Packing Preparations

Six (6!) days and counting until departure :)  I have decided on which pieces of luggage I'll be taking: The two Skyways cases that served me very well during my last trip to Europe and two Crumpler pieces (satchel and backpack) all of which I can trust to be light and durable.  The cases will be checked through to Vienna and the satchel/backpack will come with me on the planes.  The weather in Austria is said to be very unpredictable in April… but hey! I'm from Four-Seasons-In-One-Day Melbourne so I figure I'll cope.

Being the list-loving person that I am I have created a comprehensive Word Doc inventory of everything that I intend on packing.  I have also been watching YouTube videos made by seasoned long-haul travellers on how to pack and what to pack for that extra bit of cattle-class in-flight comfort.

The recent events with the missing Malaysian Airlines plane has given me a certain sense of deja vu! Last time I flew to Europe was a few weeks after the September 11 events...  which, while slightly disconcerting at the time actually made for a VERY comfortable flying experience due to lower than usual passenger numbers.  I had a whole row of seats to myself on the longest leg and slept very well all stretched out.  Until the Malaysian Airlines plane is found I guess they will keep suspecting terrorism which may mean increased security… but oh well… good!

I'm keeping up with my Olive Leaf extract dosages and have so far avoided illness despite recent work at a childcare centre where I was coughed over for all three days.  Fingers crossed I remain healthy despite the reported measles outbreak too!

Guessworking Abroad!

The countdown has begun and in 10 (TEN!) days I will be departing Australia for Austria via Hong Kong and Helsinki.  This will be my main journal site that I will hopefully maintain for the full 5 weeks using my iPhone Blogger app.  

For over 640 days this trip has been planned by me and my very significant other, Alex, so naturally I'm very excited and more than a little nervous!  I have travelled to Europe before in 2001 but with an Australian's Studying Abroad tour group that was conducted in conjunction with Monash University.  This time I will only have myself to rely on until I meet Alex at Vienna Airport.

I'll be staying in the city of Graz (Austria's second largest city) and Alex's family home in Waldschach (approximately 40 mins from Graz).  My exact dates are: depart Sydney March 25, arrive Vienna March 26, depart Vienna April 30, arrive Sydney May 2.

I'm feeling fairly well prepared with my passport, travel insurance and packing mostly organised and ready to go.  I'm looking forward to spending the small amount of foreign currencies that I've had stashed for years and hope that they are still legal tender!