A colleague and I did some work down south this week and we flew back on Thursday evening from Dunedin.

As we were waiting to board, the little lounge started filling up with students from Otago University, heading home to Auckland for the Easter break. Soon my colleague and I began to feel quite old, and that we were in some kind of cruisy, easy-going, sensory-overload-filled lecture room with vibrant chat all around. Students were leaning against walls, sitting in groups on the floor surrounded by their bags and books, sharing stories about classes and labs, and making plans for going out on the town as soon as they touched down.

As I was checking in, the attendant at the door said, 'Oh, you're on the student flight!' as if to say, 'Did you know, older person, that you're going to be in the midst of a student pack, why did you choose to fly home on this plane?' 

As it turned out, it was jolly good fun. Us older folks were certainly in the minority but being surrounded by such youthful jollity was quite a tonic as we winged our way northward.

I observed in the row ahead a young woman thumbing through her phone apps, everything from facebook and Twitter to Whatsapp and whatsup and whatisthis and whosdoingwhat (I made those last few up), then reading a book on Kindle.

Over the aisle some young guys were sampling the beers on offer (Air New Zealand shout us a beer or wine on some flights). Across from us a young woman was head down, pen at the ready, making notes from a textbook and the aircraft was filled with the aroma of worn-three-day socks, reused-five-day-without-a-wash T shirts, sweet perfume wearing a bit thin now after a day of action, all of which became more pronounced as the flight got rougher, ploughing and bouncing into the strong headwinds.

Certainly made a difference to the usual flights of people coming home after a day of business ... heads back against the seat, jaw open, snoring ... dozing into the newspaper ...  no one talking, politely sipping their drinks.

I was particularly thrilled when my very nice cup of Monteiths' Green Beret beer runneth overed across my little tray table, and the young beer-sampling students raised theirs in support with a 'Yay!'.

That was pretty good.        

Saturday morning in Auckland, New Zealand - and it's the time when I have the time to sit down and do some of my own writing.

It's a rather grey and blustery day out there. I've fed the birds, fed the cats,  moved Little Boy (pictured) off the work desk, poured a cup of coffee, made a piece of toast - now time to enjoy some writing. 

It's busy during the week. I hold a National Coordinator role with Auckland-based Breast Cancer Support (BCS) and we're setting up a new support group in Christchurch this coming Tuesday. I'm heading down with our Chair Caroline and we'll also be visiting our group in Balclutha (where's that, I hear you ask? Here's a link to a map).  

And I'm looking forward to my Journal and Life Writing Workshop on Saturday 16 April here at Whangaparaoa Library. We're going to have a fun day, talking about  how to get into keeping a journal, and how those entries can build up into foundations for writing about your life. If you'd like to come, please register soon as places are filling up and I wouldn't want you to miss out.

So happy Saturday everyone.  What have you got planned for the day? Fit some writing in, even if it's only a few minutes ... 

And if you're on facebook, click on the button below to see me playing the drums at the Hibiscus Coast Country Music Club ... it's a bit of a laugh!​