The end is just another beginning

"The end is just another beginning" came from a t-shirt I got at my hostel in Perth, Australia, my first stop after I got out of the Marine Corps in 1999. This was also about a week before I first met Emma not far from Melbourne. It seems it is fast becoming the family moto.

We had a lovely stay at the Shangri-La hotel outside Muscat. It took us a little longer to get there as it was hard work getting everything out of the house and sorted. By Thursday night we were settled in a lovely family room and the kids were already in the pool. We had a lovely dinner with friends who came out to see us. Friday and Saturday were spent mostly in the pool. The kids had a lovely time and were the first in the pool every morning and would not come out until we dragged them out well after dark and everyone long gone. We had lots of friends come out to see us and spend some time in the pool and at the beach with us. Alex and Ellie enjoyed the chance to play with their friends one more time. Eric also managed to start walking without his crutches for short distances. After the weeks of hard work, frustration and tension of trying to get packed and sorted we were relaxed, recharged and ready for the big adventure.

Saturday night we were off to the airport. We managed to get our eight large suitcases, two car seats, one double push chair, the four of us and Latha into the hotel van. It was a tight fit and we thought we might need another van. Latha had stayed with us at the hotel and was coming to help at the airport and see the kids off. She had already been in tears the last few days as she is going to really miss the kids. The plan is she will join us in the Caymans but we can't get her visa until after we arrive. That means it might be a couple months before she can make it out.

Muscat is a long, narrow city squeezed by the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other. That means most of Muscat is not far from the main highway that runs its length. As we headed down the highway towards the airport in the dark, I wanted to join Alex and Ellie as they dozed in their seats, not realizing how long it would be until they could finally get a good sleep. Instead I was flooded by warm memories of Muscat and friends as the lights whizzed by. Everywhere I could see our memories of the last few years, just off the road among the lights. Places we had lived, friends' houses, work, eating out and playing were quickly slipping into the past. The only conversation was talk about how we have to come back when the kids are older so they can see where they are from and we can see how much has changed.

We managed to get all our stuff through the airport and get all our departure paperwork done very smoothly. After so many bumps and obstacles trying to get ready to go, our last hours were finally going smoothly. Alex had to keep telling Latha as he has all week "Latha crying, no Latha cry!". It was difficult for her to say goodbye, even knowing we will see her again soon. We flew British Airways from Muscat to Heathrow with a stop on the ground in Abu Dhabi. The kids finally fell asleep somewhere around Abu Dhabi which was about 0100.

Our trip all went very smoothly and Emma's parents were there to meet us. With all our stuff they had to come down in two cars. We arrived at Heathrow's new terminal five which just opened last year. Even if you have not been through it, you probably heard all about its problems when it first opened. It is beautiful and new but why do you build a new terminal without walkways to get on and off airplanes? In the land of rain? That is usually the mark of a small or primitive airport when you have to walk down the stairs and get on a bus to get off the plane as you do in Muscat still. This struck me even more as I was still using my crutches to help me get around. Alex's first remark as we walked to the bus to take us to the terminal was "no rain". He still remembers England as the land of rain and we were glad it was dry as we walked down the stairs to the bus.

The kids are pretty much over their jet lag and enjoying their time in England. We will let you know what we are up to here in the land of rain soon. Thanks to all our friends in Muscat for a wonderful time and we are looking forward to our new beginning!