The last two weeks have been amazing and tumultuous. Finland was wicked and I will be sharing some moments from the frozen waste now that I am back in the desert.
While the trip was relatively hitchless, my return was not. My driver didn't show up at the airport, accommodation wasn't sorted and it was 5am.
I tried to phone in a hero, but it was Friday, the weekend, and noone was answering.
I decided I would go to the only hotel I was sure had people I knew living in it. However I did not know phone numbers had altered in the 10 days I was absent. I sat for 6 straight hours in the hotel lobby deflecting awkward glances, the only highlight being a language barrier which lead to an entire pot of hot chocolate.
I was passing out regularly in my chair so I decided to go for a walk, my only option, my old hotel. Without anywhere else to go and with noone answering their phones it seemed like the best option, at least there would be some familiar faces.
I'd already rung around several hotels and wasn't booked in anywhere, including this one. Cue awkward looks and glances from people I'd considered 'friends' only two weeks earlier, I was clearly breaking with traditional staff/customer relations.
Finally my phone rang, my neighbour from the time I did live here was in his room and it was a tremendous relief to be invited in. Staggering around the middle east with my luggage on a hot day is not my favourite thing in the world and just the knowledge I could pass out without repurcussions was almost worthy of a little cry.
Another txt and I was offered a couch for the night, things were looking up.
Off to The Pearl to collapse in a heap. Or as we say in New Zealand "heaps of collapsing". I passed out on impact with the upholstery only to wake in the middle of the night with the first test between NZ v England on TV. Things truly were looking up.
Dinner parties are held in high esteem here, not least of all because there is very little else to do. As such I needed to vacate my couch or be a blight on the evenings entertainment. "What's that?" "Don't know." "Kind of smells." "Quite so." "Rather."
And so still without contact from my employers I went to stay with some interns. "Seedy." one might say "Desperate." I might add.
It turns out however that my hosts were truly genuine in their will to house me and thankfully so for five days later I still do not have permenant lodgings. It's not all bad, I have my own room and we even had an icecream night followed by a pool party. The homelessness is a bit stressful however and I've developed a cough and some snuffles. As truly gracious as my keepers are, I can't help feeling like a burden and look forward to sorting this whole mess out at my first day back at work tomorrow.
While the trip was relatively hitchless, my return was not. My driver didn't show up at the airport, accommodation wasn't sorted and it was 5am.
I tried to phone in a hero, but it was Friday, the weekend, and noone was answering.
I decided I would go to the only hotel I was sure had people I knew living in it. However I did not know phone numbers had altered in the 10 days I was absent. I sat for 6 straight hours in the hotel lobby deflecting awkward glances, the only highlight being a language barrier which lead to an entire pot of hot chocolate.
I was passing out regularly in my chair so I decided to go for a walk, my only option, my old hotel. Without anywhere else to go and with noone answering their phones it seemed like the best option, at least there would be some familiar faces.
I'd already rung around several hotels and wasn't booked in anywhere, including this one. Cue awkward looks and glances from people I'd considered 'friends' only two weeks earlier, I was clearly breaking with traditional staff/customer relations.
Finally my phone rang, my neighbour from the time I did live here was in his room and it was a tremendous relief to be invited in. Staggering around the middle east with my luggage on a hot day is not my favourite thing in the world and just the knowledge I could pass out without repurcussions was almost worthy of a little cry.
Another txt and I was offered a couch for the night, things were looking up.
Off to The Pearl to collapse in a heap. Or as we say in New Zealand "heaps of collapsing". I passed out on impact with the upholstery only to wake in the middle of the night with the first test between NZ v England on TV. Things truly were looking up.
Dinner parties are held in high esteem here, not least of all because there is very little else to do. As such I needed to vacate my couch or be a blight on the evenings entertainment. "What's that?" "Don't know." "Kind of smells." "Quite so." "Rather."
And so still without contact from my employers I went to stay with some interns. "Seedy." one might say "Desperate." I might add.
It turns out however that my hosts were truly genuine in their will to house me and thankfully so for five days later I still do not have permenant lodgings. It's not all bad, I have my own room and we even had an icecream night followed by a pool party. The homelessness is a bit stressful however and I've developed a cough and some snuffles. As truly gracious as my keepers are, I can't help feeling like a burden and look forward to sorting this whole mess out at my first day back at work tomorrow.
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