One Year in the UK!!!

I started writing this entry a while ago and kept working on it bit by bit as this year has by far been the biggest of my life and I found myself wondering on the way to work one day how I would actually summarise it all in one post. I made a photo montage for this post with some of my favourite memories from the last 12 months - so many happy memories!

I want to start by saying a huge thank you to everyone that has supported me over the past year - especially my Mum and Dad, my UK foster parents - my Uncle Rob and Auntie Sara and my cousin Graham and his wife Sarah - who have all given me more love and support than I could have ever asked for. I have so many amazing memories from the past year and staying with Rob & Sara and Graham, Sarah and Jacob in my first few months are among my favourite.

I've been able to reunite with my entire family - some 50+ members - and meet all my darling wee second cousins - and for the first time in my adult life I was surrounded by more than a handful of family members and its something that the majority of people grow up with and I didn't because we moved to New Zealand when I was 7. Growing up in NZ, people asked me if I wished we had stayed in England and my answer was a quick, un-thought of - no. I love NZ, growing up in the sun, on the beach, going on road trips etc ask me the same question a year later and I hesitate while I think about it as I do find myself wondering - would it have been better to stay in England and grow up with my family? I still feel in my heart that New Zealand was the right decision for my parents to make, if I had grown up here I may not have appreciated my family as much as I do now. I see the lifestyle here and I see the lifestyle in New Zealand and its a tricky one - your on the doorstep to Europe here and career wise there is a lot more opportunity in the UK but you don't get the all-year-round outdoor lifestyle that NZ provides. Knowing that I would always have a family of my own in NZ or Australia finally answers this life long question I have often asked myself.

Its been a year full of excitement, incredible experiences, travel, friendship, fear, worry (especially over money - this is NOT a cheap venture!!!!) tears, sacrifice, ambition, achievement - the list goes on. I have been to a total of 18 countries in one year (I know, crazy!) I will be heading back to France for work this year as well as a trip somewhere in October and possibly a warm escape to some exotic country over Xmas/NY! Next year I have Egypt, Italy, Greece and Croatia on the agenda as well as the two work trips to Paris and family visits to Scotland.

When I look back to day one of my blog all the way to this entry now I am really proud of myself and everything I have achieved - I feel like I'm reading about someone else life sometimes! I left NZ quite shy and naive about the big world I was about to enter, but at 25 I was more than ready and the shy girl is long left behind. I would have never, ever done a tour by myself this time last year - I was so nervous to meet and talk to new people and got quite overwhelmed by the concept of it all. But now I've gone from, 'Oh no, I have meet new people' to 'WOOP WOOP I GET TO MEET NEW PEOPLE!!!!' I love nothing more than meeting fellow travellers, especially Kiwi's and Aussies as you have so much in common and are on the exact same page in life. I do feel I have changed - I am definitely the same person I have always been in many respects but after everything I have seen and experienced in the past 12 months you can't expect to be the exact same person. In NZ I had so much 'stuff' - I had 3 wardrobes at my parents house full of clothes, handbags and shoes. I know, its a bit embarrassing now I think about it. Now I have one nice bag, a few pairs of going out shoes and a wobbly free standing wardrobe with a few going out clothes - and still I'm the happiest I've ever been. In general I'm just more fulfilled over here and feel that I am living the life I was always meant to live. Working in my dream job, traveling the world, hanging out with my extended family and living the busy exciting London life - living the dream. Not one day goes by where I don't think of my Mum, Dad and brother and how much I would love to see them in person, even just for an hour. Out of the entire year this has by far been the most challenging - before this adventure I had been away from them for 2 weeks max in 25 years - its now been 1 year and feels like a break up that you never heal from. As Dori from Finding Nemo sings: Just keeping swimming, just keeping swimming, just keep swimming swimming swimming.... 

On the whole, I can happily and wholeheartedly say that it was the best decision I have ever made in my life. I look forward to keeping you all updated over the coming year and please remember that you can leave your own comments now as well! How fun!

Thanks again for all of the love and support xx