Stoat - Where?

Homeward Bound

Two and a half years is a long time to be away from home, no matter how many awesome experiences you have. It’s hard to describe the feeling – I don’t really miss England per se, but I do miss the great times I had with friends and family while I was there. Having said that, I’m really enjoying life in Brisbane and don’t feel like I’ve seen enough of Australia to warrant leaving permanently just yet.

So, in an attempt to satisfy both sets of desires (some of my friends would call me a typical Gemini for that), I’ve decided that when my current contract ends, I’ll finally be coming back to England for a few weeks to see just what a mess you’ve all made of the place since I’ve been gone. What initially started out as a one week vacation has now stretched to 3 weeks plus, which is fine with me as I’ve got loads of people to see while I’m back, not to mention spending some quality time with Mum.

Ironically, just about every Kiwi I know in the world is also in London at the moment, so hopefully it will be a good opportunity to meet up with some old Nova hands, as well as English friends and family. I just got through confirming the flights so I can now say that I’ll be arriving in London on the evening of October 15th and flying out again on 7th November. It’s going to be a very hectic few weeks, but I’m sure I’ll enjoy every minute.

I’m flying EVA Air, which is Taiwan’s national carrier, and have a one night stopover in Taipei which I hope will be interesting. Even if it isn’t, at least it breaks up the 25 hour flight! I was asked if maybe I was too tall for a Taiwanese airline, but only after I’d paid in full, so I’ll just have to hope for the best. I do have vague memories of being bunched up on the flight out to Japan with JAL, but fingers crossed, I’ll at least have room to cross my legs. Apparently flying into Heathrow’s a nightmare now, so I have to remember not to bring any pens or toothpaste.

Anybody who wants to meet up with me while I’m back, please get in touch, so I can try and arrange to be in your part of the country at the same time you are!