Hi sarah

Its sunday morning in aus and like last sunday and the sunday before that you are not missing much.

You lucky thing how did the flight go with the kids and NIck.

Please keep in touch and let us know how its all going. Sorry we didnt get to meet up to say goodbye.

I wish it was me


nicola

Sarah, I'm pleased it all came together in then end, despite all the struggles. Congratulations and keep us posted when you get back!

Good Luck as you start your new life. Did you get to play on the Airbus from Singapore?
Jo

I think my wife would leave for this reason alone....They wake her up every morning.

I normally need a defibrillator to get me up.

Aaargh, me too!!!!! I loathe the bl**dy cockatoos with a passion. The departing jumbos at Heathrow are a mere buzz in comparison! Some nong down the street feeds the darned things and they roost in a tree a couple of hundred yards away. When the cockies arent going then the magpies and currawongs are in full screech!!!

Only saving grace is that the Koel that came to visit over summer has now emigrated - damned thing did not stop except for 20 minutes from midnight every darned night!

Give me a tweety little blackbird any day of the week!

Hi Jo, nope! But we did go on the smaller Airbus kinda planes with Etihad Airways and I reckon they were much newer and better quality than the ones Singapore Airlines has been using.

So anyhoo... we're back! HOORAY!!! Lovely, lovely spring sunshiny day today and I can't describe the relief at being here! Imagine grown woman realising she's seeing spring blossom driving back from Heathrow down the M4 and suddenly starting crying with happiness. C'est moi.

Phew, phew, phew!! Tomorrow is buying car day. The rest of the week is 'hunt for rental' week. Fingers crossed we'll start getting properly sorted out soon. At least my old job has started again (and I work from home so that's one less thing to worry about!) and life is almost starting to feel like real life again.

Sarah (who keeps smiling at inappropriate moments just because she's so pleased to be home)

Great to hear that you are home again safely!!! I cried with happiness at the spring blossoms last year when I was over, too!!! All the best with the rental hunting!

Thanks for that, Nic - and yeah, last week was mental so we just didn't get to do or see anyone very much!

Flight - fine. Actually, I found three 7 - 8 hour flights more manageable than the normal 7 hour plus 14 hour flights. Not fun though (and I wish we never had to do it again, but family ties dictate an' all that!), but not total hell either. Would use Etihad again. Their planes were really clean, fresh and bright inside and although the food quality wasn't as good as Singapore Airlines - since all airline food is horrible anyway, who cares?

Oh, and you know I said my in-laws had said they didn't want to see us for a meal or anything before we left? Well, on the morning we left, they stayed indoors until the moment we were about to drive off... and then my f-i-l said 'thanks for coming to see us', like we'd just popped over for a visit and not been through hell whilst living there. Surreal! Next time you're in the Tally Valley, blow a massive raspberry at my in-laws from me!!!

Big good luck to you with sorting out moving back and hope you've managed to get the house on the market and that your business sale completes properly in the next few days! Fingers toes and everything crossed that you get that house sale and whizz on back home quickly!

Sarah

Tee hee, quoll! Glad it's not just me that's bonkers. My husband thought I'd lost the plot yesterday when we were on the motorway and I was crying at how beautiful the scenery off the M4 was!

Sarah

I cried too when I woke up at Mums, threw open the curtains on my first day there and saw the pheasants in the fields, right next to the frost covered daffs!

Oooh you lucky thing you. I hope it all goes fantastically well for you all back home

So glad you are back and everything gets back to normal for you soon. Oh to see that lovely cherry blossom or virginia creeper in september when its changing colour

Glad you got back to UK ok.

The worse bit for me coming back was the flight, I am petrified of flying and was sick all the way from Hong Kong to UK spent nearly the whole flight in the loo, thank god there was no turbulence I have got to be the worse flyer in the world BTW we flew with Cathay Pacific I think they were excellent

Hope you settle back in to life here well, good luck.

Kath

Nice one Sarah. Say a big hello to the UK for us and enjoy settling back home.

All the very best back home. It is such a whirlwind when you first get back. The children and I have been back almost 3 months now and I still do the emotional can't believe we're back. The other thought that goes through my head is 'lucky escape!'...very strange I know but it could have turned out so differently! Just awaiting hubby to come home now then all back to normal..hope you stay on the high!

Lorids

Thanks Lorids - you've written just about exactly what we're going through and what still goes through my head. The number of people who ask me what I miss about Australia is amazing... but I don't really miss anything (probably because we still have a strong connection with Australia and will be back there in the future). I'm so unbelievably glad to be back in the UK and all the habitual grumbling from people about the state of the country / economy / weather etc isn't going to burst my bubble of happiness!

Ah well, the end of almost our first week back and it's been manic. We've done a marathon journey with two small children. Bought a car. Sorted out renting a cottage in deepest darkest rural Northamptonshire. My contract with my previous employer has just started up again. Hubs has temporary work with a couple of galleries when in Oz he couldn't even get a sniff of it. And... well... all going tickety boo! Even the weather has perked up a bit!

Sarah (ridiculously perky despite having picked up a cold on the plane!)