It feels strange to say, but we are heading home. After only 8 months in Melbourne it feels like home. Even though it was nice to see family again and it was nice to give support in a time of need, or receive support as needed, it still feels right to be heading home. In just a few short weeks we will know if our new home will stay as such, or if we have to pack it all up and leave.
Australia is far, far away
It might as well be another galaxy. The travel time is long no matter where you are going. Just think that we have to take the equivalent of two transatlantic flights to get there. And we are not talking about those zippy 7 hour flights from the East Coast either. We are talking full on, 9+ hours where that last hour or two is a grueling mental battle of not wanting to be on a plane any more. And so, even for people coming from places like India or South East Asia it is similar to going from Europe to America. For most people that is a long journey in itself, but we get to do it twice on back-to-back flights. While the layover in Bangkok is short I’m not sure if that’s a blessing or a curse. In one way it’s nice to get it over with but then there is the challenge of not really getting a break between flights.
Then the jet lag hits
As if the travel wasn’t bad enough, you have a 10 hour time difference to contend with as well. So once you get there, you are exhausted and just want to rest, but you have to get back on schedule. For some reason the change from east to west is worse than going the other way. I always felt this when going to the states as well. Going from west to east is simple as you feel alert in the mornings and you can get going. When going west you struggle to get out of bed on time and the whole day is a non-starter. Just think if you want to get out of bed at 7 a.m. yet your body is telling you it is 9 p.m. and you should be getting ready for bed instead. So yeah, Australia is far away no matter how you look at it. While it is bitter sweet to think that Australia may not be home for much longer, it might just be as well.
