11/10 - A Long Way From Home - Brisbane

First off, let me say that I am the luckiest woman on the planet to have such amazing friends all over the world who are willing to look after me on holiday (see, I've picked up some Aussie already). The flights weren't the easiest (they shall get their own blog), but there is nothing in this world more wonderful than getting met at the airport.....really truly. So, no matter what your friends say about not bothering to pick them up - do it if you can.
So I come off the plane, clear Australian customs (which was an experiment where I got to use the automatic entry machine even though I'm American - and a successful one because I got through in less than 10 minutes), didn't have to get my luggage because it didn't travel with me (another blog).....walk through the security and find a familiar face waiting.
Who cares about luggage? We're off to see koalas and kangaroos and wombats and tasmanian devils and even the platypus put on a show for me. A quick driving tour of Brisbane was included in the welcome package - but it was a bit drizzly so we didn't go out and about. Then there's a stop at a mall to grab me an extra set of clothes just in case mine really don't arrive the next day, the liquor store because John's GF enjoys a drink once in a while just as I do, and eventually we end up at this beautiful house that is exactly what I'd want if I lived in the Gold Coast, where John cooks up a delightful Shepherds Pie to go with our adult beverages, and his GF feeds the kookaburras so I can get a closeup.
I went to bed with a smile on my face.......because it was so incredibly wonderful and amazing and beautiful and darn near perfect.
You wouldn't think it could get any better, would you? But it did......