Merry Christmas 2020
I am sitting surrounded by homemade Christmas cards. Rather than give an update on the lives of us two Grown Up Travellers in each card – I decided to save time and write here.
First of all – Merry Christmas to you all. We hope if you celebrate Christmas that you can spend it with loved ones or at least have a call with them.
Since Day 960 we have been back in the UK. Our first two weeks, we were in quarantine, spending a very special time with Tim’s brother, wife and our gorgeous nephew. We managed to squeeze in some socially distanced visits to my sisters and Tim's sister before joining our son George and Laura’s wedding. It was not the big wedding they were hoping for, just 9 of us. However, it was delightful to witness this wonderful couple declare their love for one another and tie the knot.
After the wedding, we came down to Bristol staying with our youngest son John and girlfriend, Georgia. The space is cosy, but we get on brilliantly with much laughter. They are a joy to be with.
We’ve been clearing the loft of stuff that three years ago we thought we needed. Travel with little more than carry-on has enabled us to realise we don’t need loads of stuff in our lives. One lucky person picked up 4 big boxes of our junk for free – one person’s junk is another person’s treasure.
We also ripped out the old kitchen, sold it on eBay, and its new home is now in Newmarket Racecourse! Installing our new kitchen had its moments! Not the most straightforward of jobs, with everything possible having its challenges.
Yet, in usual Tim style, he placidly got on with the job, and between us, we found solutions. I must admit, I wasn’t so tranquil, sometimes near to tears and other times laughing hysterically!
Adhering to restrictions, as well as seeing family, including a quick jaunt to the Isle of Wight, we have managed to see friends Sue and John. We originally met in Australia and spent a fabulous time with them in Botswana and South Africa, and our old friends Judith and Alan, who happen to both live near Stroud. Mmm...could this area be a possibility for a future home?
George and Laura have now moved into a dump of a place “offering a wealth of potential”. We know, with their vision, talent and hard work, they will magically turn this into a gorgeous home. We popped up to London to help them; scrubbing and ripping off wallpaper and polystyrene tiled ceilings. It was surreal going through an empty Kings Cross station at 9:30 am on a Monday!
Afterwards, we zoomed north to stay with dear friends Hugh and Fiona just before UK’s second lockdown. Big-heartedly, they invited us to join their bubble for the whole of lockdown, which was wonderful.
It was lovely to be back in the countryside, see our neighbours OTT Christmas decor and pass by the old home we built and had many happy years in. We have no regrets selling it; this gave us the freedom to travel – and what an amazing experience we had.
Tim keeps busy doing some DIY and gardening. Perhaps this will be Tim’s new profession? He is not the quickest, but is very meticulous, works hard and does a great job.
Meanwhile, I’ve re-established my coaching business. I nearly closed this while travelling – I am so glad I didn’t, as I am absolutely loving working with clients and seeing their transformations.
I have also decided to write another book “A Journey of Unlearning”. This will be musings on how our travels have affected Tim and me psychologically, and I am sure the process of reflecting and writing will be fun. I’ve set up a Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/journeyofunlearning, and it will be lovely to see you over there.
We are now back in Bristol – in tier 3 so keeping snug in our little home and enjoying planning Christmas with Georgia. Her Mum and Dad have kindly invited us for Christmas in Stockport; I wonder if there’ll be snow on the Pennines?
And any more travelling for the intrepid Grownup Travellers? I hope so; however, life has forced us all to live more in the present, and as historian and author Alice Morse Earle wrote:
“Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.”
Merry Christmas and wishing you a healthy and joyful 2021.
#MerryChristmas #GrownUpTraveller #BackintheUK #TodayisaGift #AJourneyofUnlearning