Come to Australia. It's nice here!

I am a lucky girl living in an amazing country. Who would have thought a video clip about a train aired during the 2000 Olympics would change my life forever?   As a youngster, I often talked of visiting Australia. I thought it would be "neat-o" to see. Yes, I really talk like that. Then in 2000, I watched a short clip about the Indian Pacific rolling across the Australia country side. I called my mom and told her that I was going to go take that train...

When I moved to Australia nine years ago, I had no idea that I'd still be here in 2012. I thought I'd pop in, finish a film and then dash back home to San Francisco. I came to Australia as a working tourist of sorts. I was on a sponsored-work visa, working full-time in film in Sydney; but I wanted to squeeze as much out of Australia as I could. I wanted to go places and see amazing things. Nine years later and I still haven't run out of places to visit.

Tomorrow, we grab our bags and head to the nation's capital of Canberra. I have to admit that Canberra wasn't high on my radar of places to visit in Australia. It's not featured in the guide books. Australians joke that it's only home to pot, porn, pyrotechnics and politicians.

 I'll admit that I wasn't sure what there even was to do in Canberra besides handmade shopping and passing through on our way to other adventures.

I wasn't alone, so the Canberra Tourism Board put out a call:

Playful, inquisitive, active, friendly, chatty, adventurous humans wanted!  Hey, that's me!

Along with 31406 other people, I dropped my name in the hat in the hopes of winning a free trip to Canberra to see what it is all about. They are hosting 500 humans over two weekends to tell you about the fun that can be had in our nation's capital.

I know there has been some doubt, but it's official now. I am indeed human.

I'm happy to be an ambassador for Canberra, along with 499 other people including Craig. I'll admit that I don't yet know much about the city, but I'm a quick study and our adventure begins tomorrow.

With nearly 85% of my readership being overseas, I thought you'd like to hear what brings an American to Australia and why she hasn't left. Even better, I want to show you! For now, I'm going to show you a few of the places that I've been in the last nine years, and load you up with Australian tidbits. Then this weekend, I'll tell you specifically about Canberra and what it has in store. That way you'll know what to put on your itinerary. Pack your bags, you'll soon be Australia-bound!

Billabong in the Top End near Kakadu National Park, Northern Territories, Australia

When I first moved to Australia, I spent lots of time teaching my family and friends back home about this wonderful place that I often describe as a Willy Wonka playland. Everything here looks slightly different - the trees, the birds, the furry mammals. For international travelers, visiting Australia is like seeing the world again with child's eyes. Of course, there are a few dangers along the way like spiders, snakes and jellyfish; but they almost rarely cause problems. Push those fears aside. Trust me, it is a trip that you'll never forget.

But what is Australia like?  As it turns out, my American friends usually ask variations of the same question. Can Australia really be summed up by its accents and its toilets?  Let's start with those as a lead-in...

- Does everyone sound like Steve Irwin? 
No, they don't. Australia is a very big country. It's as large as the continental United States. Just like home, accents are regional. I've been fortunate to travel to forty-three US states and live in five of them. In each of those five states; Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, Texas and California; local people sounded very different and laid on accents with varying degrees of thickness. Australia is much the same.  Rural accents tend to be the strongest. Locals can tell the difference between a Queenslander and a Melbournian after a few sentences, but it's a learned skill. Major cities are international melting pots, so you'll hear a mix of European and Asian accents too. Even a few American ones! There is a tiny language barrier in Australia's choice of words, but nothing you can't overcome! Once you figure out what thongs, fancy dress, arvo and bogan mean; you'll be right.

- Tell me about the toilets. Do the toilets spin the opposite direction when they flush?
It fascinates me that this is one of the most common questions that I get from Americans when I tell them that I live in Australia. People love hearing about toilets. My Japanese toilet post is among the most frequently visited on my blog. There aren't many comments, but I see the stats. I know you're reading it again and again!

Humans are fascinated with toilets, and I'm often asked about the spin. There's always a look of confusion when I tell them toilets here don't spin. They don't spin! We still use outhouses, of course. It's just a long long drop to the bottom.

Just kidding!  Australian toilets are designed for water efficiency. They don't spin; they whoosh the water down the bowl like a river. Disappointing, I know. Whoosh. No, I won't make you a video. Just trust me they whoosh.  Australian toilets are a source of confusion for Americans visitors. In place of a handle, they've got two buttons which may or may not be marked. Two buttons for different jobs.  I'm sure you can work that out. But that's enough about the toilets...

- I've been to Outback Steakhouse, that's totally like Australia right?
No. I'm afraid not. Unless of course you are eating at the Outback Steakhouse in Sydney.

- Australia is a big dry desert right? I've heard it's barren.
Well yes and no. A large part of our land is the Outback (no relation to the aforementioned restaurant), but we also have rainforests and alps. I met my husband snowboarding in Australia. Yes, snowboarding. Australia is not just hot, dry and dusty. It can also be cold, wet, snowy or tropical.

White Sand at Hyam's Beach near Jervis Bay, New South Wales

Billabong near Kakadu National Forest, Top End of Australia, Northern Territories

Flowers in Melbourne, Victoria

Katherine Gorge, Northern Territories

Surface of the Olgas, Central Australia by Uluru

Kakadu National Forest, Northern Territories

The Pinnacles, North of Perth, Western Australia

A myriad of different landscapes all in one country. I'm sure Canberra's landscapes are as exciting. I can't wait until Friday to find out!

- Can you tell me about the animals? Are they really great?
Why don't I show you a few?

Kookaburra at Stradbroke Island, Queensland
Australia has an amazingly diverse and friendly bird population.

Tamed Camel at Port Macquarie, NSW.
Australia has roughly 1 million feral camels!

Feeding a new friend at Featherdale Wildlife Park.
One of Australia's many hands-on animal encounters.

Of course we have dingoes, wombats, bilbies, potoroos, koalas and tasmanian devils too! You'll have so many opportunities to see these in the wild and at nature parks.

- Should I visit Australia?
Yes! Australia offers many once-in-a-lifetime type of experiences. By all means come over and visit! Let me know you are coming. We'll have coffee. The coffee here is really good. Maybe coffee isn't your thing?  How about an encounter like this one:

I did say that I was a lucky girl!  I went to a wildlife park where you get to pet the animals. Someone accidentally spooked a mum near me and her little joey fell out of her pouch. I learned later, this particular joey hadn't had many out-of-pouch experiences before. I hadn't planned on interfering, but the joey had other ideas.

Oh man! So much to explore in this great country?!

- So what's Canberra like?
I wouldn't be much of an ambassador, if I simply told you about other parts of Australia. I don't know much about Canberra yet. I know it's a planned city that was designed by American architect, Walter Burley Griffin. Irony: A French man planned America's captial. An American man planned Australia's. My knowledge of Canberra ends there.

But that's all about to change!  I'm going to learn and share with you. Then you can bring things full circle by visiting and sharing with me. You can follow along with all the humans at the Human Brochure.  Pop on over to the website to see all the great things that we'll get to do this weekend including Australian War Memorial, the National Zoo, mountain biking at Stromlo Forest and bushwalking at Tidbinbilla. We've got a very full itinerary! Along with our adventure stream, there's a track for foodies, arts&culture and family fun. So much fun jam-packed in a weekend!

I am a lucky girl living in a wonderful and amazing country. Canberra, here we come!