The last month can be defined by the saying ‘swings and roundabouts’. This said in the sense that I have been swinging to and fro many visits to friends & family back in the blighty and at the same time, have experienced roundabout all the colours in a rainbow of emotions; from the fulfilled & happy reunions to the reality and sadness for what I have left behind & miss down under. One of the hardest things I ever had to do was to leave that place, and it took a while to realise, but being in the hustle of London again made me remember why i did! London always brings me back home.
Getting home is the first story. I had to transfer at Doha in the Middle East, literally we landed in what looked like a desert with some form of a runway. Imagine barbed wire and scattered shrapnel on a deserted stretch of land with a half-hearted tarmac strip and your not far off from the picture. I couldn’t get back onto the next plane for a re-heated plastic dinner pack and a new movie release quick enough.
I was very strict with my jet-lag when I got settled back and wouldn’t let it confuse my already warped mind. I remember all I kept thinking and proclaiming was “everything is so grreeenn!”, I just couldn’t stop saying it. And of course the money was a shock, I didn’t get over how big the £20 note seamed for a while, so weird. Dad spent a lot of his time laughing at me those first few days. I hardly knew any of the music on the radio, I kept taking pictures of anything ‘London Red’… a post box… a telephone box… a bus. A tourist in my own country.
I had some great opportunities to meet up with both sides of my whole family when I returned as we had a big affair for my Grandma and Papa’s 50th Wedding Anniversary, we had my cousin’s 21st Birthday and of course the main reason for my flight back, my dad and step-mum’s wedding at the end of June. which by the way was totally worth coming back for! We had the best time going to dress-fittings, shopping in Birmingham, London & doing all things bridal. Then the actual day itself was beautiful, one of my favourite parts being the five of us children and Dad & Mel all letting off a ‘chinese fire lantern’ each into the night to symbolize the seven of us and the seven years they had been together as a couple.
This month back wouldn’t have been complete without catching up for lost time with my girls aka ‘boys’, Anna Walters, Kate George, Amy Loudon, Sophie Edwards and Alex Sinclair (however Sinclair is still in Melbourne so she’s excused). We have spent a weekend in central London together, another in Watford where I am currently living, and are just on our way to Clapham for another weekend of cocktail drinking, shopping & eating out, with the standard consumption of tea & cake to fill in all the gaps! and best of all, the banter is free.
after alot of searching i have found a new job too. I am now labelled ‘marketing assistant’ in a Photography Academy, which i’m really liking. Its not a role that I’ve exactly done before but im always up for a new challenge and the role differs everyday which is a big plus in my book! So that’s going to be my little baby for quite a while now I expect. I haven’t completely given up the travel-bug though, I’m off on a holiday to Morocco in africa with the girls next week, somewhere ive always wanted to go. It’s going to be hot & colourful and a little pinch of heaven, the photographic opportunities... unbelievable.
One month back, there was no need for p.t.s.d (post travel stress disorder) Things go on and life is good!
