G'day from Australia!

Dave and Gloria

I actually slept on the plane, with the medicinal help of my doctor. Yay, Doc! We both feel pretty good even though we crossed the international dateline, flew for 14 hours, then took a train and a cab into Brisbane.

The 90-year-old mother of our friend Mark greeted us. Mark is out of town but letting us stay at his place. His mother told me she wants to trade Mark for Dave. 

I said "No way, I just married him last year." 

She said, "Too bad you didn't marry him 10 years ago, then you might be willing!"

We went on a walk in the neighborhood, had a lovely breakfast/lunch/dinner (my internal clock is making no clear categorizations), and drank caffeine in the hopes we can stay awake until bedtime to allay jet lag.

I like how the young barista called me "sweetheart" and how people here say "no worries" in place of "no problem" or "you're welcome."

It's cool and sunny here, kind of like Santa Cruz. The birds sound tropical, and the lush vegetation adds to that sense. The hilliness and urban chic in this 'hood remind us of Seattle.

Now we are chillin' in Mark's place, listening to him play piano on CD (he's a concert pianist).  Just a few days in, and I'm already very inspired and have been writing like a maniac on the new Travel Adventure Book.

Cheers!