Leaving New York for Sydney - Monday 9th February 2015

Last night I was IN bed at 10 pm, even after a late call from Sarayu in California to say goodbye, and I slept well.   Up three times to pee, given all the water I drank at the brunch yesterday.

I was up at 8.30 am, but lay in silence for an hour, waiting to movement, as we have to leave by 1 pm.   I quietly make tea and fruit, and return to sit in bed with my phone, another hour passes,  I organise my final bits.   Bev is on the phone.  I am relieved, they are up!   I have a shower but when I come out, Bev has gone back to bed.    At 11.30 am I make toast, and eat it with cold chicken.  No movement.  At 12 the phone rings, it is Lorna, and we have a chat about Landmark and Tantra, twenty minutes later, I say I must go, I am getting panicky, the place is still in darkness.  I make a bit of 'discreet' noise, and at 12.50, ten minutes before departure time, Dickie comes out, sees my suitcase and coat ready to go, and raises his eyebrows.  "We have to leave soon!" I announce, and he shakes his head, no.   "Yes, I have to be at the airport at 3.30 pm - and you have to drop me at Nath and Yvonne's!"   No, he says, a change of plan, Bev changed the doctors appointment, we are taking you now, and wont leave here until 2.40 pm.    I have already got my tight travel socks on, and am ready to go, I cannot take this dam socks off, they take 15 minutes to put ON.   I just wish someone had told me and avoided the angst of the last couple of hours.

I look at my suitcase, neatly packed, and think how seldom I have travelled with so little, and yet I have worn only half of these clothes - many loaned to me from Sue Hobson, woollen jackets and coats, a selection of leggings,  warm boots, I have several pairs of wool leggings and thermal tops, scarves, socks, and fine woollen 'vests'.   Yet it is SO hot indoors that I can only wear one of the vests (unfortunately I brought no cotton, only wool, as the temperatures are below freezing) - and a pair of leggings.   And I sweat.  I swear the temperature increased yesterday, and its not even on in my room or theirs or the den, only the kitchen, dining and living area.  The heat is controlled from elsewhere, as is the hot water.   "Robing up" to go outside is tedious and awkward, dressing in a confined space where moving ones arms out can topple over household items, and once 'robed', waiting for Bev to be ready can be a while, during which I begin to feel nauseous and start to sweat, then I start to disrobe, and she arrives, impatient, saying "Why are't you ready?".   Once out, every item of clothing is necessary, and the wind bites like a small animal at exposed skin, my nose runs, and my eyes tear up.  I pull the hood of my Calvin Klein tight and low, and then cannot see to the right or left of me.