We're Going to Australia! (also, I suck at planning)

Did I say Australia? Yes, I did. Did I say videos? Yes, I did. Will either of these things make this post any more entertaining, readable, or even just tolerable? Probably not. After all, I'm still the one writing. But if I can just take the time to write these haphazard posts when I remember to then I'd like to think I am getting some use out of my English degree.

Though sometimes I think this might be a better option

What was I... right, we're going to Australia! I'm assuming your reaction is either "Wow, that's cool!" or "Wow, you're finally doing something cool!" unless you're one of my co-workers, then its probably "You're going to be gone for a week?! I'm not doing your work. Fuck you, Alan!" Don't worry, though, I've got it all planned out. And if you read the title you know that's a lie. Honestly, I plan to just leave a list of work on my desk and hope everyone can split it without burning the place down. Haha, yeah, that's what my parents would always say when they left my siblings and I alone. "Don't burn the house down," they'd say as they drive off. Such confidence my parents had in our survival skills.The saddest part is they still say it. All the time.
   Damn, distracted again. Okay, plans. I was talking about plans. Yep, three of us will be traveling to Australia. I assume everyone in the group has already made a list of things to do. I am hoping, if they have a chance to get away from their daily lives, to meet up with some of my old Plume IS dorm mates and do Australian stuff (like ride kangaroos, compare knives, and um...kangaroo boxing... I know nothing about Australian culture). Also, we will probably, hopefully, take a much needed (I am anticipating) day to all split up and wander off individually, because if you've ever spent a week straight with me, you're either family or else have been driven clinically insane (as the old saying goes, Not everyone whose clinically insane is family, but everyone in my family has been fitted for a straight jacket).
     Yep, one week Down Under (do people still call it that?). One week in a country stereotyped as the land where everything is actively trying to kill you. One week of trying to keep my sanity as I watch the toilet flush counter-clockwise (I promise a video if this is actually true). One week in a country whose main attractions, according to the Internet and my search preferences, are koalas, kangaroos, Drop Bear myths (a thank you to Jane for the link and for causing me to piss my pants when I thought they were real), that's-not-a-knife jokes, and stalking this girl (you will be mine)

It's gonna be great!
....Sadly, that's where all my contributions to the planning of this trip end. Because I suck at planning.
   Thinking back to all the trips I've been on, I tend to contribute as little as possible to the planning of trips. I know this is probably going to piss you guys off if you're reading this right now, but it's the truth. Luckily, no one ever reads this so my secret is still safe. It's not on purpose. Honestly, it's because the things that sound interesting and I suggest we do usually turn out to be quite horrible (more on that later). Besides, wandering around and even getting lost is sometimes the best part of traveling. But seriously, very little is given to the planning process by me. My contributions to the Seattle trip was giving everyone a ride to the airport and this dialogue (practically verbatim):
    Ben: "Hey, we're going to visit Allison in Seattle over spring break. Wanna come?"
    Me: "OK"
This is also the same conversation I had regarding the Kyoto trip planning:
    Terry: "Hey, wanna go to Kyoto?"
     Me: "OK"
I take that back, I did say that we should wander around Fushimi Inari shrine. Remember how I said that the things I plan turn out to be horrible? Yeah, but that turned out to be fun, right?

The stairs would never end. And there wasn't anything at the top. Yeah, Terry still won't let me live that bad idea down. Thanks again for planning out all the other sites to visit as well as booking the round trip bus ride and hostel rooms.
    Though, I'll also admit that my lack of planning does get me into trouble at times. Like apparently  the reason you hike Mt. Fuji in the summer is because doing it at any other time during the year will kill you, and not because it's hot and humid like the rest of Japan. And at the top of a mountain is ice so you should dress in your winter clothes... but I'm from Hawaii and winter is just a story you hear about in school... you know, until you actually experience cold

Honestly, I also avoid planning because nothing ever goes according to plan, not even partially. Everything usually goes awry right from the start and I don't even make it through phase one. But, luckily, I travel with people who are not only great planners, but they've got luck on their side, usually.


As a side note before I go, I would also like to acknowledge that my knowledge of Australia (and everywhere else, in fact) is severely limited by my lack of travel as well as my laziness to actually research into this place we call the Earth to the point that it is almost offensive and possibly inaccurate to say that I live on this planet. That being said, most of what I know about Australia comes from that one movie, you know, with the American in Australia.

No, not Crocodile Dundee. The other movie, with that one character with the European accent.

No, not Quigley Down Under, either. Wow, you are horrible at this. Come on, what was the name of that movie... it had the European one, the American one, and the Australian one... oh, and John Candy was in it... ah, I got it

Yeah, that's the one.