The reality of coming into my second last week hits me. That means I have been back for 5 weeks. Take out the week I went to Darwin and Melbourne that is still a month, a fabulous month at home with the girls and just recharging my batteries and preparing as much as I can for my next leg of my journey. I think I have started each blog entry with some form of how fast my time has been going……
So we are now starting to prepare the girls that there is only 15 sleeps left till I leave and to see their little faces register that I am leaving again is heart breaking. At least there is light at the end of the tunnel for them as they understand I will back for Christmas and in their eyes (and ours) it really isn’t that far off. This in turn brings me back to the reality that I am leaving everything I have ever known and going to a place and experiencing something completely new, everything will be a new experience for me. People who know me well know I am a creature of habit, so this is definitely outside my comfort zone, but it just seems right. Whether things work with Zeme or not, I feel this is the road that I am supposed to take. I keep saying I have come back a changed person and it is hard to explain how and why, but I am, and I see everything through new eyes and I keep harping on about time and how it is so precious, but it is and please, please enjoy every second you have with what you do and whom you are with.
I also need to start prepping my stuff as I figure out what I am going to need for my first 3 months in Addis. With tickets booked, Zeme booking a hotel for the first week when I arrive and a visa I will need to apply for when I am in London it all looks like it is coming together. I have messaged Z plus Minalu to see if there are things that I need to bring from here (expenses in buying things there) to which I am still waiting for replies. I went and bought my stash of goodies during the week that will be sent in one of the un-accompanied bags the week I arrive into Addis. I spent 110 bucks on boxes of BBQ Shapes, Tim Tams, Cheds, Twisties, Mint Slices and Burger Rings. It sounds a little extreme, but a little bit of comfort food will help on those days that I get a little home sick….. I have a cheapie bag that I have started to fill with essentials and then closer to departure day I will pack it all properly for its unaccompanied ride to Ethiopia. I am thinking of getting the bags plastic wrapped at the airport, not so much for security but for the protection of the cheapie bags. Shelly pointed out if I get the stuff sent in suitcases what do I do with them once I get to Addis re: room etc…. Good point.
My days are now full of lunch dates as I try and squeeze in as many people to see as I can before I leave in 14 days. I have 3 places to be on Saturday. Afternoon tea with work gals, BBQ with the Elkin clan and friends and then a night on the town with party friends. If I can get through that day then I can get through just about anything while I am here. I have something on each day this week and then next week is looking just as busy. It is a tough life meeting people for lunches, but as I have said before somebody has to do it right! I am starting to feel a little yucky with all the food I have been gorging on for the last month as I make the most of all my favorite foods while I can. I am hoping that I may be able to shake a little of the weight in Addis as there are no major fast food chains, no McDonalds, no Subway and no KFC or Burger Kings but at this point I am relishing the thought as I rekon I have put on at least 5kg since being home.
I haven’t used the hire car for the last 5 days but you just never know when you will need a set of wheels and at 30 bucks a day, it isn’t like it is costing me too much to have it out the front. Don’t tell the car hire company but I still get a little dis-orientated on what side to drive when I turn corners after travelling so long on the opposite side of the road. I will have to get used to it as Ethiopia drive on the same side as the USA (opposite to us) so once I start driving there and there here I am sure I will be even more confused than what I am now. Speaking of car hire companies I followed up the email sent about the damage apparently done to the car hire I had in Darwin. I was all armed with all my questions and counter answers till they told me what the problem was and I really couldn’t have a leg to stand on. They found a nail in the tyre and it had to be replaced at a cost of $55. What can I say to that? It was a mixture of relief that it only cost $55 and of frustration as I drove that car all weekend, I must have driven over the nail on the way to drop the car off as the tyre would have gone down while I still had it. It is pretty damn unlucky and just have to be happy with a 55 buck loss. It could have been a lot worse. Needless to say I went through the new rental I picked up in Brisbane with a fine tooth comb for my last 19 day rental. This company also seems a lot more thorough and walks you around the car together, check the odometer and fuel gauge before they set you on your way.
No matter what happens during the week Tuesday is movie day with Shelly while the girls are at school. We catch a morning movie so we are finished with plenty of time for a school pickup at 2.30pm. Also known as tight arse Tuesday as the tickets are only $10 on Tuesday’s. We wanted to see magic Mike this week but it doesn’t start till next week. We had a look at all the other movies that were showing and nothing really appealed to us so we decided to download a movie at home and have a movie day at home. We both had wanted to see Bridesmaids, so for $3.99 we rented the movie from iTunes. Shelly wasn’t to be beaten and for me she did a popcorn run to the actual cinema and also got me a frozen coke while she was there, what a great best friend I have. Gee we have a tough life while the gals are at school. Never fear Magic Mike is on the cards for next week.
I have made a final list of things I have to get. When I pre-packed for my Odyssey I did it quite late and found I had far too much stuff in the ‘want to take’ pile and I was a little rushed. I also found packing so late I kept buying things I really didn’t need on the lead up to the final pack and had accumulated so much stuff. I am lucky I am not backpacking as such on my trip this time around. Yes I do have a backpack but I am not traversing the Africa continent in a tent and an overland truck, I am not circumnavigation the South American continent in a truck, I am staying with friends, nights out at dinner and then moving to Africa where I can wear normal clothes and not have to look like a drifter so I can take some decent clothes to the UK and Ethiopia. I am starting to get a little daunted by the massive task I have when I come home at Christmas with a whole household of stuff in a shipping container that I will need to sift through and sort out. Oh well no use worrying about that now, but it is going to be a monumental job that is for sure upon my return.
As crazy as it sounds I need to start looking at booking our flights back to Brisbane at Christmas. I am hoping that Zeme will be able to join me finally this time as I will be in Addis Ababa to help facilitate his visa and finally get him to Australia to meet my friends. The question will be how much time he can get off work. Ideally it would be great to be the whole 5 weeks I am looking at returning for, if not then I will take what I can get. I have made a temporary booking at work and will then discuss this all with Zeme when I arrive. To throw a little wave in this plan was I got a message during the week from a couple in the UK who have gotten engaged and asked if I would be able to make the wedding for the last week in December meaning that I only need to cut my trip home short by 8 days, fly to the UK for a week to attend the wedding and then head back into Ethiopia the first week of January. I had a look at airfares and I can add on London for only an additional $300. The question begs if Zeme can come (more time off work) and we would also need to get him a visa for the UK. Once again there isn’t too much I can do re all this till I see him and run it all past him.
Thursday morning was a real tear jerker. I was down in my room and Tessie came down the on her own accord and had a stuffed toy and a zsu zsu pet in her hands and then gave them to me asking if I could take them to Ethiopia with me and give them to some children that don’t have any toys. I only just held it all together and then I sat with her and told her that was very very generous of her and that the children in Ethiopia would be very thankful for the gifts and that I would make sure that they knew the presents came from a little girl called Tess in Australia. The girls are so solemn when they ask questions about Ethiopia and the people who live there. When I explained that there are children who would never get presents like this, Tessie left the room and came back 10 minutes later with 6 dolls and some clothes to dress them in. So the 8 precious items have been added to ‘the bags that are getting sent’ pile and they will be shipped once I arrive into Addis. I don’t know why, but I really was seriously holding back the tears as this innocent 5 year old looked up at me as we try and change some-ones little world for the better with some simple gifts and a smile to boot. If this is how I am going to feel every time I help some-one less fortunate than me then I DEFINETLY know I am making the right move, it was so rewarding and that was with Tessie. This goodbye feels so much more sadder than my first one, which is strange as I am coming back in 3 months where the last time it was for 15 months. I guess the girls are older and they are also like my little friends now and there reactions as they count down my last week’s makes my heart weep and this move is more permanent, even though I will be back for 4 weeks, it is a final move, no matter what happens, I am staying in Africa
Saturday was a busy day. I finally made the effort to do a ‘pre’ pack of my new backpack. It was strange and I felt a little unfaithful as I had to find a new home for everything that just came as second nature with my original backpack. It all fit in and I have a little bit more room to boot as I have the zip off backpack on the front that I lost on the original backpack when I was in Morocco. It is nice to be packing ‘nice’ clothes and no ‘backpacking’ clothes as I am only in the UK for 3 weeks and then straight into Addis where I have some bags sent with more appropriate clothes for Africa. I also started to sort what was going to go in the unaccompanied bags. Clothes is the major filler, but I am also taking some towels, a quilt and cover set, my Australian munchies and some small souvenirs. I really have no clue on what can and can’t be bought there, so as long as I have some basics, 12 weeks isn’t that long to go without something or worst case scenario I can get Shelly to send stuff as it only takes 4-7 days for things to arrive.
Saturday afternoon was spent with the Discover crew at Bek’s house for a catch up over afternoon tea. We all had a ‘course’ to bring as we sat and chatted the afternoon away. I was first course with bikiies, cheese and cabana, second course was sandwiches by Beth, third course was scones, jam and cream
By Bek and fourth course was cupcakes from Danielle and Denise all washed down with some champagne supplied by Michelle and hot tea it was nice to see them all again out of the office. Talk about a sugar fix for the afternoon though, oh well hopefully that will stand me in good stead for this evenings drinking session……
Saturday evening was back home to the Elks for an Olympic BBQ and a few drinks. Shelly and I said the night before that we would wake up at 5.30am this morning to watch the opening ceremony, well I did get a wake up nudge at 5.45am and told Michelle I would be up in a few minutes and the preceded to roll over and went back to sleep. I did manage to see all the countries walk out and even gave a big cheer for the 12 members of the Ethiopian contingent as they entered the stadium. So the Olympic coverage continued in the evening as we had Foxtel, we were lucky to have 8 channels to watch as we caught up and had a few drinks. Paula and Tracey were coming over for dinner and then we were going to head into town for a bit of a boogie and a few more drinks… of course. When it was time to head to The Caxton, I was able to talk Shells into coming out for a little while (a curfew of 1.15am) and the girls and I stayed out till 4am till it was time for this old duck to head home.
So that completes my second last week in Brisbane. I can’t believe that 5.5 weeks have passed already and I just know that next week is going to just fly by.
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