New Dawn

After a great first night back I was up in time to witness my first aussie dawn in over five weeks.  As if on cue, I got quite a light show.

And on that note I'll conclude this blog of My 2012 Canada Trip.  Special thanks to Nancy for letting it happen, Randy and AJ for the invite, all those who extended their homes and hearts to me, a relative stranger,  those who covered my back at work and at home, and all those nameless strangers who got me through the rough bits.

If stressed, sleep.

Mishka the cat waited patiently for all the welcoming visitors to leave our abode and for my bags to arrive (in the chaos of Brisbane Airport they'd been delayed by eight hours, to be delivered by the airline - which they were).  Then, with all the aplomb of the cat that he is, he found himself a nice spot on my new suitcase and had a bit of a cat nap.  Welcome home, indeed!

Welcome Home!

You can probably see how glad I was to get home in this photo.  Most of my immediate family were there to greet me.  Boy did I feel welcomed and special!  Thanks so much guys, you really know how to make a man feel special.

This picture was taken at Adelaide Airport about ten minutes after I got off the plane.

G'day Mate!

One of the happiest moments of my trip was when I got on the Qantas plane at LA, to be greeted by a casual 'G'day mate' by the steward.  I didn't realise how much I'd missed our native informality, let alone the drawl, until I heard it.  All of a sudden I felt that I was at home amongst my own - despite the hour wait on the tarmac and the 14 hours to Brisbane.  At Brisbane, things were too chaotic to snap a pic, but I did get this one as my final flight leg came in over my native home of Adelaide.  Brown and flat, I love it.

Los Angeles Airport (near Hollywood)

After a two and a half hour flight (and two hours checking in at Vancouver) I had just enough time to choke down a cigarette in Los Angeles while walking between terminals.  There was something appropriate about the fact that I was greeted by TV cameras and celebrities in this city the home of Hollywood.

Then, it was back into the queues and swarming humanity of this mega airport, and an hour long wait on the tarmac before take off on the 14 hour flight to Brisbane.

Vancouver Airport

I had several hours to kill at Vancouver Airport while I waited to board my Alaska Airways flight on the first leg of the trip home.  You can see that I didn't particularly mind!  With over 24 hours of aircraft boredom and airport chaos ahead of me, the relative serenity of the place was a blessing.

You'll note I have a disposable coffee cup in hand, from the 'Tim Horton's' franchise.  A puzzle to me when I arrived in Edmonton, I was introduced to them by my cousin during week three.  A great find.