First Post

Welcome! Here is the official start of von Weller and Pratt’s adventure in Oz! I first thought of this idea on the 11-hour flight to Fiji, as I didn’t have much to read with me and the movies on my Air Pacific flight weren’t working. Don’t get me wrong, I know I am not the first to think of a trip blog but to be honest I never thought I would be interested in doing one.

First of all I am not a writer. As my dear friend Brindley would probably articulate every detail with such observant beauty, I will probably just tell you what we do each day. And secondly, this probably isn’t for the reader – sorry! I have been lucky to experience so many things in my life that I really just want a running record of this trip. So here goes…..

LAX, Fiji, Sydney

So the trip started at the train station in Solana Beach. One of the sweetest people in the world, Alice, kindly took me to the train station, after picking me up the night before at the SD airport, so that I could catch the train to LAX. It was cheaper than parking and it offered me some down time. After switching from train to bus, I finally got to LAX to the most tremendous line ever! No online booking with Air Pacific. I met three people in line – Daisy, a Swiss girl living in LA traveling to New Zealand to meet a boy, and two gentlemen, Eric and Travis going to Fiji for a “hedonistic/exotic four day New Year’s Eve Party”. Those are his exact words. I don’t know what it is but when I hear hedonistic exotic party I just think people who like to do drugs, drink and have sex with a bunch of different people. I don’t think I know what hedonism is!

We finally made it on our 747. This is the biggest plane I have ever been on – it has stairs! Thanks to a little medicinal help the 11 hour flight was simple! I watched a little bit of Julie/Julia (when working) and promptly fell asleep, waking up an hour and a half before we landed. Just in time for breakfast!

The Fiji airport was small and simple but looking out the windows made me want to venture out. It is beautiful! I sat and had a cup of coffee with Chris and her brother, two people I met in line boarding the plane, and their trip sounds amazing. Chris, has a yacht, which will arrive in Sydney a month after they arrive. They will then sail up the coast of Australia to all the scuba and fishing spots. Until then, they will be just traveling around Australia, spending time luxury camping here and working on a ranch here and seeing something else amazing there….Oh to be wealthy!

Right now I am sitting on the plane from Nadi to Sydney. I feel what children must feel on Christmas morning or on the ride out to Disneyland. The pure excitement for the people I am going to meet, the things I am going to see, and the time with von Weller is making me anxious to be there. By the way, I am drinking a beer. Fiji Bitter to be exact and it is 8:30 AM. I thought it would help.