Nailed it - 15 hour flight ✅

Well, you won't see this until I land, as apparently it's too much to figure out how to have WiFi on a plane in 2023, but sitting here in 32B solo, and I have never been more happy in my life.

Somehow the airplane lottery gods smiled upon me again, and in this trek around the globe solo, avoided having a seatmate next to me. It's a 2/4/2 configuration economy cabin, so I have a window and aisle seat that I have called home, the dinner table, bed, theatre and now moving back into bed and hopefully breakfast before landing in Brisbane at 5a on Thursday, March 9th

The flight tracking software in the seatback entertainment screen shows we just crossed both the equator + the international date line, so poof, a day evaporated from existence.

Now in the Southern Hemisphere for the first time, still have 2329 miles to go, traveling at 543 mph with and outside temperatures of a cool -69 degrees Fahrenheit, I'VE GOT THIS (but still have 4:34 minutes to go or nearly 1/3 of the total travel time remaining).

Dinner consisted of 3 options, me going with the Irish Beef Stew option recommended by the flight attendant. It wasn't bad, and I welcomed it and the several snacks that have been brought thru the cabin since takeoff.

Fast forward to 2:53a and they are serving a light breakfast, while I finish watching "In From The Side". I've watched a few episodes of HBOs We're Here Season 3, and a few episodes of Dan Levy's The Big Brunch.

A 15 hour flight is doable. It's not enjoyable but it's doable. So 18 hours on the Dallas to Qatar leg enroute to Africa in Sept will be extra enjoyable, but nobody said stepping foot on all 7 continents in 365 days would be all sprinkles and rainbows.

I am extremely excited to step foot on Australia. After watching the 2000 Sydney Olympics, I've always wanted to visit. Fast forward 23 years and here I am. Not visiting Sydney, but proof that dreams don't have to die. They can be stowed in the overhead compartment, they may shift during the ride, but still alive after a long haul.

After we land, I get to navigate a train system, which will bring me down to Surfers Paradise Beach in Gold Coast. I always thought Gold Coast was an area...no, it's a proper city. The next 3 days have very little planned.

Weather looks warm (80s/90s) and thanks to Lynda from Toronto on the Carnival Celebration week 2 cruise, we learned that you double the C temp and add 32. (80-32=48/2 = ~24 Celsius).

-Cole from Colorado