DISQUS

I didn't get to see Uluru at sunset because it was raining when I was there. We were disappointed, but our tour guide was really good about getting us excited about seeing such a rare occurrence. She said that the only time you see locals at the rock is when it is raining. And, the sunrise made up for any lingering disappointment.

It is a truly impressive sight.

I took the bus to Uluru from Sydney and it sucked. If you can afford to fly, I would say it is probably worth it.

Sydney to the Philippines to Anchorage...what a weird path. Surely, your package will go to Florida next.

or maybe you can get the form from a nearby FedEx and fax it to the FedEx with your package.

That certainly sucks.

I would say contacting them by phone might be the next option if they aren't replying to your email. After that, I would think returning to the place where you actually dropped off the package might yield some information (or finding someone that can do that for you). Maybe it is just sitting in a corner, forgotten and unprocessed.

It seems kind of silly, but I also hadn't really realized exactly how big Australia was until I actually got there. My whole reason for studying abroad there was to see Shark Bay and I never even made it there.

Yay, Adelaide!

And, I just saw on the news that it is even colder in Mpls tonight. Currently -14 F & -36 F with Wind Chill. It really beats down any impulse I've ever had to move back to Minnesota.

This picture makes me think you are understating how unsafe Chungking Masion might be. Fascinating photos.

MiniCards from Moo are great for business cards. They have teamed up with Flickr, so you can put your own pictures on them. They are a cool size and are on thick paper with a great finish.
http://www.moo.com/products/minicards.php

I got my postcard yesterday. Very cool! Thanks!

I work in college admissions and this summer we discovered we could admit a Marshall Islands citizen as a domestic student instead of an international student. Not exactly what I was expecting when we got the application.

An excellent description of a fascinating place. Thanks!

See Transformers!!

I'm so brilliant that I can't spell "wear"...sigh...

It strikes me that this would make a good t-shirt. When your done with your trip, you can where it around town and have an instant conversation starter. :)

If Americans did pay attention to the Rugby World Cup, they would find out that the Eagles suck. Go Wallabies!

Spokane to St. Paul is 30 hours or so and it definitely involved sleeping in my chair. Probably not something that would be so fun now that I am nearing 30, but at 21 I enjoyed it thoroughly.

If you want business cards, check out Moo MiniCards that you can get via Flickr. They rock.
http://www.moo.com/flickr/

I took the train between Spokane and St. Paul a couple times. I loved it. But, I really appreciated the time. It gave me a chance to decompress between my two different worlds (home & college). Also, that route runs along the south end of Glacier National Park, which gives you some amazing views.

I've been there and it is incredibly beautiful! Olivine is one of my favorite minerals (and I think having a favorite mineral makes me a huge geek).

What to do with a geology degree is a topic I've given a lot of thought to myself. I got my geology degree several years ago at Mac. I also did not want to go on and get further education and in the end set off in a different direction for my career. But, I am still very happy that I chose geology as my major. I use it every time I walk outside. As I'm sure you've realized, it really changes the way you look at the world around you. Hopefully all of your new knowledge will come in extremely handy on your big trip.

That is truly excellent.