Places travelled and things done...
Turned 32. Not much to say about that. Birthday came and went. I tried to ignore it. No good or bad feelings about that age. I suppose it is good that I made it to 32 in good health and humour.
Visited some places in Scotland: Isle of Arran, Border regions, Cairngorm national park (for some really good snowboarding and learning how to dig my car out of a carpark).
Visited places in Wales: Chepstow including the beautiful Wye Valley, walking up Lord Hereford's Knob (!!), serious partying in Cardiff.
Good party times had in London, Plymouth, Manchester, Liverpool and Southport.
A good number of trips to the Lake District for lovely walks and drives (including alovely weekend with my friend Amy and another with my cousin Gina).
Visited the New Forest, White Cliffs of Dover and Major Oak in Sherwood Forest.
Visited Ellen and family in Oslo and met Ellen and Dag's baby Torbjørn.
Visited Rachelle and Michal in Krakow
Travelled to Indonesia to dive northern Sulawesi which was beautiful!
Visited home in Oz and was visited by my cousin and my friend Vicki from uni.
All in all a pretty productive and fun year!
But mainly just lived and worked and had routine in Southport. Which is my main reason for leaving in 4 days because I can do that back at home where I can see my family who I miss very very much at the moment.
I will be tying up loose ends over the next few days before leaving Southport on Friday to stay in London a few days. Then I start my travels anew with a flight to Italy. I will be travelling, volunteering and diving until I get home to Australia November 6th (how planned is that! Not my usual style I know. But it is because I have the honour of being bridesmaid at the wedding of Rachelle and Michal on November 20th).
I am feeling a bit of emotional emptiness at the moment with the thought of uprooting again (that came out as if I am forced to and don't like doing it. I actually love it but is does come at a cost) and saying goodbye to another crowd of lovely people who have come to be friends and enrich my life in many and new ways. I've learned a lot (eg rabbit medicine) from all these people and they will be missed. Luckily, I am getting a bit better at the goodbyes I think because I know I do see people again and they are not gone from my life forever. The world is getting smaller as they say.
I know this blog is boring but I am severely hungover from my farewell last night and I am trying to kill time before going to Sunday night pub quiz. I am just too ill to do all the stuff I needed to do today. Oh well. It will get done Tuesday. Hopefully.
I will try to fit in a better blog before I leave.
