Temple Trip

We got back from Sydney safely at 6:30 tonight. It was a good trip. We left Canberra at 5:30 last night and had what felt like a super-quick drive up. Daniel went with me, and one of our friends, Wendy, went too. I was so glad to have them along. Last month I drove to the temple all by myself, and I hated that. I was actually OK on the way up because I just used the quiet time to ponder and pray, but coming home I started to see wombats in the middle of the highway that actually weren't there, and, the closer I got to Canberra, the bigger these imaginary wombats became.

This time, the three of us talked together the whole way, the conversation ranging from the funny to the spiritual. There's a particular kind of pleasant intimacy that occurs in a car on a a roadtrip that exists nowhere else. We spotted the lights of Campbelltown (the first Sydney suburb visible from the Hume Highway) far sooner than it seemed we should have. In no time, we were navigating the insane Sydney traffic.

Our first stop was the Hungry Jack's in Smithfield, about 15 minutes away from the temple. We still had some vouchers, so this was a good choice for a cheap dinner. I had a bacon deluxe burger (hold the mayo, add ketchup and mustard, heavy onion, heavy pickle) and large onion rings. With the voucher, the onion rings cost more than the burger, but Hungry Jack's is the only place in Oz to get them, so I splurged.

We then continued up the Cumberland Highway, past the temple (its stained-glass façade glowing), and to our rooms at the temple accommodation. We got there a little before 9:30. We first made up our beds. Then Wendy came next door to talk for a bit before heading back to her room. After writing in my journal and reading two chapters in the Book of Mormon, I said my night prayers and happily crawled under my blankets.

I can't remember the last time I actually got eight good hours of continuous sleep, but I actually got more than that last night. It felt great. I actually felt rested and ready to go when I woke up this morning. We got ready (which at temple accommodation includes cleaning the room) and then left for the temple about 9:00. We were planning to do the 10:00 session, but we all wanted to spend some time at the Distribution Centre first.

It was indescribably good to be at the temple again. Worries melted away, replaced by peace and love. I saw things clearly again. Prayers were answered.

We'd planned to attend the 12:00 session as well, but, unfortunately, the three of us were the only patrons for that session, so the temple president decided to cancel it. It all worked out, though, because they then did a sealing session with us. We did sealings of couples for about an hour an a half. That also felt really good. I was excited when I realised that the second sealing I was proxy for was for a man whose endowment I'd been proxy for last month.

After leaving the temple, we headed to the Asian food court about two blocks away for our mid-afternoon lunch. I love eating at this place. Outside of the temple, it's one of the few things I like about Sydney. The food is cheap, and the clientele is almost exclusively Asian, so the food actually tastes 'right', as well--unlike anything we can get in Canberra.

We had a feast! Each one of us ordered a dish, and then we all shared them. I got Peking noodles with shredded pork and preserved vegetable. Wendy got fresh Singapore noodles with meat, prawns, and steamed baby buk choy. Daniel got chicken in Szechuan sauce with rice. Each one was a huge platter of food. It made a beautiful finale to our time in Sydney.

The trip home also went quickly, filled with more good conversation coloured by the unmistakable afterglow of the temple. These two can be a dangerous combination: Several times I looked at my speedometer and realised I was going over 120 (126 once!) when the highway is posted 110.

We got a beautiful welcome as we came down the highway from Eaglehawk and looked out over Canberra. A stunning sunset behind the Brindabella Mountains had turned layer upon layer of clouds over the city a range of colours, from electric pink to deep purple. It was good to be home.