The day was gorgeous, perfect blue skies and heat. I felt a pang at leaving and was also mentally counting down the hours before I would be home. I had a final workout at the gym and a final swim, alone in the lap pool.
Breakfast was coffee and pancakes-it was pancake Sunday after all, and I was amazed at the stack. My brothers were too hungover from last night’s festivities, so I breakfasted alone.
I started reading a blog post and the last couple of days got to me. I wanted to be at home with my family and just hold them and not let go. As a result I got very teary and was thankful for the napkin. A good cry ensued at the hotel room as I packed up.
Leaving Denarau island was strange. It was the first time I had been off the resort island and the reality of urban Fiji was somewhat different to the well manicured boulevards of Denarau. The original trip had been in darkness and now driving back to the airport was an eyeopener. I felt like a very privileged tourist and not a little bit guilty at the luxury I had been enjoying over the last couple of days.
Checking in and clearing immigration was quick, so I had a few hours to kill before boarding. Duty free shopping and reading an e-book took care of most of my time. Getting onto the plane I soon discovered that the inflight entertainement harked back to the days of yore, when a screen would show a couple of movies. The new Thor movie wasn’t too bad (Loki is a great bad guy!), and I was thankful for my tablet with Angry Birds. The gentleman sitting beside was intrigued with the game, and started making suggestions regarding strategy. That turned into a long conversation with Innes, who was originally from Hull, and his wife Gail, also returning from a Fiji holiday. Having little inflight entertainment turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as I got to know my fellow passengers :).
I finally arrived back in Melbourne around 11.20, so glad to be back in Victoria on a mild autumn night, and glad to have packed a cardigan and leggings to wear under my dress. My good mate Tim picked me up from the airport, and I finally arrived back in Ballarat around 2am. The little BGs got cuddles and kisses and I snuggled into bed with Mr BG’s arm around me. My bed had never felt so good 🙂
There she goes 