End Game

Time to unravel the construct that had become my seemingly routine life in Australia. Having stayed in the same place for over 75% of the time I spent here did provide some sense of routine to things here down under - however strange that might seem after I have been back home in Arlington a week from now.

First I had to drive to Perth from Western Flora Caravan Park. That was fine. I had to stop a number of times along the way trying to get the best picture I could of a Christmas tree plant. Maria's request, as she needed this to make Christmas cards.

I arrived back in Perth on Monday afternoon. It had actually been cloudy, raining occasionally, so there was not my usual blue sky view of the city from the hotel balcony. Tuesday morning was a day of shedding things. The truck and a good bit of field equipment all needed to be brought back to Curtin University. I spent a few hours there, after returning stuff and getting some paperwork straightened out. As strange as my goofy everything-is-backwards truck seemed, it was stranger still to leave the University without my own transportation. I hopped on a bus, made my way back to the hotel, and had some lunch. Then it was back to the bus and a final downtown shopping trip. I spent a few hours there and then took the bus back to my hotel room. I had a few letters to get off in the mail and then began trying to fit all of my things back into two suitcases and a backpack. With that straightened out I went to bed, setting the alarm for 3:30 AM Wednesday morning. I had a taxi picking me up at 4:20.

My travels, translated into Boston time (14 hours behind Perth time).....

• 2:20 PM Tuesday (18th) left the hotel
• 4:30 took off from Perth airport
• 7:20 arrived in Melbourne
• 9:00 left Melbourne
• 10:00 arrived in Sydney
• 11:40 PM left Sydney - the long flight begins!
• 12:34 PM (Wednesday, 19th) arrived in LA; had to collect my bags to go through customs, only one of my two checked bags made it to LA
• 8:00 PM left LA
• 1:30 AM (Thursday, 20th) arrived in Boston

Unlike my trip there, I did not sleep very much during this 35 hour marathon. So I was happy when I was able to finally walk away from an airport terminal and the planes but I was tired when Maria brought me home to Arlington. I got into bed about 2:30 and woke up at 3 in afternoon.

My late arriving bag was delivered to my front door the next day.

The first time I drove my car was not strange, other than I did try to use my windshield wiper controls to turn on my blinker.

And so my trip comes to an end. Lots of great memories for Maria and I and in many ways we could not have planned such an interesting adventure if we tried. I definitely enjoyed my time away but am certainly not about to move to Australia anytime soon! It is good to be home.

The view from my front door the day I left (November 1)

and the view out my front door when I returned....