The wait is finally over! M2 is out from quarantine today. No words are needed to describe the joy and relief for all. We are together again except for M1 who is still in the US.
It’s a week already that M2 has returned and under quarantine. Staying in a modern and comfy room in the city, with three meals each day, I’d say so far, so good, although all she does is eat, sleep, talk to us, and not much else! At least when we talk, we are in the same time zone unlike, when she was still in Ireland on a seven-hour time difference with us.
Soon another week will go by quickly, and she will be truly home. Yay! We plan to have a celebratory garden barbeque for the occasion. Time, hurry on faster, please? I can’t wait!
Last Saturday marks the 8th Anniversary of my blog! Wow. I am amazed that I have persevered for so long to keep this going. But all this achievement is unattainable if it wasn’t for the support of all my readers.
The blog has certainly evolved from a journal to share the antics of my girls and my travels. Along the way, I picked up new hobbies, the girls grew up and went off to college, and the travel escapades were lesser.
The travel non-escapades were more evident in the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has taken over the world and disrupted many things taken for granted.
Well, I certainly won’t take the things I do for granted and am thankful to every one of my readers as you follow me on my whimsical endeavors and daily musings. Happy Anniversary and happy writing to me!
I had a restless night tracking M2’s flight. She has another five hours of flying before arriving in Singapore for a short stopover of an hour and a half. Then another hour’s flight before arriving in KLIA as of this entry.
I cannot believe how fast time has gone. Last October, she went back to Ireland, and now, another year of college is complete.
But we won’t get to be with her for another two weeks as she has to undergo quarantine requirements at a hotel. So close yet so far still. Sigh.
Today our M2 is flying back from Ireland! Woohoo. She has completed her second year at university and is homeward bound for the summer holidays. The journey will be tedious as a result of the stringent requirements to fly due to Covid-19.
Unlike last year, when she came home in March for a six-month summer holiday and was home-quarantined, this time, a chartered coach will greet her at the airport and send her to a hotel to be quarantined upon her arrival. We don’t have to pick her up as these measures are in place for all arriving at KLIA to Malaysia.
We only have to monitor her flight on flightaware.com to ensure her journey is on time. She flies this late afternoon (her local time) which is equivalent to our past midnight time, so I guess I won’t be sleeping much to track her flight until her final arrival.
A memory feed popped up on Facebook this morning: M1 turns 18 today, and we celebrated. That was six years ago. Today she turns 24! Dang, time sure flies.
Wasn’t it just yesterday she turned one, and we had friends and family over for a party? Then the next thing I know, we were at her graduation commencement in the Summer of 2019. That was the last time the whole family was together. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree.
With both girls pursuing their education in two different countries, it certainly is hard to have a birthday celebration. Add in the three different time zones that we are all in, a virtual get together is the only way – either a FaceTime or WhatsApp group call for this occasion.
Two weeks have gone by so fast, and M2 has completed her self-isolation. We are most pleased to say that she has a clean bill of health.
As such, she will leave the quarantine quarters and check into the dorms officially. And she has two days to organize herself before classes begin on Wednesday. Yay.
Now that M2 has arrived safely and undergoing her quarantine, we are back to just the two of us at home. And so, the routine is back to normal; in other words, I’m playing golf every other day again.
And in between this routine, it’s the DIY projects that keep me busy. Oh, project #4 was completed a day before her departure, and project #5 started soon after.
#4 – The cafe without lightsNight mode of the cafe
For two nights in a row, the both of us had restless sleep, anxious for M2’s journey. The flight was delayed in Doha, hence the anxiety for us.
Apparently, the runway was closed but no further details were provided for the passengers. And after a four and a half hours delay, the flight finally took off.
Well, she has finally arrived safely after the long and tiring journey, and has checked into the dorms, ready to start her two-weeks quarantine.
M2 flew off yesterday evening. My heart was heavy, and there were tears, mostly mine when I hugged her ever so tightly. The time has come to let her go, now that her college is ready to welcome back returning students.
We arrived at the airport early and waited for a bit before the check-in counters opened. Most of the passengers were young adults, students like M2, returning to their respective universities.
The airport was not a bustling hive of activity like the pre-pandemic days. The place looked gloomy. The ever-popular KFC and McDonald’s were shuttered since 18 March, the start of the nation lockdown phases. So unfortunate.
My brave girl returning to college by herself
M2 arrived in Doha early this morning and in transit for the next flight. We managed to talk to her just only. She’s in good spirits despite feeling tired from a lack of sleep and having to wear a face mask and face shield provided by Qatar Airways throughout the journey.
We will be more at ease once we hear from her again the next time from Dublin.
Angieneering 
Remarks