I am writing this as Lulu begins her revision. Too late in the day if you ask me – 7:38pm. Nobody asked me. That’s not a bad thing either.

I feel suddenly, as we think about exams next summer and our renewed attempt to get home to Wales, like we’ve entered another stage in this journey. Five years ago, the aim was to leave on Quest, and to get back home – eventually. Otherwise known as home – away – home. The central edict of travel: you leave so you can come back. It suddenly feels we are one step closer to completing this circle.

This focus is a reflection of the kid next to me, learning to focus at the saloon table. One of the good things to come out of the parent-teacher meeting yesterday, was InterHigh’s revision tips. They advised us to print a calendar and to add a subject for every day of revision. You don’t need to do the revision for proverbial hours, but whatever you write on your calendar – stick to it.

Eureka! I printed it and Lu wrote on the calendar. Tonight was Geography, her least studied subject. Geography has not been helped by having weird teachers last year. One teacher flipped out at the students explaining how to do virtual fieldwork, and we didn’t see her for the rest of the year. I mean fair enough, but this is online school. It wasn’t like she had kids hitting her with spit balls or sticking a whoopee cushion on her chair. The kids just said they didn’t understand. I will never hear the term virtual fieldwork without associating it with breakdown. Poor lady. And she had a point. Virtual fieldwork was the pits.

This year has been an improvement so far. Lu finally has a calm and steady geography teacher for all of her lessons. Don’t get me wrong – we like a bit of drama.

I got Jack to turn the air conditioning on earlier – using the generator. It was so hot, I couldn’t even muster the energy to cook dinner. The last month of our hurricane season has suddenly dug its heels in. It’s become oppressively windless. We had a huge lightening storm the night before.

Huge white flashes woke me up. Not so much the booming of thunder, but there was an intense light show. Then it started to blow a hoolie and rain intensely. I went up outside to check on things. A line of boats were entering the marina. Lights were on and vessels were hastily rafting to each other.

The next morning I went for my morning jog. It was a different world. I found a normal Bonairean scene of calm sunshine on the prom. The only things hinting to the previous night’s storm was a couple of broken fenders in the surf line, an empty boat dock which all the boats must have abandoned in the sudden swell – and a few splashy puddles. Huh, I thought. That’s geography for you. No wonder the teachers get so emotional.