Hello…how bout that ride in? I guess that’s why they call it down under.

I’m here! I’m here! After months of saving up, planning and saying good bye, I am finally here.

The past few days have been hectic to say the least. I started my departure in Chicago. I spent my last weekend in the states there visiting friends I made while studying abroad in London a few years ago. It was a great weekend and a fantastic send off.

I arrived at Chicago O’Hare around 5 a.m. Monday morning. My flight did not depart until 10 a.m., but I am always paranoid about missing flights so I got there really early. This was the most nervous I have ever been for a flight. Not for fear of danger, but because of all the negative commentary by fellow travel bloggers about TSA since the recent scare in America in December. But I had a great experience. It was quick and everyone seemed on point.

I flew with Japan Airlines (JAL) to Tokyo. The flight was about 13 hours, but felt quick. JAL is a fantastic airline. The staff were friendly. The food was delicious. It provided endless entertainment. I watched “This is it,” “Up,” and more. “Up” is my new favorite movie and perfect for travelers.

I didn’t sleep much on the first flight, but when I arrived in Tokyo I didn’t feel half bad. My main goal at the airport in Tokyo was to eat sushi. I failed! I couldn’t find it anywhere. Maybe I was delirious, but I settled on Pho, which was ok.

My layover was five hours long and I crashed about two hours into it. All that non-sleeping finally caught up with me and it was painful. It took all my energy to just stay awake until boarding the plane. As soon as I hit that seat, I was out. I didn’t even eat one of my meals and I am never one to turn down free food. The second flight, also with JAL, was only nine hours long. I slept through most of it and drank coffee through the rest.

Finally, I arrived in Sydney, Australia at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, January 27. After through customs and security I bought a Vodafone. I just bought the cheapest pre-paid plan and phone. I still don’t know if that’s right for me. If it’s not at least it was an inexpensive risk. A shuttle dropped my off at the Sebel in Surry Hills. I only stayed in a hotel my first night to catch up on sleep.

My goal for day one in Sydney was to stay awake at least until 8 p.m. I made it until 7:30 p.m., which isn’t bad. I didn’t plan to visit any major tourist attractions that day, but I ended up at the Opera House and Darling Harbour.

I’ve only been in Sydney for a day, but here are my thoughts so far. The city’s look is hard to describe, but beautiful. It has a lot of European details in the buildings and decor, but also American influences in the entertainment and size. There are 711s and The Simpsons are on Fox all the time!

The people are calm and in suits-like any other city in the world. One thing I noticed is that the women seem to wear less make-up than in the states. They all carry a sort of rustic beauty.

I started walking around the city at 10 a.m. and there were tons of people out running and exercising. I’m not sure how so many people can be exercising on a work day, but it makes me want to work out more.

There’s a feeling you get when you finally see something in person that you have been looking at on paper, in books or on TV your whole life. You’re taken back by it’s size, because you never imagine it to be so big. I got that feeling twice yesterday with the Sydney Opera House and the Harbor Bridge. It’s one of the best feelings in the world and makes two days worth of travel totally worth it.

1/28/09-A view of my new city from my 9th floor hotel room at Sebel Surry Hills. Photo by Bobbi Lee Hitchon

I haven’t felt homesick yet, but I am still too excited to really start thinking about things left behind. I’m sure it will set in eventually. I am staying a Big Hostel for the next few days. My plans for the next week are to find friends, a job and stability.

It’s not going to be an easy adjustment, but doing it in such a thrilling city makes it a lot easier.

Cheers!