Amber & Honey ~ [DR3]

9. Welcome Home

When Daniel said 'stay here' it turns out we weren't exactly staying in Melbourne, only Australia itself.

On Sunday night after the race all of our things were packed up and shipped to the airport where we caught a flight to Perth on the other side of the country. It turns out that's where all of Daniel's family live and he even owns a house there himself. I nearly fell out my chair when he explained it all to me. I don't think I fully knew what I was getting myself into when I agreed to join him.

Honestly, I didn't even know Daniel was from Perth. He looked so at home in Melbourne I assumed that's his hometown. Especially because of the craziness of the fans.

Everyone is buzzing with excitement from todays race. The crowd was electric, I don't think I've ever seen so many people in one place. It was completely overwhelming at times with the amount of people yelling Daniel's name and cheering in his direction. Daniel placed 5th and Lando 4th, if I'm being honest it should've been the other way around, but Daniel was needed as a form of defence as something in Lando's car failed in the last lap.

With there being a larger group of people, Daniel hired a private jet to get us to Perth. A thing I'm sure Michelle in particular was happy with, as it meant her kids could run around then pass out on any seat they wanted to. They'd been adorable at the race today. I'd spent most of the day playing with Lara, who seemed to attach herself to me, and the rest of Daniel's family. It was nice to actually have some company at a race. I've got
rather used to spending the two hours alone nervously wringing my hands in the pit. It was nice to be distracted.

"We're almost there." Daniel informs me, it's the middle of the night and I'm fighting against sleep in the back of the large car that collected us from the airport. It's pitch black outside. We all split up in the arrivals terminal, Daniel's parents and sister getting into one vehicle, Michael in another and Daniel and me in a third. Turns out even Michael is from here too. I was left questioning what kind of time I'd even been spending with these people to not know where their home is.

The road we're on is pitch black and I'm quietly praying to myself that the driver of the car were in knows where he's going, not that it would make of a difference to me; I didn't even know where Perth was until 20 hours ago. The sharp turns and twists in the dark road make my stomach flip now and again. Daniel seems very relaxed in comparison to me, tapping away on his phone, headphones over one of his ears. Turns out Perth on the opposite side of the country to Melbourne which has made this day a little longer than expected.

It turns out we really were almost there, as five minutes after the promise we pull to a dimly lit gate. Daniel pulls a button out of his pocket and the gate, slowly, opens - he instructs the driver to follow the path along and we do. For a good two minutes we trail up a gravel filled path around the estate in the pitch black. That is until I spot a soft glow coming from a building. Eventually we come to a halt outside the dimly lit house. "Welcome to my home Amber" Dan says, looking to me with a small grin which stirs excitement somewhere within me. I'm suddenly wide awake, mirroring his expression.

We both climb out the car, desperate to stretch our legs after the journey. It's been a long day, longer than I initially expected. Daniel helps the driver remove our bags from the car as I text Lando and my Mum to say I've arrived safe and well and Daniel hasn't murdered me yet. "This place looks huge!" I beam, reaching for my suitcase as Daniel grabs a few bags. It does, there's a big wooden porch that stretches all around the outside of the wide stone coloured home. It's not tall but it is wide.

I'm a little overawed as I follow Daniel.

It feels weird that it's just the two of us. We've hung out alone before sure, but there's something about knowing that there's nobody I know within several hundred miles which is making my anxiety heighten. We're alone alone. "Come on." Daniel instructs huffing his way up the stairs with various bags to the big glass door and pushing it open with the key.