August 8, 2013: The Day that Never Was

Have you ever lost an entire day? Perhaps you slept through it. Perhaps you forgot to tear off a day from your calendar. You may have simply wanted to forget a day, or make one speed up. Or perhaps, like Steve and me, you lost it somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. Yes… the International Date Line.

International Date Line: noun.

1. “a theoretical line following approximately the 180^th meridian” [that’s the 180^th latitude line if you look at a globe], “the regions to the east of which are counted as being one day earlier in their calendar dates than the regions to the west.” (According to the Dictionary.com app on my phone.)

Mysterious as the Bermuda triangle, this International Date Line is a source of consternation for some. (What day is it? What time is it? What? I’m so sleepy.) For me, crossing this date line takes me back, way back, to the beginning of my travel obsession. My first extra-continental adventure was my 2006 summer teaching trip to Japan at the ripe old age of 20. Now, to celebrate my 28 years of existence, I get to go back to where it all started… tomorrow!

My very handsome and generous boyfriend, Steve, wanted to get me something great for this birthday, but much to his chagrin, he does not like to shop. Much to my delight, he does like to travel… so he suggested a trip to the one place I’ve wanted to go as long as I can remember. Australia! The Land Down Under! So, not only is he helping me outsmart that International Date Line, he taking me to a whole new hemisphere, to a land of kangaroos and koalas and platypuses (platypii?) and wallabies and Vegemite and the Great Barrier Reef AND backward-flushing toilets! I’m so excited I could spit if I weren’t a lady!

What’s also fun about traveling with Steve is that he consistently is upgraded from economy to business class—which is the appealing land of free food and spacious seats! Please see the pictures. =)

Now down to the nitty gritty. Here’s our flight itinerary: IAD>LAX>SYD

We were delayed at Dulles (IAD) for about an hour, but once we got on our way, we were set. It’s about a five hour flight from IAD to LAX, where we were supposed to have about a 2 hour and 15 minute layover—plenty of time, even with a delay. While in the air, I got to see lightning in the clouds, the longest and most beautiful sunset that God could possibly allow August 7 to produce, read a bit in a book, listened to a church podcast, AND started this blog. My fingers have been aching to blog for months now!

The bulk of our journey took place over the Pacific—approximately 14.5 hours! My trip to Japan was 14, so this Australian adventure is officially my new flight record. Because Steve got us bumped up to Business Class, as got personal, large TVs with movie, TV, game, music, and other entertainment options, “lay-flat” seats that are as much like a bed as we could get, LOADS of food, and more than enough room around us. I’ve never flown in style quite like this before!

So, what does one do on a plane for 14.5 hours? Well, one might watch Disney’s Mulan, part of Nicolas Sparks’ Safe Haven, read, charge one’s phone, eat, sleep (thank Heavens for melatonin!), watch the plane on the little animated map, be wished “happy birthday” by one’s handsome boyfriend (kiss included), fill out paperwork to enter the country, eat breakfast, have caffeinated coffee for the first time in many months (who’s getting excited!), and blog. See? There’s plenty to do to keep busy on the plane!

So, what’s the plan when we land?

Well, first things first—customs! Customs are a bit different everywhere I’ve been, and Steve doesn’t remember what happens in what order from the last time he visited Sydney, so that’ll be something new and fun to report later. Once we’ve cleared customs, we’ll head to the hotel, possibly by taxi or public transport, leave our stuff (we won’t be able to check into our rooms until 2:00 pm), and head out for the day! We have a 9:00 am tour scheduled at the Sydney Opera House—hooray!—so we will probably go straight there from the hotel. Steve and I have been planning this for three months now. I can’t believe it’s finally time!

Please join me for this momentous and long-awaited (for me) Down Under adventure! Happy 28^th birthday to me!  Pictures to come when I have more reliable Internet access!