Travel....do ya love it?

A few notes about air travel from Australia.

In Australia we don’t think much about hopping in the car and taking a 3-4 hour car trip to visit a place of interest. Or even a 12 road trip to visit friends and family in another state.

Spending time with the family in the confines of an automobile...oh what fun.

It’s just the nature of getting around the vast distances between places.

‘Back Seat Entertainment’ was a result of one such trip.

Where my then 10 year old son spent some time doing some wonderful drawings in between spending time with the electronic ‘baby sitter' 

His drawing resulted in a kite being made. 

The 24+ hour plane trip to Europe is a bit like a road trip only with lots more people.

Mainly with people you don't know..... probably why there's this eagerness to get off the plane when it lands.

I got onboard the plane at Tullamarine airport and 24+ hours your transported to another place.

I  did wish on several occasions that it could be quicker...more like traveling in ‘Dr Who’s Tardis’ or one of those transporters from ‘Star Trek’ this wasn’t because it was a long trip more trying to avoid the bloke sitting next to me as he was making a big effort to break the ‘David Boon’ record.

I was glad when he got off in the UAE.....still wondering if they let him through customs!!

It amazes me how many people rush to get off the plane only to wait at another place in the airport for their next connection. It a bit like Rome....The city of standing in lines!

*Line up at the Vatican
*Fight the cues at Trevi Fountain
*Fight like a gladiator at the Colosseo just to get a view.
*But its worth every second!

 Time is short...and there's so much to see!
 Edit:
Here's a few of those lines.....

The hat made it through the security check points and loved it!

The highlight was the 'Sistine Chapel'  The hat says: "Shhh!The bloke who's head I was on was overwhelmed... I'm sure I saw some tears in his eyes! as I said Shhh!

Ciao from the City of People standing in Lines.

All my bags are packed and I'm ready to go.....

All my bags are packed and I'm ready to go. I'm standing here outside your door......
Sounds familiar.
Here's my favourite version of that song by Peter, Paul, Mary with John Denver

Another song that's been on my mind is Gorden Lightfoot's  "Early Morning Rain"

There's some trepidation associated with this trip besides my normal sense of  uncertainty.

My wife and daughter are 700+km. away in another state....they're been gone for 7 days now.  She is helping with the care for her terminally ill mother, along with her siblings.
My mother in-law has only days....maybe weeks left.
My wife won't return home till the final curtain closes on her mothers amazing life.
I am thankful for being a small part of that life, and that she imbued her daughter with such strength of character.
I celebrate her life.... as death is a in not the end of a chapter but, a prologue and a celebration of a new beginning.

I look at my own children in a different light.... as these event will effect and change them.
My 11yr. old son has been a great buddy and stayed with me the past 7 days keeping me company before he goes to stay with his God mother and before I head off OS.
He want to hold onto the memories of his Grandmother as he remembered her..... and not those of her in her final days.
It took courage for him to stay with me and not make the journey to SA.
I am proud of my daughter for she now grows closer to her mother and they foster a similar relationship that my wife has with hers.

My wife gave my this trip to celebrate my 50 birthday and sends me with her blessing...knowing full well that there is a reason that things seem to converge at the same point in time.
I can't speak highly enough of the love I feel for her.

I figure that the journey I'm about to embark on  is nothing like the one my Mother in-law is preparing to take
or the sadness my wife will feel with her loss.
However, these are journey that will & need to be taken.

My bags are packed and I'm ready to go as are those of my mother in-law.

"There are two roads in this life.
One is narrow and one is wide.
And I know which I'm to take if I'm to reach the other side"

Thanks Valda! your son-in-law


Trev-(R)