LONG TIME, NO SEE

My very first thought this morning was “I wonder where they are now?”

The answer was – and still is – somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, headed north and east.  The Pacific Ocean is one heck of a large body of water to fly over.  I know in 2024 the flight is measured in mere hours and weirdly, even though they have been in transit for almost 24 hours, (including a stopover in New Zealand) they will arrive in Canada before they left Sydney, according to the International Date Line.

But, back to me, and how it feels to know how soon we will be seeing them. It gives me butterflies-in-my-tummy anticipation every time I think about how close they are.  This next week is going to be time precious beyond measure.

A couple of the guys in my class ended up in Australia and made their lives there.  I remember thinking at the time how far away that was, and felt a little sad for their parents for the missed family contact, never dreaming that it would be our family story too.  But I have to say sadness at being separated is only part of the experience, it has also been a reason to travel and explore, learn more about their lives and chosen country, and read up on poisonous spiders and snakes.  We have been there three times and they have come home once for a family wedding and once for a white Christmas in the 17 years they’ve been gone.

Covid came along though, messing with the rhythm and making an already expensive trip much worse.  It’s been seven years since we’ve actually seen each other.  Thank goodness for Messenger video chats.

As I was putting supper on the table last night, we received a message saying they were on their way through security at the Sydney airport.  Although the plans for this trip have been building for more than a year suddenly it was real.  Shae was coming to Canada on a volleyball scholarship, Wayne was accompanying him to get him set up.  Jesse, her kids, and I are going to spend a week with them in Vancouver.  We have booked an Air B&B and looked into a bunch of touristy things to do.  Even though the charges for these things have all showed on my credit card it didn’t seemed true until that message said they were on their way. 

Since then I’ve been doing the countdown in my head.  By bedtime they were in New Zealand.

By 6:00, when I woke up, they were approaching Hawaii.

I just checked their flight’s status: at this very moment they have begun their descent into Vancouver.

We Saskatchwanites won’t arrive until Tuesday around noon.  Hopefully that will give them enough time to recover from jetlag and reset their body clocks for Canadian summer.

I’ve also been thinking about Jacqui, the mom who has already kissed her boy farewell as he set out on his big adventure.  I know that feeling.  The pride in his success, the worry for his safety and happiness, the struggle between smiles and tears as you wave goodbye.  The well-founded possibility that he will fall in love on the other side of the world and build his life there.  We both know this is a thing that can and might occur. 

We also know it’s not the worst thing that can happen.

So as I finish this, their plane might be touching down on Canadian soil.  Only one time zone away, which is quite refreshing in this family. 

Because I also have two grandsons fast asleep in South Africa where they and their parents have just settled into their house and started school and work.  They will be 8 time zones away for at least two years.  Going to visit them will take even longer that the Australia trip, but I’m not going to worry about that right now.  I’m waiting for the “We’re here!” message that should be coming in at any moment.