We’re heading home

It’s with mixed emotions that I tell you we’re heading home.

We’ve booked tickets and leave on the 13 January.

You may know that my in laws visited us back in April, while they were here Carlo had a persistent cough, on returning to Australia they found that he has cancer. The outlook isn’t good, we’re heading home to spend time with him and with the family.

Being so far away is something that many expats have to come to terms with, when something happens and you need to get home fast every second can count.

I sadly found this out when we lost my step dad, I arrived the morning after he passed away, heartbreaking.

Sam and the kids are of course taking the news hard, I’m thankful that we’re going home to spend time together and that we have a chance to do this.

I’m a fairly private person when it comes to my family, I don’t share in my ‘online’ world about them, and actually Carina has ‘forbidden’ me from sharing anything about her online (which of course is fair enough).

My mum hasn’t been well, she’s 86 now. I’ll be heading to Melbourne almost straight away to spend time with her and Sam will come down with the kids after spending time with his parents.

I’ve been really worried about my mum, she is the most wonderful woman in the world and I love her so much. She hasn’t seen the kids since we left Australia when the were just aged 8 and 10, now they’re about to turn 16 and 18.

So we have much to do before we leave, we have a friend who will be house sitting and looking after the animals, I know the house will be in good hands.

We’ve had lots of changes these past few months, and I’ve been not well since August with multiple visits to the Dr and tests that luckily have shown no problem with my heart but the symptoms persist so I hope to have a visit to the Doctors while in Australia and see if they can shed some light.

So while things haven’t been all bad, we had a lovely Christmas and lots of plans for 2020, I’ll keep those for another post.

We’ll keep you posted and share our trip (we’re going via the UK, Shanghai then Brisbane, and Melbourne) and are hoping for the best while preparing for the worst.

We’re planning to return mid to late February.

I can’t even bring myself to talk with you about the devastating bush fires in Australia. Watching my fellow Australians going through this catastrophic event from so far away is so strange, to be Australian and not be there, doing what ever small amount that we can, to know all the places mentioned on the news, and to see the devastation brings me to tears.

Talk again soon …