Day 0 - Saying goodbye

I woke up at 5:00 am to get ready. My flight wasn’t until 12:15 pm, but I had one last person to see before I left Sydney.

6:04 am and I was rolling in to the Starbucks in Mt Druitt. Two cars were parked silently outside. Tram was in the white Toyota Prius. “This doesn’t look open” I remarked. Checking her phone, Tram replied: “Dammit, it doesn’t open until 7”

Five minutes later, we were at the nearby McDonalds sharing 10 chicken nuggets and talking about work, Canada and how sadly naive Eugene is in the business of love (who isn’t?). But mostly, we talked about nothing.

Tram waiting for our chicken nuggets at McDonalds.

Mum and dad drove me to the airport, with Gabe. Sitting there in the car, I couldn’t help but think: “What am I doing?!” I think I was freaking out, if you could call it that. The weight of what I had just done to prepare for this had finally hit home. I renewed my passport; renewed my drivers licence; applied for and received a working holiday visa; I quit my job; moved back home; and packed up my life in 3 bags.

Gabe getting ready to take me to the airport.

So what was I doing? I was starting again in a new country.

We arrived at the airport at the punctual asian time of 3.5 hours early. The check-in counter hadn’t even opened yet. Gabe was pushing my trolley of bags and keeping me company, while my parents sat with my Aunt who had came to wish me farewell.

Gabe helping me with my bags.

At the airport before I go.

With my bags on conveyer belts and my boarding pass in hand, we headed to the food court for a more wholesome breakfast than chicken nuggets. My Aunt told me that she hoped I found what I was looking for in Canada; that perhaps I could become a permanent resident. Honestly, I didn’t know what I was looking for. I suppose I’m just looking for a new set of problems. To slow down time with a different environment. To explore.

We said our farewells behind tears welling up. I’ll miss them all.