It’s been a whirlwind of a couple of days. My ten-day trip to Japan for Hakuba Gay Ski Week had come to an end. When I embarked on my journey to the airport, I felt like I was leaving a part of my heart behind in Hakuba. More specifically, at Penke Bar and lodge.
In the previous ten days, I had some fantastic friendships begin, previous ones strengthened, and made memories that will truly last a lifetime. While I do plan to return next year, it still didn’t stop me from feeling emotional. And it was only about to get worse.
As I waited to board the bullet train at Nagano, Australia Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, officially announced that all incoming travellers to Australia must self-isolate upon arrival. While I expected this might be the case, the reality still hit me like a tonne of bricks.
Nearly forty hours later, here I am sitting in my bedroom back home in Australia, typing this. I’d be lying if I said, I’m not finding this two weeks of self-isolation daunting. Initially, when I expected to come home, I was looking forward to catching up with my new housemate and her adorable pair of dachshunds. Oh, and of course, my bearded dragon Dickens. But instead, I came home to an empty apartment.
Taking extra precautions since we both work at the same place, my housemate will be crashing at her friend’s home for two weeks. With the recent news of a transmission to a dog, we decided to play it safe, and she’s taken the pair with her.
So coming home to no housemate and no attention-seeking but loveable dachshunds has been quite the eerie experience. Dickens has just been chilling in his enclosure, and I don’t want to pick him up until I get confirmation it’s safe. To make matters worse, the internet still hasn’t been connected. I called the provider this afternoon, who said it’ll hopefully be up and running in the next day or two. Fingers crossed for that one.
Exhausted from the travel, I made the mistake of having a nap earlier this evening. I’m now wide awake and wondering what to do. With minimal internet, due to my mobile, I tried to turn my attention to reading a book, but I couldn’t seem to concentrate on it long enough. I’ve now sat for the last few hours in silence. Something makes me think it’s going to be a long night.
I really wish I could have just stayed back in Japan!
Facebook Comments