Two tickets to Auckland, please!

Trip officially booked!  

Last week, my newly renewed passport came in the mail- finally- and within an hour I had submitted our work/holiday Visa applications online.  It was really easy to apply, and free too.  I guess the fee is usually $140 but NZ and the US have a fee waiver agreement, as long as you are applying from outside New Zealand.  Its always nice to save a few hundred bucks especially when you're saving up for $1300 plane tickets.
Both of our visas came back approved within 48 hours.  I'm taking it as a good sign that everything's going smoothly so far.
Flights were the next step- I like flying Air NZ. There's no awesome way to fly for 13 hours straight in economy class, but the food's better with them and you get free wine.  They have awesome pre-flight safety videos too.  Last time we went they had this gem:

Of course, one of the first things people think of when they hear about NZ is Lord of the Rings.  The Hobbit just came out and is a big draw for the tourism industry, and so the new safety video is Hobbit-flavored.  When I found this one I was feeling a little 'homesick' and in the beginning stages of planning this trip. Got a little misty eyed over the drama.... of the safety video.

So it looks like April 18th is the big day.  Hitting the "Purchase Tickets" button for two non-refundable flights to the other side of the world is an exhilarating moment.  We were originally thinking about leaving the first week of April but decided to move it a couple weeks ahead to give Chris a chance to make some extra money before we go.  He can earn commission at the new call center job he got.  We also need some extra cash because we are going on a mini vacation before our vacation--

Sunny Las Vegas!  We figured why not start our epic journey with a bang! Turns out,a side trip to Vegas for a couple of days isn't that much more than just a flight straight from Abq to L.A. 

Vegas!

So over the next two months, we will just be working as much as possible and getting everything ready. Chris will stay busy working full time in the evenings and I'll definitely find my share of shifts at the seafood restaurant during Lent.  This week is both Mardi Gras and Valentine's day so this will be fun. 

Nine weeks to go.  Seems both really soon and far away.