Ski weekend - Part deux

On Sunday morning, despite Saturday’s high exercise and activity I was awake at 6.30am and annoyingly I couldn’t get back to sleep. I used my time well though, by reading out on the balcony so as not to disturb Sarah. Although I think me dropping my book, sliding the door open, going back in to get extra layers, coming out again and going back in to get my mobile might have ruined that plan somewhat. I must have been feeling super fit because then I went out for a mini-run! When I got back I showered, changed, put the face on, packed, and finally the rest of them were up!

We packed up and went for brunch at the Pancake Pantry. Mmn mmn. Even in the touristy place we were (in peak season!) in a proper sit down restaurant the crepes (NB plural) I had were bigger but only slightly more expensive than the rip off ones at Summer Madness. I’m thinking about writing a letter to not only my MP but the Monopolies and Mergers Commission about this act of extortion.

When we were done we walked around the shops a bit. As is my custom I bought a postcard of the new place I had been to for my wall of world travels. Everyone apart from Jose, Will and me were on a tight schedule and had to hit the road (jack). So we headed to the Outlet Mall rather than home. Shopping with boys, now there’s an experience! Frugal Tina came to the fore and spent zippo, so my role was more advisory, but that was still fun! When the boys were done we headed back to our cars and back to the interstate home.


The gang's all here! Along the front is me, Lindy, Sarah and Megan. Along the back is Robert, Jose and Will. And yes, that is a Christmas tree in the shot too. It seems Gatlinburg is the opposite of Narnia, it's Christmas every day there!

Despite my brilliant weekend (another contender for weekend of the experience, certainly winner thus far of weekend of 2006!) when I got into the car to drive home, I felt homesick. That was the first time since the day I moved into my house and was unpacking. Being with such a close group of friends made me miss mine. Please don’t get me wrong, I totally felt included in everything and everyone was lovely, but driving home to the Methodist Ministers’ Retirement Facility was a bit depressing or something.

The feeling was a bit like when our YF weekend was over, or CHW, or some other big experience time away from home. When you get home, no one there really understands what you’ve just gone through and you feel a bit dejected. I’m lucky that my parents are the kind of parents that I could (and do) tell anything to, but at those times they’ve learnt to let the stories just come out in due course! More than enough times we’d be eating dinner or something and my dad, thrilled to see us back again, would clap his hand in joy and cry ‘tell us from the very beginning…’ which generally resulted in David or me saying ‘well we reversed out of the driveway, put the car in first gear, drove to the end of the street, put on the indicator…’. It still took a few trips before they got it. Parents!

The homesickness didn't last long however, I roll with the punches, me! Once I was home and back looking at the lake again I realised there are worse places to be in the world.