Hoki mai toku kainga

Home coming.

The minute I flew over Auckland, I was happy.

When I got to the airport and got my bags - I was happy.

When I made it through customs, only losing my feather :( bye feather - I was happy and sad at the same time.

When I got through the gates and headed out to see my family - I was slightly disappointed. No massive greeting party like the movies. My nan and family were somewhere, possibly parking or going to the toilet.

It turns out it was the latter. And I found them on my way back into the airport.

I got the usual reports of the weather and the drive up and what Nan had been doing the last few days.

No one asked how my flight was. Or what I ate. Or how my trip was. Or showed much understanding that I was tired because I'd just spent the last 24+ hours travelling to get home.

I got a BP Butter Chicken pie, soy hot chocolate and chicken bites for lunch/breakfast/morning tea at 10am. That felt like a nice home coming feed. With my family. In the Autobahn cafe, where they ate from the cafe and I had contraband BP food in the cafe.

I hadn't had a meat pie for a whole month. It was delightful. And just how I remembered it.

There were moments today when I just wanted to sleep - I did. And moments when I literally could not understand how to speak to my family who haven't travelled overseas. My nan is a traveller, of NZ and in her books.

But she doesn't ask me questions. So I felt like I was lost adrift, in the car while she drove. I felt lonely and surrounded with love at the same time.

But I needed to show them where I'd been.

I took out my magnets and showed my nieces and Nan's latest Japanese student. Crystel was a no-show.

I talked in detail about each place and something special I remembered about each place when I gave them each magnet to look at.

Because they're more than just magnets. They're small reminders of time spent in those places. That I lived. That I was there.

I haven't unpacked yet.

I want to do a video about what I packed and what I brought home. And what I didn't actually need. And the souvenirs I got too.

So many pieces of art.

So many trinkets.

So many memories.

And it's all locked up inside my mind and in my heart.

And..  I just got a message from my Parisian friend asking if I got home okay ❤️

Sleep for me. Maybe being back at school tomorrow I'll feel better. With the questions and the discussions about where I'd been.

I'm not going to take my special things for the kids tomorrow. I'll wait a couple days maybe.

Still annoyed that Crystel wasn't there. Isn't here.

I feel different. I'm home. Nothing seems to have changed here. But I've changed. My life is brighter and happier and hopeful. I want to just keep travelling. And never stop seeing the world.

But I need more money. So monotony and then travelling.