A Shot of Gratitude

When you have just been on holiday for a month, travelling around the world with your husband and 13 month old, having visited 4 provinces and one state completely across the country from where you live whilst 5 months pregnant you suddenly develop an urge to be home.

When you are standing in Perth attempting to check in your bags for your 11th (and final) flight in a month, hungover from exhaustion, hungry and with a headache and the lady checking you in says, "Oh, you're not booked in until tomorrow night's flight," you suddenly develop an urge to create language blue and buoyant.

What's that? You caught some information that needs clarification?

Oh yes, we've just been on holiday.  We went to Canada to visit family and friends (Ontario), family and friends (Manitoba), friends, haunts and malls (Edmonton),  family and friends (Vancouver) ending with a wedding of friends who are like family, whilst staying with family (Brisbane).

That's not what needed clarification?  The baby thing? I've been wanting to broadcast it for months, but wanted to tell people in person as we went so that's kind of why the blog went silentish for a bit.  That and the extreme exhaustion brought on by first trimester and teething son.

When you realize that you may have to stay in Perth for an extra night, so close and yet frustratingly far from your wonderful, comfortable, familiar bed when you are to a level of exhaustion not felt since 4th year uni and the costo of doom, you suddenly develop crazy thoughts of renting cars and driving 9 hours on nothing or of taxiing to IKEA and trying to sleep in the twin to your bed while telling yourself, it's okay, you have friends in Perth who would let you stay and wouldn't it be fun to be on holiday for another night? Although you're more likely to burst into tears (and you have twice much to the chagrin of the man attempting to watch a movie on his laptop beside you).

When a call comes through from your travel agent three and a half hours later telling you that you are on the flight that you were meant to be on and had signed documentation about, you suddenly develop a wave of gratitude.  A six hour layover that earlier had seemed ridiculous now seems a blessing because you'd made your flight!  Everything is fantastic, aided by the fact that your dear husband found you a blueberry bagel when you got through security.

When you crawl into your own bed that night, which you'd made up fresh just before you left with cozy flannel sheets, you savour the feeling before you suddenly develop a need for sleep.