The Beginning

I have done a lot of relaxing (and worrying) in the last month. The last few days, however, the real work has begun. How do you even begin to pack for a 4.5-month-long trip? For me, it began with a spreadsheet. Ahh, Microsoft Excel, my beloved. Every time I thought of something that needed to come with me to Australia, I added it to the proper sheet in the workbook. Once it was in the spreadsheet, it could go into the actual suitcase.

Closing the suitcase was...difficult.

We had a bit of a kerfuffle this morning with flights. My first flight from Raleigh to Los Angeles was delayed so far that the connection at LAX became too short. We hurried to get me on a different flight, this one from Charlotte... or so we thought. In my app, it said that I had a ticket on this flight; I even chose my seat! But when we got to Charlotte, we were told I did not have a ticket - or something like that. Oh no! Luckily the woman working the check-in desk got me a boarding pass. AND to top it all off, we weighed my bag and it was just under my limit of 70 pounds (good!). BUT the woman behind the desk did not know that flights to Australia have a different weight limit, so she told me it was way overweight (BAD!). Imagine my panic! However, I had her look it up and sure enough, I was right about the 70 lb limit.

Ready to leave with my HUGE suitcase!

(I don't think you can fully comprehend how big this suitcase is unless you are standing next to it)

I am now at my gate in the Charlotte airport waiting to board. What awaits me: a 6 hour flight to Los Angles and then the Big Kahuna - the 16 hour flight to Sydney. A long haul for sure but then I am there!

Goodbye to everyone at home and HELLO AUSTRALIA!