Monday 31st October 2022
My last full day and night in Britain today and I spent it lounging on my bed. I had been wide awake again at 4am thinking about all sorts of things that are coming up in South Africa when I get back. I realised that trying to get back to sleep would be futile, so instead I put the light on and made myself a medlemon. I never touched my phone which was a good thing and I tried to keep my thoughts really wide. I switched off the light and just let my brain go wherever it wanted. Oddly enough I got thinking about South African Radio DJ's and the two who have cancer. I woke up a few hours later to read that one of them had died in the early hours. Jeremy Mansfield who was well known in South Africa had been quite public about his cancer journey and it's interesting to read the heartfelt tributes that so many people have posted online about him.
I like social media for this spreading of human emotions. Some may say that it's not real, but I disagree. My social media has been a great source of comfort for me in this year of travel. Never mind how it has guided me on trains, buses, ferries, airplanes and Italian taxis, without the internet I would still be sitting at the airport.
Tomorrow I start my journey back to the southern part of Africa. I duffed my flight plans up a bit when I realised that KLM was leaving me overnight in Schipol airport for 11 hours. I'm hoping that I can leave the airport to my hotel booking which is a free shuttle away in Amsterdam. My long southwards flight is a daytime flight on Wednesday, which eases the pressure to pretend to sleep. I will only see the Spring daylight on Thursday 3rd November but I'm seeing this long drawn out trip as a means of 'debriefing' myself from the past 169 days of life in Britain. Originally I wanted to try return on a freight ship but unfortunately Covid changed a lot of the shipping rules. so that remains in the 'bucket'.
I have so much to reflect on, it has been a life altering trip as well as shape changing, lol. My new shape is looking a little jollier old chap, primarily due to my compulsion for all things sweet. However there's a certain biscuit that has been particularly irresistible... the Cherry Bakewell tarts. It had a taste of marzipan and cherries and it's simply delicious. I think I'm ready to leave them behind now, and start my life without them. Tally ho, and wish me luck!
But for now, I'm going to have another Medlemon.
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