23 hours in air and counting

After being dropped off at Pearson airport at 11 AM on Sunday, July 4th - I have finally arrived in Adelaide at noon on July 6th, experiencing a total of 4 time zones! Everyone keeps telling me I should be exhausted -- I guess that's what a Canadian student lifestyle prepares you for.

My flights were surprisingly quite smooth - I traveled from Toronto to Minneapolis to LA (was hoping to run into Miley at LAX) to Sydney and finally to Adelaide, Australia !

I was lucky to be seated with some great people which definitely helped pass the time - many who had lived in Australia in the past!

Ian (left) is a musician from the states touring Australia - I hope to check out one of his shows during my stay.

Lisa (right) is another American I met on my 15 hour flight to Sydney. She is a teacher who spontaneously booked a flight to reunite with an old friend.

My favorite airport was definitely Minneapolis - the entire 'loop' featured over 100 spots to eat including many familiar names (Quiznos, McDonalds, Burger King, Subway and Dairy Queen to name a few). I read a sign titled "Stay fit between flights" and learned the entire airport stretched 1.4 miles.

My favorite plane would be my 15 hour flight to Sydney - each passenger had an individual monitor to choose from hundreds of new movie releases, hit television series and even games throughout the long flight. We were also fed three times which helped pass the time. If you have any food restrictions (veggie power!) you want to notify the airline 48 hours in advance and they are happy to accommodate you.

I was greeted in Adelaide by a wonderful woman named Mary from Elite Gold Cars. I can't deny I felt like a bit of a celebrity when I saw this sign!

She gave me a quick tour of the city and dropped me off at my first hostel, YHA Adelaide Central,  where I will be staying for a total of three nights. If you are thinking of making Adelaide a stop on any backpacking adventure, you definitely want to check them out - after check in I was invited to participate in an International Youth Soccer tournament ! They have plenty of common rooms with pool tables, televisions, communal cooking areas, etc. I am staying in a room with 3 other girls, who I have yet to meet - they are off on a tour for the day. Hopefully they are cool?! :s

The most interesting observation I have made so far is that Mercedes appears to be the brand of choice for service vehicles! I saw house cleaning, plumbing and even an ambulance that commuted with a Mercedes Benz. Back in Canada, this brand is associated with upper class.

That's all for now ! I will write again tomorrow after my wine tasting tour :) :) 

THANK YOU TOURISM AUSTRALIA - THIS IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.