Post #1076028

A maelstrom of activity as we help our youngest prep' for the second half of her escape plan: a long flight home to Australia, for the first time in 14 years: phone calls to Sydney, flight and train bookings, payment for a temporary passport, and emptying an old North Face roller duffel for her use. ‪ She has been with us for six, necessary (but not always easy) months of recovery. Now she says she's ready to move forward with her life and re-establish roots in the country where she was born. It's 'a lot' for my wife and me: the distance is daunting and we have persistent concerns about her mental and physical well-being. We've supported her, with meagre resources, and provided space to think hard about what she wants/needs in the future. She now feels, strongly, that Australia is elemental to that: once there, she'll be able to access significant social support — including universal health care, subsidised tertiary education, and social security — and she shares the local passion for fitness and outdoor activity. She leaves next week. [deep breath]