Coming home.

I told a lie today. It was when I was sitting in the aeroplane to come home and the air hostess told me that I was next to the emergency exit. She then asked if in the event of an emergency, was I willing to help open the door. I nodded that yes I would. That was the lie. If there was an emergency that involves me evacuating a plane I can guarantee you that calmly opening the emergency door would not be the thing you would call on me to do. You would more likely need to fire a sedative at me like zoo vets do to animals then shove me out the way so you can evacuate without me screaming and being hysterical. Anyway, all’s well that ends well. The flight was uneventful and my door opening skills were not required.

I woke up this morning to the sound of heavy traffic. My daughter’s student flat is in the city and on a busy junction. My house is in the country and the only sound we wake up to is the occasional cow in the field next to us in the summer. Before I went for my tram to the airport we had a little mooch around the local shops near to where Miss Lashes stays. This was my last chance to prove I could remember how to manage busy road traffic. I went to step out into the road thinking the coast was clear and my daughter automatically put her arm out in front of me preventing me from being hit by an oncoming vehicle from a mystery lane that seemed to appear from nowhere. How things have changed. I’ve spent my life crossing my children over the road and teaching them road safety. It’s just in Orkney there are very few roundabouts, no traffic lights, motorways or multiple lanes and you lose your pedestrian road savvy.

After waving my independent, road crossing daughter off and getting on the tram I managed the rest of the journey home with very little adventure other than the character building episode with the flight home. I’m usually at my most anxious at take off and then relax a bit more as the journey continues but I’m never fully happy until we are on the ground again.

Stepping out of the airport, the change in air was noticeable. No city fumes which I can almost taste, just good clean Orkney air. It’s been lovely to spend a few days with my daughter. We’ve had great fun shopping together, visiting museums and eating out and I enjoy the buzz of city life for a limited time, but it’s also lovely to be home. The views included are the ones I woke up to (top) and the one I will go to bed to (bottom). On a clear day from my house you can see the mountains of mainland Scotland. If you look at the sunset horizon you will see for yourself. Much as I love my daughter, I know which view I would rather choose.