One Week After

We survived the long journey home. We slept for what felt like two days and then coughed and hacked the rest of the week. We already re-watched the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Next up is at least the start of the Hobbit as well as Moana, the Matrix and maybe even Crocodile Dundee.

As we returned to work today and tried to pretend to be adults again, I thought about the small things I will never forget about this trip and the things I will miss.

I will miss saying ‘Coffee over ice’ instead of iced coffee and trying a different local coffee every day.

I will miss the rush of figuring out local transit in each city just in time before we packed up for the next city.

I will miss hearing a dozen languages and accents around us at a game but somehow always finding someone else from the Pacific Northwest. (Go Reign!)

I will miss the prevalence of schnitzel everywhere. Aussies love their schnitzel.

I will miss the stories of our tour guide Andy and his vast knowledge of the New Zealand dairy farm and honey industries.

I will miss hearing the LOTR music at the Green Dragon in the Shire as the sun sets over the rolling green hills.

I will miss seeing the colors spread out over the roof of the Sydney Opera house with the city lights glittering behind it.

And I will miss saying ‘Bin Chicken’ every time we saw an Australian Ibis!!