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!

The Year of the Kangaroo.

I ate dinner by myself last night. That in and of itself is nothing new, but I ate it alone in a sit-down restaurant. And not like an internet cafe type of place where everyone else there is alone too and playing on their laptops. It was a restaurant with cloth napkins and families and appetizers that are brought to the table when you arrive. I was reluctant to do this at first; I considered ordering what I wanted as take out and eating it in my car before a concert I was going to. But then I said to myself, "If you can't do this right now by yourself in Chapel Hill, how the hell are you going to do this for 3 months on the other side of the world?" I instantly decided there was no choice; it was time to experience the table for one.

It wasn't so bad. Once I got over the slight embarrassment of the hostess having to clear the other three settings off the table and the feeling that everyone in the restaurant was staring at me, the freak who can't scare up a dining mate, I didn't really notice anything unusual. The main difference was that the time spent waiting for your food, which usually seems insignificant due to conversation with others at your table, seemed more pronounced. It gave me time to think about how I might spend the rest of my life eating alone and living alone, which is not things that people typically like to ponder, especially before enjoying a meal. I did decide that letting my mind wander while feeling sorry for myself and about my table for one wasn't the best idea. So I survived the first experience, and I think it won't be so bewildering in the future. I know it seems like something small, but some people these days cannot stand to be by themselves at all. I know people who call other people on cell phones just because they have to drive or walk somewhere and don't want to be alone. And I realized my issue wasn't eating alone; it was worrying about what everyone else thinks. I love being alone. It is often time for reflection and meditation. I don't have a problem being alone, and many times, I prefer it. I suppose this is a good thing, considering I might only have a travel companion for a couple of weeks. If people can't stand being with themselves, how can they expect anyone else to stand them?


I'm very excited about this trip, and although I probably sound like a broken record to those around me right now, it's really all I want to talk about. It consumes a lot of my energy and planning and thoughts. It's a goal I have to work toward, which keeps me going. I know up until just recently, a lot of people didn't really take me seriously about going. But I think now that the passport has come in and I have a visa to get into Australia, they realize this is really going to happen. I spent a couple of hours on REI's website the other night, and it just made me all that more enthusiastic about the trip. Not only do they have tons of fun stuff like backpacks and boots and sock liners (which I didn't even know existed until that night), but they have a lot of articles on traveling, including checklists on what to pack and tips on traveling alone. The article on solo travelers was very empowering and just gave me that much more encouragement that I was doing the right thing. It made the point that I had been making that yes, I would be alone in another country and something awful could happen to me, but it is just as likely (and if you are judging by crime stats alone, actually MORE likely) that something awful could happen to me in my home country. And I think people underestimate how vigilant I am and will be. I am very aware of my surroundings, and will be even more vigilant since I will be somewhere less familiar.

My mantra this year has been simple: Australia. It's truly just that one word. I find that I say it to myself anytime I am doing something that is less than desirable, but in working toward that ultimate goal in September. I repeat it to myself over and over again when I want to give up. I often have that 9 letter word as my facebook status. It's what's on my mind now all the time. It's become an driving force and a necessary life sustaining element, like water, air, and food. It more than that though, it's soul inducing. It gives me a purpose and a meaning.

It's simple and pure and says it all: Australia!

Taking the first steps...

I decided several months ago that I was going to keep a promise I made to myself to visit/travel/live in Australia. I've tried to go about it from a couple of different angles, and I have decided to go on an extended trip (several months) rather than an extended stay (several years), for financial, logistical, and family-begging-me-not-to-go-at-all reasons. I found a 3 month visa that Australia offers, called an ETA. I'm not allowed to be employed during the stay, and apparently if I stay a day over 3 months, they are allowed to come and kick me out of the country. The timing is ideal, because I have been working for about a year and have been saving the majority of the money I've earned for the trip. The planning is really not an issue; I actually enjoy planning things, it's kind of a hobby. I'm getting more and more excited about the prospect of a 3 month trip around Australia.
After going looking at this from several different angles, I decided the best way to go, as far as seeing the country and paying a little as possible for lodging, would be to stay at hostels throughout the country. I will be traveling alone, with the exception of the couple weeks that Matt will be vacationing with me. Below is the planning I have so far:

Step 1: Passport.
I received my passport about a week ago.

Step 2: ETA.
An ETA stands for electronic travel authority. It's a temporary visa, allowing you to travel in Australia for up to 3 months at a time. It also allows you to return as many times as you want for up to 3 months each time, for a year. But you are not allowed to be employed within the country. And you have to leave after 3 months or they can arrest/detain you in Australia.

So now I have approval from both countries to go on the trip. I could leave anytime and go to Australia- it's such a liberating feeling! But I am planning on going on this trip between September and December this year. It will be their Spring (which means I will experience 2 springs this year, but no fall), and I will be back in time for Christmas (a must to get my family on board). Plus, by September, I will have nearly double the money I have now, so I will have plenty of money to fund the entire trip, as well as a nice nest egg for when I return.

3. The Plans.
I have decided I will be making a circle clockwise throughout the country and I have picked 11 prominent cities to visit. I will be starting in Sydney, then the train to Melbourne, taking a ferry over to Tasmania, next a train to Adelaide, a ferry down to Kangaroo Island, then a Greyhound bus to Coober Pedy, a flight to Perth, up to Darwin, next to Alice Springs, a flight to Cairns, last to Brisbane, and a train ride back to Sydney to return home.

Sydney- I will be starting and ending here, probably about 2 weeks total time. I will see the classic touristy stuff (the Opera House), but I am also considering ending the trip with a nice lunch cruise in the Sydney Harbour. In addition to the stuff in the city, there is a mountain range called the Blue Mountains where there is a famous rock formation called the "3 sisters."

Melbourne- I will stay here about a week and explore the city. There is a wildlife phenomenon know as the Phillip Island penguin parade that occurs nightly when the penguins return to the sea each night.

Tasmania-I will be taking a ferry overnight to go there and comeback, spending about 5 days there.

Adelaide-I will stay here around 6 days, I will tour the Barossa Valley vineyards.

Kangaroo Island- I will be staying here 5ish days, and will most likely be staying in the wildlife sanctuary.

Coober Pedy- This is the Opal capital of the world, and is definitely considered "Outback." The buildings in this town are built into the rock to save themselves from the intense desert heat. Depending on lodging, I might only be able to stay here a couple of days. Hostel looks booked up already, and hotel is pretty pricey.

Perth- Main city on west coast, home of the coastal wind phenomenon know as the Fremantle Doctor. They have good beaches, and I plan on staying 10ish days, depending on lodging.

Darwin-The main city in North, know for lots of Aboriginal History and wildlife. One attraction I will be visiting is Kakadu National Park.

Alice Springs- This is classic Outback. I am planning on going hot-air ballooning over the outback and attending a dinner of local fare (including kangaroo!), followed by a star-gazing session.

Cairns- This is another city known for the beaches, I plan on staying 10ish days. I will snorkel the Great Barrier Reef!

Brisbane- I will spend about a week touring the city before returning to Sydney and spending a couple more days there before my departure back to the US.

There are so many little details I have to keep in mind when planning this trip, such as power converters, travelers health insurance, and currency. But I am getting more and more excited about the trip and will continue to update this blog throughout the planning process and throughout the 3 month trip.