Well.
Here we are.
T-minus 10 hours until departure.
We have been out of our apartment and staying at a hotel since last Wednesday. All our belongings are sitting in a shipping container in Marseilles. The pack up and uplift actually went incredibly smoothly except for one hormonal and exhausted pregnant lady who had a bit of a break down/cry that led to her kneeling over the toilet vomiting about 10 minutes before the removal team arrived. Classy.
We've also sold our car - the Blue Bomber who has taken us through Slovenia to Croatia, to Italy several times, around Switzerland, up to Germany and Austria across to Spain and all over France and managed to get me to and from work every day with no hassles is no more. She was a good car.
We've had several farewell dinners and parties with our colleagues and friends. My work one was last Saturday night at the beautiful home of my friend Michele. I was honestly quite overwhelmed by the warmth and friendship M and I were showered with. There were incredibly moving and flattering speeches, overly generous gifts given (Longchamp Bag! earrings!) and some of my talented colleagues led us all in a rousing rendition of Slim Dusty's "Love to have a beer with Duncan" with the lyrics hilariously changed and then Sean played a beautiful acoustic version of "Auld Lang Syne" which everyone sang along to. It was a magical night that I'll never forget.
I've taught my final lessons and said goodbye to all my students. My primary theatre kiddies have drawn me gorgeous pictures (mostly of a blonde lady with a baby ..... and rainbows) with unintentionally hilarious messages such as "I think you should leave your baby in Australia and come back and visit us" and "I think your baby will be beautiful because you are beautiful and I think your baby will be a girl because you are a girl". There were also tears from lots of the girls and one of the boys. My older students all signed cards and wrote surprisingly thoughtful and kind messages - lots mentioning how funny I am which stroked my ego no end. My Terminale class even went so far as to buy me a present - well, Raj a present, a gorgeous little outfit! And this is from my sullen 18 year olds!!
And so here we are. Suitcases ready, carry on liquids in their plastic snap-lock bag and a long-ass flight ahead of us.
It doesn't quite feel real. I doubt it will till we are on the plane. And even then, will these 3 years in France feel like a dream??
It is certainly with mixed emotions that we say goodbye.
Looking forward to seeing our friends and family - of course.
Excited to be starting a new chapter in Melbourne and getting ready for Raj's arrival. Bien sur.
But sad to be saying goodbye to so many lovely, unique, wonderful friends and an amazing, adventurous life. So much travelling and so many crazy experiences - many of which I've documented here on this little ol' blog - which brought me to a handful of those lovely, unique, wonderful friends.
I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to live in this great country.
Is France perfect?
Hell no, but nowhere is, and we've had a blast and can honestly say that we achieved what we set out to do.
And gained so much more from the doing than we ever could have expected.
I will try to keep blogging back in Australia
Until then - au revoir
B
xxx
