The End. Farewell. Goodbye. Hello.

Tonight we fly home from Kolkata to Brisbane, via Singapore. I'm not good at goodbyes. Actually I even feel sad when I finish book and have to say goodbye to the characters. But the time has come for me to say goodbye to a phase in my life. My body is falling apart, my shoes are falling to pieces, I have run out of money and I am daydreaming constantly about being home. This is possibly the end of a chapter, but more like the end of a book - with a new book ready to be written. This is how I've been feeling.....

As I lay awake listening to a fat Indian man snore on our overnight train from Siliguri to Kolkata, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the finality of these remaining days. I was having a moment. I lay there reliving the past two years with so much affection and joy for all the memories, people and places that have come in and out of my life since I said a teary farewell to my parents at Coolangatta Airport on February 2nd 2005. I even had a soundtrack playing for each memory.

Brazillian drums for the start of the trip
'Juanes - Volverte a ver' for Santiago, which also became the South American theme song.
Tsa Tsa Tsa, for the quaint Bolivian nightclubs
Weird Romanian techno song - Haiducci, for Cusco
Daddy Yankee - Gasolina, for Cuba
Millencolin, the punk band Lucas and I went to see during the early days in London
Bon Jovi - Living on a prayer. Johnny and the Walkabout. No further explanation needed.

There are others, but that'll do for the moment. So as I lay there, filled with the kind of happiness that can only be accompanied by some sadness at the transience of it all, I saw two possible paths from now. I can either return home to a life of comfort in Brisbane and put all these memories into a picture frame and set it upon the wall, glancing at it and yearning for the excitement and adventure of days gone by. Or continue to pursue all the dreams that I've had while my imagination has been inspired and mind tormented by the contrasts in the world. I doubt that much of this decision will be in my conscious control anyway. What will be, will be.

The most overwhelming emotion as I lay there was one of gratitude. I wanted to individually thank from bottom of my heart everyone who has participated in my experiences.

And suddenly that gratitude suddenly took a leap backwards to before the trip and stretched back to my earliest memories, through Indonesia, Townsville, Brisbane and Canberra, I wanted to hug and all thank the people that have been the knots in, as a certain olive groveller would say, the rich fabric of my life.

So as you can see, I was having a moment. And my words aren't sufficient to display that heartfelt gratitude I felt, and I'm sure they never will be. So I'll just say thank you to the two most important characters of the recent past. Lucas and Heather. Lucas is friend, family, teacher, student, gym partner and most importantly, teammate. South America wouldn't have been the unparalleled adventure without you, and London a hell of a lot harder. I can't wait to hit the road together again one day. And Heather (sitting next to me), cheers luv ;-) You know how I feel.

So is this the last post? Perhaps just one more. Or maybe I'll still venture into the world of blogger and rant about how busy the UQ gym has become? We'll see. Either way, it would be nice to get a comment from you if you have ever read this blog - even if you want to punch me in the face for my left-wing views. Just as a little memento for me of people who have been reading. Thank you again.