I can apply!

I called BUNAC yesterday and asked the nice lady a bunch of random questions, the first being "when do you think I'll be able to apply?!" She said, "Oh, we just got clearance from the Australian government." Never mind that they were going to send out an email to let me (and presumably others) know that it was time to apply. But I can send in my application - or as soon as I drive up to Waterford to get my reference form from Stuart, since apparently the US Postal Service can no longer be trusted to get a simple envelope thirty miles. We'll see if my application gets to Connecticut...

I also asked the BUNAC lady if I should get my plane tickets now or wait till Step 2, the visa application step. She said to wait. I'm getting antsy. The student travel agency helped me find a really great set of flights for cheaper than I'd found on my own, plus a two-week stay in New Zealand on the way back AND my one-week stay with my cousins in Hawaii on the way there! So I'd really like to nail down that flight... Sigh.

It also occurred to me to ask about the medical insurance. She said it covers basically emergency care but not preventative. So, no check-ups, no teeth cleanings, no pre-existing conditions (like allergies). Then we got into a discussion of whether ragweed grows in Australia (it sounded like she'd never heard of it, which made things more difficult). We determined that it did, so I've got to remember to get more allergy medicine before I go!