Australia, Fin.

Last night, I got back from a weekend in Melbourne. Despite being so anxious to close that chapter, I would be lying to say it wasn't a little bittersweet.

Shannon moves in a week and with that, there will undoubtedly be changes in our relationships with our friends there, and our perspective on the city. Who knows when we will be back.

As much as I am ready to have both of us 100% in Auckland, I feel like my departure from Melbourne (I can't speak for Shannon) has been the epitome of anticlimax.

I resigned from United with zero fanfare. I think my boss expected it. My last day came and went with nothing more than the stroke of the second hand on the clock. It's like it never happened. The the back and forth that we have both done during the transition period has made the whole situation seem even more surreal.

Melbourne was good to us. Part of me is sad to see the chapter close because I fear we won't get the chance to really see Australia like we had originally planned (you know, when we were heading right back to SF at the end of two years?).  But man, part of me is so ready to throw the keys on the porch and slam the door.

Is that wrong?

But isn't it funny how fast you can change from bittersweet to just over it. And a big thanks to the Melbourne airport for that.

After a lovely hour waiting to check in (who needs appropriate staffing, Virgin Blue?) and grabbing a mediocre sandwich, I was greeted with the inconsistent standards of international airport security. Those three L shaped Allen keys that I flew in with on Friday. Terrorist fodder in Australia. Now let's ignore the damage they could cause as tools (Boeings are put together with English fasteners, not metric) and think for a second. As a weapon they are no worse than the pen in my pocket. Compared to the light bulb I have, which I recon would smash delightfully into someone's face, they do basically no damage. Worse yet he threw them away - the guy wouldn't even take them home. Said it was policy. What a waste.

Now, this is no reflection on the employee. He diligently performed his function while using none of his own thought processes or good sense, like a good security robot. But as a global society, we are out of control. What's worse - asinine security measures or inconsistently asinine security measures?

It's time for world leaders to get together, scratch the three brain cells between them together, and sort this out.

I can't wait to replace those in NZ. You can't get punched in the face for less than ten bucks. I am confident tools are more.

Oh, also, to Melbourne duty free imposing a credit card tax and the store that robbed me for my Sprite because they don't take plastic under ten bucks (but takes Kiwi notes) you can both go right to hell.

I was sort of down about leaving Melbourne. Now, I think I am quite over it.

So long.