Anatomy of a proposal - Back to Brissy

Sunday, 8 November
Tregeagle-Brisbane

It’s 9am and I'm saying goodbye to Greg and Libby, about to get back on the road for the trip back to Bangkok via Brisbane.

Don’t hit the bloody rockwall.

You’ve done all the hard yards, now don’t hit the bloody rockwall driveway on your way out…

Rockwall navigated.

Indicate.

Couple of taps of the horn.

I’m off!

Jeez I’m tired. And my legs are feeling bloody sore and swollen today. Must be some weird thing I picked up in Cambodia on that rugby tour…

Anatomy of a proposal - The rest of the weekend

Saturday, 7 November
Yamba, NSW

The second best thing about coming back is that I am able to see Mum, Dad and Cass.

Cass doesn’t even know I am in Australia. Dad stayed overnight in Yamba, while Mum and Cass are to ‘meet’ him up there today for lunch. Cass must be thinking Mum and Dad have lost it with all this “Oh, it would be a nice little trip up there” chat.

So I’m driving down to Yamba today to meet them at the Pacific Hotel in Yamba for lunch. I’m loving being back amidst the Australian countryside, driving through all the cane fields and country where Clare’s family has lived for generations.

I call Meils as I travel down the Pacific Hwy – she was pretty stoked about the news, but as disappointed as I am for not being able to have time to go to Sydney and say hi…

About an hour in and I’m driving down alongside the Clarence River, digging the fishing culture and pelicans dotted along the way. I wonder if Penny is randomly in town with Josh and little Campbell...

I pull up a stump at a table next to the Pacfic Hotel’s grand glass frontage - I’ve got the whole of the Pacific Ocean and a bunch of surfers rolling around only a couple of hundred metres below. What a view!

And what a spectacular day. Perfect 2ft rolling surf…I just wish I had time to get the old sea tractor out for a spin.

Then Cass arrives. She has no idea what was going on – a wonderful moment when I tell her what I was in town for. And to see Mum again was divine – it had been such a long time. I swear Dad’s pushing out a bead.

We smash a mezze plate and a few drinks, slipping straight back into family mode. Skype really does rock – I reckon it goes a long way to helping keep that family familiarity.

Today is one day I’m really glad to be around in person though, as Mum has just found out Nan has terminal cancer. It’s not the nicest news, but I’m happy I can at least be around in person to hear it and offer support – as much as Skype rocks, a hug is something you can’t really do online.

We end up moving down to a pub just up the Clarence for lunch and coffees – Cass has been as snap-happy as a clapping Jap today. Our lunch is also attended by a pod of dolphins doing their thing in the river. Could this day get any more spectacular?

The day rolls by into the afternoon - sucks to have to leave my family yet again after just a teasingly short few hours. Jeez I wish I could be living closer.

I give Libby and Greg a buzz to let them know I’m just about to head off, Libby suggests Mum and Dad come around for tea…they accept! The dream stays alive. Party time.

And what a party it is. Greg CAN cook a steak. The BBQ is just brilliant, very Australian with all the traditional accompaniments – salads, bread, snags, top-quality meat, wine…

Clare’s Uncle Tom and Aunty Carmel are also staying with Greg and Libby at the moment, so it is a pretty full house. Clare's brother Nick has also randomly popped home for dinner, so we are able to have a good chat out on the deck, with his questions as to my intentions far harder than anything thrown up the previous evening by Greg and Libby!

With so many of the respective families home, it’s an excellent way to celebrate. The hard part now will be keeping the secret under wraps!

Clare would love this.

Anatomy of a proposal - Freaking out Greg and Libby

Friday, 6 November
Tregeagle, NSW

Greg must have been pottering about in the garden or something. He came down to see who’d just randomly rolled up.

It’s me. His face screamed a mix of confusion, surprise and wonder. Sort of like how a man would look if given an Ikea baby table to assemble minus two screws.
“Steve, what are you doing here?”

“Oh, was just in the neighbourhood. Thought I’d pop in to say hi. How about a cup of tea?”

I'm nervous as all get out.

“Sure, no problem…but what are you doing here?”

Libby was just finishing fixing dinner. I see her at the top of the staircase into their living room. A nice feeling to be ‘home’.

“Oh! Steve! Hello! What are you doing here? Lovely to see you! Oh god. What’s wrong? Something’s wrong. Is it your father? Your mother? Is Clare here? You’ve lost your job? What’s happened in Bangkok? Are you OK? Something’s happened.”

“No Libby, it’s all good news”

“Oh no, what’s happened? Great to see you. You look well. But you’ve got news don’t you? What are you doing here! Something's happened.”

"Seriously Libby, I'm here for a very good reason."

Libby starts to cry, I give her a hug and try to distract her by asking for a cup of tea.

This isn’t going to plan. Even though I don't really have a plan. More just the words.

Better just jump right in - no room for bullshit here.

“Um, well, I’ve come here to…I love your daughter very much and would like to ask her to marry me - I’ve actually come to ask for your blessing…”

“…good on you mate!!!” Greg says as he grabs my hand - big smiles all round. We shake hands and hug.

“Oh, Steve, that’s great news, I thought someone had been sick, wonderful news! Wonderful news!”

Libby starts crying again.

Happy days.

We spend the rest of the night having a bite to eat and a chat. A few hairy questions regarding my intentions for children and living arrangements - nothing too bad. It’s so lovely catching up with them both, just the three of us, and Tregeagle really does feel like home.

Anatomy of a proposal - Road trip!

Friday, 6 November
Brisbane-Tregeagle

So Dad and I end up travelling in convoy, with Dad in front in the Commodore. It’s a real relief to be travelling with him, taking the edge off driving and navigating on only a few hours of economy-class sleep.

Traffic is surprisingly thick heading down the M1 toward the NSW border. After a few pit stops and chats along the way, Dad and I say goodbye at a servo just south of the Tweed river, as he heads further south toward Yamba.

I'm loving being tuned back into Aussie bogan commercial radio…belting out a bit of Springsteen, the Eagles and Barnesy. Tragic stuff. Entertaining.

Perhaps something a bit more subdued…YES! ABC North Coast, Friday afternoon. Top stuff. Jeez I miss the ABC. Mind back on task.

How spectacular is Northern NSW – what a sight! Lots of fat cows. Would love a steak right now. Don’t get too excited. Keep it under 100kmph. Not long now.

Through Teven, Alstonville, up the Bruxner – jeez all this rain makes me want to take a leak – through the macadamia farms, over the cross-road…getting pretty nervous now…

I pull into Tregeagle primary school to use their facilities and practice my lines. The hills behind the school look absolutely spectacular. It’s just striking dusk.

Back in the car now, only a few more kilometers to go to Clare’s house. Funny to think not so long ago I was dodging motorbikes on Silom Rd, trying to covertly kill time without Clare realizing I wasn’t actually travelling Singapore.

Coming up to Clare’s family’s place now.

Don’t drive into Greg’s rockwall. You’ve come all this way, negotiated semi-trailers semi-alert…don’t hit the bloody rockwall driveway.

Rockwall negotiated.

Pull in alongside the garage.

Car in park.

Engine off.

Handbrake on.

Keys out of the ignition.

Deep breath.

Smile. I love these moments.

I hope they’re home…

Anatomy of a proposal - Back on Aussie soil

Friday, 6 November
Brisbane airport

I just touched down in Brisbane, Australia. It’s amazing how long it takes to taxi to the terminal. Also amazing how ‘country’ it looks. There’s a couple of islander blokes waiting on the baggage cars wearing fluro vests. Nice to be back.

A couple more people know now. I couldn’t help but spill the beans to a honeymooning couple I was sitting next to on the plane.

Customs is great, I get through no worries. God bless carry-on baggage.

A BIG surprise seeing Dad waiting for me at the airport – definitely NOT expected!! It’s such a thrill to see him. He’d been up in Brisbane on business and had stayed an extra night with some friends.

My plan is to hire a car in Brisbane and drive to Greg and Libby’s. I’ve sorted out a little white 4-door Hyundai Elantra, so fingers crossed it will last the trip!

Anatomy of a proposal - At work

Thursday, 5 November
Silom, Bangkok

Day of departure and I’m dead-set jumping out of my socks. I suppose that’s what happens when you’re about to fly to Australia to ask your girlfriend’s parent’s for her hand in marriage.

I usually get the jitters prior to a trip home, but this is just something else!

• Bags packed.
• Maps double, triple and quadruple checked.
• Route’s written out.
• Back-up routes determined.
• Emergency numbers printed out.
• Passport firmly secured on my person.
• Australian payment cards packed, expiries double-checked.
• Green P-plates designed and printed (yes, I’m still on them…).
• Confirmation emails printed.
• Vodafone SIM packed.

I’m sure I have everything in order…probably best to check again.

I. CAN’T. WAIT!!!!!!!!

I’m pretty sure Libby and Greg won’t knock me back, but it still feels like this is an almighty job interview deciding the rest of my life…I suppose it is. I wonder what they are going to say? They’ll surely figure something’s up when I randomly call through. Is Greg going to ask me any tough questions about my future intentions? Will Libby hold it together?

All day I’ve been shaking just thinking that in less than 24-hrs I’ll be back on Aussie soil and asking my girlfriend’s parents for their blessing.

What a topic to blog about!

I'm due to fly out at 11.59pm.

Oh, and Clare? I told her I was off to Singapore to help out with a weekend-long kiwi fruit-related media event. Perfect cover.