Day 27- There's still so much more to be said...
Day 27
... all the lines are in my head.....
But organising them and getting them onto 'paper' is difficult... yet I cannot give up the blogging just yet... I am not yet right back where I started from...
Perhaps this is the beginning of yet another chapter in the book of my life but Im not quite ready to turn the page from the last and desperately cling to parts of it... my arms tightly around as long as possible.
I received message from a very good friend this morning which not only tipped me over the edge into tears again ... blaming lack of sleep this time... but part of what he said I wish to share with you (I hope he doesnt mind) as it struck me...
He said that they were on the outside looking into my journey and that they only got to see and feel a small part of the journey... like watching the film version of a book where you dont really get the story the author wrote.
And part of me wished I could explain bits better or hadnt been so tired at the end of the day... or had such a crap memory that I forgot some of it (like the kiwi sense of humour that called two tumbling waterfalls at the side of the road... 'trickle 1' and 'trickle 2'!)
But then part of me thought that if it left some interpretation they could attach their own meaning to my vague ramblings and maybe gain more out of it.. than just my vague ramblings - like modern art?? Lol
And so I find myself sitting in Brisbane Airport (I bought a fridge magnet cos this counts as having been to Australia!) with so much more to be said and all the lines in my head but maybe not converting into a full set of lyrics.
This morning was very strange... I had only really got to sleep at 0300 and woke pretty much every hour until I gave up about half six and started organising stuff into packing piles.. stuff to go in with bike... stuff for my seat bag... and stuff for my rucksack... Andy (from Auden guitars ) and Julie had been kind enough to let me crash overnight and were taking me to the Airport in the afternoon.. to begin my long journey home.
It was strange not to have anywhere to get to... strange not to have to worry about headwinds... hills... and a sore arse. In fact I already felt a loss... of freedom... and air to breathe... and beautiful scenery. The pain and effort already half forgotten. Im not sure I can describe adequately how free and alive it can make you feel... to push yourself and challenge yourself... to the point of breaking... standing on the edge and inching that little bit further..
I also cant thank Andy and Julie enough for having me to stay and sharing the end of the journey with me... There are many others I wish could have been there too. But with Lorraine.. Andy and Julie .. I was amongst friends.
We had breakfast...(must get out of that habit again) and then went for a little walk before dropping another friend of theirs off at the airport (his flight a few hours before mine). The walk was to the top of a hill where the views stretched out for an almost 360 degree panorama. It was sunny and cloudless and a perfect way to end my trip.
It felt like New Zealand was saying goodbye and come back sometime!
We dropped Chris off at the airport... which I will describe in a bit... and then went for a quick stroll round this beautiful lake... busy with at least 50 people there... I was being reintroduced to a non solo cycling lifestyle bit by bit. After that we went had lunch at a pub sooo busy (think Reading pub on a monday lunchtime) that we were asked to get our orders in as quick as possible!
We then went to check me and my bike in!
I like being early so it was with some consternation that Andy and Julie suggested we go back to their house for coffee after checking the bike in and watching it be carted away. (In addition Julie had written the words on it.. ' This bike has taken Lydia from North to South New Zealand for Love Hope Strength... ' it almost made me cry... again... once again on a knife edge of surging emotions.
The coffee turned out to be a great idea as I got to pick up a table tennis bat ... having had a gauntlet thrown down at my feet by their son. It was with some satisfaction that I managed to draw one game all... no time for a third game... and my ego intact! Thanks bud.. it was fun!
Then back to the airport ... where cows bordered the runway ... there was one gate for international flights and parking was actually at the airport... not miles away. A far cry from Heathrow and therefore very nice and peaceful... no scrum at security either.
Before that I had to say goodbye to Andy and Julie and given that we had really only just met... it seemed that I was saying cheerio to lifelong friends (probably just me... they most likely opened a good bottle of wine to celebrate!) Julie bought me a bracelet of hematite stones... a silvery/grey/black colour and very pretty.. thank you very much.
And then I was once again a solo traveller...
The flight to Brisbane was short... at least by my standards over the next day.. 4 hours. Probably long enough for the nice gentleman sat next to me in my unwashed off bike clothes to regret it..
And so I sit freezing in the airport... still contemplating. It took all of the four hour flight to come up with a title for the blog today and the important thing to impart from this journey... the main line still in my head...
Life is short... sieze every moment... love .. live.. laugh...dream aloud... see life in colour... and do all of those things with your whole heart and soul beacause if you do not throw all of yourself in.... you risk nothing and gain little. Make Love Hope and Strength part of your daily life ... impart it to others and gain it in return... Fight the fear.. Embrace the Randomness and Go With The Crazy!
Mike Peters and Love Hope Strength Foundation give people a chance to fight back against cancer by swabbing people for the bone marrow donor list and raising money and awareness across the globe. Mike inspires many of us to follow his example and we have embraced LHS as part of us and along the way found many lifelong friends.
We are always looking for volunteers to help us... people to join us at our Rocks Events and to help us spread the word of LHS. To find out more about the charity please go to www.lovehopestrength.co.uk or www.lovehopestrength.org for the USA site.
If you have enjoyed my ramblings over the past weeks and feel able to donate... www.justgiving.com/GoWithTheCrazy.
One Challenge At A Time.will continue to Dream Aloud and plans are already being hatched ... This is the game I choose to play!
... all the lines are in my head.....
But organising them and getting them onto 'paper' is difficult... yet I cannot give up the blogging just yet... I am not yet right back where I started from...
Perhaps this is the beginning of yet another chapter in the book of my life but Im not quite ready to turn the page from the last and desperately cling to parts of it... my arms tightly around as long as possible.
I received message from a very good friend this morning which not only tipped me over the edge into tears again ... blaming lack of sleep this time... but part of what he said I wish to share with you (I hope he doesnt mind) as it struck me...
He said that they were on the outside looking into my journey and that they only got to see and feel a small part of the journey... like watching the film version of a book where you dont really get the story the author wrote.
And part of me wished I could explain bits better or hadnt been so tired at the end of the day... or had such a crap memory that I forgot some of it (like the kiwi sense of humour that called two tumbling waterfalls at the side of the road... 'trickle 1' and 'trickle 2'!)
But then part of me thought that if it left some interpretation they could attach their own meaning to my vague ramblings and maybe gain more out of it.. than just my vague ramblings - like modern art?? Lol
And so I find myself sitting in Brisbane Airport (I bought a fridge magnet cos this counts as having been to Australia!) with so much more to be said and all the lines in my head but maybe not converting into a full set of lyrics.
This morning was very strange... I had only really got to sleep at 0300 and woke pretty much every hour until I gave up about half six and started organising stuff into packing piles.. stuff to go in with bike... stuff for my seat bag... and stuff for my rucksack... Andy (from Auden guitars ) and Julie had been kind enough to let me crash overnight and were taking me to the Airport in the afternoon.. to begin my long journey home.
It was strange not to have anywhere to get to... strange not to have to worry about headwinds... hills... and a sore arse. In fact I already felt a loss... of freedom... and air to breathe... and beautiful scenery. The pain and effort already half forgotten. Im not sure I can describe adequately how free and alive it can make you feel... to push yourself and challenge yourself... to the point of breaking... standing on the edge and inching that little bit further..
I also cant thank Andy and Julie enough for having me to stay and sharing the end of the journey with me... There are many others I wish could have been there too. But with Lorraine.. Andy and Julie .. I was amongst friends.
We had breakfast...(must get out of that habit again) and then went for a little walk before dropping another friend of theirs off at the airport (his flight a few hours before mine). The walk was to the top of a hill where the views stretched out for an almost 360 degree panorama. It was sunny and cloudless and a perfect way to end my trip.
It felt like New Zealand was saying goodbye and come back sometime!
We dropped Chris off at the airport... which I will describe in a bit... and then went for a quick stroll round this beautiful lake... busy with at least 50 people there... I was being reintroduced to a non solo cycling lifestyle bit by bit. After that we went had lunch at a pub sooo busy (think Reading pub on a monday lunchtime) that we were asked to get our orders in as quick as possible!
We then went to check me and my bike in!
I like being early so it was with some consternation that Andy and Julie suggested we go back to their house for coffee after checking the bike in and watching it be carted away. (In addition Julie had written the words on it.. ' This bike has taken Lydia from North to South New Zealand for Love Hope Strength... ' it almost made me cry... again... once again on a knife edge of surging emotions.
The coffee turned out to be a great idea as I got to pick up a table tennis bat ... having had a gauntlet thrown down at my feet by their son. It was with some satisfaction that I managed to draw one game all... no time for a third game... and my ego intact! Thanks bud.. it was fun!
Then back to the airport ... where cows bordered the runway ... there was one gate for international flights and parking was actually at the airport... not miles away. A far cry from Heathrow and therefore very nice and peaceful... no scrum at security either.
Before that I had to say goodbye to Andy and Julie and given that we had really only just met... it seemed that I was saying cheerio to lifelong friends (probably just me... they most likely opened a good bottle of wine to celebrate!) Julie bought me a bracelet of hematite stones... a silvery/grey/black colour and very pretty.. thank you very much.
And then I was once again a solo traveller...
The flight to Brisbane was short... at least by my standards over the next day.. 4 hours. Probably long enough for the nice gentleman sat next to me in my unwashed off bike clothes to regret it..
And so I sit freezing in the airport... still contemplating. It took all of the four hour flight to come up with a title for the blog today and the important thing to impart from this journey... the main line still in my head...
Life is short... sieze every moment... love .. live.. laugh...dream aloud... see life in colour... and do all of those things with your whole heart and soul beacause if you do not throw all of yourself in.... you risk nothing and gain little. Make Love Hope and Strength part of your daily life ... impart it to others and gain it in return... Fight the fear.. Embrace the Randomness and Go With The Crazy!
Mike Peters and Love Hope Strength Foundation give people a chance to fight back against cancer by swabbing people for the bone marrow donor list and raising money and awareness across the globe. Mike inspires many of us to follow his example and we have embraced LHS as part of us and along the way found many lifelong friends.
We are always looking for volunteers to help us... people to join us at our Rocks Events and to help us spread the word of LHS. To find out more about the charity please go to www.lovehopestrength.co.uk or www.lovehopestrength.org for the USA site.
If you have enjoyed my ramblings over the past weeks and feel able to donate... www.justgiving.com/GoWithTheCrazy.
One Challenge At A Time.will continue to Dream Aloud and plans are already being hatched ... This is the game I choose to play!
Comments
Post a Comment