Departure

Shirley, my partner for the past thirty nine years, has a strong and stoic personality.  As does my daughter, Gabrielle.  They were both wiping tears from their eyes as I turned to walk away into the departure area.  I am a lucky man knowing that I am loved and I will be missed by these two wonderful women. 

I am doubly lucky that they have been supportive in my undertaking of this journey.

The journey to London from Melbourne takes almost no time at all.  Doing the trip on the motorcycle coming back will take months.  The e-ticket says the journey takes twenty seven hours but that does not include 'lay-over' periods, waiting in lounges, going through Customs, finding transport, checking into a hotel. 

I know all I had to do was sit in a seat for most of that time but I was exhausted when I arrived.  There were families with children travelling on my plane.  Now those parents know what true exhaustion is.

After enduring the queues through passport control I made my weary way to the shuttle bus terminus.  No warm welcome for me instead a chilly breeze and a temperature of minus three degrees Celsius which literally made me pull my head in ( my jacket collar that is ).

Ah a hotel room with my name on it.  A warm bed and a hot shower. 

Good night, good morning - don't care I'm going to bed.