Holidays!

So wow... Winter just flew by. I will have to share a few videos I made over the season with you soon.

So it is almost another Christmas! The most significant thing about this year is that I am celebrating Christmas two years in a row with the same employer! I haven't done that in a long time! 

The other most significant thing about this is that my current employer shuts down for 3 weeks! It is not as bad as it seems with some "free days' in between Christmas and NYE (ie we don't have to take those out of our annual leave) but it does mean I am limited with my holiday choices.

So since this means I don't have the annual leave to take a Northern Hemisphere snow holiday later in the season (say like Feb or March) I am having to take it now! (can't miss my snow fix!) 

High prices and risk of a lack of snow are two issues I need to contend with!  But I decided to soldier on!

To cut a long story short I managed to find a fare with www.bestflights.com.au for a mini round the world ticket. This ticket was only $2800 including taxes. vs a fare to the US which was over $3300 and via asia! 

So I started planning. I was lucky enough to have a super cool roommate in Japan this year. She is actually an owner operator of a small chalet in Schladming Austria. 

I called the travel agent and told them that I was flexible on dates (knowing it would be hard to get seats on flights out of Sydney so near to Christmas) and than I wanted to land somewhere in Europe, stay over Christmas and either just before or just after New Years fly to America. Ideally San Francisco. 

So my current itinerary is as stands below

Thursday 20th Dec fly from Sydney to Frankfurt, Germany 

Friday 21st Dec - Arrive in Frankfurt early am and catch a train to Schladming Austria (6hrs!) 

On the 29th Dec I will then catch a train to Stuttgart, Germany where I am lucky enough to know another person who is happy to put me up! I will spend NYE here with them and then train to Frankfurt on 1st before a good nights sleep, then flying to San Francisco (currently scheduled on an A380!) on the 2nd. 

When I get to San Fran I get to hang with a bestie and her two kids and hopefully her whole family will accompany us up to Tahoe for a couple of days. 

Then on the 7th I fly to that mystical place skiers and boarders rave about - Whistler Blackcomb! 

Finishing up with a flight to Australia on 13th Jan