Travelogue

Well, it has been a little while, but I thought I would give an update on some of my recent travels.

I was able to make a quick trip to the US a few weeks ago for a work training in Chicago. I stopped by Vancouver on my way, and it was great to get to see family for a few days. The trip there was a little crazy though. My flight out of Melbourne was delayed because the baggage system was down at the Melbourne airport. I had to stand in the check-in line for over an hour. When we finally got on the plane (1.5 hours late), we then had to wait on the tarmac another hour because they said it was taking longer than anticipated to gather all of the bags. At that point, I was pretty sure I would be lucky if my bag ended up on the plane. It didn't.

I also missed my connecting flight in LA. The whole thing was generally pretty chaotic and required standing in several more long lines. I've never been a big fan of the LA airport. However, I will say it felt like home when I asked a food vendor at the airport for a cup of water and they promptly filled the cup with ice. I haven't had ice-water since leaving the States (outside of my apartment, of course). Why don't Australians appreciate cold water like I do?

I had to borrow my brother's clothes (thanks Tyler!) for the three days I was in Vancouver. My bag finally arrived the evening before I left for Chicago. My suitcase looked like it had seen better days, but I was just happy to have my clothes before leaving for Chicago. My training was nothing special, but I did realize how much I missed Americans.

Do you know what else I missed? Side dishes. For instance, we had a "boxed lunch" on our last day of training that included a sandwich, a bag of chips, a side of fruit salad, a side of pasta salad, and a cookie. That was probably a bit much, but an Australian lunch consists of a sandwich and nothing else. It drives me crazy! I'm sure eating side dishes with every meal doesn't help our waistlines, but I feel like after I eat a couple bites of something, I want a bite of something different to mix it up. In Australia, I have given up asking for side dishes (eg, requesting a bag of potato chips at a sandwich shop) because I only get looks of confusion.

So it was good to be in the US again, but it was also nice to get back to my adopted home in Melbourne (especially because that's where Kristi was!) Unfortunately, one week after being home, I was sent to Adelaide for a one-week business trip. I discovered mainly that Adelaide wasn't too exciting; Although, at about 1.5 million people, the city reminded me more of the type and size I am used to in the US (ie, Portland and Sacramento). In that sense, it reminded me of home.

Travelling domestically in Australia is something quite different than travelling in the US. For instance, I've now flown on three round-trips in Australia and I have never once been asked to show ID - not even to get my boarding pass. In fact, you aren't even required to have a boarding pass to get through security. And speaking of security, they look at you funny if you take your shoes off, all liquids are allowed, and although they do perform spontaneous bag searches, they ask you politely if it is okay if you are selected (what if you say no?). I set off one of the alarms once (I think because they told me to keep my belt on), and the lady just told me to go back and "run" through the second time. It didn't go off and I was on my way.

On my way from Chicago back to LA on my US trip, I happened to be sitting next to someone who was from Australia. She asked me if American Airlines was one of the "discount" carriers in the US. I said "of course not - this is one of our full-service airlines". She looked puzzled and asked me what "full-service" they provided. Indeed, they charge for in-flight snacks and checked bags and don't offer any in-flight entertainment, or any other perks for that matter.

Meanwhile, on my one-hour flight to Adelaide on Qantas I got a complimentary newspaper, complimentary in-flight entertainment (TV shows), complimentary drinks (including free alcoholic beverages), and a full hot meal (which I thought existed only in old movies). And, they didn't charge to check bags. Travel in the US now seems a bit lame.

Now I am back and don't foresee having to travel again any time soon, which is nice. However, Kristi and I are looking forward to going to back the US for a longer visit over the holidays. We'll hope for smoother travels!