After an hour on the crowded tube, another getting through security at Heathrow, 22 hours in the air, half an hour looking for gate E20 at Singapore, 15 very long minutes waiting on the tarmac, I arrived back in Auckland at 8pm last night.
My parents were waiting at the airport, embarrassing and supportive as ever, with helium welcome home balloons and ribbons; flowers and signs that said “Lessons to Learn: Available in All Good Bookstores Now” (apparently it should be in bookstores now, though none of us have yet seen a copy on the shelves). It was late at night. Hopefully not too many people noticed.
Waiting at home, there was an article about the launch of Lessons to Learn in our local newspaper, the Western Leader. There’s the picture that Matt took of me in the back streets of Wimbledon, on page 4, surrounded by stories about a young cyclist, a 100 year old woman, and a call to change the booster seat law. 
Online, I found that the interview I had last Thursday morning had become a press release. I checked my email in Singapore, and discovered that next Wednesday morning an interview has been organised with Lynn Freeman for the Radio New Zealand Arts on Sunday show.
Today, across the road and next to where I used to catch the bus to primary school, they demolished an old shed. Wood and corrugated iron were pulled off bit by bit, until it collapsed. The neighbours stood around on the grass at watched, took photos, ate sausages in bread. Mum brought along a copy of Lessons to Learn and took orders. I practised talking about it.
What it’s about, when I wrote it, is it me on the cover (yes: on the back; no: on the front). I feel that I’m going to be talking about it an awful lot in the week to come.
