Homeward Bound

Selfie in Centennial Park

The time has arrived for us to say goodbye to Sydney!   Quantas will carry us back to Dallas tomorrow (August 12), and we hope to emerge from the fog of jet lag soon after.   We have had an amazing time here and we are overflowing with special memories (... and books, trinkets, feathers, seashells, sea glass, op-shop treasures, playgroup songs, and stories to write!).  I am so grateful for the time we have had to travel and experience life "down under" through the lens of parenthood.  The kids have grown so much and I trust they will remember more than the lollies and the touch screens on the plane.  Ram's work has been extremely productive and he will return with tenure in his pocket, some salvaged SAAB parts, and a few Australian hardwood planks.  I have learned that wrangling the kids is much easier with a large flat white, a double-stroller, salami sandwiches, and a few round crackers.   I have also stirred up some new collaborations here, and I am looking forward to sifting through data back home and shaping some fresh projects.  While the start of the semester has been nagging at me, I am not at all prepared for it.  My recent fortune cookie suggested "think about what you most want to teach others," so I am trying to find my inspiration there.

Our time here has been loaded with "teachable moments" and opportunities to share with the kids.  I know that Kiran and Priya have started to experience the gift of friendship.   They watched us re-connect with our dear friends that live here in Australia, and they listened patiently to our stories of how those friendships began years ago in the Upper Valley and in Dublin.   In turn, they worked to build their own kid friendships, navigate playdates, swap books, share legos, and plan their next get together.  As we said our good-byes tonight, I overheard Kiran trying to buck up his buddy Bowen.  "You can visit us in New Orleans and we can do Skype," he offered.  A round of hugs brought us all to our feet.   An hour past bedtime, Priya looked up at her grownup friends, "let's hold hands."  And so, without the jingle of a children's song, we clasped hands with one another.  She imagined the sweetest moment, a circle of friends two generations deep holding hands as they said farewell.  

Playdate at Redfern Park