Australia Comes To An End
Posted on: January 27, 2013
Although I was really missing my family, I was also sad about leaving. I had grown attached to these new-found friends. I feel like I have known them all my life. I was going to have a hard time saying good-bye to them. They have been enormously generous, kind and just plain fun!
When I first got there, I saw Astrid as this lovely tom-boy but she is so much more than that. She is an intelligent girl that happens to be interested in the engineering of products. She needs to know how things work. She loves to build projects with her father, and fix things. She really does. She’s also a sensitive little girl who loves a good book and the next minute can be down on the beach building a sand kingdom, castles are for wimps! She also had absolutely no qualms about being covered in sand by her brother Akira!
Akira taught me about bravery! When we took him for his surf lessons, the surf was huge and I mean huge. He let out a bit of a oh-no but he forged ahead! By the end of that lesson he was up and at ’em on that board surfing those waves. I was so proud of him! He is the best mannered 13-year-old boy I have ever met! He is kind, intelligent and very talented! He will go far in life, of that I am sure.
The kids and I spent a day at the beach for the last time on Monday and we made the best of it. We were there for hours, we walked the beach, body surfed, I read my book and they worked on their sand kingdom! We didn’t want to go home as we knew it was to be our last beach trip together.
On my last night in Australia we were invited out to dinner at Bel and Sean’s. They have a Canadian staying with them too and all through the dinner, Jane and Bel would make jokes and say “does your Canadian do that?” It was good for a giggle. They made homemade pizzas and I was a bit worried as I am gluten and dairy intolerant, pizza being about the worst food I can eat! Jane had a little chat with Bel and come to find out, Bel had accidentally bought a gluten-free crust just weeks ago and put it in the freezer knowing she would one day use it! How lucky can you get? So I got a personal made pizza by Sean who is a marvellous cook! I’ll try to get his recipe for that sauce, it was divine!
The kids were having a sleepover at Bel and Sean’s that night so I would have to say my good-byes there! Akira was brave and gave me a big hug and said safe travels etc but Astrid, oh my, that girl was breaking my heart! She hung on to me and wouldn’t let go and said she would pray for my safety in travel. She’s such a sweet child! I miss her already!
That evening I wrote each of them a thank you as I was so grateful for their hospitality. They all went over and beyond any expectations I could ever have for a fun and happy holiday. They have invited me back as they have been invited here. They would all be welcome in our home at any time!
Russel took me to the airport the next morning and I took off at 7:50 a.m. on Wed morning. I landed in LA at 7:30 a.m. for my second Wed. morning! I didn’t finally get home until 8:30 p.m. for the longest Wednesday I ever had!
Overall I have to say that Australia was an amazing trip, I found the people to be very friendly, food delicious, wine soooo good and the sunshine unrelenting, Thank You God! If you ever get a oppurtunity to do it, just do it! The long travel is well worth it!
Yours in travel,
Sweet Marie
My Sweet Marie 
Leave a comment