Holy kangaroos!

It's hard to believe that in three weeks I will be in the land "Down Under ." 

The planning and organizing has been different from my other trips. I’ve had to think about issues I didn’t have to worry about for past ones. I’ve been reading a lot of online articles about traveling alone, especially for women. Most of the stuff I’ve read are things I knew or are common sense, but there was new information I gathered.

Many females and males travel to Australia alone, so I know I won't look weird or feel out of place. But I still need to be smart about things, including:

- I will not be mentioning my hotels in this blog or on any social networking site. I will post photos and mention them AFTER I check out, but broadcasting to the entire world where I’m staying, ALONE, with pictures of me, probably isn’t the best idea. 

- I’m going to create “in case of emergency” labels and stick them in my suitcase, inside my coat and on my backpack. It will have my name and place to call (Mom or sister) in case something (knock on wood) bad happens. 

- I’ve never bought pepper spray in my life, or have taken it on a trip. That is another thing I’m going to consider.

 - I’ve never registered with the U.S. Department of State.They have a free service called STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program). By registering my information about this trip, the people over there will be able to assist me more easily in case of an emergency.

 Am I worried that something bad will happen? No. But I need to be as prepared as possible in case the inevitable does.

Is my mother worried? Well, that's another story. :)

- Jamie