If the blog had a door that you had to open to enter, it’s possible if you’ve walked past that door in the last few weeks, you may have seen a sign that said something like the one above.
It’s been nearly three weeks since we left Qatar. Three weeks of constant eating, reunions with old friends, late nights, wine and giggles. Lots of hugs, lots of “awwwwww look at you!” And lots of “I really should write a blog…oh look, is that a bottle of wine?”
I don’t think we’ve wasted one minute of our past few weeks. Every day has involved catching up with a friend or ticking something off the list of “must do’s” while we were home. We hit the Tarmac running, on our race to soak up as much of Australia as possible.
Within the first forty eight hours we were sitting at the MCG with a beer, grins from ear to ear, watching the Cats play Hawthorn. We found our way to our seats, the one’s we’d booked online months ago, G at one end, me at the other, the Little Travelers in between us. Every now and then we’d glance at each other with a knowing smile. After months, then weeks and then finally days of counting down, we’d made it. We were home.
We caught a tram, ate a pie, walked the Mall and made the compulsory emergency doctors visit (there’s always the emergency Doctors visit). We’ve been to Parliament House and The War Memorial. We watched Question Time. When Peter Garrett waved at the Little Travelers I become over excited “HE USED TO BE A ROCK STAR” I said. “The old bald guy?” they asked. They didn’t believe me.
For me, it’s all about The Little Travelers understanding Australia, experiencing its nuances, its pop culture. We drown ourselves in Masterchef, footballs are kicked and netballs are thrown. We eat fish and chips on the beach and smell the gum trees along the river. I become a tour guide and give over zealous recollections of “when I grew up.”
I realized I was just a little bit too excited about being home when I was standing at the bakery counter with one of the Little Travelers. I sounded like something out of Australian movie, “See that honey, now that’s what you call a Lamington”. I really wanted her to appreciate that Lamington. “Mum, you’ve really lost it”. Maybe I had.
I love the first few weeks of being home, but it’s not just the excitement of old friends and familiarity. It’s that G is with us as well, it’s a family holiday. The next part, the part when he goes back to work, is always a little disjointed and unfamiliar.
I have four more days. Four more days of dual parenting, four more days of being a couple, four more days of my gorgeous G.
He will head back to Doha on Sunday and The Little Travelers and I will slowly settle in to life in Australia without him for seven weeks. We’ll slow down on the catch ups and settle in to the routine. We’ll still be on holidays but it’ll be different. It’s never the same without G.
Next week it’s back to business, more blogging, more writing, more vegetables, less wine.
The sign will come down.
See you on Monday.
Kirstyxx
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Oh I sooooo know how you feel when you hit the tarmac running and trying to soak up as much Australia!! My 2 boys and I have been here since 4th June covered 3000km by road around South WA, seen rellies, friends, drunk wine, eaten pies, drunk more wine and thats just the hubby’s side – we are now off to the East for 4 weeks to ‘my side’ and my little town near Buller where I will no doubt freeze my bum off but I can’t wait!! Sadly hubby remains in Lagos until July 22nd and whilst we miss him terribly he has only spent 5 days in Lagos since our departure so that certainly helps with the guilt of leaving him 😉 Enjoy Australia – its sooooo beautiful hey! Sarah x
The best kind of holiday 🙂 I am the same when I go visit my parents in Dubai. Enjoy ure time with G. The bloggy world can wait.
What a lovely tribute to marriage and your man.
Ooohhhh, just reading about what you’ve done in Melbourne makes me – only five weeks out of Australia – feel rather tearful! Enjoy the rest of your time there, even without your beloved G
Enjoy your time home! I am so jealous that you get to be here for so long. I seem to only get home for 2 weeks at a time. And it’s never enough.
It sounds wonderful, although it’s never as much fun playing the single-mom role, is it? We have just arrived in Seoul as the rest of the expat community jets off for home…feeling a little envious of you at the moment…
Too funny, just as I am under a redesign with funnily enough – two doors to enter.
One for Blog
One for Homeschool
Trying to keep everyone happy .
Now make sure when you see the door – you still come in 🙂
Have a fab vacay down there … soak it up, and get your fix of all your fav goodies!
How wonderful and I must admit I did giggle at your lamington conversation. Welcome home!
Feeling very jealous of your 7 weeks – just got back from frantic 10 days in UK – too little time, too many people only just seen for quick kiss when actually a natter in the kitchen with a bottle of wine until 4a.m. was actually what was called for. But feel even if it is a short trip from Sydney I can give whatever child is with me a snapshot of UK and their relatives – and hope that’s enough to encourage them to develop the full picture later on. Enjoy all the sights, tastes and sounds of Oz – waking to the dawn chorus in the UK made me realise how very different the birds sound here.
Glad to hear you’re enjoying being back and by the sounds of it, made the most of Melbourne! Hope the single parenting stint goes well…