Wow! That's the word that sums up this year for me. Wow! Wow! Wow! I have had a wonderful year, at least 100 times better than I was expecting. I give John all the credit for the idea. It was his dream to go; I'd have quite happily stayed being a home bird. I also would have ducked out many times this year if I'd been given the chance. I've learnt that I'm not adventurous by nature and as a flight loomed, I would be thinking 'it might be a brilliant adventure coming up but it would be ever so much easier to stay home and unpack the bags and settle into familiarity'. I'm ever so glad that I never was given those ducking out opportunities.
We really have enjoyed everywhere we have been. Each country offered us so much and gave us so many super memories. There really aren't any places we wish we hadn't gone to, maybe just changed our timing in Fiji. It has been hard answering the question 'where has been your favourite place this year'. It was so special meeting up with our friends in Japan and New Zealand who we had not seen for years. There was a lot of excitement at being with family again in California and the Isle of Lewis. We often answer the question by saying it was ever so special and enjoyable to live in Uganda for months meeting great new people, living a gentler pace of life and being settled. We also add that travelling around New Zealand in the camper van and seeing so many wondrous sights was another favourite bit. Oh, and I did love Disneyland - one of my favourite questions has been 'what was your favourite bit...of Disneyland?!'
A friend said they would be interested to see us and chat to us when we are back and also hear about the things that didn't work as well and didn't make it on the blog, and I know I would be the same. Well, we tried to think of things and it got to the stage in South America where I started writing a 'Travelling "Disasters" List' as a way of reminding myself just how fortunate we have been this year. The list ranges from such minor things as sun cream explosion in big rucksack on a flight, booking our NZ ferry crossing in the wrong direction, to losing penknife at airport after forgetting to put it in hold luggage (on our 17th flight) and having to be rescued by a tractor in our campervan after getting too close to the edge of a hill. We were also remarkably healthy all year. We were each sick once in South America and apart from my conjunctivitis in Fiji I think we had fewer colds etc than we would normally have in a year in the UK.
During our wet day at Machu Picchu, I started adding up how many rainy days we had had during the year and once again realised how fortunate we had been with the weather. These are the times I could think of where it affected our day:
One wash out rainy day in Uganda - there were a lot of thunder storms, but I generally enjoyed their short and sharpness
One rainy day in Australia - Christmas Day!
About three days in New Zealand including both times we were in Taupo
Two rainy times in Peru
No rainy days in Japan, California, Isle of Lewis, Brazil or Bolivia
And then just the week affected by the cyclone in Fiji!!
Not bad for a whole year!
We have also been asked what we are looking forward to about being back. It will definitely be lovely catching up with friends and family. It has been super to keep in touch via messages and FaceTime but it will be nice to spend proper time together again. I am also really looking forward to having a home around us again, with nice belongings - rather than the many things I took travelling because they were practical and it wouldn't matter if they didn't make it back. Also I think I am a bit to excited about having a washing machine and being able to do laundry whenever I want. I really feel like I am going to enjoy regular domestic things again; oddly I enjoyed washing up at the friends we stayed with yesterday! Not sure how long those things will remain a joyful novelty though!! Number one desire at the moment is drinking tap water again and being able to full water bottles up - that seemed quite a hardship missing that!
Some people have asked how travelling has changed me. I don't feel I'm a radically different person. One thing I've notice is that I have become more obsessed with using antibacterial hand gel - Lizzie, hope you're proud!! Also, I've got to know more about John having spent so much of the year just with him. One thing we have learnt is how incompatible our walking paces are. Out on a countryside walk or hike, especially if it's uphill, I walk pretty slowly and poor John is left often waiting for me. But in a town or city when we are walking, my pace is quicker than John's so we don't have many opportunities to walk companionably!
While travelling a did start making a list of some changes I would like to try when I'm back. Again, I'm not thinking to be radically different, I just like to try if possible to head a little more in these directions. Now I know lots of our friends do lots of these very well already so they might seem a little silly but I figure if I write them I might be better at doing them. They are all things that I have thought about while travelling.
Local - I would like to try and buy more things locally. I love the convenience of Amazon online (and am sure I will keep using it), but I want to feel I am supporting real people rather than just nameless and faceless businesses.
Community - in a similar way, I want to know more and have more of a connection of people in the community. I loved seeing that in small New Zealand communities and also up in Stornoway. Hopefully the new Rose Hill community centre may be a starting place for that.
Packaging - I want to think more about what I buy and try to buy things with less packaging. In particular, John has become good at thinking about plastic. He bought the book 'plastic free life' in California when seeing an exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium about the amount of plastic sea animals ingest. We are planning to research local places where you can go refill washing up liquid bottles etc. If anyone knows of any places around Oxford or has any good tips then do share!
Baking - I really enjoyed having the time to learn to bake a bit in Uganda and want to try to make the time to do it now as well. I want to keep practising the same recipes until I can do them quicker without having to keep checking the recipe.
Cooking chapattis and popcorn - I also enjoyed learning to make these and don't want to forget!
Bread - I would like to learn to make bread too.
Basic ingredients, less processed - again, something from my time in Uganda. I'll start small and see where it's worth it.
Phonetics - a random one that cropped up while in Denmark and so I popped it down as something I'd like to learn...one day!
Blogging - I've really enjoyed blogging this year. I'd like to keep it up with General musings on things that happen.
More minimalist - although I am really looking forward to having belongings around me again and I still like nice things, I'm hoping to slim down belongings a bit and have another sort out as we unpack.
Fewer clothes - I don't remember jotting this one down before, but glad I did as I wouldn't have tried to do it! This year has definitely proven that I can survive without many outfits. Although particularly in South America, I missed not having anything vaguely nice for an evening, (my indication that we were going out was putting on a pair of dandy earrings!) I definitely don't need an overflowing wardrobe. Andy H, your wardrobe with just the pair of jeans in is my inspiration!
Rare shopping centre visits - I don't feel the need to visit a shopping centre often anymore.
Keep reading - I really loved how much reading I did this year. I did read quite regularly before anyway, but just want to make sure I keep it up. I wonder how much I'll read my kindle at home and how much I will go back to paper books.
Outdoors in the UK - thank you for your suggestions of your favourite places to be outdoors in the UK. I definitely want to make the effort to visit them all.
Make lists - I did find I enjoyed making lists this year (as this is evidence!!) and I liked feeling efficient that things were getting done and weren't being missed. I wonder how that will continue now we are back.
Exercise more consistently. I would love to run three times a week as I tried to do in Uganda. I'm looking forward to returning to Rose Hill Runners and seeing if I can finally get under 30 minutes for a park run...
Knitting - I enjoyed knitting in Uganda and particularly when we were home in June. Hopefully I can keep that up. Anyone have any (easy) knitting projects they would like me to do!
Quite a few people have also asked: 'What next?' Well here's a quick answer...
Short term - prepare our classrooms for new school year while trying to remember as much about how to teach as possible. Settling back in to our flat by rediscovering our old belongings and finding homes for our souvenirs. Get our car back up and running.
Medium term - catching up with friends and family. Making photo books and movies of our year. Surviving teaching and ofsted. Getting reacquainted with oxford.
Longer term - travels round the UK, discovering exciting adventures there.
It's been a truly amazing year and I am so so grateful for it. Thank you to all who have read, commented and been along for the ride. I've really enjoyed sharing it with you.
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