February 20th, Australia Day 1

I departed Honolulu at 22:30 on the night of Friday, February 18th. I had had many memorable adventures while on the islands and I left with a little dismay, but I also eagerly awaited the adventures that still lay before me in the Land Down Under. The thing that had struck me most about Hawai'i was how slow time seemed to move on those islands. I can recall several occasions when I thought I was in early evening but when I looked at the clock, I noticed that the afternoon was still quite young. As the plane took off into the darkness of the Pacific night, the lights of Honolulu blazed beneath as a myriad of candles surrounded by a void. I resolved that I will return to that land again, the islands I call the "Crossroads of the Pacific".

Once in flight, time, like the plane, flew by. The flight from the Hawai'ian capital to Sydney was to take 10 hours, but in retrospect, it didn't seem to take that long. Luckily, the Fates smiled upon me that night and I had a whole row to myself. I sat by a window, I always take a window seat if available, and no one came and sat beside me. This gave ample room for my weary legs and I made a point of stretching out across both seats more than once. The black of the calm Pacific Ocean continued unbroken beneath the flight except once, when a group of south Pacific islands lit up by electricity passed into view. The moonlight gave the ocean a kind of dull silver luster. As the plane approached the Australian continent, the eastern sky was glowing with the start of a new sunrise and the beginning of a new day.

For those who have been paying close attention, you will have noticed a chronological discrepancy. My first day in Australia was Sunday, February 20th, yet I departed Honolulu on Friday, February 18th. Sadly, Friday, February 19th, 2005 is forever lost to my history. During this time of year, Sydney is 21 hours ahead of Hawai'i; therefore, while I departed on the 18th at 22:30, the 19th of February in Sydney was also drawing to a conclusion. In this manner, I managed to lose an entire day.

Upon arrival, the crew, in compliance with Australian law, sprayed the cabin with insecticide to kill any insects that may have found their way onboard the aircraft. Any foreign flora or fauna could pose a serious danger to the stability of the Australian ecosystem. After I disembarked, I made my way to Australian Customs through which I passed with ease. I then made my way through the Sydney terminal to the meeting point where I was greeted by some people from Macquarie University. After waiting there for some more people to arrive from other locations, I was driven to my new home on the corner of Herring and Epping Roads. I can't recall doing much else that day except possibly exploring the immediate area. I had approximately a week before I began classes and I was anxious to learn the layout of the campus before the scholastic year commenced. In any event, I had arrived at my destination and I looked forward with anticipation to what lay ahead.