It is time

The day is only 2 nights away. It's hard to believe after months and months of planning and stressing, it is finally here. I started my facebook and msn countdowns well above 200 days and now I am down to 2. It has been fun to plan this trip but now its the real deal. I only hope that it was all worth it. I hope more than anything that my health stays as strong as it has been last 10-15 years.

Plane leaves wednesday morning 8:45 to London, from there its evening flight 22:05 to Singapore and from Singapore to Perth where I should be arriving at 7:15AM local time July 4th.

In all likelyhood this will be my last blog entry before Perth since today is last day my internet is still active. So unless there is free internet in either Heathrow or Changi Airport in Singapore, expect next entry from Perth.

Accomodations

Here I will try to keep list of all accomodations I have been in or where I have current bookings. Link to this page is also on left side navigation under "On the Road".

Perth 4.7 - 9.7:	Witch's Hat
Broome 10.7 - 17.7:	Beaches Of Broome
Kununurra 18.7 - 20.7:	Kimberley Croc
Darwin 21.7 - 26.7:	Elke's Backpackers
Kakadu 27.7 - 28.7:	Wilderness
Darwin 29.7 - 1.8:	Elke's Backpackers
Ghan Train 2.8:	Seat in train :)
Alice Springs 3.8:	Alice Lodge
Uluru 4.8-5.8:	Camping under stars :)
Desert Venture to Cairns 6.8-8.8:	Various locations in Outback

Panic!

Only 7 more mornings till departure! Now the panic is starting to hit me. Is everything ready? Have I forgotten something crucial? Many don't know that I am a control freak so I need to have everything under control before plane leaves...because after that things are in motion and I cannot control them anymore. Well, not in Finland atleast.

Plane tickets, check.

Travel insurance, check.

Accomodation, check...atleast for first 11 days.

All my monthly bills have been transferred to electronic form. I have canceled my internet connection and all subscriptions to MMO games. All necessary gear, clothes and equipment has been bought...etc, etc, etc. I truly feel I have everything sorted out and I am ready to depart but...its propably very natural to have these panic attacks. This isn't after just any holiday, 11 months away from home is hardly normal holiday.

Panic isn't the only thing that starts to creep in, paranoia is other. Paranoia that something awful will happen during these last few days that will prevent me from leaving. Just yesterday I was going home from work in a bus and it was raining...bus driver lost control of the bus for just a fraction of a second but I felt it. I also felt my heart rate rapidly increasing, what if...? Trying not to think like that but I guess its only natural.

I have planned this thing from September 2007. I have basically given 10 months of my life away just to do this trip. There are so many small(and bigger) things I gave up during that period. I'll be cursed if someone or something which I cannot control prevents my dream now, just 7 days before it starts.

Soundtrack

As with everything in this world, music and melodies are very powerful way to enhance emotions, bring back memories and set the right mood. Here are some of the songs and themes which I have been using a lot for past months to get me into proper mood for this trip. None of these songs were "chosen" to be a theme songs, it was just...I heard them and immediately they filled me with anxiety and brought me new ideas and strength to keep on planning.

Zimmer is my favourite movie composer and I feel his soundtrack for 3rd PotC film was his finest works after Gladiator. I have listened these 3 songs in repeat for months and months and they still give me goosebumps.
Hans Zimmer - What Shall We Die For
Hans Zimmer - One Day
Hans Zimmer - Drink Up Me Hearties Yo Ho

Well, I named the blog after this one :)
Judy Garland - Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Just and amazing song to listen when you are just...walking down a road alone.
Lee Marvin - Wandring Star

Holopainen has said Zimmer is his favourite composer so listening lot of Nightwish is just natural thing for any Zimmer fan. These are some of my favourite Nightwish songs:
Nightwish - Ghost Love Score(Live)
Nightwish - Meadows Of Heaven
Nightwish - The Escapist
Nightwish - Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan(Live)
Nightwish - While Your Lips Are Still Red

Original song behind Madventures theme.
Vangelis - Alpha

Epic!
Immediate Music - Serenata

Naming the blog

It was particulary difficult to come up with a proper name for this blog. This is not just a blog about couple of weeks holiday, this is blog about a year away from home. This is blog about reshaping my life, letting go of the past, journey of self-discovery, embracing adventure and most importantly...making a dream come true.

Then there is the other aspect which is my destination, Australia. I wanted blog's title also to remind everyone of my destination.

And then it hit me.

Few months ago as I was watching Youtube, I stumbled to that truly heartbreaking song by Judy Garland from the movie Wizard of Oz. Of course the song is familiar to everyone, but as I heard it again I knew instantly that this was it. Lyrics, melody and Garland's performance are what this trip is all about.

Over The Rainbow

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true

Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?

View video(Youtube)