Day 1 part 2: On our way back from visiting with Carol's niece, Shannon, (who will be going with us to the Australian Zoo on Tuesday) we went over to Bulimba and walked along Oxford street. To cool down, we stopped off at a cafe where I got a "spider" (aka soda float) my soda of choice was Sprite. BTW, I guess root beer isn't a thing here... Now I know that I'll need to ask for a Sarsaparilla next time. Once we got back, I took pictures of the wild ...

Watch out Australia... Here I am!! I arrived around 8am local time (it's noon now) and had a bit of an adventure at the Brisbane Airport. Thankfully the guy at the Vodaphone counter was super helpful - let me use their phone, and gave me useful tips that an American should know (like taxes are already included in the price of things, and you don't give out monetary tips, unless it's really great service). Good news: Carol picked me up and o...

Last night marked exactly two weeks remain before I take flight for my Australian holiday vacation!! This trip has been in the making for many, many months now, and I'm both exhilarated and anxious... I spent the better part of the last two days preparing for travel; doing laundry, mentally making a packing list, creating a shopping list (travel accessories and Christmas presents), paying all of the bills for the month, finalizing my trip budget, and scouring t...