Hello Melbourne!

It's a long flight home! Up early to do the last minute cleaning up of the room, check for stuff that shouldhave been packed, then head out to the airport. Surprisingly SEATAC is uncrowded - school is back in so maybe fewer families are travelling. Say good-byes and "See you in two weeks" to Sue who I will meet up with in Vienna, then onto my comuter flight to LA. Southwest is a great company to fly with...but my flight goes via Sacramento, more time spent sitting on the tarmac and at last into LA. In LA we change gates three times before finally taking off just 30 mins late. By now I have been up 16 hours and have a 13 hour flight to Auckland ahead of me followed by another 3 plus hours on to Melbourne. But God is good - the Air New Zealand plane is a new Boeing 767 and I have a spare seat next to me. The flight is smooth and soon the clouds and cold air of Melbourne greet me, along with my old friend Hilary who has met me EVERY time I return home. And there I am - back in my aging house and feeling as if hadn't left. It's a weird thing. I just left a place in Seattle that also felt like "home". Sets me wondering about heaven. Christians talk about it a lot...but not too many really want to get there 'just yet'. I think it's going to feel just like home...my REAL home....and I have a strong feeling that I won't have jet-lag when I finally make that trip! And speaking of jet-lag, bed sounds awfully good.........zzzzzzz.