miladycarol

We arrived safely home last night. Our flight from Sydney was late arriving, so we missed our connection home and had to wait around the airport for many hours. My ears didn't pop well the first landing due to the head cold, but all is well and it wasn't excruciatingly painful. Our Tuesday spanned two days, two continents and the Pacific Ocean, but at the end we were greeted by the beautiful face of sbloss and the fresh Eugene air. I know it sounds crazy, but after two months of poor to no sleep each night, a virus and the myriad other things that have oppressed me and made me so dead tired that I was virtually nodding off as I walked from one terminal to the other in SFO, I immediately perked right up as soon as I neared the airplane door. By the time I hit the parking lot with my bags in hand, I was ready to keep going for the rest of the evening.

I returned home to a huge puppy greeting, a Flex greeting, and then special visits from dreadygoddess & naudiz. Today, I saw Trish and Skyleigh andpjack. I love my Tribe! *swoon*

I spent the morning tackling the house. This is a project to be continued over the next few weeks. There is so much to put to order. I'm also taking this opportunity to really make a clean sweep of everything. I've been gone 8.5 months. I plan to toss every staple in the kitchen cupboards, wash it all out and buy fresh goods. I'm hoping to hit my closet soon, too. I feel like I want to touch every nook and cranny of this house. I guess that's how I scent mark.

Last night was the first full night of sleep I've had in months. I love being home.

I’m having the hardest time motivating G to pack. Despite this, I’ve finished as much as I can until he packs his stuff. Well, there’s still the remains of the kitchen, but, as I’m still preparing meals, I’ll have to wait until the last day or two for that.

I’m still not sleeping well at night. With all the craziness, most of which I haven’t even spoken, I’m really close to exhaustion. I feel like I’ve had all my skin peeled back and I’m standing exposed to all. Every little thing affects me in the most extreme way. I cry at the slightest little thing, big or small. I found a dead skink in the back yard the other day and I broke into sobs. I feel all the ills of the world poignantly. I just need time to sink into the energizing embrace of home and regenerate. I’m so grateful for home.

Still, there are lots of things I’ll miss about Sydney. As a great international port, this city has great cultural experiences… especially food. I have developed favourite places to eat in my time here. There’s the Yum Cha house in Ryde, the totally vegetarian Yum Cha in the city, about 4 amazing Thai restaurants on King Street in Newtown, the vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant that plays the same cd of 4 little instrumental songs on repeat each time I eat there, and the Lebanese restaurant in Auburn. And the best dessert ever is the Asian vegan ice cream in Newtown. Where else can I find black sesame, green tea (with the tea leaves still in it) and taro vegan dessert? I’ll miss that treat a lot. I have a favourite tea shop in the city. I found a huge knit shop with lots of wonderful Australian-made fiber. I found an organic coffee and tea shop I enjoy. And then there are the wasabi coated macadamia nuts. *swoon* Ooo la la.

There are many beautiful spots and I haven’t even begun to explore so many places I’d like to see. They can wait for the next trip, though. Everything is but a train ride away.

The things I think I’ll miss most, though, are the birds. I really love to hear the kookaburra and the magpies sing to me daily. This morning, I heard a sound much like the long chirp of a car alarm sounding that ended in an uplift of song. Amazing. Fortunately, I’ll be bringing some of the bird song home with me in the form of a cd.

I’m coming home.