I'm here!! I'm in Australia! After a whirlwind weekend in Portland with the grandparents and aunts, I shipped off to Honolulu for one night, then to Sydney.

Rainbow at Waikiki

 I was worried about the lines of questioning I might get in Sydney, and also that they would ask for paperwork proving I had $5000 in my bank account. Prior to getting in the immigration line, I made a trip to the restroom, and this meant I was at the very end of the passport control line. It was a long line...as in, an hour long. Poor Hugh was waiting somewhere on the other side. When I got up to the lady, she took my passport, browsed my customs card, and commented that she hadn't processed anyone from Honolulu in several minutes. She asked how long I'd been waiting and what had delayed me, but in a nice, conversational tone. Then she stamped my passport and sent me through. That was it!! No paperwork, no questions about my visa or my intentions for the next year, no questions about where I'd be living or where I was planning to travel to. Nothing.

Hugh told me they wouldn't care. He said Australia was laid-back. He was right.