Down Under

This will be one of world's fastest updates, but I wanted to state to the world that I arrived safely in Australia yesterday morning. Our flights were smooth and uneventful. The 12-hour one from LA to Auckland was so empty that there was enough space for Kayla, Amanda, and me to each have our own row of seats to stretch out and sleep on. I made myself stay awake until after 6:00 AM Indy time as part of my grand scheme to minimize jet lag. Then I slept most of the rest of the way to Auckland and most of the flight on to Melbourne.

We explored the airport in Auckland, and I was surprised at the reasonable prices on things. A nice contrast to Norway and Iceland! Since we were in New Zealand for sunrise, it's probably safe to say that we greeted Tuesday, August 29, before any of the rest of you.

We arrived in Melbourne around 8:30 Tuesday morning, and Shereen Shaker picked us up. We went back to the Shaker house, showered and got ready for the day, then went out to lunch at a nice little cafe called Barclay's with Shereen and Daniel. Then we went to a mall and grocery store to run errands. We took a walk in the neighborhood and visited Amanda's maternal grandfather before dinner. He's going to have us back to his house on Friday for fish and chips. His favorite fish to order is shark, so that will be an adventure. Carol arrived home from her cruise this evening, so we got to catch up with her before dinner.

We hit the sack early, and I slept well through the night. Woke up once feeling very awake and thought, "This is jet lag." But I went back to sleep quickly and slept till morning. I'm feeling great now, so the jet lag minimization strategy is working well so far.

Today we're taking the train into Melbourne to see Vic Market and other sights in the city. Okay, not such a short update. Must go grab breakfast now.