Hi everyone!

I am at Sydney airport right now, about to head off to gate 53 where I’ll be boarding a flight to Bangkok in about an hour. I leave Bangkok at 12:30am local time so by this time tomorrow I’ll be back at my place in BJ!!! YAY!!!! I’m excited :)

This trip to Australia has been… odd… as every trip “home” has been since I first moved to China. Every time I find myself having to adjust how I see Canberra, and what it is to me. I am no longer part of a community in Canberra, or Australia at all. My community is in Beijing – that makes it home. Canberra is my home town, and I know a lot of people there – I have a lot of good friends there, friends who I hope will remain close as the years go by. But I don’t belong there in any present-tense sort of way. I used to think I needed to try hard to maintain all these close connections in Australia for when I one day move back so I’m not starting from scratch. But I finally realised that no matter what I do, I will be starting from scratch anyway, and I don’t have to feel guilty that things aren’t as they once were. It’s okay! I still love everyone and I’m glad for the part each one has played in my life (and I in theirs) but it’s okay for things to be different now – they HAVE to be different now.

And so I am heading HOME full of joy and excitement to see all the people there I love so dearly. I can’t wait for ReGen!! I’m looking forward to playing my piano and sleeping in my bed and going to the Boys’ restaurant and Jitong for jiaozi and Peter’s for everything! I’m looking forward to being at BICF singing on Sunday, to singing at BLS the week after, to living a bi-lingual life again. I’m looking forward to lots of hugs and dozens of stories shared of two months of summer (winter!) travels and visits with friends and families – the stories I tell and all the stories I can’t wait to hear told.

I’m not sure when I’ll be back in Australia next – in about 18 months’ time, I suppose. I wouldn’t want to be away too much longer than that in one go. But I hope to see some of my Aussie mates in Beijing before that time :)

Well, time to go! Lots of love

Tanya