I remember writing, before we moved to Sydney, that I had the feeling I'd step off the plane here lighter, and tan. There was so much excitement and anticipation surrounding our move. Going to Holland for two weeks allowed me to revisit those feelings and examine how I'm feeling in Australia, from outside of it. I can't believe we haven't left for a year and a half!
When I travel, I usually don't think about home at all. I don't think about my friends, my life, my schedule or anything. I don't miss home. I enjoy home when I return but I'm perfectly happy while I'm gone.
We had a great time in Holland (more on that another day), and I was surprised to find that amidst the busy schedule of seeing friends and family, I thought about Sydney, and my life here, constantly. The Captain and I spent sometime talking about possible plans that could take us abroad temporarily (just talk, there's nothing in the pipes), but I found myself returning again and again to the thought "I don't want to leave!"
The flight home was LONG. Have you ever been on an international flight where there is that one kid who is a hysterical, primal mess of screaming? Well one of ours pulled that routine after going 18 hours with two hours of sleep...it was not pretty. It didn't last too long and we were able to regain our composure.
The whole way on the 25+ hours of travel I watched the little plane on the screens flying its arc over Europe, the Middle East, Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and then over the ocean. When we crossed over northwest Australia I was ecstatic. When we crossed the lines to New South Wales I wanted to cheer, and when we landed in Sydney I wanted to break out in applause, as the whole flight did during a Christmas season flight from Russia to the U.S. when I was 15. And when we de-planed, I do not jest when I tell you that if I hadn't had a baby in my arms, I would have been tempted to throw myself on the terminal floor and roll around, attempting to hug the ground.
I. Love. It. Here. I want to stay. I want to hug all my Australian friends and dance in a circle. I don't really know how to explain it because I've never really felt this way before. And even though I had to kill the BIGGEST spider I've ever seen outside of a glass enclosure, in a stand-off in my bathroom, and my second morning home was clouded with post-apocalyptic haze from a red dust storm , both of which were phenomenally scary, I am so happy to be here.