I am in the process of packing for this trip. I leave in a short few days. The time is flying by so fast, I can't believe it.

Here is a map to give you an idea where I'm headed. I will write about my trip on the way and will add it to this page when I arrive.

Cheers!

My day started at 5:30 am Monday morning. Doing last minute things, getting kids dressed and out the door. Goodbyes all said, we started out for the airport. Hubby droped me off at the curb at 1:30. Quick kiss good bye and off he went. Now-days, you can't go in and wait with your loved ones or friends until they get on their flights. Those days are over. It's been more than 10 years since I flew so all the security was a new thing for me. I stood in line for my boarding pass and when it was my turn, I was told that I needed a visa. I about passed out. No one told me I needed one. *gulp* You know that sick feeling you get in your stomach and you don't know if you should scream or cry? Thats how I felt.... I told the clerk that I had my passport and will only be in the country for 6 days. Why would I need a visa. He told me that Australia will not let anyone into the country if they had no visa. Pass port was nothing. I asked what my options were and the clerk said he could issue me an ETA which is just as good as a visa. OK I said. Thirty minutes later I had my boarding pass, my ETA and went through security. It was only 2:40 by then. My flight didn't leave until 5:00. What to do what to do? I sat and watched the other people go through security. One guy had his shoes off and a guard had a wand running over his feet and legs. Another officer was digging in his shoes. I sat and watched the clock drag on and noticed that it made a big difference not having the non flighers mixed in with the ticket holders. There were less people and more seating room.

Finally it was time to board the plane. Standing in line to get on, security was randomly pulling people out of the line and going through all their carry on luggage. I managed to get through with out it. We took off for Denver. I don't remember if I've ever been to Denver and if I have, I think it was a drive through on one of my familys trips growing up. I was sitting by the window so I got a good view. They played the movie the Majestic with Jim Carry. I couldn't hear most of it even with the head phones because of all the noise from the engine......phooey. I learned to read lips. Ha ha Three hours later, we landed.

We were late getting into Denver so I had to run for the next gate for my flight to San Francisco. I got there as they were boarding passangers. I escaped the security again and got on board. It was a 777, much larger than the one I was on. I was sitting next to a girl who was going to Singapore. She said her flight was going to be about 18 hours long once she left San Fran. They had a little TV screen in the back of the seat infront of you so you could watch TV. They also had the map option where you could see the flight course you were on and it gave you the air speed, altitude, time of arrival and how far your flight has come. It was a cool thing to watch. I spent the 2.5 hours of that flight watching the map. I will say the seats in coach stink! You have NO leg room at all and you are cramped in like sardines. No fun.

In San Francisco when we arrived, I had to walk the whole legnth of the air port to get to the International flights. Thank God for those moving side walks. That was a long walk but I needed it after all that sitting and the sitting I will be doing. I bought a bottle of water...air port price.....$2.50!! Robbery I tell ya!! When we got on board for the flight to Sydney, (no security check for me...haha) I was hoping I would have the window seat. Nope...I got an aisle seat. A man was sitting by the window with the seat empty between us...he was an Aussie heading home. We were getting ready to take off and the pilot said the plane was not full, to feel free to move into an empty seat. The guy jumped up and over me to take off in search for his perfect seat. I got the whole row to myself!! WOOHOO!! A 13 hour flight. I tried to sleep and managed to get 6 hours of interrupted sleep. My brain was fuzzy, my body hurt every where. I wanted it to be over. It was a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG flight. The movies on that flight were, A Beautiful Mind, The Shipping News and Snow Dogs. Again...I had to read lips then I gave up and concentrated on sleeping as much as I could. I couldnt see much out the window since it was night time but I will say I got the see the moon....real close up. It was really cool!!

When we arrived at Sydney I felt like I had been beaten by a wet shoe and then beaten again. I was so tired. I will say this about the Australian airport restrooms. They are CLEAN. I mean spotless and well maintained. Two thumbs up. And the employees are very helpful and friendly. Not like in the US where they act like you are bothering them if you ask a question. One more short flight to Melbourne and I would be where I should be. That went quickly and again...I had the whole row to myself. I was ready to drop by the time we landed. I passed through security with out any checking checking my bags and NO ONE asked if I had a visa. Phooey on the clerk in Baltimore.

My friend met me with her two kids in the lobby. It's been awhile since I saw her but she was still the same. Her older daughter was afraid of me at first and started to cry. I kept my distance. We got into the car and with a drink in her hand she settled down. Then the baby started.....she didn't care for the car seat. All this crying and carrying on made me feel right at home. The landscape is beautiful here. The gum trees of different varities are everywhere. They look strange to me but they are as common as the oak trees back home. My friend Dez had an appointment with the health nurse for her girls and we stopped there on the way home. They have an excellent support system for mothers here. A nurse will come to your home once a week or you can take baby to her for check ups, help and support. They call you, you don't call them. They are right on top of things. They take very good care of the mothers too and ask how they are coping mentally and physically. I was very impressed. I wish we have that back home. How many cases of PPD would be taken care of at the begining if we had that kind of support right off the bat. Thats all I can write right now.........I need some serious sleep.