Thinking about it there were a number of things that could have gone wrong this morning and I was a bit worried about. I got up and finished packing (that wasn't so bad) and wondered how to handle all my gear. I decided to make a sort of carry-handle for the box (roughly eighteen inches cubic) by cutting a shopping bag into strips and tying them together clever-like, and although it cost me a few minutes it was a great idea and saved me an awful big pain in the monkey. With my rucksack on my back, my sports bag slung on my left side (bulky book thigh pocket is in the way on the right), backpack on my front and the box held in whichever hand, I managed the hike to the train station and got a train to one of the terminals - the wrong one, as it happened, but that was soon remedied. So we're at the airport with all my gear, that's one obstacle overcome. At this stage I was even able to transfer my gear onto one of those trolley things which I'd never thought I'd be so happy to see. Next thing to take care of was mailing this damn box, and Shady's key. I found the post office alright and sent it without a hitch - the total came to just a little less than my remaining amount of yen. Nice one! I forgot to check how long it'll take, but I guess that'll be part of the excitement. Right, time to get checked in - will my baggage be overweight? Will they check my utterly overweight hand-luggage, or call me on the fact that I'm carrying two pieces (backpack and duty-free bag)? And will the guys scanning my bags get unhappy with the airsoft guns I've got at the bottom of one of them? Nope, none of these issues came to pass. My bags checked through to Dublin and freedom, I did the metal detection thing and got to my gate with minutes remaining, but enough of a queue that I was able to nip into a shop to blow the last of my yen on sweet snacks.
I got a bit of shut-eye on the plane, after watching Cool Hand Luke (wow, a choice of movies!) and then watched Timeline or somesuch nonsense, and talked to a woman from Sydney sitting near me, who'd had an excellent time staying with a friend from Japan for a week which sounded quite a lot like my fabulous experience at Sota's. So now I'm waiting for my plane to Dublin and the absolute end of this year-long holiday. It's an odd feeling. Part of me is dreading it, the danger of going back to the same old thing, and I just want to keep running. But at the same time it'll be an interesting experience to see numerous familiar faces after so long of seeing so few, and I have been looking forward to being settled, not having to carry everything I have with me on my back (and front, and side, and pocket, and in my hand). And I'm a little bit excited about coming home. As long as I remember that everything in life is transitory and I'm only visiting this state of affairs and it'll be gone before long and so will I, then no worries. There's a party tonight in Studio 54, and although my body seems to be well aware that to me it's gone midnight already I'm looking forward to it. Although I think I may be the stinkiest one there.
So within a few short hours I'll be back on my home soil at long last, hopefully chewing on Creme Eggs and doing battle with the familiar foe of Dublin Bus, instead of Japan Rail. Back to family and gaming and James Bond DVDs. Back, to check out scuba diving and surfing and the future. I guess once I'm settled again there'll be one final entry in this journal - I have a lot of people to thank and I'd like to send an email out to the lot of them, and I'll put that there too.
But all that's for later. For the time being I'm going to live from day to day, and right now that means giving all this Bundaberg Rum and Pocky a good home and maybe handing out a few souvenirs and trying not to collapse before too long.