Bomana Nights: January 2006

The morning of goodbyes...

Photos posted post-PNG, from a little room in Epping, far from the heat and humidity of home.

That last morning was so surreal, it's a mixture of images and emotions. How could it be true that I was really leaving? How do you say goodbye to people who have been your mother, your sister, your true friends, your daughters - your life - for 2 years?

Standing outside my / our house in the morning with Doris and Veronica and Pia, it was like any other morning as we tried to forget the clock counting down and the minutes ticking by - til Mr Andrew went into the house to put on a CD - and the music drew even the Sisters from their convent as my bags were packed and we were ready to go, Lady A soaking my T-shirt with tears as she held me like she'd never let me go. How can you play leaving on a jetplane when we're all trying to forget that very fact?

We needed the big orange bus to load everyone to the airport to say goodbye - there must have been 50 people there to wave me off, and even with the tears rolling at every hug it was hard to belive that this was really it.

I still can't believe it.

Goodbye Papua New Guinea, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for what will always be remembered as the time of my life. I'll be back, have no doubt about that.

Goodbye Moresby. It's been real.