Thus far...

(A year and a half or so ago...)


"Hey, Ben."
"What's up?"
"You wanna go to Australia?"
"Umm, okay." 


(About six months ago...)
"Getting to be about that time, eh, chaps?"
"Yes, indeedy" 


(Thursday, two weeks ago...)
"You wanna apply for our visas today?"
"Okay. Lemme just make a sandwich first."


(Friday morning, the day after The Sandwich in Question, at an ungodly hour of the morning...)
"OH MY GOD. OH MY GOD! BEN! CHECK YOUR INBOX! 
"Wazzahuh?"
"CHECK YOUR EMAIL!" 
"Alright, Imma coming, Imma coming... SWEET!"

Yes, folks, that's right. Scant hours after our applications had been filed via the Electronic Visa Wizard we had received our Working Holiday Visas.

We were headed to Australia.

~ It's been two weeks since that fateful morning after Sandwich Day, and we're downright prepared. We've been busy as little beavers...

* Yes indeed, we have visas, we have plans (sort of), we have money (again, sort of...)

~ Okay, so there are some tiny little details still to be ironed out of the works, but we've got the important stuff done! We've made sure we're up to date on all our shots, figured out how to get AUD (Australian Dollars, for those of you who don't know what we didn't know a few days ago), and we've been to REI at least twice.

* Best store on earth. Seriously, just standing there makes you feel more adventurey.

~ Plucky and adventurey! (If you don't know what we're talking about, go here. Now.) So! We've established we have visas, and hiking backpacks, and a smidge of money saved...

* Oh come on, we have more than a smidge. It's at least a spot.

~ ...and we're saving roughly a bagillion dollars by flying standby (thanks Uncle!), so we don't actually need tickets. We've got some lovely cousins meeting us in Sydney, and a very pretty spot all picked out on the strength of not one but TWO recommendations. Also, Byron Bay's website is very, very promising.

* So, with one thing and another, we are departing in just a few short weeks on what looks to be a grand adventure.

~ Of indeterminate length. Until we get bored, broke, or deported.

* As the first is unlikely and I'm not voting for the other two, what do say we just stay?

~ Fine by me, mate.

*~ Prepare to initiate Operation Wallaby!