The strongest theme of my first two weeks away was family. I have spent time with three nephews and my one niece (my favourite niece, to continue a joke from her grandmother) and spoken to my other, Vancouver, nephew. I also saw two of my step-children but missed the third who was working and studying too hard. I spent time with my own step-mother, my father's widow. Having left from my brother's place in Paekakariki I went to my sister's place in Sydney. After a few days in KL to catch my breath I went to Singapore to stay with a nephew and then to my niece's in London. Confused? Me too! In Wellington I used to think how little family I had left but now I'm travelling I realise there are plenty of them, and very high quality too!
I realise I've been rambling a bit in this diary and put it down to so much freedom all at once. As this is supposed to be the story of my travels for my friends and family I'd better get down to it!
It all began on Tuesday 15 June, a chilly winter Wellington day. Ironically I spent some of it with my ex, having yum cha which used to be one of our favourite things. (Yum cha is something that doesn't really work solo, along with barbecues; most other things I can enjoy alone or guarantee meeting someone to share it with) It was surprisingly hard to say goodbye given that for six months I'd wanted never to see him again! But I had a final stint of cleaning and packing up at my flat to do before going back to my brother's to do my final pack.
What a nightmare! I had a shipping container-load of 'maybes' and a smallish Macpac to fill. It was also the night of the first All Whites game in the World Cup so my plan was to stay up and watch it while I packed. Of course I did more watching than packing, putting off the decision-making as long as possible. (But I love this top!' 'It weighs a ton and makes you look like an aging hippy.' 'Maybe I am an aging hippy!' 'But is this how you want the world to see you?' - my inner voices love a good argument. I left the top.) As the game started at 11.30 and I had to be up at 4am for my flight I was never going to get a good night's sleep and in the end I was in bed just on three. Amazingly my internal alarm woke me at 3.57, before the alarm went off! Unlike some of my friends (you know who I mean) I've never missed a flight (yes, I'm touching wood!)
It was lovely to be taken to the airport and farewelled. Hats off to my brother and sister-in-law who convinced me they saw it as an adventure, not an imposition. A final deep breathe and I was through the departure doors. Onward and upward...
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