First glimpses

We arrived on Thursday arvo, the heat almost knocking us over as we stepped off the plane.

At first glance Dubai is a strange place. It looks unfinished, dusty like a construction site and then you step inside and it's marble and glitz.

We got to our hotel/apartment and ate and crashed as we'd been awake for a long time. Despite flying business class Darbs cried and whinged the whole flight so sips of Moët were had as I paced the aisle and there were no sleeps in the lie-flat seat. The girls on the other hand lived it up ordering lemonades, watching movies, they loved it. At least someone did.

Day one: we woke early and had a brekkie that looked pretty similar to home. We hit the pool in an attempt to cool down. We then hit the Dubai Mall, the largest in the world. The girls marvelled at the aquarium and the many kids designer shops (Baby Dior, Roberto Cavalli, Fendi, it went on and on).

The website told me that the food court was open during Ramadan, which it was but despite being able to buy food you weren't allowed to eat it there. It made no sense to me, why be open if you can't eat? Oh well, we're all learning a lot! A whole new world to experience. I'm totally ignorant at the moment.

Instead we checked out the supermarket which was surprisingly good, a lot of Aussie produce and cheaper than home. Even the pork products were great, even if they're tucked behind a secret door.

Day two: After a good nights sleep it was time to brave the traffic in our hire car. We found the girls' school and checked out potential areas to live. We found Skip's twisted work tower. We saw the indoor ski ramp from the outside. We kept cool from 48 degree heat.

We tried to soak in the place and imagine ourselves living here. At the moment it all feels like a holiday. We have to keep pinching ourselves that this is our new life as we look around and realise we're not in the inner west of Sydney any more.

Eid (the celebration for the end of Ramadan) is about to start and it's going to be amazing to see what that entails. It's a long weekend here and everyone is having five days off.

So, so far so good. Bring on our Dubai life!

So long!

Tomorrow my family and I will board a flight, to start a life on the other side of the globe.

Tonight, I'm exhausted, sad, nervous -a mess basically. I know it's going to be an adventure, but tonight I'm thinking of the people I'm saying goodbye to, the life I'm saying goodbye to, the country in saying goodbye to. For now.

Tomorrow, well I'll think about that tomorrow. See you on the flipside.

This will be the last time

Another Saturday, another farewell. It's standard round here at the moment, I'm starting to feel a little like John Farnham. Just when you think you've said goodbye to us, here we are back again.

I would like to promise that last night was the last time, but like Johnny you can never be too sure.

Like any good farewell tour, all the classics have been pulled out. There has been a touch of nostalgia, a few laughs and a few tears. I can't get anyone to buy the T-shirts though.

The past few days there have been hugs, good wishes and dreams about when we'll see each other next. "Who knows, we may meet up again next Saturday, so don't get too down."

But I think it's really time for us to go, because unlike John, we realise that sometimes you've got to pack your bags, board that plane, get the hell out of here and let people actually miss you for a while.

Transit lounge

We've spent the past week at my in-laws. Waiting, visiting people, doing a lot of 'one-lasts' and generally just hanging out.

There has been too much eating and I'm getting fatter and fatter. For the sake of my bum we need to get our visas soon!

The best part of my in-laws house is their big backyard. The kids have spent most afternoons playing, exploring, creating and wearing themselves out. Darbs crawls around eating leaves, Lil and Goose create intrigue games of make-believe and when that runs out they climb on the bush turkey nest. We sit happily in the sun and watch them, knowing that soon enough it's going to be too hot to even step outside longer than a moment.

It's peaceful and as the sun starts to set the massive gum tree glows like it's lit up with fluorescent tubes.

After the kids have gone to bed we sit outside and chat with Skip's family, have a few glasses of wine and a ciggie. So not what we do at home, it's like being on holiday. As I said, we need to get our visas to break these  bad habits!

When I think back to this weird time, I know I'm going to picture this back yard.

A big live goodbye

The best part of leaving has to be the farewell bashes. And we've certainly had a fair few of those recently!

Since Lil's first day of school she's plotted and planned her birthday party, so she was broken-hearted when she heard we were leaving before her birthday. So, feeling guilty I told her she could have an early birthday/farewell party at our house, the day before we moved out. Not smart, I agree.

A few weeks ago, I was having coffee with the gorgeous Tina Harris who told me her group Lah-Lah's Big Live Band were now doing parties. The lightbulb went off and they were signed up to perform.

Lil was beside herself when she heard (I was pretty excited to escape entertainment duties).

Lil's last day of school arrived, the principal said goodbye at the school assembly (Lil had to stand up in front of 600 kids), her amazing teacher made a big fuss and gave her a gift and then the class came home for the party. I'm going to miss that school.

Tina and her husband Mark are incredible performers and they had the kids laughing from the first second. Tina is one of those rare people - stunningly beautiful inside and out, funny and kind and sings like an angel. Mark is hilarious and had the kids wrapped around his little finger. They performed the whole party and it was the best fun. The kids loved it. Even Darbs was entranced.

I got to kick back, watch Lil so excited with her friends and enjoy the party myself. It was the perfect last event at our house. I got quite nostalgic and remembered all the other parties we'd had there, bringing the kids home from hospital, realising how much they'd grown. The kids and I said goodbye to our home and friends. A brilliant end of the chapter.

Limbo

Well we have officially moved out of our house, but we're still in Sydney. Our flight dates have changed more than a few times and as of this morning we still are no clearer on when we are leaving.

Last week we were told we were going yesterday, now it's looking like next week.

At least we're ready. Packed, kids have finished school, all we need is the go ahead.

It messes with your head a little, I must say. You don't want to say premature goodbyes, but there's the knowledge in your head that you might get an email saying you're going tomorrow. It's a weird time, that's for sure. I'm sure everyone will be sick of us by the time we leave. "Will they just go already?!"

To make up for it, Sydney is putting on a show this week with fabulous weather. So the kids are playing and playing outside. We've been to the zoo. We've eaten out. We've been to the beach. Most of all, I'm just enjoying taking some time to breathe after a very hectic few weeks.

Thankfully, I have awesome in-laws who are happy to put us up and are very relaxed. It's comfortable and makes it very easy to stay. My mother-in-law has even got up to the baby some nights, winning!

I'm just soaking in Sydney at the moment. Every gargle of a magpie, every whiff of wattle, watching the kids chase the bush turkey in the backyard. It's all being put away in the memory bank.

Winning!

Wow, what a week it has been. Hectic. Manic. Full on.
I'm hoping next week I can take a breath and take stock of all that has been going on.

A lot of change, that's for sure. It's like one stage is wrapping up and another beginning.

But that is a different post. Tonight, I'm happy to reveal the winner of our gorgeous Emma Laue giveaway. Emma read through all the entries and has told me the winner she chose was......


Judy and her jammies. Judy, please email me so I can get your Henry shorts out to you.

Thanks to everyone who entered and thanks to Emma for being part of it all.

Now, I have to go and fill party bags for the 15 five-year-olds who are coming to our house tomorrow for a party. Madness? Complete. Fun? No doubt.