and in the begining...............

.....you need a visa!

My biggest challenge in preparing to go to Australia, so far, has been trying to get my visa application settled. I was therefore very happy to discover that my passport is on its way, via UPS overnight delivery, back to Arlington. I had to send my passport to the Australian Embassy in Washington D.C. so it could be "evidenced." This apparently means they put something in my passport which shows customs I have a valid visa.

Having my evidenced passport back in my hands again will be my official confirmation that my 419 visiting academic visa status is approved. In other words, the Australian government is Ok with me coming down for a visit, going out into the bush, digging in the dirt, and playing with ants. (Hopefully I did not confuse anyone with the term bush......unlike our own U.S. use of this term - bush being a synonym for incompetence - in Australia "bush" is slang for the outback. I'll be sure to try to keep pointing out these language differences as they crop up in my posts.)

Perhaps I will look back in a week or so and laugh at the idea that getting my visa seemed a chore, in light of other mountains I may need to climb over on the way to November 1. That afternoon will find Maria and I at Logan airport to begin our long day's journey to the other side of the world:

01 NOV 07 - THURSDAY

UNITED AIRLINES FLT:181 ECONOMY

LV BOSTON 245P
AR SAN FRANCISCO 619P NON-STOP

UNITED AIRLINES FLT:863

LV SAN FRANCISCO 1024P

03 NOV 07 - SATURDAY

AR SYDNEY 650A

QANTAS AIRWAYS FLT:575

LV SYDNEY 845A

AR PERTH 1130A