Last Day - So Soon?

And here I am on my last morning. Today can only be described as the 'great race'.

I'm still on Ydra, so ...  I need to vacate this lovely house at 11 (although I can store my bags downstairs) but the ferry doesn't leave until 4:40 in the afternoon. Gives me time to read and swim at the beach. So Far So Good.

I can shower at the beach (fresh water showers on some beaches) so that I feel fresh to leave on the ferry. Trip is 1 1/2 hours, so let's say 6 - then an hour taxi ride (depending on the traffic) to get me to the airport (I could do the bus/metro thing but it took Maureen 4 hours to play that game) - flight is at 11pm, so there will be a bit of people watching and Code Cracker to be had. And I have a good book.

Athens to Dubai is 4 1/2 hours - then I have a voucher for some sort of lounge  - not really sure what it entails (if I can find it)  but there will be a place to shower and a buffet - instead of pacing up and down the airport - and finally will get on to the last flight for home at 10 am Dubai time and the plane will very nicely stay in the air for just under 16 hours.

I'm ready to come home and slot back into my life, ready to catch up with family (my granddaughters!) and friends again, looking forward to going to work even.

It's been a fabulous and varied holiday - I've met some amazing people, travelled with my lovely
brother Chris, Nikki, Jack and Jenny, managed to visit a new country (Serbia), have had my hair coloured three times in three different countries as well as a cut in Serbia,
, and generally expanded my horizons (metaphorically and literally).


I'm incredibly lucky that I have managed to swing this gig - time away from work and the ability to rent my house out to finance my travels - this travelling thing is important to me and I love it. I love the way it challenges me, especially when I'm travelling alone, when I have to push my own boundaries - walking into a restaurant and asking for a table for one (OMG that woman is here ALONE?). I also love that travelling alone makes me seem  more approachable, and so I meet amazing new friends and find out about how life is for them. And on that note, our lives in New Zealand are a breeze. Happy to travel but happy that NZ is my home:)

See you in a few days

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