Well folks, here goes! Today I'm leaving on a plane for just over 26 hours of transit time. I've got some good music and some good books, but its definitely going to be a long one. Hopefully I don't have a rant-worthy travel experience and everything goes smoothly. That said, I'm not helping the situation, as my carry on contains some pretty intimidating traditional climbing gear. I'll let you know how that goes:)

The last couple days at home have been really great. Last night I had the opportunity to see many family members and friends who came to wish me off. The cake below was made by Judy, who is without a doubt one of the most creative people I know. Everything is edible (and it was delicious!) It broke my heart to cut the cake, but I'm glad I got a picture before the work of art was demolished. 

I'm quite tempted to put P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney on my customs card. Much to my disappointment though (SPOILER ALERT!) the famous address that no 90's baby will ever forget does not exist.

My friend Jake who came to Lakehead on exchange last year is picking me up in Sydney when I land on Tuesday, and I'm spending my first few days down under with him. January 26th is Australia day and I'm told I'm in for a real treat. On the 28th and 29th I'm going Scuba Diving, and on the 30th I'm getting on a bus to Bega to meet with two wonderful people who I worked with this summer. One was a Lakehead student who went to Australia on exchange, and the other was an Australian exchange who came to Lakehead the following year. Now they are married living in a perpetual summer between Canada and Australia. A group of us are going on a hike called Nadgee and I'm so excited.

My gear to clothes ratio is pretty noteworthy. In the end, I've opted to bring the majority of my climbing gear (rope, harness, shoes, trad rack), a tent, a sleeping bag, a sleeping pad, a stove (new trangia), Steri Pen, and the essentials.

Best of luck to my family and friends in the coming months. I'll miss ya for sure but I'm so excited for this adventure to begin.

--New Book-- Solitude by Robert Kull
--New Music-- Explosions in the Sky Discography