Countdown...

Greetings and welcome to my forth update. =)

Well, this is it; I have packed all my things, bought my ticket, insurance, first night acom and gotten some travelers cheques and UK/AU cash.

I leave this country at 10pm on Sunday night and arrive in AU about 24 hours later, WOOHOO! =D

At the moment I’m just organizing the last few little details like assembling and disseminating my itinerary and inventory documents to various locations in case of theft or accident.

The company I bought all my stuff from is called STA Travel. It’s designed for students and young ppl under the age of 26 (I’m 24 although technically no longer a student) and I’ve received a few recommendations from ppl about it.

So, the details; I’m flying with Qantas, I got premium insurance so, baring actually being dead, I got about 5 mil cover in case of just about thing happening (which knowing me – the owner of 2 head scars, a tarmac blasted arm, a clicking wrist and knees which look like they’ve been mauled by tiny bears – anything just might happen) and finally I’m staying in ‘Footprints’ apparently, for the first night.

According to Hannah Summers (which I find exceptionally ironic considering I just spent the last few days reading Questionable Content and loving reading the OCD exploits of Hanners, lol) Legend Has It is right near several notable things to see including the Sydney Opera House and the beach, tho I’m just hoping for a good bicycle shop and lots of road (ye gods yes).

I nearly forgot (nearly while booking and here it would seem) about my visa...yeah, I had to buy 2 considering the short time between my booking my flights and that and actually leaving (about 6 days in total) so I got a ETA/Tourist visa and a working visa on route which permits me to wander the country for 3 months and work in the country for 12, but only 6 for one employer...less of course I get another anyway although I doubt I will want to stop, but you never know.

And that’s about it except that I’m getting annoyed by my family’s behavior (naturally).

My mother is doing the ‘Worried Parent’ act which is starting to piss me off cus, as thoughs who think they know me (as in how do you really know, heh) will say, they treat me more like an object than a person. This is to say that they are worried about their investment abandoning them rather than their son going off to a strange country on the other side of the planet.

Notably, all three of them (Mother, Father and Brother) are complaining cus I’m going this weekend rather than waiting two weeks cus they need a dog walker while M+D are in jersey visiting my Sister.

Oh I’m so sorry that I can’t wait 2 MORE weeks for your convenience cus I want to go get started with MY life. It might be 2 weeks to you but its 2 more weeks to the 6 months or so I’ve been sitting around waiting for you to clear the bloody inheritance (which still isn’t really sorted yet tbh). I mean hell, why not 2 more weeks wait; I may murder them out of sheer cabin fever in 1 and then I wouldn’t have to put up with their bs anymore. Granted this may be in prison but one step at a time, lol.

Frankly I think they think I will fail. They always do you know. A few years back before I went off to college we went out for dinner for some reason and I remember them all laughing when I said I wanted to go to University. 5 years later and here I am, done college, done University (to a point but frankly that wasn’t my fault) and now I’m off to a foreign country for kicks. I’m now of the opinion that they don’t know shit. I can’t wait to be shot of them.

Some people when they go 10,000 miles away from ‘Home’ may get home sick and miss their family. I will miss my dog Charlie more than these fuckers who never believed in me or treated me like a person in my entire life.

This isn’t to say that I won’t keep in contact, they are useful for some things (storage if nothing else) and I’m still owed 20 grand inheritance so a grand gesture isn’t advisable.

Moving on; I’m currently wondering if I’ve got enough luggage. The massive red bag that I got for Christmas is straining at the seams and, with my laptop, my rucksack is gonna be pretty full. Thank gods for combat trousers is all I’m gonna say cus it looks as though 24 hours food (I am not eating plane food) is gonna be lodged in my pockets at this rate.

That’s something I’m still a little confused on though...*makes note to ring Hannah*...how long is my stopover in HK (Hong Kong) going to be cus I didn’t want to stop at all but I think it’s like a day’s stop or something. I know it’s supposed to be a nice place and everything but I don’t want to see it yet.

...yeah so that’s about it I think.

The lack of net access may prevent my access to my website (I know its URL isn’t working btw) so an update may not be forth coming but, after a place to spend nights 2 onwards in Sydney, I will try to find somewhere to jack-in.

The update may be in video too cus I plan on buying a video camera to film my trip (hello uTube) but I gotta work out a lot of stuff like file formats and lowering the quality of the movie down a bit from HD to something which can be uploaded.

So, with any luck, barring engine failure, terrorist attack or getting anally violated at the airport cus some pillock things the shaved muscled man is a terrorist or some other form of criminal (were talking my kinda luck here), you’ll be seeing me on the other side of the world in a week.

G’day! ;)

/Ollie