Australia!!! The Dream Continues to Evolve...

I swear, this trip is becoming the most haphazard thing ever. It dawned on me last weekend that I really ought to start nailing down some of the finer details of my quickly approaching trip to Australia in the middle of March. I mean, all I'd done was book my flight there... and quite frankly, that wasn't enough. I still had to book my flights from Melbourne to Cairns, from Cairns to Sydney... not to mention my lodging in all of these places.

This is not my fault. I simply haven't had time to plan appropriately. Even this weekend, I tried to buckle down and really cement my plans but GOD... it all seems like it's done in such a chaotic, frenzied fashion because I have too many other things to do, that this is the least of my immediate priorities. Thankfully, my Australia guidebook is like my new little happy place. Seriously, as I start sifting through what could be a slightly overwhelmingly thick guidebook (after all, Australia is one HUGE country!), I don't get as overwhelmed as I originally brace myself to be... rather, I just get more and more excited!! I mean, seriously, I know it's not going to be summertime when I go down there, but I still can FEEL the sunshine and warmth emanating from its pages!!!

I keep joking with people about this, but I can't help but wonder how much truth lies in the fact that I very well may just park it in Australia, rather than returning to the United States. I just have this FEELING that I'm. Going. To LOVE IT THEREKLjflkdsjfalkdsj!!!!

Thankfully, today was a little more productive. I finally bit it and booked my flights from Melbourne to Cairns and Cairns back to Sydney. I don't know what has happened to me! I used to be the most frugal traveller EVER (think: my European summer where I literally was starving myself during my unpaid internship so I could have enough money to travel... with trains and hostels, mind you). Now? Well, now, I guess I just don't feel like I have the TIME or PATIENCE to be a frugal traveller. I guess that explains why I paid a whole boatload more for these damn flights than was likely necessary... but what? Virgin Australia looks so sleek! And I've had great experiences on Virgin AMERICA flights... how different can Virgin Australia really be? Let's be honest here. As far as lodging is concerned... I stopped myself short of just booking hotels in Melbourne and Cairns, just because they came "highly recommended" by my travel book. I mean, I felt a little faint when I started adding up those hotel costs plus the local Australian flights I'd just booked. I clearly need to be doing the bookings in staggered fashions, to eliminate one ginormous hit to my darn credit card... and my personal heart health.

Weeellkajfljdsflkj! I'm getting so excited!!! I'm already starting to brainstorm ideas of how I can use my blog as a platform when I'm in the land down under. Maybe I could start interviewing locals about their thoughts on Americans? Lord, maybe not... don't want to be responsible for opening up a whole can of worms... I mean, it's a potentially dangerous topic! And, quite frankly, as much as I gripe about America from time to time, I do love this country. Sigh. God bless it. Hahaha. President Christie, that's me...

Anyway, obvi I'll have to keep brainstorming... the aforementioned idea isn't exactly a reflection of the creative genius needed to become an Internet viral sensation (always the ultimate goal, in my mind).

Speaking of viral Internet sensations... time to go practice some Nicki Minaj to appropriately prep for my work team's karaoke team event this upcoming week... klasjflajdsflkj!!! I. CANNOT. WAIT. I am SO. GOOD. AT RAP KARAOKE!!!!! And Nicki Minaj? Please- signed, sealed and delivered. Just you wait.