Next up, Australia!

It has been about two years since my last travel adventure to South America.  I am chomping at the bit to go somewhere new, anywhere different than everyday life in the Midwest.  As I have shared many times, I love traveling because it keeps me humble.  It gets me out of my routine and opens me up to other cultures, often presenting a whole new set of challenges to everyday life.  I am human.  I get jaded and unappreciative of the monotony of my life.  Traveling makes me appreciate that monotony.  It forces me out of my comfort zone and makes me realize the crazy, awesome world that I have the opportunities to discover.  It is a fresh perspective on how incredibly blessed I am to come home to the people and places I love.  Bottom line, it reminds me how easy my life is compared to the rest of the world’s, even on my worst days.  Traveling also opens my eyes to the beauty of the world, and the diversity that God has created in nature and in humanity.  It makes me feel so small in the eyes of the ultimate creator, yet somehow draws me closer to him.

And with that, I am off on my newest adventure; a trip to Australia to visit a good friend. It is different than my other travels mainly because this is the first one I have planned and executed on my own.  The fact of this is exciting, but slightly more stressful.  I am confident, though.  Quite honestly I am dreading the first couple days of the trip.  It is hard to be excited when a full 24 hours is devoted to traveling, on a plane, nonetheless.  It is nothing I haven’t done before, but that is the reason I am dreading it.  I know what to expect.  Currently, I am on the first leg of my trip; a couple hour flight to Dallas.  I fly out of Dallas after a quick layover with a direct flight to Sydney.  Dread aside, all that stands between me and both Sydneys (my friend and the city) is a 17 hour flight… no big deal right?  I can only hope for a comfy seat, good movies, and lots of sleep.  Sydney is a 14 hour difference so when I arrive it will be 6 am.  It will be the start of a new day when my body will be used to winding down for the day.  I have experience with jet lag; however, this might be the most extreme case.  Oh the joys of traveling! I already know it will be worth it.  It always is!