G'day from Canada!

G'day from Canada! Well I made it here safe and sound and in one piece, so now that I've just started to settle in I'll give y'all an update on the adventure thus far!
Traveling overseas was a daunting experience, I had never flown out of the country before (a cruise to the South Pacific Islands was my only other experience outside of Australia), so I really didn't have a clue what so ever on what I was supposed to be doing. Just for people who are looking at traveling - just follow everyone else! The process was easy and streamlined so don't be afraid. The customs and immigration staff in Sydney were nice enough, and its pretty straight forward.
Well the flight then from Sydney to Los Angeles was.... long to say the least. It took about 13-14 hours to get there, and while driving from Brisbane to Dubbo only takes 10 hours, 14 hours wasn't so bad. I guess the only problem I had was that its difficult to sleep on a plane. I ended up reading for 8 hours straight (I finished off the Ultramarines Omnibus) and subconsciously napped for an 3 hours or so. I would recommend flying with V Australia to anyone, the food was good, the staff friendly and generally speaking it was just a good flight. Not much turbulence at all. My only beef was people and children walking around everywhere. Now I know its healthy to get the blood moving in your body to avoid DVT but really? Standing in front of my chair and having a full blown conversation while I'm trying to nap or read is a bit rude. And that's the end of that rant heh.
Well upon arrival into LAX... I was worried about customs and immigration again - not having been there before. Basically, just fill out the form on the plane. That's it. They do the rest. They might ask a few questions, but just be honest and they'll move you through. Baggage and customs was easy enough as well. Just get your kit and hand your card over.
To transit in LAX is easy enough, just go out front of the terminal and catch the bus. There are signs everywhere and you just hop on then hop off at your next destination. Just remember to head upstairs to the departures gate. If you do fly with Air Canada, you have to pay for luggage ($54USD for 2 bags). Just use the self-service kiosks, tag your bags then give them to the TSA staff. Once that's done just head through security and go to your gate... or in my case with a 4hr lay over - the bar!
Arrival into Canada was easy enough, just follow everyone else and you'll be fine. I got my work permit sorted upon entry - the lady from immigration was hilarious we had a good old chinwag and everything was sorted in about 15 minutes.
Well that pretty much well sums up the immigration process for traveling internationally through the States and Canada. As for an update on my travels thus far - let's just say there has been a lot of beer consumed and very much a lack of sleep (self inflicted AND jet lag).
Right now I'm off to organize my SIN so I can get my bank account sorted. I'm off to the Mikes parents cottage this weekend - so there will be lot's of beer consumed, plenty of photos and more than likely a good chance for me to sit down and properly write about the experience.
Well until that time comes, keep it real - peace, love and understanding.
Hooroo!
Matty.