The journey

Depart Monday 27th arrive Monday 27th, how surreal. Everything is on the opposite side of the world including me, it’s quite unbelievable.

For any of you like me that have never been abroad I arrived on the same date that I left, time and all it’s zones.  I have been too excited to be tired just yet but I am told that jet lag will surely set in.  It has to catch me first. I won’t wait around for it, I have no time to let the grass grow under my feet.  Anyway, it may not happen. I am going for the moments now not the ones that might happen!!

No hassles getting out of Brisbane International, smooth sailing and smiling people. Amongst the excitement of the journey with some surprise I experienced a deluge of emotions, all the way to the point of not wanting to get on the plane, crazy hey. I expect that I am not the first person to experience these feelings for one reason or another. The realisation of the distance that would be created between the travelling me,  the people I love and all the special people in my life was trying to be a burden but I got over it and they have too.

After checking in there was time to kill.  I met a lady from Austin Texas, Karen, no wonder she had no trouble striking up a conversation.. It was the general conversation content, the where, lifestyle, family,  work, you know the kind.  About a half hour of introductory stuff. Karen found me again in the International Complex and flagged me down.  She had scratched her name and email/facebook contact on to a torn off piece of paper, inviting me to consider bringing some students to their Ranch.  Of course the timing would be designed as to enjoy the music festival in Austin, Texas.  Apparently it is absolutely wonderful and huge. We had made an initial connection that can be developed with the use of the wonderful tools that the I.T. world offers. Music is apparently a big thing in Austin Texas!!!!! Everything is big in Texas they say, even the toilet paper! It was a super start to the trip. I hope to one day take her up on the offer. Anyone interested??  There was a tatty looking fellow with a guitar, he had it tucked up with cardboard and was taking it on board.  I will tell you more about that coincidence later.  It is a small world.

The flight just to L.A.X (Los Angeles) 13 hours. Cabin Fever almost set in.  Following the clouds for thousands of miles over the ocean in the daylight hours looked stunning. It’s not often I look down at the clouds and I was inspired by the beauty.  The colours, the textures and impressions created by shadows of light, it was truly beautiful to see. Night fell and you imagine what blind eyes see.  I watched 4 movies, lots of music videos and almost anything else that looked enticing on the tiny screen embedded in the headrest in front of me. It was a good selection so time, although slowly, did pass.  Oh might I mention the food was great and the crew wonderful.

Arrive L.A.X.  One hour late and for some reason I had been booked on a flight that was earlier than the one that was on my itinerary.  It actually flew out before I arrived.  A little frustrating but just a test to see how long I could keep my cool.  I did,  but it was a close call.  What can you do thousands of miles away from the comfort zone of home and dealing with people you know.  It was the concrete jungle and it’s inhabitants were not all friendly.  I don’t feel that I would ever make the effort to go past what I saw at the airport.  Obviously a lot of folk like it because it is very populated, but what is their lifestyle? oh well I am happy to leave them to it. I did note that most cars were real big and many of them were blowing their horn, luckily not all at the same time. I have experienced the L.A  feel and was glad to leave it behind on the wings of a silver eagle.

Next stop Dallas and the warmth of the people there.  Just a pit stop but you could sense the friendliness. After take off I became mesmerized by the silver wings of that eagle and grabbed a little shut eye. I awoke to the the vivid impression of a meandering river and all it’s tributaries, the precise outlines of manicured pastures, waves of hilly landscape topped with thick foliage, waterholes, tiny little houses, it was beautiful and very reassuring that the final leg of the journey was almost over.  I would have loved to have listened to the captain describing the locations that had greeted my wakening but I will seek the answers through the web, what a great tool this technology is. I think the big river was the Tyne but I will have to ask Mr. Google. Clear skies and little turbulence all the way, not even a hint of nasty pollution as we descended into L.A, Dallas or Nashville so I was pleasantly surprised.  It was great.

Touchdown Nashville, Music City, The United States of America.  YeeHaa!!!!  Now the adventure begins.
Oh the man with the guitar that I mentioned at the beginning of this entry, I had not set eyes on him for 7,100klms and woolah along he came, guitar in hand, happy and smiling and hopped onto the shuttle bus that was taking me to my motel.  We struck up a conversation and swapped email/facebook addresses, yet another story in this epic journey.  It is a small world with wonderful tools!