Oscar Bowen was a tangle of nerves and excitement as he boarded a plane in Bangkok bound for Canberra at the beginning of the year.
The then 12-year-old was leaving his parents, young brother and sister and two dogs to start year 7 at Canberra Grammar School.
Having grown up as an expat kid in a closed compound, Oscar's Australian father, Adrian, and Thai mother, Nattika, wanted their eldest son to have a connection to Australia and experience the independence of boarding school life.
The plan was for the whole family to visit Canberra regularly throughout the year, but by the time Easter arrived the coronavirus had forced Australian borders closed.
The now 13-year-old hasn't seen his immediate family in person since he left Thailand at the beginning of the year. It's forced him to grow up quickly and come out of his shell.
"I was pretty annoyed and disappointed because of coronavirus ... I was really looking forward to it but then it never happened, but then I moved on, I guess," Oscar said.
It was a big shift from going to the international school in Thailand, which followed the non-prescriptive American school system, to the English-style school system in Canberra, which requires students to reach certain competencies in each year level.
He had to learn how to manage his pocket money, get his clothes to the laundry enough times per week, and to organise in advance to visit friends.
"Here I have to be more independent and do things myself. Back in Thailand I could rely on my parents to help me go through schoolwork and things like that. But in the end, I just had to focus more here because I couldn't slack off and get my parents to help me understand."
Adrian Bowen said he wanted his son to get a slightly broader education and to be able to participate in sports, including rugby and cricket, that are not feasible in Thailand's tropical climate.
"As expat kids, it's a pretty privileged upbringing," Mr Bowen said.
"You have maids and at school they have teachers and three helpers. Kids are put on a bit of a pedestal."
The uncertainty of the situation was the most unsettling thing for everyone in the family. In the end Oscar was happy at Canberra Grammar and his parents opted to keep things stable while keeping in constant contact through messaging apps.
Oscar's world changed again when he went to live with his aunt, uncle and older cousins at their hobby farm outside Canberra when the boarding houses closed during Term 2.
In between remote learning sessions, their days were filled with baking, bike riding and doing jobs around the property.
His aunt, Margaret Bowen, said she was impressed by Oscar's active and outgoing nature that helped him get through the difficult circumstances.
On Monday Oscar will board a plane to Bangkok. He'll go back to the international school in 2021 and then hopefully return to Canberra Grammar School with his sister, Taani, in 2022.
What's the first thing he is planning to do when he touches down?
"Probably give my parents a hug and then go say 'hi' to my dogs, and then siblings, then go see some of my friends. And then try to go back to my old life," he said.
