The new year shall promise another year of good tidings :)
My 'Welcome Home' present was a nice long, cool bath/shower and a thunderstorm ♥ I think that is altogether rather wonderful, yes? Especially after the hell it took to get here..
But in an effort to make the first post of this year as cheerful as possible, let me tell you a little something I've learnt about my country.
I travel a lot and every single time I return back home, there is always something that someone says (usually by the people working at the airport or the airlines) that explicitly reminds me that I am back in Australia's Bogan arms. This time, it was the Jetstar flight attendant that helped get me settled in for the Japan-Australia leg of my journey. Someone had lost their gloves and another [female] attendant was walking around with them, and he announced over the PA system;
"A pair of gloves have been found at Gate 86. A young lady is coming round with them now, if you would like to look up and claim them. And if you want to purchase them, come see me at the front of the plane"
ROFL. Oh Australian humour, gotta love it ♥ confusing the foreigners since forever XD;
I hoped that this would be a sign that the last leg of my journey would be better than all the previous parts (since the going had been pretty tough up to that point, even if I did manage to sleep on my way to Japan - ASTONISHING, I KNOW!). I don't just mean the trip was physically draining either - emotionally, I was pretty messed up for most of the flight home. I'll just say I'm glad I slept as much as I did. :) Ahh yes, a silver lining. 8D
I must chronicle it though - the trip. Its kind of impressive/depressing, depending on what mood I am in when I think about it. It went something like this (all times approx):
Oro -> Airport Tax (2hrs) -> wait for airport to open (1hr) -> check-in and immigration (2hrs) -> fly to New York (2hrs) -> find Terminal 8 -> check-in to Business class -> fly to Japan (13hrs) -> go through Immigration and Customs in Japan to collect baggage (3 times it took to get through because told different story by different people - 1hr) -> wait for check-in to open -> check-in to Jetstar business class (half hour) -> pay excess baggage fines (half hour) -> back through Immigration and security -> fly to Cairns (7hrs) -> collect baggage and go through Immigration and customs (1hr) -> melt while walking 500m over to Domestic flights -> check-in -> go through security -> realise I lost my Japanese hand towel and go back to check-in -> useless staff are useless and go through security again -> fly to Hamilton Island -> ferry to mainland (1hr) -> get picked up by dad, mum and Madison -> eat and buy shoes -> drive to Bowen (1hr) -> visit my brother (holy shiiiiiiiiiiiit) -> HOME.
OMFG WHY IS THAT PARAGRAPH SO MASSIVE. \O/ *spazzes*
Christ, good thing I only thought about that after the fact, or I might have lost my shit around Japan. UGH.
Nevertheless, my irritatingly talkative little sister was waiting to hold my hand all afternoon and wanting to help out in the most annoying way possible (its a gift). I showered and managed to feel human again, which is fantastic. I don't think I'm jet lagged at all - but tomorrow will reveal if that's true. Apparently there are people in this town that still want to know me, because I have drinking dates soon, by the sounds of it. :D My fingers are crossed that the post-trip depression will not set in until a convenient time i.e. when everyone is out sugar cane farming
All in all, it's not too bad. :)
But in an effort to make the first post of this year as cheerful as possible, let me tell you a little something I've learnt about my country.
I travel a lot and every single time I return back home, there is always something that someone says (usually by the people working at the airport or the airlines) that explicitly reminds me that I am back in Australia's Bogan arms. This time, it was the Jetstar flight attendant that helped get me settled in for the Japan-Australia leg of my journey. Someone had lost their gloves and another [female] attendant was walking around with them, and he announced over the PA system;
"A pair of gloves have been found at Gate 86. A young lady is coming round with them now, if you would like to look up and claim them. And if you want to purchase them, come see me at the front of the plane"
ROFL. Oh Australian humour, gotta love it ♥ confusing the foreigners since forever XD;
I hoped that this would be a sign that the last leg of my journey would be better than all the previous parts (since the going had been pretty tough up to that point, even if I did manage to sleep on my way to Japan - ASTONISHING, I KNOW!). I don't just mean the trip was physically draining either - emotionally, I was pretty messed up for most of the flight home. I'll just say I'm glad I slept as much as I did. :) Ahh yes, a silver lining. 8D
I must chronicle it though - the trip. Its kind of impressive/depressing, depending on what mood I am in when I think about it. It went something like this (all times approx):
Oro -> Airport Tax (2hrs) -> wait for airport to open (1hr) -> check-in and immigration (2hrs) -> fly to New York (2hrs) -> find Terminal 8 -> check-in to Business class -> fly to Japan (13hrs) -> go through Immigration and Customs in Japan to collect baggage (3 times it took to get through because told different story by different people - 1hr) -> wait for check-in to open -> check-in to Jetstar business class (half hour) -> pay excess baggage fines (half hour) -> back through Immigration and security -> fly to Cairns (7hrs) -> collect baggage and go through Immigration and customs (1hr) -> melt while walking 500m over to Domestic flights -> check-in -> go through security -> realise I lost my Japanese hand towel and go back to check-in -> useless staff are useless and go through security again -> fly to Hamilton Island -> ferry to mainland (1hr) -> get picked up by dad, mum and Madison -> eat and buy shoes -> drive to Bowen (1hr) -> visit my brother (holy shiiiiiiiiiiiit) -> HOME.
OMFG WHY IS THAT PARAGRAPH SO MASSIVE. \O/ *spazzes*
Christ, good thing I only thought about that after the fact, or I might have lost my shit around Japan. UGH.
Nevertheless, my irritatingly talkative little sister was waiting to hold my hand all afternoon and wanting to help out in the most annoying way possible (its a gift). I showered and managed to feel human again, which is fantastic. I don't think I'm jet lagged at all - but tomorrow will reveal if that's true. Apparently there are people in this town that still want to know me, because I have drinking dates soon, by the sounds of it. :D My fingers are crossed that the post-trip depression will not set in until a convenient time i.e. when everyone is out sugar cane farming
All in all, it's not too bad. :)