Planning a trip....

This may be  the last time I make the long trip to Australia to see good friends and my family.  

I have always had the fear of flying, its not so much when I am flying but before I actually board the plane.  The last time I asked the doctor for some tablets to help calm me down, and he said to take one just after I leave home and another on the plane before take off.  I totally forgot to even take them out of my bag!!

I booked and paid the fare online and  it was worse than making that bid on Ebay just seconds before the auction ends.  I shook like a leaf.  Once that pay button was pressed there was no going back - its done!

OK OK - its four months away......but I need that time to let everybody know when I am coming, especially my friends.  Dad?  He will expect me when I arrive.  He is not going anywhere, but friends have other commitments and I really must fit in with them. 

I saw one of these in a Charity shop just last week.  I wish I bought it.  Its fun isn't it?  No not the mug!....the spread sheets.  Thats what I have been doing for the last couple weeks.

 

I am planning my trip - where I hope to be - train, bus, coach and plane times when I get there, and places I am visiting is blocked and colour coded, so I know exactly where I am and so will everyone else.  The internet is such a wonderful source of information.

 

Now this is the fun part.  I am going for four weeks - and for eight of those days I am  in Brisbane.  I have five friends to see in a radius of 2 - 4 hours drive by car and accessible by public transport.  One friend so far, has received a draft  copy of my spreadsheet (others will get a copy soon) and had confirmed  her days with me.  Well that is what I thought until I received an e.mail from her this morning to say there could be a slight hic cup that she has just found out that she might be flying to Japan during the few days I am in Brisbane - or she might not, she can't say until the New Year. 

 

As I haven't seen this friend for such a long time and I want my trip plan finalised soon,  it is re-shuffle time and Brisbane (colour coded green) has now moved to another slot, and the other colour coded towns (orange, yellow, purple and pink) have had to move again to fit in.  The colour coded towns are the base where I will be staying and I can visit other nearby places during that time.

 

I never thought that planning a trip would take so long - but once I have that sorted, then I can move on.....to......

 

Oh dear my Passports are about to expire.......