The Moment of Truth

Having been given the all clear, it was now time to get ready to go. A last clean
out of the fridge and freezer, a final dust and wash down, a quick (well to be honest hobble) trip to the market, a final suitcase buy and home to pack up and
get ready to go.

I had arrived in Beijing with an empty suitcase, but now it seemed I didn't have
any room, it was not only because I had arrived with a bag only fit for the inside
of the plane, but nevertheless, I now seemed to be laden down. For a 'wanna be'
backpacker, I am obviously not doing a very good job, for even though I know how to pack well, using every nook and cranny, I seem to always be overladen with 'can't travel without its'!

Even though today we are in the world of the computer and Internet, I am still of the old fashioned kind, who needs pen and paper for writing on and reading material that is actually in a bound form, soft or hardback irrelevant. Besides the required reading material, there is always a soft toy, my old faithful friends having been left behind in Beijing, Hippo, Scooby Doo and Blue Elephant, I now had a new brown curly haired friend, named dog, who had been my constant
companion and supportive friend through my leg trials and tribulations, so he now had to find room in the ever expanding case.

When I first went to China, almost a year ago, I had gone completely unprepared for the biting cold wind that was to await me there. Never having
relinquished myself to a winter coat, tights, sweaters or any other restrictive clothing; I had gone with a suitcase full of light weight long sleeved tops and a
jacket that was nothing more that a large holey cardigan that did nothing to keep the wind out through its gaps. After a month in this foreign land, I found
myself suffering from a cold that I never thought was possible, so I now intended
to be better equipped. This of course meant, for sock less, no stocking me, a compromise of leggings, that in being no way would I agree to wear the full tights, but maybe a legging or two in a bright color, leg warmers (great idea on
my daughter's part) and fluffy socks, might solve the problem.

Now a bag to contain my warmest blanket, for previously I was sure that a light
quilting would suffice, toiletries as after my last fiasco of washing my hair in
conditioner for a long while, until I realised by my receding hair that I was not
using shampoo being unable to read the Chinese labels and a stock of coffee and
food to get me through the first few days, I was ready to leave.

But now the moment had come, it was hard to do so, so with a shrug of my
shoulders, my crutches in hand and a last glance back at my home, I stepped out into the night with my daughter, son in law and granddaughter in tow, the moment of truth had arrived, it was time to go.