Only one more sleep until I fly to LA and embark on a whole new world of fun and adventure.
I’m wiggling, squirming and shaking with a delicious blend of excitement and terror. For some reason, taking off on a big jet plane to another country and farewelling your family is gut-wrenching. You just don’t get the same feeling when you move to another town in your own country, whether it’s an hour drive or 4 hour flight away.
Melbourne Airport have this really cool feature on their website where you can track inbound and outbound, local and domestic flights on their live radar. So tomorrow, click on the link below to see where I am during my 14 hour flight on the A380(QF93 @ 12:10pm).
The day started with mowing the lawns before 8am. Given that it was going to top 40 degrees, it was best to get this chore out of the way.
I am not a fan of mowing lawns, especially if there is lots of area to cover. I have been very lucky and usually my parents end up mowing the lawn for me as they are disgusted by how long I let the weeds get. But as I am leaving their little shack and allowing me to keep it as my storage shelter, I thought it best to get the lawns mowed.
When you do something, like clean or fix something, right before you are about to leave, you get this mixed feeling of “why bother, I’m leaving” and “why didn’t I do this earlier so I could appreciate it”. It’s an interesting combination, and one that no doubt gets you making high promises to attend to these things sooner and not be so lazy.
So here I am, at a quarter to midnight on my last evening in Mildura. I’m surrounded by three large, heavy red bags that are packed and an array of miscellaneous items to go in my carry on bag. I’ve left it all to the last minute of course. I only managed to squeeze in the last few items out of sheer tiredness from a big day of physical, mental and emotional outlays.
My friend cooked a wonderful Mexican feast for 14 of my friends as a send off, which was so lovely. I will save all my cliches about what beautiful, kind and generous people my friends are for another post. I might write that on the plane when I have 14 hours to ponder the loss of such people in my physical proximity.
This post is all mushed up and not flowing very well, but I guess that too reflects the kind of day I’ve had!
Yesterday I got a feel for 14 travel hours, a nice little preparation for my 14 hour flight to LA.
We had a family trip to Horsham for my uncle’s birthday lunch which was made all the more interesting by the recent floods in Victoria with the normal route, the Sunraysia Highway, closed.
It usually takes about 3 hours to get there, but with a detour via Birchip (with a quick pitstop and pic with the Mallee Bull) and then through Warracknabeal it took 4.5 hours. There were a few spots where there was still some water over the roads, and a number of potholes in the bitumen that we needed to watch out for and slow down for.
Lake around the wheat silos
Just outside of Warracknabeal, we passed a grain store with dozens of bunkers full of wheat surrounded by a lake of water. Apparently this is the property of the action-oriented guy who saved Warracknabeal by putting his heavy machinery on the job to build a levee around the town.
We sought the advice of the SES in Warracknabeal as the Sunraysia Highway was closed there, but at the roadblock no detours were offered. There were a few people gathered outside the SES station and they said that the Sunraysia Highway was 4WD only as the bitumen had been washed completely away in places.
River full to the brim at Warracknabeal
So after a 4.5 hour drive to Horsham, 4 hours at my aunt and uncle’s and then another 4.5 hour drive home and my hour each way to Mum and Dad’s made it a big day of travel.
Observations:
I got fidgety and sleepy about an hour into the return leg. That wasn’t a very good combination. I hope the Qantas entertainment system will keep me occupied with movie after movie.
All I ate was some toast at Mum and Dad’s, a coffee, a packet of chicken Twisties, some lollies, a bottle of water, salad buffet lunch, pavlova and cheesecake for sweets and a Coke. Not bad, and there will surely be more than enough food served on the flight, especially if I get one of those snack sacks – I love those.
The dips in the road were akin to aeroplane turbulence.
Wow. Flying in to Mildura always gives me pit-of-the-stomach sentimentality. I love it.
The patchwork of horticulture in amongst sand dunes, scrub and lake beds with the snaking Murray river as the defining feature never fails to enthrall me as I look out the window of the Dash 8 aeroplane.
Home sweet home
I picked out my parents’ property, its layout is easy to spot from the air. The roof of Dad’s new shed glints like a shiny new coin, outshining the house and older sheds.
The current abundance of water is fascinating. In one place, shallow water pools at the bottom of the sandhills glisten as we fly over, the sun catching at different angles to give a shimmer that feels as though it needs to be accompanied by one of those rainmaker stick sound effects.
Not paling in comparison is the feeling I get when flying over Mildura. A combination of homely nostalgia, of safety, of easiness. I won’t be flying in to Mildura for a while now, so I soak up this feeling as it washes over me.
Somewhat (un)inspired by watching The Tourist yesterday I want to celebrate a year of travels to places new and exciting, old and inviting. (I know, it’s a very weak link I’m making between the film The Tourist and travelling, but I’m making it anyway.
Admiring the dead at Recoleta Cemetery
in Buenos Aires
I saw the new year, 2010, arrive in Rotorua, New Zealand, amid the stinky geo-thermal gases and with a somewhat chilly and of course jaw-dropping fireworks display on the lakeshore.
A big 6 week trip in April and May with my mother took me to Argentina to visit Emily and Pablo, Peru to marvel at Machu Picchu for a second time, Mexico to eat grasshoppers and visit ruins, Guatemala to see a Mayan Shaman and a quick stop in LA to meet my email penfriend of 4 years, the man who puts the A in LA.
On the domestic front, I’ve also managed to visit some thus far unexplored corners of Australia and revisit some favourites:
Two weeks traversing the Kimberley from Broome to Darwin on a magnificent and indescribably beautiful camping tour
Bunbury and Margaret River to see my friend Travieso who I met at Iguazu Falls 6 years ago
Darwin to do some serious dancefloor carving
Three trips to Sydney for a conference and shopping, a flight to Buenos Aires, some xoxo, and to see some German buddies from my Kimberley tour along with a good friend from school
Gold Coast to visit my little bro and do big sisterly things like buy him kitchen utensils and shoes
Thumbs up for making it up to Machu Picchu
Melbourne goodness knows how many times to see friends, shop, go to parties, watch Mary Poppins the musical, go to exhibitions, meet my fellow LA adventurers and soak up that gorgeous city vibe
Adelaide to see my friends, go to a baby shower and meet the new baby
Falls Creek to ski with a friend, visit her family and catch up with other friends in Wodonga
Eating chapulines, grasshoppers, in Oaxaca, Mexico
So it’s been a pretty travelsome year. Especially when I list it all down like that. It’s a wonder I had any weekends at home!
New places always thrill me. I can’t wait to move to LA where I will no doubt get an overload of new experiences, places and people.
That said, the alternative to moving to LA was a year (or more) of travel. That’s a pretty big ‘sacrifice’ to make, but I’m confident I’m going to have one hell of a 2011, even if it isn’t living out of a backpack but rather out of a backpack, rolling duffel and suitcase with a brand new suite of Apple gadgets in my possession.
Even though the big travel adventure is but a former plan, can I please, please, puh-lease share with you my travel wishlist for 2011… I promise you can share yours via comments on this post!
America, duh. Like, all over you know. I totally want to see it all.
Europe – has remained elusive of my travel map thus far and if I REALLY have to select just a few places it would be Spain para hablar espanol (to speak Spanish), France and Germany to visit friends in each of those countries. I’d also like to add the Greek Islands, Italy, Russia and Croatia but that would just be greedy.
My wicked backflip into Manning Gorge
in the Kimberley
Shanghai – to visit my old housemate who’s also making a big overseas move in 2011. But only if she sends her driver to pick me up from the airport with a sign that says “Chickety China the Chinese chicken wants a little cameo” and is in the shape of a love heart with pink feathers on it.
Australia – to visit the doctor and assure the family that I haven’t gained an American accent.
Mexico – to cross the border to TJ and go to Cabo darhling. Though I think the Copper Canyon, San Miguel de Allende and a return visit to Taxco are more my scene.
Canada – Vancouver anyone?
Colombia – simply because if I didn’t have it on my list I would be LYING. Desperada, that’s what I am to get there. Hmmm, maybe I need to think up a good doco, TV show or film we can film on loco location in Colombia…
a little cameo 