Post-trip: 22 June - 2nd July in Days of My Destiny

We left Chile precisely 3 weeks ago.

We were in the car this morning. The girls were quiet for ages, lost in their own thoughts and suddenly Little L pipes up:

"We're not in Chile anymore, hey..."

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL.

It's been a busy time since we got back. Thankfully busy with some fun things. Busy enough to make this transition back a lot easier.

22 June - We had just arrived at the airport in Brisbane when L's mum started talking to me about dates when they would come and visit. I really wish she didn't do that but oh well what can you do. I told her we could talk about it later (as in, let me at least get my bags off the carousel first!). It was a Sunday and we spent the afternoon at mum's. Mum and dad were fussing about in the kitchen, cooking and cleaning, and mum kept bitching about dad to me and rolling her eyes this way and that, making bitchy remarks. I really wish she didn't do that, because I was trying as hard as possible to allow the flavours of my trip to linger as much as possible and obviously her attitude was not helping. Just because her relationship is a mess and it made her bitter, didn't mean she had to try and make ME bitter. My in-laws were there too, seeing as mum had invited them back to her place for a cuppa. I don't know why the hell she did that because she didn't even talk to them and so then it was left to me and L to entertain them. I really truly wanted nothing to do with them, I wanted them to leave. It's because my life with them is at a point of.... I don't even know how to describe it, it's like... I just see them too much. I never see enough of my own family and for them to "invade" my time with my own family was too much. Really they could've said no to mum's invite but oh well. I didn't want to talk to them about my trip or anything. I tried to avoid them.

We left Brisbane the next day (23 June) after dropping in at the in-laws' to pick up my dog. We had a cup of tea and it was flat-out obvious that L's mum was happy to see L and my daughters again. Me, not so much. I may aswell have been invisible. She directed all conversation at him. I felt a small wave of depression trying to drown me at this realisation but I fought against it. I just sat there and didn't bother trying to make any conversation after that. We drove halfway home and stopped for dinner. L had told me he had the blues, he didn't want to be back here. I didn't want to either but neither did I want to feel the blues just yet. I was staying hopeful - hopeful that once we got back into the routine of our daily lives that things would be okay. After dinner we were too tired to continue driving. Even though L was due back at work the following day, we stayed at a motel overnight and kept driving the next day (24 June). He called in sick and told them he was too jet lagged. They were annoyed but understood. We got home at 8:30 am on the Tuesday and the girls asked to be taken to school. We were so so SO exhausted but we took them anyway because we knew that if they stayed home, we would not rest the way we needed to!!!!

M got a wonderful "welcome back". I don't know if I wrote about this already but in M's absence, the school had to chop down a tree that had become hazardous. Before they chopped it down, the school children dedicated that tree to M and wrote all sorts of messages on it just for her, such as, "We miss you M," and, "Come back, M." When the teacher told me this story, my eyes filled with tears at the love my daughter has at that school and also at the tenderness children have when such tenderness is encouraged and fostered.

That Wednesday (25 June) back was a quiet day at home for me as the girls were at school again. Apparently I was supposed to go in to school that afternoon to M's class and help with some Maths games but I didn't even know about it lol. On the Thursday (26 June) there was an Afternoon Tea Goodbye for 2 teachers at school. I hadn't planned on going but ended up there anyway because I needed to get out of the house, I was getting all down and out about being back. The Afternoon Tea was good enough, there were other parents asking me how the trip went. One mum did a lot of travelling years ago and so I had a really awesome chat with her about that. I find that a lot of people here have a thin wall up all the time - not just with me, it's their way of life, it's part of that Small Town Syndrome. So most of them tend to just ask the necessary questions and move on. Whereas this mum, she is a lot more relaxed and that's why I enjoyed my chat with her the most. I went home and quit League Tag that night, which felt good.

On the Friday (27 June) I was supposed to do canteen duties but on the Thursday afternoon the secretary said that if I didn't want to do it, it was fine because the lady who was originally meant to do it was available again. So I got out of that. I can't remember what I did that Friday.

I don't remember what we did on the Saturday either, I'd say we stayed home.

On the Sunday (29 June), L's parents arrived. I wasn't looking forward to their visit, because these days it's just not often that I do look forward to their visits.

30 June - I had to take L's ute to the next town for a Pink Slip (which is the roadworthy certificate - you pay for it every time you renew your rego here). It should only have taken half an hour or so. We went for a coffee and then took the girls to the park. It was a cold and dreary day and I was worried that the girls would get sick. About 2 hours had passed and so I decided to walk back to the mechanics and see what the go was, seeing as they had not called as they said they would do once they were done with the ute. Well they were well and truly done with the ute, they just didn't call. (Frustrating!!!) The ute did not pass the Pink Slip, it needed a few things fixed. All I wanted by then was to go home and sort it out another day, but my father-in-law really wanted to get those things fixed then and there seeing as we were already there. Which on the one hand made sense, but on the other hand, it's our vehicle and we should have the freedom to sort it out as we see fit..... but oh well. I know him by now and I could not be bothered to put my foot down about something that needed to be done ANYWAY. So we stuffed around taking the ute to 2 other places (an auto-electrician and an exhaust centre) and organized getting these things fixed. In the end my father-in-law had this idea that if we just went home for lunch, him and I could later drive back to that town in our separate cars to drop off the ute (and then he'd drive me home in his car) so that all we'd have to do the next day was go and pick it up once it was ready. It was the biggest stuff around but we did it anyway because if we'd taken the ute to town the next day to only then get fixed once we got there, then we'd have to hang around town filling in time while we waited for it to get fixed, so fair enough.

We picked up the ute on the Tuesday and did not much else.

On the Wednesday morning (2 July), L's parents had planned to continue their journey down south. (They were on a big road trip to see some friends and family further south and so they stopped for 3 days at our place on their way through.) They wanted to leave at the same time that I had to leave for the working bee at preschool, but I stuffed around on purpose so in the end they left before me. I did this because they ALWAYS want to leave at the same time and it's just the STUPIDEST thing. I'm on holidays, there's no way I'm rushing around of a morning if I don't have to. I could see they were farting about waiting for me to get ready but I simply didn't. I needed my space and I wanted to leave by myself, when I was good and ready. And I did. Off we went to preschool to paint some tyres. The day was sunny but freezing. I didn't feel like making small talk with anyone (because all it ever is is small talk) but I did anyway. Life seems dull. We stopped at one point while we waited for the paint to dry. Helen went and bought some chips and we crossed the road to the park to eat them and let the kids play. It was here that one of the mums that is part of the Committee asked me if she could ask what happened, why did I quit. I was open about it and told her most of my reasons. II don't really care who finds out what by now. After lunch we crossed back to do the second coat on the tyres. Most of the people left and Helen and I were left with one of the teachers, who opened up a bit about her life which was nice. We didn't get all the tyres done (can't remember why) but it was getting late and really cold so we left.