The trip is just one 12 days away now. Its starting to become reality to me, its hitting me hard. I have so much to do and such little time. I’ve got all my documents and everything is paid off and ready to go. Just waiting on a few things to be emailed to me so i have back up copies while im away. But other than that its all done. Now its just a matter of trying not to panic and staying calm (panic that im forgetting something).

A lot of the people I am on contiki with are leaving over the next week. Someone left last night, a few days and another couple go, and then the big lot going around the same time I am. It will be good once I hit new york to get to meet everyone and finally get to meet people in real life. We have been chatting on facebook for some time now.

So with all the plans done, I finally can give you all the finalised trip (which now has a little sidetrip at the end.. you’ll see).

September 9th – Last Day at Work
September 10th – Pack & Panic
September 11th (hehehe) – It begins
5am: Pick up at home by Murrays Coaches (freebie from work) in a 9 seat executive Van (whatever that is).
QF389 – Brisbane to Tokyo (Narita) 0845/1705 – Boeing 767-300/ER – Operated by JAL
Overnight – Hotel Nikko Narita
September 12th – Moring to Explore Narita (do some plane spotting)
NW20 – Tokyo (Narita) to Minneapolis-St Paul 1625/1320 – Boeing 747-400 – Operated by Northwest/Delta
NW5665 – Minneapolis-St Paul to Washington DC Dulles 1500/1828 – Embraer 175 – Operated by Compass Airlines
September 12-15th – Washington DC – Hotel: Liason Hotel Capitol Hill
September 13th – Explore
September 14th – Explore (Pentagon Tour Booked, Capitol Hill Tour Booked).
September 15th
Amtrak Acela Express – 0900/1145 – Washington DC Union Station to New York City Penn Station
September 15th – 18th – New York City – Hotel: Milford Plaza Hotel
September 16th: Explore (possibly Yankees Game)
September 17th: Explore (USS Intrepid Museum)
September 18th: Contiki Grand Northern Tour: Itinerary
October 12-17th – Anaheim – Hotel: Hilton Anaheim (nothing yet planned playing all these days by ear)
October 17th
VX781 – Los Angeles to Seattle 0915/1155 – Airbus A319 – Operated by Virgin America
October 17-21 – Seattle – Hotel: Executive Pacific Hotel
October 18th: Morning Pikes Place Market Tour, Afternoon – Seattle Seahawks vs Arizona Cardinals
October 19th: Morning Boeing Factory Tour
October 20th: Car Hire Booked with Budget – Plane Spotting Day
October 21st
NW219 – Seattle to Honolulu 0820/1116 – Boeing 757-300 – Operated by Northwest/Delta
October 21-25th – Honolulu Hawaii – Hotel: Aqua Waikiki Wave
October 22nd: Explore
October 23rd: Morning – USS Arizona, Missouri & Punchbowl Tour
October 24th: Explore
October 25th
NW21 – Honolulu to Tokyo (Narita) 1235/1630+1 – Airbus A330-300 – Operated by Northwest/Delta
October 26th
QF390 – Tokyo (Narita) to Brisbane 2110/0705+1 – Boeing 767-300/ER – Operated by JAL
October 27th – Home… but not for long
October 28th – Rest & Re Pack
October 29th
QF782 – Brisbane to Cairns 0955/1215 – Boeing 737-400 – Operated by Qantas
Retrieve Hire Car Booked with Avis
October 29th-31st – Cape Tribulation – Hotel: Cape Tribulation Resort & Spa
October 31st-November 2nd – Cairns – Hotel: Palm Royale Cairns
November 2nd
QF649 – Cairns to Brisbane 1255/1505 – Boeing 737-800 – Operated by Qantas
November 3rd: Home – Rest
November 4th: Back to work

Its gonna be AWESOME

omg things are getting so close now. its only 20 days left at time of posting. My god i cant wait. I need to calm down and start thinking straight about what i need to get done before i go. I have all my US Dollars all on my new lovely green ANZ travel visa (they rock had one last time) and should be able to get my Shiny Canadian Red Travel Visa on friday. Picking up all my documents on Friday to.

I have bought the tickets to the Football in seattle (which they moved the game time from 4pm to 1pm bastards so its cutting it fine with the end of the tour i am on that morning). All the day tours that i wanted to pre book are all done. Soon it will be go time and I can just wing it off to the US and forget about what a shitty life i have had lately.

Ive had to change around a few things in Seattle as the transfers no longer dropped off at hotels but ive been recommended a transfer company that will do private transfers for $40USD What a bargain! So we shall see how that goes. Ive booked one way at the moment with a cash payment and if it goes well. I will just book the return that afternoon.

Things are going good at work at the moment to. Unreal deals is almost over which may mean some form of normalcy will return…. hopefully!

well its been quite a while since the last update. Life has been pretty busy and i have been really slack. It’s down to like 6 weeks till i go.

a few more problems have arisen. My travel agent quit without telling me. So a few problems have arisen since then with transfers and refunds etc but the new manager of the store is fixing that up.

things are getting closer. Need to get my $$$ exchanged soon. Life has been a bit all over the place with a lot of changes here and there, but life moves forward… can’t live in the past!