Committed to the Outback

We took a deep breath, and we plunged right in.

Nope, not marriage. Why on earth would I be nervous about that commitment? That’s a breeze compared to planning a three-week trip to Australia. Especially when you’re shelling out large sums of money in advance online.

Which is just what we did Sunday. A-Day is now seven months away, and Leo and I are in the starting stages of a trip planning. We’ve chosen our dates, selected our cities and we are creating a vague outline for each stop. Later, we’ll go back and fill in the details, book rooms, flights and tours.

But our trip includes a stop at Ayer’s Rock, which is like the Grand Canyon of Australia.

By that, I don’t mean because of it’s phenomenal beauty and wonder. I mean the part about the big tourist trap in the middle of nowhere. (Cynical? Who, me?)

The rock, locally called Uluru, is a must-see, but the number of flights to get in and out of the nearby airport is limited, as is the number of (extremely overpriced) rooms.

When my family visited the Grand Canyon, I believe my parents booked a year in advance. So Sunday, Leo and I pledged our pocketbooks to the cause. We are now committed, because I refuse to lose that much money if we don’t end up going.

It’s a bit scary to say, “I do,” but I know the commitment will be worth it in the end.