It would have been around December 2015, I was having breakfast outside sitting on the deck and just wondering about life the universe and everything. I had got an email about the number of Qantas Frequent Flyer points and I had about 200,000 and thought I wonder where I can go. After a few different locations I settled on a Business Class flight on Cathy Pacific leaving Brisbane on the 9th July 2016 bound for London and it only cost me $140 + 110,000 points.
I locked it in and I felt really excited. I was on a year’s contract with Bondor and it finished at the end of June so I thought I’ll go for a wander. This was a one way ticket to the UK. I suddenly felt alive again after being dormant for so many months, something to look forward to…………a journey to the unknown.
In the September of that year I landed in China and then the adventure really started. It got off to a shaky start and I’m not going to recap because it’s at the beginning of the blog and I’m sure I won’t capture the way I felt if I try to write it again.
In the next few years I travelled, I met many people, I learned about China, I made new friends, friends that I am separated from today due to the current global pandemic, friends that really could do with my help. Sissi was such a big part of my life and she is going through a tough time of it right now and I just wish I could be of more help to her in her time of need.
I’ve learnt a lot about myself and I have I have challenged myself so many times, not always though choice. New Chinese friends helped to push me outside my comfort zone even more and for that I am very grateful.
I’m back in Australia now but planning for the day when the borders are open and I can once again travel the world. I got back in March from China and it was a decision that was forced upon me but it was also the correct decision. I have friends and family here, the Covid 19 is not affecting life too much where I am and so life can pretty much go on as normal. But I believe that this is the best place to be at this time and I am happy to be here and yes there are things that annoy me about Australia, things that made me leave four years ago but for the moment my tolerance is greater. I also have my car back which is one of the best things about returning. Next weekend I should get my house back and I hope that I don’t have to do too much to the house to move back in. The garden however is another situation entirely. The tenants have two dogs and so it’s not in the best condition. The previous tenants were bastards and destroyed much of the garden as well as parts of the house, but I guess I will have things to do when I get back in. As long as the house is OK the garden is not so much of a problem. I’ll go to the local council and see if I can pick up some free plants because I think I am still allowed 8 per year. It will just be good to get back home for a while and potter around the garden, do the proposed renovations downstairs and once again be back in my world.
In 12 months time maybe the world will be coming back to life and normality will have begun to return. Trump will be locked up with any luck or at least completely humiliated by the plethora of books that will have been written by then. The world might even be a safer place; mind you I’m not holding my breath on that count. Still too many unknowns.
Covid 19 will be used by governments around the world as an excuse or reason for changing policies………to control the citizens……………….to pus through new laws and agendas. As I write this is it does give me a bit of comfort to see two countries in particular not faring so good, two war mongering nations that seem to be getting overwhelmed by Covid, and they are America and Israel. God speed to the downfall of both nutters at the helms, that’s appropriate I think………
I’m 60 this year, it’s also the year of the “Rat” and I can remember asking my Chinese friends was it good luck to have your birthday when it was “your year” so to speak and the answer was no, so I guess they were right.