Off to See a Few More of the World's Pages

A couple of months ago I reviewed the book, Notes From a Blue Bike. Tsh Oxenreider devoted an entire section to the subject of travel. You might remember that when I talked about that particular section in my review, I mentioned an upcoming personal trip. My exact words were these:

"Mike and I are not terribly ambitious when it comes to traveling (although we do have a big trip coming up in a couple of months that I'm excited to tell you about soon)."

Well, the time has come to tell you about it.

Mike and I are going to Australia.

Yes, Australia.

In two days.

If I were telling you this in person, this is the point where I'd be squealing or doing a little happy dance or at the very least grinning rather obnoxiously.

Yes, we're pretty excited.

The first question people ask when they hear about our upcoming trip is, "Why Australia?"

So I'll tell you: Last July, Mike's brother-in-law (along with Mike's sister and three kids) got transferred to Sydney for eight months. When they first announced their big move, Mike and I joked, "Maybe we'll come visit you." (It seemed like a long stretch since Clark was a brand new baby at the time, plus those three other hooligans we call our own, plus we needed a new roof.)

But the more we thought about it, the more we gave it serious consideration. One by one, we resolved those deterrents. The baby? We could take him with us. The other boys? My mom said she would come stay with them. The roof? We decided we could hold off until next summer (still crossing our fingers on that one).

Also, once Anne and Nate had actually settled in Sydney, we realized we'd be crazy not to go. They live in Manly and are a mere walk away from one of the nicest beaches outside of Sydney. They started exploring and sight seeing from the moment they stepped off the plane and happily volunteered to be our tour guides. They also offered to watch Clark for anything Mike and I wanted to do on our own. It was kind of too perfect, don't you think?

And so in September, we bought tickets . . . and then stared at each other in disbelief.

As the time has drawn closer, I've been obsessively checking the weather. In the last week or so, the temperature around here has plummeted (as I'm writing this, it's 12 degrees), and we've even had some snow. I am not a fan of winter, so Sydney's 79 degrees is looking pretty awesome.

I used to think travel wasn't worth the steep financial and logistics price tag. After all, you have an awesome fling for a week, and then what? Back to the daily grind with nothing to show for all that time and money you just spent. But then in 2008 Mike and I went to Chile while Mike's parents were living there for a year. And I discovered what many of you already know: the memories are the keepsakes and worth every penny. There's just something about experiencing another part of the world for yourself, and especially doing it with people you love, that is absolutely priceless.

In Notes From a Blue Bike, Tsh quoted Saint Augustine, who said, "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." Starting on Wednesday, Mike and I are going to read a few more pages.

P.S. If any of you have visited (or lived) in Australia (particularly Sydney), I'd love to know about your must-sees. (Many thanks to my blogging friend, Melissa, who recently returned from her own trip to the land down under and shared her itinerary with us.)

P.P.S. And since this is a book blog, here are several books I quite liked, all set in Australia:

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Steadman

What You Get Instead of a Book Review

I was planning on writing a book review this afternoon but was pulled in a number of other directions instead. That's okay. I can be flexible. (At least, that's what I try to convince myself of when things don't go my way.)

I'm not feeling too badly about the neglected review however because it means that instead I can share with you three book-related things that made me happy today.

First, I absolutely loved this article by Rachael Stein in The Horn Book. In it, she shared how The Penderwicks on Gardam Street helped her daughter through the rough time following her parents' divorce. I thought when Rachael mentioned bibliotherapy that she had coined the term herself in reference to this experience. But no, turns out bibliotherapy is a real type of therapy used to help treat depression. Who knew? (It totally resonates with me though. I often read the same thing over and over again when I'm seeking answers or feel like I need a little lift. This is what I've currently been reading again and again.)

At any rate, her article is worth checking out. Not only do I adore the Penderwicks, but I think Rachael Stein is a great writer. (I love the insights she shares on middle grade novels at For Those About to Mock).

Second, on Publisher's Weekly today, there was an article about a children's songwriter who composes music to go along with books. I have no idea if I would like her style, but the very idea is something I could get behind! Apparently, she already has one album out ("The Little House Songs" to go along with Virginia Lee Burton's The Little House (which our library had a copy of and which, of course, I immediately put on hold)), and she is currently trying to get funding for two more albums.

Last, have I mentioned how much I love Kate DiCamillo (author of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane?, etc.)? Oh, I have? Well, did you know she has a new book coming out this fall? It's called Flora & Ulysses, and the summary sounds delightful. I'm just a leeeeeeeeeetle bit excited!

Guess What Came in the Mail Today?

 This! Isn't it pretty?

One of my favorite blogs is Avid Reader's Musings. Melissa writes about a wide variety of books; I especially appreciate her thoughts on the classics. She also does a fun feature called Reading By the States where she makes lists of books that have been written in a particular state and also talks about any authors who have lived there. And when she says she's an avid reader, she's not kidding. In 2012, she read 149 books! And most of them were not short (The Count of Monte Cristo, for example).

Earlier this month, she was hosting a giveaway to celebrate her blog's third year anniversary, and I couldn't help entering since she was giving away a Penguin Clothbound edition of Jane Eyre. And guess what? I won!

This was so exciting, not only because I love Jane Eyre (and didn't own a copy of it), but I have also had my eye on the Penguin Clothbound editions for years. So to receive not only one of my favorite books but in the very edition I wanted was about as good as it could get.

I have been wanting to re-read Jane Eyre for some time, and now I won't be able to help myself! Thanks so much, Melissa!

I think I found the perfect spot for it. I've been walking past it all afternoon just to admire it.