Homeward bound

Departure heralded good intentions.
No champagne, no sugary post-meal treats.
Instead, the flight from Brisbane to Hong Kong was all water and fruit and naked salad.

Seven days and a couple of extra kilos later I’m returning home, strapped in and waiting to push back, cursing my lack of discipline.
Bircher muesli with fruit and eggs on toast for breakfast became a daily habit on this trip, as did scones with jam and cream for afternoon tea and G&T with cheese in the evening.

Followed by dinner. Remember the Italian?
My resolve was no match for the hotel lounge with its open bar and attentive waiters and I have the waistline to prove it.

A computer malfunction at checkin had us standing in line at the airport for over an hour, the queue spreading like a puddle across the departure hall and out the door.

Patience frayed.

But we made it through eventually, clutching hand-written boarding passes, in time for an aperitif and bowl of nuts in the lounge and a final flurry of messaging home.

Once onboard the flight attendant offered champagne and I hesitated, briefly, before caving in to the cuvee.

Clearly discipline is not my strong suit; but maybe that’s a good thing.

In a blink I’ll be back at my desk or the car or the laundry.

No one will offer me champagne or deliver sautéed duck to my seat then.

It would have been churlish to refuse.

The inflight magazine is usually a treat.

These days I read it through professional eyes, looking for publication opportunities.

Sadly the current edition is mostly advertorials and Q&A waffle with minor celebrities or image-rich spreads featuring Instagram stars and Master Chef contestants; not really the sort of work they’d contract out.

But there are also some neat, bylined travel pieces which I’m confident I could match. I just have to muscle my way into the fold.

The beleaguered print industry feels like a closed shop and I can’t figure out the access code.

And then there’s the small matter of my competition.

There are hundreds of established freelancers with more experience and higher profile than me.

(They might also have more talent but that’s a psychological vortex I’m choosing to sidestep.)

Even so, I’m determined to keep tapping away, honing my craft and looking for buyers.

Which reminds me.

I haven’t knocked on any doors lately with a manuscript under my arm.

If I’m going to drag those good intentions out of the suitcase when I land then maybe I can include a commitment to pitching stories.

I’ve also determined to prepare more meals from scratch and resurrect my yoga practice.

The Daily Notes will come closer to being just that and I will not let myself drown in volunteering.

Watch this space.