikipedia assures me that although English and Irish dishes were most prominently eaten in the past, modern Australia cuisine has resulted from globalization. Mediterranean and Asian influences have taken hold, and "Modern Australian" has become an umbrella term for a variety of food available at most restaurants. So yes, meat pie and fish and chips will still be readily available, but it will not be overwhelmingly English dining. I can say I am excited that seafood appears to be widely available and common, which is understandable with the numerous ports and fishing industry.

And tell me this doesn't look absolutely delicious. It's called a Pavlova. It's a traditional and iconic meringue-based dessert named after a dancer. It has hard meringue crust in the bottom, a whipped, creamy custard like center, topped with fruit such as kiwi and berries. It's pretty well known is both Australia and New Zealand. I will make it my mission to search this out and consume it before I return to America.

One of the meals I am most intrigued about consuming is Kangaroo. Some people have said to me "Awww, how can you eat a Kangaroo? They are so cute." But I explain to them that down there, kangaroos are like deer. Very few people here have problems with people eating deer. Why? Because deer are a nuisance. They are way overpopulated, which can become a problem not only for food sources for their survival, but can also become a dangerous obstacle on highways, especially during mating season. Kangaroo in Australia is not like chicken or beef in it's wide spread use, but it is not uncommon to see kangaroo meat on grocery store aisles. A certain quota of Kangaroos are allowed to be commercially hunted each year to keep populations down, which have been known to grown out of control and encroach on land of farmers. Kangaroo is produced only from free ranging wild animals living on land owned by people and unlike other meats, is not produced by organized farming. The meat is also high in protein and low in fat, making it a healthy alternative to other meats.

And lastly, you can't have Australia without Veggimite!


Yes, this picture is less than appetizing, but I am willing to give it a whirl. I mean, millions of Australians can't be wrong, right? This oddly colored spread is made from yeast extract, or pretty much the leftovers from brewing beer, and some vegetables and spice additives. It is a huge source of pride for Australians. In fact, when Kraft recently tried to change the name, it resulted in wide-spread panicking, riots, and mass confusion. Ok, not riots, but people were very upset, and Kraft quickly reversed their decision. There was even a rumor for a while that Vegemite had been banned from America by George W. Bush and people were being encourage to write the White House in protest. I have to admit that before this Wiki article, my knowledge of Vegemite didn't extend much further that the fact that it existed, and that was only because of my hours of listening to the Men at Work song Down Under. Oh, my 80's mix.

So yes, I will not be going hungry in Australia. I am only more encouraged by this article to try all the things that Australia has to offer, in cuisine and beyond.

*Credit given to Wikipedia's "Australian Cuisine" article for the pictures and information.*

What's in a (Blog) Name?

I've finally been questioned about the grammatical correctness and meaning of the name of my blog. I have been meaning to write this entry for a while, the beginning would have probably been a more suitable time, but this is as good as any.

The name "In a Sunburnt Country" is a nod to the Bill Bryson book that was given to me by my friend Matt Jarvis as a graduation present after college. I had been saying over the course of that year that I wanted to move to Australia, live in Australia, be in Australia whenever something wasn't going my way. He took me seriously and gave me the Bryson travel book called "In a Sunburned Country" (so yes, he can be held partially responsible for my wild ideas of traveling on the other side of the world.) I have read the Bryson book cover to cover thrice since I was gifted it in May 2008. I plan to read it once more before I arrive in Sydney. It's given me a lot of inspiration and ideas for the trip. It's also written with humour, which sets it apart from other dry travel books and gave it more of a novel-read. Though Bryson was rather apprehensive in his travels and frightened of the natural fauna (yes, they do have quite an intimidating list of poisonous and deadly creatures on their attendance role), I can't say it has deterred me. I mean, Bryson himself confessed in his book to not knowing what boogie boarding was or being successful in doing it, something I have been doing every summer in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of North Carolina since I could walk, so some of his squeamishness about the country doesn't hold up much for me. I also know it's not like I am going to be exploring the outback alone, or going places where these poisonous and deadly animals will be looking to make a statistic out of me. I'm going to watch some penguins, eat kangaroo, and cuddle many koalas. You can leave the spiders, snakes, and sea creatures out of it.

Bryson's book title was also a nod to something: a poem written by Dorothea Mackellar. Mackellar is one of Australia's best loved poets. The poem "My Country" was written by Mackellar when she was 19 and homesick in England (in 1911.) "My Country" is a well-loved poem in Australia for it's patriotic and iconic message. I have to admit, reading it myself as an American, despite our "spacious skies," "purple mountains majesty," and "shining seas," I would really enjoy experiencing the excitement of "beauty and terror" of the "wide brown land," "sapphire-misted mountains," and "opal heart."

The love of field and coppice,
Of green and shaded lanes.
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins,
Strong love of grey-blue distance
Brown streams and soft dim skies
I know but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me!

A stark white ring-barked forest
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon.
Green tangle of the brushes,
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops
And ferns the warm dark soil.

Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When sick at heart, around us,
We see the cattle die-
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady, soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the Rainbow Gold,
For flood and fire and famine,
She pays us back threefold-
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze.

An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land-
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand-
Though earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.

What (Down Under) Dreams May Come...

First off, I am updating this in the small amount of time I have between waking up and showing up at work. I had to write now, while it was fresh in my head. But first, let me show you some stuff that has changed since we last talked.


I got my pack and my boots! They are both great. The pack is just one inch bigger than what delta allows for carry-on (bribe time? my uncle Charlie would be so proud!), but it comes with a special feature that allows you to zip a cover around the straps so they are not caught on anything or otherwise messed up during transit in checking the bag. The most awesome feature is the mini pack that unzips from the front of the pack. It's for carrying stuff around daily, which is great, if your hostel has lockers with locks that you can leave the majority of your stuff behind with. I don't anticipate there being a problem carrying this around Australia. I feel like some of my backpacks in high school and college where about as big, and they had huge text books as opposed to clothes!


My boots (yes, they are lovely aren't they?) are the BEST feeling shoes I have ever purchased. Once I return, I might only purchase shoes like this, meaning I will have to find employment in some outdoors venture, either that or resign myself to being the "eccentric" weirdo at work who wears boots when most of the women wear heels. I don't care, these are amazing and I'm not going back. It's like the shoe, once I put it on, says to my foot, "Oh, no. What have you been wearing? This is the shape you are supposed to have." and then supports my foot in the exact places that the foot has been waiting for all it's life! ...Ok, this is starting to sound like a romance novel of something. The point is- my shoes rock. My feet love them and look forward to spending 3 months in them in a foreign country (ok, that still has a romantic tone).

Ok, now for the real reason I had to write immediately, this morning. I had a very vivid dream last night. This dream was the first leg of my trip. There were admittedly a lot of inaccuracies, which I am already aware of, not even setting step one on the trip yet. The most real and potentially accurate part of the dream was the feelings I had in the country. I am going to try my best to capture them on page, but it's hard to describe to people who, well, aren't me.
The trip started out with me and Salley (first inaccuracy, she will indeed be a world traveler at the time, but will be on the opposite side of the world, helping people in Africa while I play) and we had somehow boarded a plane without going through security (inaccuracy number two) and somehow had an instantaneous flight (big whopper of inaccurate for number three). We arrived in Australia and we were trying to check in to the hostel. I commented on how cold it was (inaccuracy number four), and said I hadn't expected it, it must be due to our elevation (there was a mountain range around us- inaccuracy number five, at least for Sydney when I will be arriving). I was preoccupied with trying to plan out my month on a ridiculously large wall calendar (more symbolic of me than inaccurate) when some guys keep trying to talk to me and ask me about Australia. They were Americans, because they had no accent, so I instantly had no interest in talking with them. They were Jory's ugly American description too, they were loud frat boys there on daddy's cash (they didn't tell me, but it's my dream, so I know, ok?) There was a third guy near them though, and he asked me when we got in, and he had an accent. I asked if he was a traveler, he said no, he worked in the hostel, and could show us our room. We went upstairs to a large, open room with two levels and only 3 beds (inaccuracy number six). Our stranger roomie had claimed the first on the lower level, so Salley and I went to the second level and got each cot under each window. I suddenly realized I had no pillow or sheets, and commented to Salley. "You didn't bring a pillow?" she kinda laughed at me. "I didn't think they would let me bring one on the plane?" I said, which doesn't make sense, number one, but also, I am not planning on bringing a pillow anyway. Who wants to carry a pillow all over Australia? I began to wonder what the Australia slang word for sheets was so I could ask someone where to buy some when Salley informed me she would be departing to see the Louvre (yes, in France- she was leaving the country.) "I thought you'd at least stay a couple of days before you went off." I said. "Nope," she said, and walked back down the stairs. Then I felt my first feeling. It was a painful feeling, deep in my stomach. I was in a country, on the other side of the world, alone, and wanted to call home and tell them I got there but I didn't know how to get in contact with them (a detail I haven't worked out yet, which I guess bleeds through to my dreams.) The feeling didn't last more than a moment, when I had another feeling of jubilation. The only feeling I can describe it being close to was freshman year when I stood in the Dean Dome and closed my eyes and listened to the cheers immediately after our championship win. It was firecrackers in my stomach. I wanted to shriek and jump and explode because I was finally in Australia! BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP- my alarm ruins my journey, but I turn it off and keep my eyes closed to hold onto the feeling and the message of my dream. The conflicts I ran into in my dream are things I still need to sort out. I still need to figure out what phone plan I need, and how I will carry some sort of sheets and towels (yes, small details, but important. This dream is like dreams when I am at school in class in a test I hadn't studied for- it's not going to happen, but it's something dumb I stress about.) I think Salley was there because maybe she will be going through some of the stuff I will at the same time. She will be in another part of the world, far from home and people that she knows. Though she will be doing important work while I am just sightseeing, we will both be alone. But the biggest thing I got from the dream is that both the vivid feelings I experienced will happen to me. I will get lonely. I might feel that stabbing, sharp, hot feeling of being utterly alone so far from home that there is nothing I can do to see people if I need to. But that feeling will be short-lived, and will be replaced by the excitement and enthusiasm I feel for taking this trip, something I have been anticipating for so long.

Click! No going back now...

Yes it is official!

The round-trip plane ticket has been purchased (departure Sept 8, return Dec 8), and frankly, it's both exhilarating and horrifying. I mean, I'm so excited, this makes it real, official, permanent, imminent. But to see $1010 dollars disappear instantly from your checking account with the click of a mouse, well, that is a little troubling. (Yes, I said $1010, and I know, that IS a fantastic rate for round trip tickets to the other side of the world!) Not that I'm having buyer's remorse or anything, but like the title of the blog says, there's no going back now.

Along with my plane tickets, I have also bought insurance, both emergency health and travel cancellation, well worth the $200 bucks if I have to back out of that $1000 ticket last minute or get stung by a "bluey" while snorkeling in the GBR.

I also booked the hostel in Sydney that I will be staying in when I first arrive, so that in my jet-lagged, sleep-deprived, tourist-newbie state, I won't have to use many critical thinking skills to locate a place to lay my bag and head.
I chose to book Base Sydney, which sounds pretty swanky, at least when reading comparisons to other hostels in the area. It's centrally located in Sydney, walking distance of the Opera House and Darling Harbour (yea, I'm spelling "harbour" with the -our now. Crikey, I'm just practicing, deal with it!)

Female guests receive free Aveda cosmetics (threw that in for Salley) plus free champagne at our Scary Canary bar (yes, the hostel has it's own bar, apparently lots do, major plus!). All beds have individual luggage lockers (another major plus!). It also has an internet café, a travel desk, laundry, a TV room, a guest kitchen and various chill-out areas. The hostel bar offers interactive entertainments, drinks offers and weekly themed party nights. Guests received a welcome drink at check-in. And they have free airport pick-ups for guests staying for 3 nights or more. So that's my free advertising for Base Sydney (discount?).

I'm now trying to plot out approximately when I will be in certain cities. I am trying to do so because I want to book some of the attractions that warned to book early, but in order to do so, I have to figure out when I'm going to be in that area. I am actually picturing tossing out my plans when I get down there (a truly horrifying thought at the moment, considering the hours I have already spent in these early stages carefully researching and deciding where to go and how.) I see me traveling randomly, around in zig-zags, squiggles, loops- not in the ordering circle around the country as planned. Then realizing I have to be in Alice Springs tomorrow for the event I booked 4 months in advance, I bid adieu to my travel companions and catch a hefty flight to the outback for my star-gazing session and local fare buffet... I am going to play most things by ear. Yes, I do have a plan, and general idea of when I will be in each of my 11 cities, if I follow the path I made. but I have left plenty of things open for changes in plans, feelings, etc.

Like I've said before, there is so much to wrap my head around. At least I've got the getting-there out of the way AND paid for!