Well, it’s been over a week that we’ve been home so I suppose it’s about time I got around to finishing up the blog. I’ve been busy wading through a six-month tall pile of bills, statements, letters and the ubiquitous paperwork of everyday life. And I haven’t even started our taxes yet (I filed an extension electronically while we were away). We are reacquainting ourselves with driving on the right side of the road. We’ve also been busy reconnecting with family and friends. I’m happy to report that the cat did not hold a grudge and instead welcomed us back into her life with no hard feelings over our unexplained absence.
Certainly it is in many ways good to be home, surrounded by the people and things we care for. We forgot how nice the space we live in is. I missed my art studio. Soon I might even escape the confines of paperwork management and get back to painting large works of art, not just the small pieces I’ve limited myself to as we have traveled.
I do miss the sunshine though. And living constantly in shorts and sandals. And the new friends we made in Australia. And the sight of Kangaroos, Rainbow Lorikeets and Sulfur Crested Cockatoos. And the sounds of the Kookaburras and the Magpies. And the constant surprise at how differently and colorfully the Australians use the English language. And using meters and kilograms and degrees Centigrade like the rest of the planet. And Tim Tam cookies. And of course the sense of adventure from living somewhere unfamiliar.
But we’ve already started preliminary planning for next winter. We’re thinking Europe; maybe Spain and Portugal. We’ll try to do house sitting again whenever possible. That saved us a ton of money and lent a richness to the experience that you just don’t get as a typical hotel-bound tourist. So this blog is ended now but I’ll start a new one when we start our next trip– most likely in early December. The new blog will have a new name but I’ll do my best to let everyone know where to find it. Thanks to you all for following along with our adventures.
