Goodbye Melbourne

I woke up early this morning, leaving the hotel and catching a tram back to Alistair's place where we loaded up the car and headed off to the airport. I had so much stuff and it only just fit into the car.

We got to the airport and met my brother there who had to catch the bus in and also take a bag and a suitcase for me. We arrived three and a half hours before the flight was due to depart because we wanted to check in early. We had both come up with sob stories to aid us with the excess baggage. We came up with them separately and surprisingly enough they both had something to do with a death in the family and us sending things home.

90kg. That is the total weight of all my baggage. They gave us 25kg each, so we were effectively 40kg over the limit. At AUD$18 per kilo, well, you do the math. We both seemed unfazed when he told us the final amount. We just said 'OK'. A little while later, the guy said, is someone paying you? I said excuse me? He said, is someone paying the baggage charges for you, or is it coming out of your own pocket? I said, my own pocket. He said 'oh, I see'. I think because of our reaction when he told us the amount, he assumed we didn't care because it wasn't our money.

The flight was OK. My brother and I were seated next to one another. He stole my middle seat. We were seated next to a guy who looked exactly like Todd. My brother did not watch any of the movies or even listen to music during the flight. Instead, he decided to bother me and ask me to photograph him doing the various brace positions. I watched a French movie (of course) called L'Équipier which was about a seaman who was in the army and moved to work in a lighthouse. And of course there is the love affair with the married woman of his co-worker etc etc. It was good. Typical French movie though as far as setting and plot goes. But definitely made me want to go explore the country areas of France.

My cousin picked us up from the airport. When we got home, my brother walked in the front door as I was unloading the van. My mum started chasing him and trying to hug him, saying she hadn't seen him in 24 hours! He was running away. I said "hello, I'm home" and she didn't even come out and see me! And then I walked into the house and said "I'm outside unloading the van if you wanted to say hi", but nope, nothing. I walked in and put the boxes into the spare room in the front. Only after about 5 minutes from when I actually got home did my mum come and say hello!

Well, it's odd to be back home. Everyone keeps asking me what it feels like to be back, and I really don't know. So stop asking!!