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Published: June 28th 2006
Yes so as I last left you I was on my merry way to Oslo....said goodbye to sweet angel jackie....lined up in the cue for check in....it was surprisingly small...got to the counter and exchanged excited words with the lovely qantas woman and then.....it all went #!!!***???
This was the very sentence that made my smooth sailing travels somewhat DIFFERENT! " I am sorry dear it seems that your passport has expired." Tummy drops, the cold sweat runs across my brow....the sad thing....I had a intuitive feeling that was going to be the case. I had read the bloody expiry date backwards....
So I took a big breath...gathered my thoughts....and the AMAZING RACE ala Rayne Murray began. Somehow I had to try and get my passport sorted and then get on a later flight to Oslo. Now remembering this is high season and there happened to be a massive back log in flights due to morning fog, it was not looking all the promising.......this slow down was to be my saving grace. I do believe that travel teaches you many life lessons and LESSON NUMBER ONE....accept responsibility for your own actions and then the universe opens its doors to you....
Enter ANGUS. The lovely qantas sales clerk that was my first angel. Well I should qualify he was my second as jackie was the only number I could get on directory assistance...and she was able to let esther know that THINGS HAD CHANGED. Bless her. Back to Angus.....he....in conjunction with DIANNE BILLINGS of the Canadian High Commission in Canberra would be the two sweethearts that would see me make it to oslo on the same day as the original itinerary. AMAZING. So....I flew to Canberra for two hours....took a cab drive with a driver that mentioned that he had just been to the high commission for the first time two weeks ago and made a mental note of where it was just in case he would be there again....in my mind I am thinking that it was an answered prayer as I just had said to myself in the plane..."please god let my cabbie know where the hell this place is as timing is critical! "(is it not amazing how we get religious in times of strife).
Dianne stayed well after government working hours to make sure that I got a temporary passport....asking me to get photos and fill in documents prior to my arrival. DONE! WIth New temporary passport in hand and a massive hug to Dianne, I went to back to the airport....landed an even earlier flight...which was key as I said earlier all flights were delayed. If I had been on the flight angus had me on I would not have made it back in time....let alone score a seat on an 11:00 pm flight to hong kong on the way to heathrow......On my flight back to melbourne a lovely smiling gentleman sat beside me and we chatted a little....telling him my amazing travels during this day....and I asked him what he thought my chances of getting standby were....his response...."Honey...it sounds like you got good KHARMA and I believe you will get it." In my heart....I knew he was right. And the conclusion...I DID IT KIDS...with the help of many angels along the way and the realisation that I had only myself to blame for my situation and getting angry at myself or anyone else was going to be the thing to get in the way of me getting to Norway. (please note that the next available flight way July 6th and I would have missed all my competitions and would have missed my scandanavian adventures....) But I haven't ..... my adventures now begin!
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IDIOT!!! (use a french accent please)
Kubet
non-member comment
uncanny
Hi Rayne, believe it or not I spoke to Dianne Billings just before leaving OZ and she expediated Ian's Canadian Citizenship card so it was there in Barrie the day we arrived back to Canada. Can't believe that you had such an adventure before even leaving OZ. It must have taken all your inner strength to get through it without freaking!!! THese are the hurdles which will teach you that anything is possible!