Cairns...again...

So we are on round two of Cairns which only means one thing...our trip is coming to a close. Tomorrow (Saturday) is our last day in Australia. Sunday begins the hellacious travel day we call July 3rd. We leave Cairns at 5:30 am....we land in Chicago at 5:20 pm....here is the twist: our flight to Brisbane is 2 hrs...a 2 hrs layover...13 hrs to Los Angeles...quick layover...then 4 hours home. Add that to the 3 hr wait for our shuttle plus a 4 hr drive to Champaign and July 3rd becomes the longest day of my year. 28 hours travel time...all happening on July 3rd. Oh international date line, you heartless bitch.

We have all put travel to the back of our minds and are enjoying what we can while we can. Today was a relaxing day of shopping, chatting on Skype Isaiah, souvenir hunting, a delicious Italian meal cooked by the 5 guys; and then after playing beauty parlor with the girls and making Kyle a hemp necklace, a few of us went to see Bridesmaids. The souvenirs were plentiful, the meal...ridiculously amazing, Hailey's hair was fin to d and the movie was hilarious.

Tomorrow Sarah, Sean, Mowgli (stuffed panther mascot) and I plan to hit the beach to get a little more sun to top off the tans we got at the Great Barrier Reef. We have another group meal tomorrow night so I won't get to stay at the beach all day, I have to take the cooking group shopping. Hopefully some people will till be around since most of the students are going to Kuranda to hold a Koala bear. We fed kangaroos in the rainforest at a restaurant....no need to do it twice and this time it super isn't free. I would rather enjoy the ocean for one last day.

My only stressor at this point: one 50 lb. suitcase, one carryon and one personal item....how do I condense ALL this stuff into that baggage maximum......I need Harry Potter or something! Excited to be heading home soon, though. I miss Isaiah and Sipper and the Walsh family. To go from seeing them daily to not at all for 33 days is tough! I'm coming home and i'm bringing goodies!!!!