Well, it's after 4pm on Monday and I've only managed to get myself fed at this point. Totally NOT getting to the travel agent today. Not with THIS hangover, anyway.

Last night Femke, Dong and I went to Bondi Beach for a BBQ. Femke's friends, Suzan and Karin, know a girl, Leanne from England, who is leaving Sydney to go up the coast with her boyfriend. So it was a bit of a going-away BBQ. It was a lovely meal, although there was no gas, so we cooked everything on the stove/in the oven. I drank much Australian wine. Everyone was taking MANY photos. But I managed to get away with just one. I'm horrible for NOT taking photos.

Also met three guys from Portland. Andy, Hugh and Brent. Andy and Hugh had been travelling around all over and are only in Australia for 2.5 months. They'd just finished spending 3 months in New Zealand. That scared me because I'm only planning on 3-4 weeks for North and South islands. But they said maybe that would be OK. I suppose it all depends on how much time/money I HAVE to spend. I plan to be there next summer (that's like Dec/Jan here). Brent is only here in Australia for 3 weeks. He has a real job. So they're doing a whirlwind tour up the coast.

When I told them that I'm going up the coast, leisurely, in 2 months and that I planned to be in Cairns and the Outback in Septemberish, they were surprised. "Wow, you're going REALLY slowly."

Hey, I may not have much planned, but I have ideas of what I COULD do. It all depends on how it works out. I'd like to be able to get a job at one of the hotels on the coast (Noosa, Byron Bay or Airlie Beach?) doing housekeeping or something, as I used to do at Tigh-Na-Mara in BC. I'd also like to get a job on a ship in the Whitsundays, maybe as a cook or something.

Of course, anything can happen. so we'll see if that works out.

I've also been told that I should really visit a farm/ranch in the interior. I do know someone with a huge sheep farm in Quilpie. I wonder how farms there compare to what I'm used to. I mean, I'm a farm-girl-turned-city-girl. Wonder what it would be like?

Dave was saying when I took off, that he was going to come and visit me here "in 6 months". If so, that would put it just around Sept/Oct. I'd be SO happy if he came! We could meet in Perth and stay with his family-in-laws there. I've hear there's a LOT to see over there.

After that, in November or so, I'd like to come back down to Melbourne and live in that city for a while. Raye lived there and loved it. She has friends there that she could get me in contact with. Maybe get me a job at the cafe she worked at. Or, I know I could figure it out on my own. By that point, I'd have been travelling for a LONG time, so I'd be used to figuring it out. I've heard bad things about Melbourne's weather, but I'm pretty sure it can't be that bad.

From Melbourne, I'd go to Tassie and NZ and Adelaide. Or, that's what I'm thinking NOW that I'll do. It sounds like a relatively sane plan, right?

So those are my long-term pseudo-plans.
So, who wants to live vicariously through me?!

I know, it sounds good from where you are, all snug in your office chair as the spring sun melts away the winter blahs. It SOUNDS good from where I am right now, too. But just wait until I decimate my bank account with six months of travel and THEN we'll see how excited I am.

I guess I'd better hurry up and do fun things while I can, huh? Before I run out of money... twisted logic, but work with me here. ;)

Thanks to the LOVELY people who called me this weekend. I finally got in contact with my parents. We'd screwed up the time difference yesterday. I guess it's "only" 13 or 14 hours difference. So I didn't get to hear from Matt or Kendra, but my parents told me all about their news. Got a call from tony as well. AT 4am, EST. So good to hear from the people I love so I can remember that I DO have a home and friends and people who love me.