WHY do this?

After the first of the year, I am going to have to change jobs from a position that I very much like (at a company I absolutely love) to something that keeps me in town. I hope to stay with the same company, but I am not sure it can be done. My wife and I both travel for work and it is simpler for me to make the change so that at least one of us is in the same place as our toddler Alex at all times. Before jumping into whatever comes next, I would like to take an epic trip. As long as someone is always with the little guy, it can be done. My wife Aneta, with boundless patience and trust, is cool with this.

So why Australia, of all places? Well, first off, I just happen to love Australia - the people, the culture, beaches, wine country... I could go on. Second, it is developed and stable, so I can stay on paved roads without much concern for rebels or malaria. There is something to be said for that. As a loving parent traveling with a 2-yr old, my tolerance for risk is marginally lower than a college student trekking across Bhutan or hitchhiking through the Congo. Third, it will be summer there and I like hot weather, so the Southern Hemisphere has a real advantage.

What about all those scary critters in Australia? Yes, I am aware that seemingly every non-marsupial animal in Australia has enough venom or lethal force to take out a small town. Given how many small towns remain in Australia, they must be rare for the most part. However, two of these animals have my utmost attention: salt water crocodiles and box jellyfish. There is a common theme among these predators - water. As a result, it is fair to say I will be circumspect regarding any body of water north of Brisbane that is too large for a shower curtain. As tempting as a dip in a muddy roadside billabong in Queensland may be, I'll try my best to hold off. Frankly I am more focused on doing my driving when it is light so I can avoid those hopping marsupials.

Why not Europe? Europe is cool, but I've been around most of Europe. In winter, Europe is just a little too cool for my tastes. Additionally, I like wide open spaces - an Australian specialty - but Aneta doesn't. If my wife was joining us for the whole trip, she would never put up with the fact that maybe 50,000 people live along the 2-week route I'll take from Cairns to Perth (with the exception of one town: Darwin, which is still smaller than Rancho Cucamonga, California). So if I want to see that stretch of earth, I better do so without her. We have an excellent chance of visiting the odd corners of Europe that I've missed so far (such as Ireland, Finland, Portugal, & Greece) as a family, but zero chance of going to Monkey Mia or driving across the Nullarbor together. She'll meet up with us in one of those places that more closely resembles San Francisco.