Every time Zack and I travel together is a comedy of errors. For example, one summer we tried to meet eachother in Ireland. On the day of my arrival, my plane was oversold, and I missed my flight. Nevertheless, I finally arrived in Ireland… too bad my baggage was stranded somewhere in Spain. Due to the flight delay, we missed our connecting bus, and we were forced to spend the night in Dublin. It was high season and all the hostels were full, so we blew most of our budget on an overpriced hotel.

Another time, I was “lucky” enough to “win” a spring break trip to Orlando (from a travel agency much less reputable than STA). After a two hour weather delay at the airport, we boarded the plane…only to get off again when the pilot discovered a mechanical problem. After we finally arrived at the hotel, we realized that we had gullibly fallen victim to a timeshare group which required a 3 hour condo tour before entering the amusement park. Ugh!!!

Yet another time, we were packed and ready to go on a weekend Caribbean cruise. That morning there was a freak grassfire that closed the entire interstate, and it was a five hour car ride to our port-of-call. We barely made it onto the ship, but we disembarked at a fancy Nassau resort the next day. As luck would have it, it happened to be a peculiar day of unexpectedly inclement weather. All the parasailing, waterskiing, and other “complimentary” activities were lamentably cancelled, so we spent most of the day napping under a palm tree.

Although Zack and I may appear the most star-crossed of travelers, we always have fun sorting through these mishaps together. Odds are, if you combine a place as dynamic as Australia with our penchant for risk-taking and exploring, something bizarre and unpredictable is bound to happen. Luckily, we can sort through any and every wacky crisis while still thoroughly enjoying ourselves. All it takes is a level head, some poor college student ingenuity, ungodly amounts of patience, an unyielding sense of humor, and the company of your best friend. Obviously, Zack and I are overdue for a smooth vacation. Who knows? If we’re lucky, maybe this time our adventures will actually be planned.

At a pub in little Dingle, Ireland

Halloween in Austin, TX

Token Caribbean photo

After hours of negotiation with the hotel owner and some shady travel agency, we finally got our tickets to the Islands of Adventure.