A year later.........

Recap on the last year........

Living in the MidWest with my lovely man for about 4 months, then just when he was about to head into a 3 month whirlwind of traveling on business trips all around the globe I got offered a rather great job in the UK for 3 months - so I took it.
Living back in the UK for what I knew would be just a short time was great, I got to spend every weekend with people I love, visiting friends and family all over the country.
Then the posting was over and it was back to the US where the man and I got on a motorbike* and rode for four thousand miles over the North East (5 states) and Canada (5 provinces).
We stayed at posh hotels, camp grounds, mom & pop B&B's and one rather dodgy motel, it was quite the adventure.
2 months later the summer was over and it was time to go back to work, this time I had just a 6 week job waiting for me so headed back to the UK wondering what would happen next in this adventure. Within 2 days of my arriving back in the UK I'd been offered two very good jobs, one in the UK - tempting and one in the Caribbean - hmmm very tempting.
First day of November saw me packing up my summer clothes and heading to the beach, I've been here ever since and am loving it. Even more exciting is that the lovely man came down for a month over Christmas and decided that he loves it here too.
So he went back to the US, worked a few things out with his company, got a new job here on this island and is moving down to this small island in the sun with me.
He arrives in two weeks, all a bit exciting really, both of us living and working in the same country - together.

So that's been my 2010......



* Oh yes it turns out that I'm a bit of a biker chick - who knew!

And more.....

Not sure that there is anyone still out there but after reading an email from DG asking me how life is on the new island I thought I'd do a quick post.


Life on the island in the Caribbean was just what was needed after 11 years of living in Asia, the slow pace and easy smiles along side the clean air and wonderful waters.

And then I met a wonderful amazing man who has totally swept me off my feet, so just before Christmas I left the wonderful island to be with him, in the Midwest of the USA. Now it's cold outside and there is lots of snow but I've never been happier and more cherished. And I quite like drinking Hot Chocolate.

We are very very happy.

A new quality of life

6 months ago I wrote that I was considering downsizing my life massively. And yes I am. I have shipped out 4 boxes and am checking in 2 large suitcases when I fly to a new part of the world in 7 weeks time.

I'm very excited. I'm starting my 4th life and I can't wait!

Its a plan then!

From my mother (grumble)

"Your sister has told us we have to go for dinner at some country hotel for your father's birthday, I don't know what all the fuss is about!"

Right, full steam ahead!

Have also just spoken to my parents oldest friends who are happy and eager to drive 300 miles to attend the surprise Sunday lunch.

Flight booked and paid for - check
Guest invitations sent out - check
Hotel rooms booked - check
Guest of honour attendance secured - check


All this total makes up for the rubbish day at work I had - not helped by me sleeping through the alarm for the first time in a veryyyy veryyyyy long time!

The summer and beyond

Summer 2008 was wonderful, in too many ways to try to recap. But now the fresh memories are fading and its time to have some more wonderful layers added.

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In four weeks I'm heading to one of my favourite cities in one of my favourite countries to spend some time with my all time favourite friend. And oh I'm excited. There will be sunshine and laughter and love. And visits to Lush

*******

This last week I've been surprised by the kindness of colleagues and overwhelmed by the care of friends. And parental issues have been raised to the foreground again. Mostly because friends can't believe the levels of effort I'm going through organising a surprise 70th birthday party for my father in January. Just because some of my family are rubbish doesn't mean that the rest are.

I've booked 5 rooms for family at a lovely little Coaching Inn for all, put down a deposit for a Saturday night dinner for 9 of us. And thanks to the wonders of facebook have been able to track down my fathers cousins who along with friends, in laws and siblings are going to turn up for a surprise Sunday lunch. I've got a flight back to the UK thats not going to cost more than a months salary and booked time of work. The ONLY thing my sibling has to do is to tell my parents she is taking them to dinner at the Inn on his birthday so they don't make other plans.

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Thanks to the best geek hero in my life I have also been able to catch the latest episodes of Emmerdale - clearly life is good!

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And I'm weighing up the options of downsizing all my worldly belongings to leave me free to just jump freely to a new country in the next six months. Which raises the questions, even if I scan in all my old photos from pre digital era what to do with the originals?

************

I sat on a rock and looked at this view while I had lunch today

Life is good

Happy Canada Day

On Tour

I'm away .......

Cocktails and 3 legged races

I've just had the most wonderful 12 hours sleep. It seems that if you spend the afternoon celebrating the end of a project by drinking cocktails, having 3 legged races and eating lamb chops you will sleep really really well when you get home at 7pm.

Right, now to start packing. 1 more sleep and I'm off On Tour.

I am fabulous

It's official, I just had an end of project review and my immediate boss thinks I'm the bees knees, I take on lots of challenges and am quick to adapt to new situations and says how I've made everyone's lives much more interesting just by being around - and she said that was a good thing! She's also said that by bringing me on board she has received praise as well.

Oh isn't that just a wonderful way to finish a Tuesday!

Right, I have a few loose ends to tie up in the next 3 days then I'm off On Tour, as mentioned below I'm heading to the Americas this summer.
Plan A is to head to Vancouver, then Vancouver Island for some much needed fresh air and exercise, I shall be hiking (!!!) for 2 weeks and then I'm heading across the boarder to the PNW where if I am extremely lucky I shall be having even more adventures.

I'm thinking of taking a week in LA or perhaps Vegas, and as I'll be travelling alone for that part of my trip I'm hoping I can have some fun times.

If not then I'll either fly over to NY where I have friends and family, or down to Charleston where my cousin lives with her military husband - her reply to my "perhaps I might come visit, would that be ok?" was to say "Well the only thing here are 30,000 marines, but you're welcome to come visit" - after 10 years of living in Asia and being very low on the dating pile she has no idea how enticing that sounds.
But quite honestly, I'm not fixing anything in stone, its all going to be about where the wind and the mood (and the airline prices) take me.

So, if you had a week to show me around your home town/city/area what would you suggest?

Nice

One of the best things about becoming more accepting of myself is that when I am described as being "nice" I am able to happily agree. Its not now nor has it ever been an insult in my eyes.

So yes, I'm nice. As well as being a whole heap of other things.

I'm also rather excited as in a few short days I shall be heading off on a bit of an adventure, going to visit a brand new continent*. Yep I'm coming to North America.

For fresh air and farmers markets, for sunshine and showers, for supermarkets and sci-fi. For hiking and exploring, trying out my new camera - its a grown up persons camera with lenses and everything! And if you scroll down to the bottom of this page you'll see that one of my favourite things are raspberries - and there are going to hopefully be oddles of them!


*Apart from 3 nights in New York 9 years ago, which really doesn't count.

What's Lemonel?

I innocently asked ...............

So much to say, no words to explain

Everything is just peachy.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend too.

Being looked after

.
I have a little crush on my Dive Master*, he's been looking after me terribly well over the last 2 days and 1 night of dives. So well in fact that today when we were diving in low visibility he held my hand so I didn't get lost as we swam through a cave. Then he kept hold of my hand for the next 20 minutes or so when the visibility was just fine. On land he's a bit like an overgrown lab, but in the water he is as elegant** as a ray and just for that short time - it was very nice to be looked after, to feel safe and for once not to be the only person watching out for me.
I'm taking him out for supper to say thank you this evening.



*Of course it may just be the 'Master' thing . . .
** Compared to me, who when I needed to remove my weight belt under water, was probably as elegant as a baby hippo

Going home to Hong Kong

This weekend I was in a city I made home, this weekend I was somewhere that was familiar, vibrant and exciting and even better I got to share the fantastic place with some great new friends.

It's really brought home to me how the new place I live is not yet somewhere I am confident in. There is the safety factor in Hong Kong, that at any time* I can make the decision to go home and walk only a few yards before finding a taxi which will take me safely and easily home.

There is the 'in the know' factor, that I can spin out a dozen places I'd LIKE to go and drink and eat in, depending on my mood and the tone of the evening.

I had a fantastic time this weekend, my friends have all said that they saw a different side to me, the exuberant confident woman that few have seen up till now during social situations.

But, and this is the biggest thing for me to remember, I do NOT regret leaving Hong Kong. It's a wonderful city, a place where I grew into a different person, a city I happily will return to many many more times in the future but now its time to move on.

On Saturday morning I woke up slowly, I flexed my ankles, my calves, taking an inventory of my body as I remembered the dancing in my knee high boots for 7 hours. Stretching out my toes and torso feeling all those wonderful muscles which moved me so gracefully** across the dance floor, on the bar, on the tables and in the street. My eyes opened - the first thing I saw was a very obviously not mine item of clothing strewn across the back of a chair. A very obviously item of clothing that belongs to a flirty Frenchman.

And then, after just a few seconds I remembered that at some point in the evening I had changed into his shirt*** because I was feeling too hot in the top I was wearing - on the dance floor. ~sigh~

Yes, much fun was had this weekend in Hong Kong. Hope yours was fun too.








* Say 4:22am perhaps

**perhaps!


*** very discreetly no doubt ~ahem~

4 times by midnight

At 4 different times today I've had the wonderful flush of being filled with joy and happiness. Honestly who could ask for anything more.

Gift in the spring time, pays off in the winter

Last night I had a perfectly gorgeously warm snugly sleep. And its all thanks to Seven Seas.

Last year he gave me something that I thought was very thoughtful, last night I used it for the first time in my new apartment and it was perfect.

The Norm

I was hanging some photos just now, I have one set of old school/college friends/flatmates from my London days. Looking at these photos made me smile, remembering the fun and frolics of my youth. However I also realised that out of 16 people, I am the only one without a child*, so this makes me the exception to the norm. How does this make me feel?

Actually it doesn't make me feel anything at the moment, it was just an observation on a social group which all came from different places but have ended up with a common goal.

The being childless is something I'm coping well with these days, I find that occasionally spending time in the homes of those with young children to be an excellent reminder that its not all warm glows and cuddles. Those early morning negotiations just to get a bowl of cereal down a 2 year old before heading off to work are not necessarily fun times. The impulsive, lets go out for dinner or catch a movie also have to be factored around babysitting issues. Never mind the sleep in till 10am on a Sunday morning, then go for a long brunch with the papers. **
In fact I'm almost 50/50 on the whole 'do I want children?' issue - which coming from a 99.9% place is rather healthy!

But what I am finding interesting is that where I used to live and work I was the exception to the norm in that I didn't have children, in my current location and position we are the absolute majority, in fact out of 35 people that I work and socialise with, only 1 person is a parent. And for many people its an active choice to be childless, much talk of 'snips' has gone on between the menfolk.

Clearly this is helpful to my feelings of belonging, worries about being the odd one out and healthy in dealing with my 'I have failed' issues.

So instead I'm becoming more and more comfortable in the role of beloved aunt, godmother, cake baker and story reader. And so to those 15 friends from years past I send my love and best wishes, and will enjoy the photos and the stories of their children growing up without this causing me pain.


*even the 2 gay men have got children.

** Yes Yes, I know being a parent is a wonderful gift, but I'm working hard on seeing the positives of not being one.

Lemonheads

My all time favourite blogger Helen is now a Mommy.

Congratulations.

Life stuff

Not sure that anyone is dropping by anymore, but I'm a little bit busy finding my direction in my new life at the moment.
All is fine, this time no one has died and/or broken my heart. I'm just a bit busy.

x

p.s. You could find me at Memento Mori from time to time though.