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Published: November 20th 2006
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The Ceremony
Farewell to the back pack and day pack - at long last! Well, home at last!
At this stage, I have very mixed feelings about being back in Australia.
Whilst I did have times during my trip that I wished I was home, these feelings tended to be infrequent and passed relatively quickly. I did have a great time travelling - meeting new people, seeing and experiencing something new each and every day.
Still, all good things must come to an end and it is time for me to start replenishing my bank accounts given the severe thrashing they have taken over the past 6 months.
On the positive side, in the 2 weeks I have been home….
§ I have managed to catch up with a few of my friends and some of my family and that really has been great. I am really looking forward to many more reunions over the coming weeks.
§ I have thrown away my backpacks and most of the clothes that I travelled with for the 6 months. It is amazing how the little things in life can make you so happy - just wearing “new” clothes is wonderful.
§ I have seen 2 live pub shows - “The
Torquay front beach
Always easy to recognise this beach with all the Norfolk pine trees along the foreshore. Whitlams” and “Mick Thomas & the Sure Thing”. Live gigs are one of the pleasures I truly missed during my travels and the 2 bands I have seen are two of my all-time favourites.
§ The Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival has been and gone. Given that my only punting success over the previous 6 months had been in Japan, I wonder why I did not back the winner of the 2006 Melbourne Cup, the Japanese "Delta Blues"? Oh well, maybe next year.
§ I have returned to work. Whilst I do not expect any genuine sympathy about this, I did find my first week back very tiring. I am, therefore, relishing the weekend.
§ And I remain itinerant! Not an ideal way to return so I now have to start looking for somewhere to live in Melbourne. Thankfully, Mum and Dad don’t mind me staying with them in Torquay and I have called on good friends, like Pam and Graeme in Williamstown (aka my city Mum and Dad), and Alex and Paul in Sunshine to let me stay weeknights so the commute to work is reasonable.
So that’s it for Merryn’s Travel Blog 2006.
I
Torquay front beach II
Kite surfer enjoying the day whilst the tide was out at Point Danger, exposing the reef would like to thank all of you for your comments, messages and emails throughout my adventure. It was fun to receive personalised messages whilst on the road.
Thank you to all the people I stayed with along the way - Arthur and family, Jon and Mary, George and Barbara, Cathy and Nick, Juergen, Peter, Andrea and Alan, Helen and Sherif, and Greg - and met up with, especially Jars and Jane, Steve and Susan.
Thanks to Joe, Randy and Joe Sr for introducing me to some great people all over the world and providing support and some excellent travel advice. Thanks to Joe and Mike for being part of the highlight of the trip in ensuring that I made it to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro. And to Joe Sr, thank you for a fantastic and personalised tour of the Big Apple.
Whilst travelling, I met many people and I feel most fortunate that some of them have quickly become firm friends in particular, Martin, Bruce, Judge Johnny, Mark and Wendy, Valda and Joe, Simone, Chris, Manuela, Liz and Marketa.
And thanks to all of you back here in Torquay, Geelong and Melbourne for welcoming me home and reminding me that this is simply the best place in the world to live and that I am truly blessed to have such great friends.
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Cathy
non-member comment
Brought tears to the eyes
Thanks for keeping up your travel blog and entertaining us with your witty banter. Great to have you back.