Well, it's been a fair while coming but we're nearly on our way. The last few weeks have been emotional, but happy at the same time - definitely worse than when we went to Sydney for a few years, though at the time that was only expected to last one year... this move is likely to be permanent..

Our worldly goods (or most of them) were picked up on 22 Oct, after packing by two very nice PSS men. We did feel pretty useless during the operation, but I was glad to be there. Annoyingly, our container doesn't appear to have left Felixstowe yet *grrr* but that's fine, so long as it actually arrives in Chch at some point!

DD is cheerful, but a bit confused, bless her. 2 1/2 weeks ago she was sleeping in her own bed, in the only home she's ever known. Then we moved in with my parents for a few days, and she got to wave her things bye-bye. Then we went to my grandparents' in France for a week (where all the people speak that funny gibberish that Mummy and Mamie keep trying to natter to her in), with a night on the ferry on each side (one of which was horribly rough). Now we're back with my parents, but only for a little while, and she keeps asking to go home and sleep at our "silly big empty house". Um. But there are plenty of hugs on offer, and lots of spoiling by Mamie and Grandpa!

So.. on Wednesday night we'll fly off from Heathrow to Sydney, via Hong Kong. Safe transit requested from whichever gremlin is targeting aircraft engines at the mo Three days in Sydney to hook up with friends and generally BREATHE and RELAX, then off to NZ!!

I can't believe it's nearly here though, it's so weird. Every so often it hits me, like yesterday we had a big party at a local petting farm with loads of friends and relatives, then a night at the pub with some of the adults. Fantastic in both cases, but every so often the reality of WHY they'd been organised would whack me round the head. Saddest of all was seeing the fun DD had with her friends, and knowing that in a year she'll barely remember them Though all her friends from the childminders' made her a handprint collage to remember them by, which is gorgeous.

..and of course today I said goodbye to my oldest, bestest friend Let's just say that the carpet, hallway, doorway, pavement and car all got a bit soggy. Goodness only knows what I'll be like on Tuesday and Wednesday.

I'm hoping to make some really good friends in NZ though, just got to get out and find them. This never happened in Sydney, to the point that I almost thought that the only people who'd ever "get" me were those who'd known since puberty, but there has been one absolutely awesome friend made since DD was born who I will find as hard to say goodbye to as it was to say goodbye to J today. So watch out Chch, I'm on the hunt for a few more loons to make friends with

Enough of my rambling..