I'm heading home today via Los Angeles. 5.30am taxi pickup and I'm at the airport in no time. Check in is a bit chaotic (no surprises there!) and disappointingly they are unable/unwilling to check my bags through to Sydney. This means I will have to collect them in LA and then recheck them. A minor inconvenience but one I would rather not have. It's a fairly uneventful 6 hour flight and we arrive in LA pretty much on time. Clear customs, collect my bag and then catch a shuttle to Terminal 3 where I will be departing from. All this done I still have around 8 hours to fill. LA Airport is dated and basic, considering that it is a major airport. It's a struggle to keep myself occupied and the time passes by slowly. There is a group of secondary school students about to embark on a trip to Australia, New Zealand and the Cook Islands. I have a chat to some of them about what they are looking forward to and give them some suggestions. They are so excited, I am sure for some it is the first time they have left the country. My flight is a little late taking off but its a pretty good flight. A little bit of turbulence but nothing concerning. I actually manage to get 4-5 hours sleep and arrive in Sydney feeling reasonably good. The transfer to the Melbourne flight is chaotic. Lots of people trying to make the connection and not a lot of time to do so. The Virgin ground staff somehow manage to make it happen. N ot sure how they did it. Arrive in Melbourne about half an hour late due to bad weather. And so a fantastic trip has come to an end. Amazing countries, great people, unforgettable experiences. Mexico was sensational and I might have to break my travel rule and go back one day. But for now I guess it's back to the real world!