Be thankful...part 2

China, Dubai, Hawaii

 The onward journey from Bangkok to China was relatively simple, but due to two weeks of constantly moving on the Cambodian trek, when I arrived in Beijing my body just sort of said ‘enough’ and I was hit with a virus, which floored me. I managed to do one day’s full trip to see the Ming Tombs, the Forbidden City, Tienanmen Square and The Great Wall of China, but had to spend the 2^nd day in bed, feeling very sorry for myself. I met two girls from Essex on our day trip who were hilarious! I thought they were going to wet themselves laughing when they saw my reaction to their offer of a ‘proper’ jaffa cake....real chocolate! I was dancing and whooping all over the jade factory car park.....bless them, they actually gave me the whole packet purely on the fact they felt sorry for me not to have had a genuine jaffa cake in 18 months. Good girls.

 I wasn't a big fan of Beijing. There just seemed quite a negative vibe to the place. When I asked my tour guide about the Tienanmen Square protest, she just shrugged and said ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about’. And meant it. Turns out, because of the censorship in China, a lot of the Chinese actually don’t know what happened there. And that stunned me. The heritage of the city was amazing, but I just felt that some people didn't seem to want to interact with any westerners. I’m glad I went though, and I can always boast about the Great Wall, however, I don’t think I would be in a rush to go back.

 Dubai ended up being just 2 days of sleeping off the rest of the virus. I think I definitely need to go back there and see it in all its glory. It was amazingly clean, friendly, hot and the food was amazing. However, it did slightly unnerve me when I got a facebook friend request from one of the pool boys who had found out my name from my room number! I complained to the manager, as being a female lone traveller, that kinda spooked me – have been offered a one night free stay – good excuse to go back. Anyone for Dubai?

I arrived in Hawaii, via a stopover in LA for one night, and from the minute I walked off the plane, I knew I was going to love this place. And yes, they do actually put a ‘Lei’ over your head when you walk into arrivals. My hotel was very central (if not a tad basic), but it had everything I needed. Plus, for some reason, they gave me a room with two double beds. Touch! Waikiki Beach was breathtaking – what I loved about the whole island was that it stuck to its heritage with a flash of westernisation and a modern take on their culture. The large corporate fast food joints weren't allowed to plaster their signs all over the buildings, they had to adapt to the feel of the island, so twice I walked past a KFC and a Burger King without knowing they were there. The night markets were amazing and I just know that Hawaii is one of the places that not many people go to, but absolutely should. One of the best places to eat was the ‘Cheesecake Factory’ which actually served one of the best club sandwiches I’d ever eaten. However, I was warned by a lovely Brazilian woman (who I met whilst dipping in the sea), that I was not to go to Maui – you should only go there if you’re newly married or retired – as it’s known as the island for the ‘newly weds or nearly deads’! No nightlife after 7pm - glad I picked Waikiki then.

The last few days in Hawaii were a little strange. I knew I only had a limited time left before I got on that flight at LA to come home and I wasn’t really sure how I felt about it all. Nervous? Definitely. Excited? Of course. But I knew that the most important thing to me was to not fall back into my old ways and run around after my friends to please everyone. The one thing I learnt in Australia was to do what pleased me, first and foremost.

 Home...

Coming through those double doors at Heathrow made me feel a bit sick. I was nearly hyperventilating with excitement and I could hardly breath. As the doors swung open, the first figure I could make out was my big bro, and then I saw Kim, Ruby, Sue, Dad & Pat. My heart was beating out of my chest and the tears just streamed down my face. Ruby and Kim ran to me and then I was just enveloped in hugs from my family. I was home, safe, back in the arms of my loved ones.

The next few weeks were a whirlwind of phonecalls, visits, jetlag and trying to adjust to settling back into some sort of routine. I was fortunate enough to find somewhere to live, get my car back on the road and find a job all within a few days (my stepmum wants to know what the female equivalent of ‘Goldenballs’ is), and I felt like a fish out of water. Everything was scarily familiar, yet absolutely nothing had changed. Only me. And I didn’t quite know how to deal with the onslaught of adapting to a life I knew so well, yet, wasn’t sure exactly what it was I wanted.

Over 3 months later, and I can still have the wind knocked out of my sails by remembering my world in Australia and the life I led there. I know for sure that here is where I want to be, but I am missing my ‘people’ who I did everything with as I’d never had that kind of group of friends before. The kind where I wasn’t the decision maker and someone else would tell me where we’re going and what we were doing. Relinquishing control was so freeing.  And I loved that.

Adapting to my new/old life is an ongoing project. I have found a job that I love, I’m living in a great house and I get to see my family regularly. Tick, tick, tick. But, there are still quite a lot of adjusting to do. But I’m getting there. I am sick with nerves at the thought of starting University, but I know it’s a course that I will love. Not quite sure how I am going to fit in the studying with my hectic social life, so if I go off the radar, at least you’ll know it’s because I’ve got my head in a book, not because I’m being rude J

Friends are still the lifeblood of my world. Good, bad, indifferent, they have all made their mark on my time away and my arrival home. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for the love, support, tears, arguments and alcohol that I have shared with these people. Mum used to say that people come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime....and right now those words are very apt.

Perhaps I need to change the name of my blog now.......any ideas would be greatly appreciated as well as any advice on where this blog should be directed now?

Love and light

xxxx

Be Thankful....Part 1

The blog update will  be in 3 parts....so enjoy the first sitting :)

This trip of a lifetime has been so much more than I ever expected. And, ironically, it's been the least westernised places that have astounded me with their customer service and general loveliness. 

THAILAND & VIETNAM

My first week was spent in glorious Thailand. My beautiful friend Tori came with me and we spent the first day together in Bangkok. We got slightly lost due to a rogue tuktuk driver with no idea where to go and what to do....and this thai woman passed by us, stepped back and asked if we needed help. She told us the best places to go, got us a tuk tuk, negotiated a great price and advised us about costs of trips etc, and expected no money in return. Tor and i couldn't believe our luck! So, off we went - and had an awesome day. Although we realised by 2pm we hadn't eaten a thing, so after nearly passing out on the road, we ended up on the Koh San road, drinking 'Chang' beer and eating superb food - in, ironically, in the first ever bar I went to, back in 1998 called 'lucky beer'.

We travelled to an amazing resort called 'cha-am' and spent a week in paradise. We only left the hotel once, to go to the next town called 'hua hin' for an afternoon. And neither of us had ever felt so exposed, so uncomfortable or so unsafe. Needless to say, we were back on the bus as soon as we could! Only benefit of being in that town was finding a 'boots the chemist' shop!!! Its the little things....

Tori and I parted company and I flew onto Vietnam. I was only staying two nights, as I was due to meet my 'trek' people on the Saturday night. On the Friday, I got there mid afternoon but, initially, I just didn't like the vibe of Ho Chi Minh city...not sure why, just didn't. Met up with my mate Dave, from home, on the Saturday morning and I had been speaking to a 'cyclo' driver who said he'd do a good deal for the day, for $15. Sounds good, thought Dave and I. So we got cycled around Ho Chi Minh for about 4 hours....which was good fun, although the roads are chaos! No rhyme or reason to the driving and the place is overrun with scooters! Something like 6 million scooters in the city alone. Mental. Got to the 'war memorial' museum, which was amazing. There was a lot of information that I never really knew about the Vietnam war, and some of the pictures I saw had me in tears. Truly terrifying.

Ended our day with the cyclo driver scamming us out of a LOT of money....which gutted me as I'd hoped that Vietnam wouldn't live up to my initial dread. But it did. However, we met up with the 'Cambodia Trekkers' that evening, and went out for dinner.....little did I realise at that point that these 14 other people would end up sharing the most amazing holiday with me...and all keeping me massively entertained with their random ways and personalities.

CAMBODIA

We arrived in Phenom Pheng after an epic 8 hour coach trip on a public bus, which had air con and played the Cambodian equivalent of 'one direction' on repeat. Thank god for Ipads! We spent the next two days in this wonderfully colourful and vibrant city, walking around and tasting the local delicacies (well, jeremy & gayle did!). We got taken to S21, the Major prison where the Khumer Rouge kept most prisoners before they were taken to the 'Killing Fields'. It was a blistering hot day and walking around this eerie prison site, seeing the cells, the torture chambers and tools was a very sobering experience. It was so quiet, even though we were one road back from a major street and we barely spoke to each other - just drinking in the emotion of the place. Imagining what those people had to endure, just because one man decided he was better than everyone else. Pol Pot killed over 2 million cambodians, mostly the elderly and educated, as he wanted a new breed of citizens who would do whatever he said and wouldn't challenge his decisions. We met an actual survivor, who was amazing - he spoke through a translator and when he described his torture, you could see everyone was nearly in tears.

We moved onto the Killing Fields. Imagine being in a bus, being told that you are on your way to a new village, for a brand new start. You arrive and, whilst being chained to the other prisoners, you hear soft music blaring out of the speakers. Nirvana, right? Wrong. They played the music so loud so that the new arrivals couldn't hear the executions taking place in the fields. Here, they murdered women, children and even babies. I've never been anywhere so affecting in my whole life. The 16 of us walked around in a trance, not quite believing that this place and this horrendous genocide could actually happen, not only in our lifetime, but up until 1978. 

Once we returned to the bus and travelled to our 'homestay', we all barely spoke. I don't think any of us could quite comprehend what we had just seen. However, the homestay blew away the negative, sad thoughts and bought us all back into the present. We had an amazing meal and a troupe of local children put on a wonderful show for us. We then all split into groups and slept under a mosquito net in a small hut on stilts, literally in the jungle. I shared a mattress with Diana, with Tess, Luke and David in the same room. And then the giggles got Diana and I. We laughed like drains over the silliest things for hours.....proper belly laughing. Then the sounds of the jungle kicked in and it was worse that sleeping next to the M25! The noise was deafening....needless to say, we got about 2 hours sleep.

The next day we did a small trek to the waterfalls (it nearly killed us all, treking over boulders in our flip fllops) and then we travelled to a beach resort called Sihanoukville. We stayed here for three days - having pedicures and threading parts of our bodies on the beach, eating fresh seafood (well, some people may not have called it fresh after the food poisioning they got!), took a boat trip to an amazing island called Bamboo Island, snorkeling in the crystal blue water, fishing off the side of the boat with a length of fishing wire and.....well, that was it really, just the wire.

Went went to 'Spider Town', where our guide Sareth had teased me mercilessly about making sure I had tight trousers on so that the spiders didn't crawl up my legs! I was nearly hyperventilating, much to everyone else's delight. However, it was all a joke and its known for it's deep fried trantulas, which a few people tried eating (lunatics). Cambodians eat insects as a good source of protein as when they worked in the fields under the Pol Pot regime, it was all they could find to eat. Eat them or die. Simple really.

We moved onto Siem Riep, to visit the major temple of Angkor Wat. It was breathtaking. Absolutely stunning. Definitely a 'tick' off the bucket list. We had a few days in Siem Riep and it was amazing - strolling round the night markets, a night out in a 'hip hop' club, a boat trip to probably the worst place in the world ('one dollah') and then finishing off in a hammock bar, listening to Michael Bolton screaming out about how is he supposed to live without me....

We finished up back in Bangkok - one more night with the whole crew together and what did we decide to do? Go to a 'Ping pong' show......well, all I'll say about that is its a view I'll never forget - and I never realised Roberto was so good with a Ping Pong bat!

A few of us stayed in Bangkok a few more days, but one by one the numbers dwindled as everyone said goodbye. I loved the fact that every other holiday I've had, I've made a conscious effort of deciding who to go away with....and then, purely by fate, 15 of the funniest, bravest, strongest people get thrown together to see some life changing sights. I'll never look at immodium the same again and I know that I am happy to see the back of the 'bug spray' as I went through bucket loads of the stuff.......but, the memories I will always have. And I thank the Cambodian Trekkers (and tori) for a holiday of a lifetime:

Dave
Luke & Dave
Diana
Luana & Roberto
TJ & Callum
Jeremy
Gayle
Hannah
Jo
Anna
Jackie
Tess

YOU ROCK!!!! xxxxxxxxx

The Final Countdown...

So, I have 3 weeks left at work and 6 weeks left in Oz. And I don’t think I have ever felt so up in the air about anything in my life. Ever.

I know that living long term in Australia is not for me. Of that I am sure. However, when I stepped on that plane at Heathrow last year, I never thought for a moment that I would have to say goodbye to people I loved again. The first time was hard enough. And, because of the love and support I’ve found here, I’m in exactly the same situation again. Although, this time I have learnt my lesson and there is only one person is taking me to the airport!

I’m leaving those I love to go into the unknown. And going home IS the unknown. People will have changed. I definitely have changed. I no longer want to be the ‘go to’ person for a gazillion people. I try not to lose my temper so quickly. These are a couple of things, but it's always work in progress. Friends have been a massive boost too - being here has definitely separated the wheat from the chaff (as my mum used to say). Those who went out of their way to send regular letters, emails and txt messages proved their mettle. And for that, I'll be forever indebted to them all.

I have been in a state of flux over the past 3 weeks. I feel as if my axis has been upended and that my legs have turned to jelly. I never felt this scared or worried about coming out here – the bravado I felt leaving the UK has definitely deserted me. For now. It occurred to me last week, after I had officially resigned from my job, that never, in my entire working career, have I ever resigned without another job to go to. I always had that comfort in knowing a salary would be forthcoming at some point. Hmmmm. Didn’t quite think that one through, did I? However, I do believe that these things have a way of working out in the end – who knows, maybe I’ll take this opportunity to change my career completely again (but if anyone is recruiting, do keep me in mind!!!)

And something else cropped up which surprised me. Contact and availability. Let me explain – I’ve used my work phone since I got here, however, that has to be handed back. So I’m back to my old UK iphone. Which is fine for free texting (whatsapp etc), but not for normal texting or calling. And my boss actually asked me why I was so worried about not being able to text and call whilst I am travelling – why didn’t I try and reduce my ‘availability’. And when he first suggested it, I nearly threw a stapler at him! Why would I want to do that? What on earth would be the reasoning behind not be able to be in contact with family or friends?? And then I thought about it. And he’s absolutely right. This travelling trip is about ME. Not anyone else. I’ve worked hard to pay for it and I’m going to make sure I have the time of my life. If that means that I don’t have access to facebook, then so be it (I may have a few palpitations in the first week though!). If someone texts me and I don’t respond, that’s fine too. If I get an email and I haven’t answered it within a week, then they’ll just have to wait. And I am looking forward to this new challenge. Whether I can do it will remain to be seen. I’m going to keep a journal whilst I’m travelling so I can update the blog at some point. Well, only if I can find free WIFI, that is!

And I wonder if I really can do without technology and this need to be available? We’ll see.

Its quite funny, actually, that both Zoe and Tom (who I live with) have had to deal with my mood swings, my argumentative tone and just general all-round teenage moodiness over the past few weeks – god bless ‘em. Which, as most of you know, is not my usual banter . Others have had to deal with emails so long they could have been written on a roll of andrex toilet paper…..and yet, I still have niggles in me which aren’t going away. The job thing, the lack of income, no defined place to live……someone actually said to me yesterday that perhaps I should flip this situation on its head and realise that without these things, it actually gives me something else that not everyone else is fortunate to have…..Freedom. To do whatever I like, whenever I like with whoever I like. And perhaps they’re right. I spent enough years with a mortgage tied round my neck – now it’s time to look at the optimist side of things….glass half full?

One last thing - I had a vivid dream last night of being up really high on a bridge and walking across it with a few friends. When we came to the end, I couldn't do it - I couldn't get down those steps, I was paralysed with fear because of how high up we were, and I was sobbing. Which woke me up. And it got me thinking - is that my subconciousness telling me I just have to take that massive leap??? 

Regardless of what happens, I think that couch surfing could end up being a sport I could win a gold medal in….who knows :)

Always

Hols

xxxxxx

Weighty Issues.....

Seems funny that this will be my penultimate blog before I go on my world travels. 10 weeks and counting...EEK! I’ve been doing a lot of thinking recently and one topic keeps rearing its head, so I thought I’d try and get my thoughts written down.

As some of you may know, I have been trying to re-educate myself in a more healthier living lifestyle. However, trying to change habits that you’ve had for a lifetime is extraordinarily hard. It’s very easy to say that you’ll stop doing one thing, because in a few weeks’ time, you’ve realised you’ve automatically started it again. It’s like it’s been programmed into you from birth. Discussions I’ve held with friends about diet/exercise and healthy living have thrown up a number of interesting issues, which I’m going to try and mention here. 

Firstly, exercise. A friend told me recently, whilst discussing this subject, that her entire childhood/teenage years included exercise of some sort – walking with her parents, running with her dad etc. Which she still tries to continue today. And it got me thinking about my own relationship with exercise. When I was at school, we had PE lesson 2-3 times a week. Then most evenings I was outside playing with the other kids in my road. But when I got to 14/15, the playing outside got childish and I slowed down my sport intake (apart from at school), even though I still rode my bike to school each day. And, obviously, my exercise went completely out of the window when I started driving. And that’s when my weight started creeping on. Because I got lazy.

No one thought to educate me on my food intake. My mum didn’t have the best relationship with food, and she spent an inordinate amount of time and effort on ‘fad’ diets (Cambridge diet, slimming world, Rosemary Connelly) etc. Plus the fact she had a ‘goodie cupboard’ in the kitchen which was filled with sweets and chocolate, apparently for the grandkids when they came to stay every weekend! Of course they wereJ. Those diets obviously didn’t work for her in the long term. What she didn’t understand was that elements of these diets DO work, if you are prepared to stick to their methods for the rest of your life – moderation, fresh fruit & veg and no processed food. You can’t do the diet, lose 3 stone and go back to your old ways of eating – the weight will obviously go back on. Isn’t that just common sense?

I’ve spoken to so many people who have tried different ways to lose weight – each to their own. But surely, the old adage of ‘eat less and move more’ is the sure-fire way to a healthier lifestyle? I know my problem in the past has been laziness – too tired when I got home from work to go out and exercise, I’m not a ‘morning person’,  I’m not built for running, I don’t like the gym….blah blah blah. But actually, it’s all just excuses. The healthiest people I know are also the busiest (one of my best friends works stupidly long hours in London, but still manages to go to boot camp twice a week and run twice a week, whilst eating healthily AND having a social life). So, does it all just boil down to the fact that most people don’t want to learn to change, therefore they stick with what they know (or rather, don’t know)? Even if it’s wrong? It’s never too late to try new things, but it does mean getting your butt off that sofa and getting outside….It’s a slow process for me, and the weight loss has been minimal (which is frustrating), but it’s a long term goal. Isn’t that the point?

And, the most important thing is to feel good about yourself, whatever your size, right? Inner confidence shines like a beacon when you have it, because it radiates from every pore. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a size 8 or a size 18, if you have ‘It’, it shows. An old friend of mine was (and still is) one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met – and she was a classified as a ‘big girl’. Her confidence in her body is what made her beautiful (plus her cracking sense of humour) and whenever I went out with her, men flocked round her. And I used to just stand there in awe of her ability to mesmerise people and all everyone ever saw was her…..not her figure. And that’s where I would love to get to. I’ve spent the last few years blaming my singledom on my weight (what man in his right mind wants to date a fat girl, right?)….wrong, I know. And to constantly moan about your weight is actually a massive bore to those around you - if you're not doing anything about it. And, actually, it doesn’t matter how many compliments you receive, if you’re not feeling confident about yourself, no amount of lovely words will make you feel any better.

Turns out, in fact, I was using my weight as a shield to protect myself from being hurt. I heard someone say once that every woman has the exact love life she wants. And I truly believe that. I’ve stayed single because I chose to, but also, I didn’t feel like I was in the right headspace to be in a relationship. So, the gloves are now coming off…..I am trying to find that inner confidence to make sure that I can love myself regardless of my weight….and perhaps, once I’ve found that level of personal happiness, I’ll meet that man who’s destined to be with me….the lucky devil, wherever/whoever he is...

Fingers crossed, eh?

xxxx

Happy Anniversary.....

In 12 days time, on the 15th January 2013, I have been in Australia for 365 days. One full year. No, I can't believe it either. 

So much has changed, and yet, so much has stayed the same. I was determined to come to Australia and change certain aspects of my life in order to find happiness, my mojo, whatever you want to call it. And, do you know what? It occurred to me recently that it's not where you are in the world, it's who you are with that's the most important thing. Someone asked me if I would miss living in Australia - so I reversed the question back to her and said 'take your family and friends out of the equation, would you miss living where you live?' and she thought for a moment and said, 'no, because it is your support network that matters the most, not where you are based'. And I think almost every single ex-pat in Australia would say the same thing - if we could all move our family and friends over here, it would be perfect (or if we could slide Australia a little closer to Europe - either way!). But the fact of the matter is, if you ever have to move away from your family or friends, the one thing that will keep you going is meeting new people or having contact with those who love and support you, no matter what.

I had a wonderful Christmas present in the shape of my nephew Liam and his girlfriend Charlotte. When I went to pick them up from the airport, within minutes it was like I had just seen them the day before, not 11 months ago. We got a campervan and hit the road, up the East Coast, so that we could all see a bit of the Australian countryside as I've never been further than Brisbane before. And what a journey it was! Loved Noosa, hated Byron Bay - it looked like it all just needed a good wash, even the people! Although, we did get to have one of the best breakfasts ever there and I got to see an old mate from St Albans (cheers midge & paul). We also went to stay overnight with another old friend in Nambour (past brisbane) who've I've known since I was 15 - again, the years just seemed like days had passed as we reminisced about old times and what the old gang was up to now. So big love, Aub & Erika. 

Fraser Island was, without doubt, one of the best places I've ever been. Considering it’s the one of the largest sand islands in the world, the fact that it has one beach that is named the '75 mile beach' will give you some idea just how huge this place was. There was a shipwreck, a freshwater creek, lunch, a walk through the rainforest and then a swim in lake mackenzie. It was like a warm bath. Absolutely breath taking. Christmas day night, we were so exhausted, we had a packet of crisps each for dinner and then hit the hay. Up at 5am to drive 12 hours to Airlie Beach...

There are loads of 'Stop, Revive, Survive' stops along the motorways, which most of them offered free tea, coffee and biscuits. The Aussies are like the Americans - they think it’s nothing to jump in a car and drive 3-5 hours to go and see friends/family. The British moan if we have to drive longer than an hour! So these revive stops were a godsend to us - time to stretch our legs, pop to the loo and nick as many packets of biscuits as we could (joke). All the stops are manned by volunteers, which we thought was amazing. It certainly made our trip a lot less boring with the straight roads and the huge amount of roadkill on the side of the road (bleurgh). Airlie Beach was beautiful, although it was stinger season so no one was allowed to swim in the sea. But they have a large lagoon in the middle of the town, where you can spend all day in the sea water pool, but without the scaryness of the fish or seaweed (music to my ears). I, unfortunately, had a contact lense issue - I rubbed my eye and the little bugger popped out - and I didn't have spare with me. So I was half blind for a majority of the afternoon. What an eijit I am.

We got a ferry crossing from Airlie, passing some of the other Whitsunday Islands over to Hamilton Island, which was gorgeous. It was complete paradise. Then we flew home, just in time for New Years Eve...

My two friends Zoe and Tom live right at Balmain Wharf, so their communal gardens overlook the harbour – what an ideal spot! We spent the whole day BBQ-ing, swimming in the pool and catching rays, waiting for midnight to arrive. When it was time, we all walked down to the Wharf, expecting it to be heaving and........there was hardly anyone there! So we had the most amazing view of the fireworks and we all sang a couple of drunken renditions of 'Auld Lang Syne' (Stu and Ange actually sang it, we all just hummed the tune!). Then back to the apartment, where a few of the others decided it would be a great idea to go swimming in the Sydney Harbour! Eeek! I would not have gotten into that water if you had paid me a million dollars....it was ink black water and who knows what was swimming alongside them. Needless to say, there were a few UDI’s (unidentified drinking injuries) from hitting the rocks.*tut tut*

It was, without doubt, the best New Year’s eve I've ever had. I usually get quite maudlin on New Year’s, as it always reminds me of mum. But this year, I was happier than ever - which was a wonderful feeling. I don't think that celebration could be topped again - although I know a few new traditions have been started (pavlova and disaranno, anyone?).

At one point, as I sat and watched the bunch of loons who I've come to call my family, as they were all laughing, joking and drinking together, I thought to myself - this time last year, I didn't know one of them. Funny how fate deals you a hand sometimes that is so life changing, that you don't realise it at the time, but at one moment, it will come up and smack you in the face. Who would have thought that this random group of people, who were thrown together with only one common denomination, would be the ones who have helped changed my life? They've made me step out of my comfort zone more times than I care to remember - which, at times, I have refused to acknowledge. I was told the other day that my default setting is switched to 'No' - until I am persuaded by someone to give whatever it is a try. And it's funny, isn't it, that most people will do the same. They'll say no, to whatever it is, but how can you say no to something when you've not tried it? Obviously, I am being quite generic here, but you get the gist. 

So, one of my new year resolutions is not to immediately say no when something I've never done/tried before is put before me. Obviously there are limitations :) But I have managed to make 2012 a year of first's.... went to my first festival; tried surfing; went to the cinema alone; ate sushi (which I love now); went to the outdoor cinema and ate alone at a restaurant. I'm sure there are a few more, but my brain seems to still be in 'holiday' mode. And I hope that this optimism will stay with me when I come back home.....fingers crossed.

I only have 16 weeks until I leave Australia......which I know will come round scarily fast.

However, I am torn. I will be leaving Oz to go home to my wonderful family and friends. But I will be leaving behind my wonderful family and friends. However, with the modern technology that we have these days, facebook, skype etc, I know that 12,000 miles between us will seem like nothing. And when I do get to see my Oz family in the flesh again one day in the future, it will be like I've only just seem them yesterday.

Happy New Year!!!

xxxxxxx

Mistletoe & whine....

Yes, yes, I may be a month early, but seeing as I have a wonderful Christmas present arriving on the 17th December, I'm going to be far too busy kissing Liam & Charlotte's feet for making the trip to see me, than writing a blog!

Christmas. It stirs up 100 different emotions in me, when the decorations are put out in the shops in September and the carols are playing in all the shopping malls. This year will be doubly strange as, obviously, I am away from home at Christmas for only the 2nd time in my life. I've always tried to do the best when buying presents, but now, I realise, that I perhaps did myself more of a disservice by trying to buy unique and thoughtful gifts when it was not always appreciated, needed nor reciprocated? And, in turn, I put myself into debt for absolutely no reason. Why did I think that my present would make someone's Christmas, when they get so much? And why do we put such an expectation on the level of gifts at Christmas, when surely it’s about being with the ones you love and honouring those who are not with us? Kids don't understand quality, it's all about the quantity - so why the constant excess?

My mum set a precedence for the sheer volume of gifts received at Christmas. I used to get a black bin bag FULL to the brim with presents, and so did each of her grandchildren (I always got more than Kim and Stu as mum said it was because I didn't have kids.....Why do you think I never had a child of my own??? LOL!). And the first Christmas without her, that big black sack was reduced to a few perfect gifts, which my sister had tried heroically to do with what she could in place of mum.....and my heart sank. I was 30 years old, and I actually could have cried because, who was going to now buy me those gifts I saw throughout the year? The CD system for my car? The new boots? The winter coat? And I had a very sharp shock that day and it made me realise that it actually wasn't the norm for anyone to be showered with that many gifts. And that from now on, it would be ME that bought myself those things....and I have, and I do. But it was a bitter pill to swallow as that was all that I had known, all my life, every christmas. And now? I love getting my handful of perfect gifts because they are personal and they are exactly what I want. And even just to get one present, we should all be extremely grateful that someone took the time to spend their hard earned money on you. Please don’t take it for granted, as that person may not bother next year - and it shouldn't be a 'right' to receive gifts, it should be earnt.

Nothing takes the sting out of not having Mum around on Christmas morning. She used to make us all wait on the landing, whilst she brushed her teeth (which seemed to take FOREVER) and then she would go downstairs to see if the presents were there (I’d like to say this it was just for the kids benefit, but no, Kim and I were just as excited). And then she'd put the fire on, press play on the cheesy Christmas music and shout out "he's been". And it would sound like a herd of elephants coming down those stairs, with me at the front, wrestling with Charlotte, Kayleigh and Liam to see who could get into the living room first. We would then all be hidden by the sheer amount of wrapping paper thrown into the centre of the room, and on a couple of occasions, there were tears (bikes received, Hifi's given and my brown suede cowboy jacket - remember that, Stu?). Mum would then set about cooking Christmas dinner, feeding the 5,000 (usually, there was a minimum of about 20 of us – maximum if I remember was 28 people one year) and I was relegated to the 'kids table' until I was 23...which caused much anger and chaos with me when my niece charlotte was promoted to the 'adult table' at just 14. Really?? Then the sitting around watching the queen's speech, preparing yet more food for the 'evening party' which saw all my uncles, aunts and cousins turn up to play 'Hi Harry', apple bobbing and dead lions (to get at least 10 minutes peace). My 6 nieces and nephews were usually relegated upstairs to play with their new toys, so that us adults could get everything ready for the evening, with the strict instructions to stay out of my room. Needless to say, all 6 of them never took a blind bit of notice of me and rejoiced in being able to turn my bedroom upside down and inside out. And the volume of sound! My god, it was like white noise! But, come midnight, that noise would subside, there would be kids bodies asleep all over the house and mum would stay up to clean everything away as she didn't want to have to “come down to this mess in the morning”.

And, hand on heart, I would give anything to have just one of those Christmas days back again.....as I never actually realised what we had then, and how situations and people change, that those kids have grown up and some have their own families now - and how that we'll never have a Christmas day like that again. So make the most of it this year....as it could all be completely difference next year.

So, my special delivery arrives on the 17th December at 6am. I literally can't breathe when I think of them arriving....and I've already warned Liam that I will be throwing myself at him and sobbing my heart out on his shoulder. By then, it would be 11 months since I've seen a member of my family. So I think I'll be entitled to cry my eyes out a little....and the plans we have for their 3 week stay are phenomenal! I'm looking forward to the week travelling up the east coast in a little camper van, just the three of us. We have just 7 days to drive over 1,900 kms - but between us, I'm sure the driving won't be too bad as long as we have some decent choons to sing along to. Stopping off at Port Macquarie, Byron, Brisbane, the sunshine coast (to see a few friends), Hervey bay, having Christmas day on Fraser island (jealous yet?) and then two days on the Whitsunday islands to check out the reef. A quick flight back to Sydney, just in time for the massive New Year Eve celebrations. They're going to need a holiday to get over this trip....

And when they leave, it'll be 12 weeks until I leave work, and 15 weeks until I leave Australia and start the amazing journey on my world trip extravaganza, to get me back to the UK. And I'm actually quite concerned about how well I'll adjust being back home and how well others will adjust to me being back. Things will have invariably changed - but how much? Who knows. Perhaps that’s for the next blog.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a rip roaring new year. I know I will.

Love you

Me 
xxxxx

Spring Forward....Fall back?

I learnt to surf recently. I say 'surf' when what I actually mean is that ' I learnt to cling onto the board for 10 second intervals without being slammed into the water by a huge wave'......turns out, surfing is mostly about balance - who knew?? Ha! I blame the board, myself (yes, workman, tools, yadda yadda), but apparently my board was too short for a beginner (have I just set myself up for a slew of short jokes there?). But I frickin' loved it! What an adrenalin rush! And I think that because I have an irrational fear of the sea, having the wetsuit on and the board to hold onto, I felt ridiculously safe and secure. So I can't wait for the next time I get to go surfing - maybe I might actually get to sit on the board and stay upright for longer than 3 seconds.....Nah, that'll never happen...

 

I haven't touched on the whole 'living the aussie life' for a while. I think as a newbie arriving back in Oz after a long hiatus, it was like coming to a brand new country. Everything had changed massively since I was last here, and it was hard to adjust to the rose-tinted memories I had of 'my Australia' to the real life one. The biggest adjustment was the lack of empathy or even just the social skills of the majority of Australians. They have a great reputation for being very open, friendly and inviting absolutely everyone round for a 'barbie' everyday :) And the reality is so much different. The Aussies I now consider my friends here are the exception to the rule. But all the Brits I speak to here have had the same issue - the Aussie’s have their lives, their friends and their inner circles and they just can't be bothered. This vision of Australians embracing 'overseas visitors' with open arms is a myth. I spent two weeks walking around Balmain, when I first arrived, trying to drum up a conversation with absolutely anyone - and they just didn't want to know. Weird.

 

So, a quick snapshot of the differences I've seen since being here, to the UK way of life:

1) Aussies have a better work/life balance - they work to live, not live to work.

2) Drink driving is not frowned upon here - honestly, people think nothing of downing 3 or 4 alcoholic drinks and getting in a car to drive home. However, as soon as a bank holiday arrives, the government smackdown with a 'double demerits' weekend. Basically, if you get caught on that weekend drink driving, you get double points on your licence. A really good idea - if they could just catch them more often!

3) You can't buy alcohol in supermarkets or convenience stores. Nope, they have specific liquor stores which open only in the evenings and only then can you buy your beer/vino whatever. Which I kinda like that - plus also, a lot of the restaurants are 'BYO' (bring your own), so you can literally rock up with 2 bottles of wine from the liquor store and drink it with your meal.

4) Parking...here's an odd one - you HAVE to park in the direction of the traffic flow. So you'll never see a car parked towards you, on your left hand side. I'm a little on the fence with this, as I’ve seen some loonies do very dangerous 'U' Turns in order to grab that parking space on the other side of the road. BUT - it stops trying to have to pull out over both lanes.....genius or flawed?

5) Furniture collection - this is my favourite. Once a month, the council comes round and collects all the old household items you no longer want/need, whatever it's condition. So I have managed to swipe a new wash basket, a beautiful table and chairs for my balcony and two sunlougers! All for free......and you can literally walk round the roads, pick up the items and take them home! Whatever’s left, the council takes. Absolutely brilliant idea...and it works.

 

A good friend of mine came over to Australia to do a bit of 'travelling' recently. I don't think in a million years she ever expected to have the rollercoaster ride of emotions that she's been on, and it completely shocked her. The readjustment of being somewhere unfamiliar and alone, was massive. She began to doubt her ability, her trust in herself and her capability of just going forward. And do you know what? She's only bloody did it. All alone. It took a bit of cajoling and a bit of an a*se kick, but she went off and dived head first into the 'travelling alone' club. And purely on that basis, she's leapfrogged to the top of my 'awesome' list as I'm not sure there are many people who could do what she's doing.....and I know you probably think you could, but could you really? Most people would rather go on holiday with someone they barely know, just because it’s someone....rather than being tagged as a 'norman no mates' for going away on your own. How many of you have sat in a restaurant alone? Gone to the cinema alone? Is there a stigma attached to doing these things alone?

 

Well, if any of you have been travelling/on holiday on your own....I bloody salute you. You are amazing. And if you haven't done it by now, chances are you never will. And I'm not saying it’s a bad thing, I just think that there are some people there who can't, some who won't and some that just say 'I'll give it a go" and run headlong into it. Awesome.

 

I've been thinking about the whole 'life change' thing over the past few months, as it’s amazing how you try and put new processes into place and the *boom*, something can happen that blows all your hard work apart. And I'm realising that it's a slow process, but a necessary one. Obviously, my changes are mainly to do with my lifestyle and diet - hence the sober October thang again - as I can't seem to lose weight whilst I drink like I do. So, who knows, maybe the no alcohol process may last longer than a month? But I do know that exercise is key to my weightloss and as a wise woman told me recently, 'don't exercise when you're free - plan it into your weekly routine and stick to it'. So that's the small change I am making - but it made me think....when I come home (and if I don't get sucked into my old habits immediately), what would I like to learn/do with my free time....not to sound maudlin, but has anyone ever written their 'bucket list'? The list of the things you'd like to do before you kick the, err, proverbial bucket? Here's a few I've thought of.....what would you add to yours?

 

Learn to ride a Horse

Write a book

Learn basic sign language

Travel America to do 'Route 66'

Go to Europe more often, see more of the UK

Learn to cook - properly

Ride a motorbike

Walk the Inca Trail

Sky dive?

Drive an Aston Martin

Stay at a 5 star hotel for a weekend and be treated like royalty

Read a book that changes my life....

 

It would be lovely to know what you would like to do - if you had the chance? I read this quote today, and it resonated with what I'm trying to say:

 

"Put your fears aside and get started. Do something. Do anything. Otherwise, today is gone. Once tomorrow comes, today is lost forever".

 

And to finish - a joke about my Nanny Hamilton. Not sure if this will translate, as it’s usually told in person - and some of you won't even know who the famous man is!

 

Picture the scene - a sunday night at home, watching TV and having sandwiches & crisps, waiting for 'Sunday night at the Palladium with Jimmy Tarbuck' to come on.

 

Nan turns to Grandad and says 'oooh, I like this fella, old Jimmy Tarbrush" - to which my Grandad says, 'No love, it's Buck'. Nan's response 'yes, of course, silly me, Buck Tarbrush'.

 

Well, regardless, I frickin love that story.....and it makes me smile everytime I tell it.....

 

Have a great weekend people

 

Love Hols

xxxxxxx