Were your eyes slightly blurry as we embraced, kissed and parted? I was more thinking of queuing for security than the enormity of missing my home and loved ones. But I know as I filled in the endless forms, hunted out old certificates for the visa, searched for suitable clothes in preparation for this latest stage in my life, I had my moments of tears. In fact as I watched ‘The Showman’, one of the in-flight movies, some of the lines of what Hugh Jackman said (the guy who Anne and I said to my mum once, was ‘a bit of alright’ to which she replied with a glint in her eye ‘I’m old enough to be his mother’... some things she comes out with I don’t expect, a witty woman!). Anyway, his lines helped me recall what George had said “we’ve got everything, why would we want to live anywhere else?” He’s right, of course, he’s always right.

Some opportunities only come once-in-a-lifetime. And for this one, I’m taking the first step.

I recognise: the nervous traveller, the woman who checks where her passport is frequently and the guy whose leg judders incessantly as he sits waiting for the gate to open; the frequent flyers who put their flight socks on to improve their blood circulation during the flight and the guy who just has his mobile with him and continually checks it and communicates on it as he boards; the agitated children whose mothers’ can’t settle—they must sense the long flight ahead and they don’t want to be confined.

Now seated with my blanket, pillow and earphones, I’m bamboozled by the control panel in the seat in front of me: fireWire, Ethernet, multiple power socket, screen for Music, movies, maps, TV programmes, dramas, radio... what choice! It wasn’t like that 18 years ago when I was on my last long haul flight. Shall I look out the window for a while, select a movie and music album that I’d like, study what route we’re taking, get my laptop out to work... I decide it’s a long trip, I’ll have time for everything.

Eventually movie is over and, unsatisfied by the quality of the music over the roar of the plane engines, I settle down to watching the route map (did you know you can view the footage of a forward and landscape cameras as the plane flies by) and prepare a blog post. Well, it wouldn’t do if I did nothing, would it?!

The line we crossed... Dublin, Wales, East Midlands, Amsterdam, between Frankfurt and Berlin, between Krakow and Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest, Black Sea, Tigris river, between Erbil and Zagros mountains (then turned south over lines of mountains), going a bit close to Baghdad for my liking (according to the map), over Basrah (quite a city showing many lights, so we’re flying overhead, quite dark now), about to go over water), Kuwait City, Dammam, Bahrain...

So we’ve had the snacks, the lunch... at this point, with one hour and 23 minutes to land, I’m not sure we’ll get another meal but shall see.

As “The Showman” ended the words of P T Barnum were displayed “The noblest art is that of making others happy”.

I’m hoping I’ll continue to refine my art... I think this will be put to the test in this new culture, climate and work. Here goes!