Arriving back in Melbourne

It's a very unsettling feeling arriving back in the country you left five years ago. Having planned to come home for good, it was unpacking my bags and sitting in my old room at my parents place that made me think, well now what. Where do you start building your life back again after being away so long. After spending the first night with my family having dinner. There were drinks with friends in Richmond, many of whom had shared some of my european memories over the last couple of years in London.
So now, here goes, starting anew.

A Weekend in Paris

After a couple of meetings in Nice with a French guy Simon, we made casual plans to catch up in London for a weekend. The weekend's location changed to Paris, and after leaving Sicily and having my last night out in London with my friends, I jumped on the Eurostar to meet Simon. Having not spent that much time with him in Nice, I was apprehensive about how well the weekend was going to go, and was also convinced he wasn't going to turn up. After arriving on the platform to find no one waiting for me, my fear became reality for about five minutes before he came strolling in the station.....Thank god.



Now I don't think I need to tell you that it was an amazing weekend. Sat was spent strolling through the Bastille area into the heart of Paris. After a lazy lunch in a French Restaurant, and then a couple of hours lying in the Jardin de Luxembourg we headed down to the Seine for a music festival and to catch up with his cousin. Catching glimpses of the Tour de Eiffel as I crossed the bridges with my own personal sexy french guide, I couldn't help but pinch myself.
Sunday was spent exploring the Jewish Quarter, another long lunch and then quick snooze in another park and all of a sudden it was time to go. With my flight to Melb the next day, I had to head back on Sun night so we headed to the eurostar where we said our final goodbyes. A weekend I will never forget.

Leaving London

When I landed in London five years ago, I never would have thought it would be five years later that I would be finally saying goodbye.
There have been so many people who have come and gone through the years and many of them back in Aus now after their couple of years away. So saying goodbye to those staying for longer, perhaps forever is a difficult task.
My french friends for examle, who have been an incredible sourse of support, entertainment and joy for the last three years. To think it started with Laurant and Nicholas coming up to our new flat to borrow ice cube trays. The kollock as they put it was then made up of guys only, later becoming a house with three couples, Nicholas, Pauline, Sebastien and Carole and Laurant and Jo. The friendliest group of french people..(and spanish) I have ever and most probably will ever meet.


Then there is the girls Cath, Zoe and Heather. Cath being one of my closest and longest friend in London. We met handing over to each other, nursing a girl in south Kensington together. The countless coffee's, nights out, shopping days and travels we have shared will always make me smile. Travelling India together was one of my favourite experiences.

Zoe and Heather I met more recently through Meg, and again, many more coffee's, nights out were spent not forgetting the days exploring new and old areas of London together.

The Parrot girls who I worked with for the last four years will also be a group of nurses I will never forget, I am sure that their careers and lives will see them travel to Australia and I am sure to see them all again some day. Parrot ward was the most stable part of the last five years, and I am sure that a part of me will always call it home.
Meg, my oldest and one of the original travel group, will be my hardest to leave. There have been so many memories that we have shared over the last five years, travelling, living and going out together, sharing our ups and downs. I will miss her so much and can't wait to see her again soon in Melbourne, with a ring on her finger.