Being back blues

I must admit, I had already spent many hours dreaming about that lovely get-out-of-the-airplane-clothes-shower you take first thing when you get back after a long trip (did I tell you - 28 hours!), so when we were on the approach to Abu Dhabi I couldn't think of anything else, even though I had a window seat.
Last time we flew back after holiday it was quite depressing that all I could see from the airplane window was sand, sand, beige, sand, construction sites, sand, cranes, sand, beige and sand... forever.

This time the "returning blues" didn't quite hit me until this morning when I opened the curtains:

 
Not quite the same view as from the house in Taupo... :(
Blergh. It's a good life here, but it sure is a shame to say it's beautiful here. Eleven weeks, eleven weeks until we get to see some green again. Eleven weeks.
We can do it.

(And oh my, those windows really need a good clean after all the sandstorms..!)