G'Day! Greetings from Sydney!

Phew! Finally blogging--- and at $0.50 a minute, no less. I wish I could have gotten this website rolling before I left, but the days leading up to my trip were filled with finals, goodbyes, and all-around chaos. So here I am, unexpectedly blogging from Sydney, Australia.

I will spare you the whining (well, most of it) and stressful details-- to make a long story short, the Australian airline messed up and didn't give me enough time to get through customs. Please take a moment to picture me running (with my fractured shin, no less!) with 3 rolling bags (two were attached, like a little wagon train) through the Sydney airport. The clock said 7:29, and my flight was scheduled to leave at 7:30. Fun. Cultural note: Australians are not as stressed and frantic as Americans. I think I scared a few jolly Aussies.

I should back up a little. My journey started in Atlanta, then I went to Chicago and waited SIX HOURS for my next flight. I rode the moving sidewalks for "fun" and felt like I was filming that dreadful movie, The Terminal. Of course, though, that flight was delayed an hour, with the waiting passengers turning into an irate mob. Those fancy pants people with the frequent flier miles can get ANGRY! That turned out to be a pleasant flight however, as the cute young Australian guy next to me was reading the same Ayn Rand book that I had brought on the flight. We chatted quite a bit and then found out that we were booked for the same row on the flight from San Fransisco to Sydney. It was nice to form a camaraderie in a sea of strangers. And it was very entertaining. Example:

Aussie guy: Oh no! I can't find my jumper!
Me (after scrambling and searching around in the seats for a few minutes): Wait--- that means "jacket", right?

Hmm. That little incident does not seem as entertaining now. Apparently my exhaustion and stress had clouded my judgment. :)

Annnnyway, not too much else to say about the journey except that I ate lots, my feet swelled up like I never knew they could, and I have (partially) arrived safely and soundly.

So, Australia. The airline that messed up has put me up in a hotel for the night, with lunch and dinner included, and I fly out for Port Moresby tomorrow morning (5 am wake-up-- more fun!). But I'm really not complaining; unplanned detours are always the best, and my Sydney field trip has been no exception. :)

First, my hotel. I may eventually put my photos on a photo site but for now I hope inserting photos directly into my blog will help illustrate my adventure. :)

After many, many minutes of trying, it appears that my photos have to be uploaded in a separate post, so I will continue from there. Stay tuned!