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Published: April 18th 2007
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Before I begin, this is also a notification to everybody that I have now posted pictures on the last three journal entries for the Great Ocean Road in Australia, Fiji, including some passable underwater ones of Talitha diving and some reef life, and our adventures in California....
But now to now...
Before we left there was a discusssion 'thread' on this website about 'Returning to reality' after travelling, and people had various comments about their experiences, well as usual ours is probably a little unique... We landed in Heathrow to be met by Anne's brother. We naturally had a few wines that evening to help celebrate/commiserate, also noting that it was Annes birthday the next day, when we flew (joined by Alistair and family) to Inverness. (This was our 14th flight....)Our friend Jo kindly picked us up, and took us to Tesco's where we bought food for the group of teenagers we were meeting and working with that night. We picked up our car at Jo's in Invermoriston, had a cup of tea, then drove to Skye. Dropped the kids off at Annes fathers, picked up Bryn, who has been heroically holding the fort while we have been
away, then drove straight to Flodihgarry bunkhouse and met the group. 'Do not pass go do not collect 200 pounds'... we didn't even stop at our house or have time to take out our bags from the car.
Mad perhaps (it seemed like a good idea at the time when we took the booking) luckily there were lots of things in our favour, the weather was fantastic, the group of kids great to work with, and with lovely and capable leaders, it all made the slip into real;ity easier if making up for its suddenness.
The next three days saw me (with Bryn thankfully) running climbing and canoeing sessions, walking the Quiriang etc and Anne cooking for the group. We even managed to throw together a quick powerpoint presentation of some of the pictures of our trip, as my jet lag became a bit of a theme with the group.
We had a trip to the fairy glen above Uig, where there was a coachtour of 'backpackers' many with American accents obviously on their world trips (who knows one of them might be writing about the fairy Glen for this website as we speak...) I overheard one
chatting to a friend, saying what a great trip he was having and what an 'awesome place'the Glen was.
It made me smile as here I was back in reality, in a place which is part of many peoples travels
The kids have slotted back into school, Ronan's nursery have been fantastic, there is a world map on the wall with a line of Ronans travells drawn on it, as the class (all three of them....) monitered his progress round the world. and there were the post cards we sent, and pictures of India and Australia, and the Teachers had printed out the whole blog as a souveneer record of the trip. So The kids got a great geography lesson and ronan remained part of the class even though many thousands of miles away and absent for 5 months.
So to with Talitha who had a pack of all the interesting handouts that she had missed, and her class is doing projects this term so she has been told to do hers on her trip, and do a talk for the rest of the class.
Some people seem genuinely pleased to see us, and there have
been hugs and all to brief conversations "it was fantastic" - our trip "it was wet and windy" - the winter at home
We still haven't unpacked properly (no time...!) and diaries are filling up
Anne wants to write a list of 'ways we don't want to slip back into' so we can treat it all as a bit of new start (bit like new years resolutions.) I agree
I am avoiding using the phrase "Trip of a lifetime" as that suggests that there is only one chance, one trip...Talitha has already said that she misses the travelling, but then she also missed the routine of school and 'normality' But then she has expressed an intrest at walking the overland track in Tasmania, so why not?
I will miss writing the blog, but perhaps this will inspire me to write more anyway, and I am wondering whether there is a book or at least an article or two in what we have done...?
I hope that everyone has enjoyed reading of our adventures, but I think the last word should go to Talitha, who we asked on one of the evenings in California (and
has regularly been asked now) "what was the best bit..?"
She thought for a while and then just said'
" Being with the family for such a long time"
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