Written while in Heathrow airport…
I am in London Heathrow, shitty terminal 3. I have the pleasure of spending 6 hours here, so buying unlimited internet was a no-brainer.
Here are the numbers…
My bike box weighed in at 21.2kg
Backpack = 21.8kg
hand luggage backpack = 10kg
+ another smallish ‘handbag’
I can’t believe I’m getting away with this much luggage (thus far!)
My first flight was Sydney-Singapore (8 hrs), and I was sat between two girls: a sweet 17 year old who was deathly afraid of turbulence, and an English girl who’s been travelling for 16 months. We talked, jumped over each other, and generally had a really nice time enjoying no strange males next to us. I read half of Bill Bryson’s ‘Shakespeare’.
The second flight, Singapore-London (12 hrs) saw me seated between two guys. Fatty next to the window slept most of the time, and when he was awake, he laughed at crap movies very loudly. The dude at the aisle, Ben, is a Perth metalhead and forensic scientist. He’s awkward and friendly, and was good company. Especially when I fell asleep at 10 hours to go, and woke up to him saying “Only 4 hours left!”. It didn’t feel like I slept that much so that was pretty awesome. I watched ‘The English Patient’ which I’ve been meaning to see for years, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
My eyes are bloodshot, my world is spinning more than a little, and I wish I could sleep. Alas, I am hanging out in the airport for another 6 hours, before flying to Copenhagen, then Aarhus.
At least they’re only short flights ![]()
4 timezones in 35 hours is too many!
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Written this morning, after waking up…
I’ve arrived in Aarhus, and I’m doing OK.
My too-large-for-hand-luggage backpack wouldn’t fit in the TINY over-head lockers on the last small mosquito flight (with propellers!) so the steward took it and placed it in the galley for me, no questions asked. People are way too nice.
I arrived in TINY Aarhus airport, stacked my bike and backpacks onto a trolley, which got stuck going around a corner in the customs section. My beautiful friend Ditte was just on the other side of the customs door, and as there was not a single person checking documents or anything (how cute!), she helped me navigate my stuff through there, and to her car.
We had dinner at her awesome mum’s place, with her friend Irene who I’d met before, and who’s engaged to an Aussie lad. Tacos with everything you can imagine on top. We went for a walk around the area and ended up in a beautiful church yard. There was a rainbow! I enjoy them much.

- Right near Ditte’s mum’s house, Aarhus
Rain was a-coming so we headed back to her mum’s place for pancakes (!) and finally, as the sun was going down at 10.30pm (no joke) we drove to Ditte’s place. Bambi (my bike) is staying boxed up at her mum’s until I get back here in a month, as it’s safest there.
I showered (oh so sweet) and slept from midnight to 9am. Now I plan to avoid jet-lag, and I hope this plan works.
I’m still not sure how things are in my head. I love this town, and I love the people I know here who are looking after me so well. I love the fact that everything went to plan and I got here with all my luggage.
I miss my family and friends. I guess this will ease up but it’s hard to leave such wonderful people behind.
It was always going to be.
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Written in the afternoon…
I just came back from a few hours wandering around the town. I am surprised at myself a little – I tried to use as much Dansk as possible, and smile and nod. I did have to ask “Kan du taler engelsk?” more than once though! I went to the bank, went to a couple of shops (H&M included! JOY! BLISS!), bought breakfast and lunch, and fruit at the supermarket. It seems so daunting to not speak the language, but once you get to the place and just have to get by, it’s not so bad.
I can’t wait til I can communicate better and can leave English out all together.
It’s all very exciting!