We're pretty well over the colds that plagued us for the early part of the week, and it's time to start organizing for next week's flight to Australia.
Once we start flying May 16, we'll add nearly 18,000 miles to various mileage accounts before landing in Sydney early on the morning of May 20.
Kathy is double checking hotel reservations to see if any prices have dropped (alas, they haven't, other than finding out from FlyerTalk friends that we could pick two hotel nights in Darwin for an amazing 5000 points per night).
Brian has notified our bank that we may be withdrawing funds with our ATM card, and has let a couple of credit card companies - the ones without foreign transaction fees - know as well.
The roll-aboards are out and it's nearly time to start packing them.
Kathy and Brian
Two retired educators alternating joyfully between seeing the world and enjoying our eight grandchildren (in order of birth), Jake, Avery, Taegan, Lily, Peyton, Riley, Blane, and Jace.
Kathy and Brian met in the clarinet section of the University of California (Santa Barbara) Symphony Orchestra several decades ago.
Brian's Western Canadian roots and Kathy's Colorado ties resulted in their making beautiful music together along with producing a cross-border crop of descendants.
Kathy spent a year studying in Vienna at the Institute for European Studies and the University of Vienna.
Brian started the school band program in Hope, British Columbia, and later became the high school's vice-principal for 6 years and subsequently principal for 15 years before retiring in 2001.
Kathy, in between raising our three children, taught kindergarten and first grade, middle school, and high school - mathematics, computer studies, ESL, and her first love, band, before retiring in 2001.
We enjoy sharing our travel experiences and providing the odd travel tip to friends, relatives, and visitors.