The Story So Far ...

We said farewell to our work friends at the RSPCA and BBC on 14 September, farewell to our families on 3 October, and set off for Africa to save cheetahs, decorate school buildings, and look around a bit. After a trip home for Christmas, we headed for South East Asia on 6 January -- where we were stunned by Qatar and Cambodia, taught novice monks in Laos, and acted as security guards at an Elephant Festival. It was back home for four weeks to look after John's dad, before we tangoed our way through five South American countries in fifteen days. We then snooped our way through New Zealand, dipped our toes into Fiji, drove-thru California and were home from home with family in Vancouver.

Now, we are home itself. Fulfilled, happy, and ready to earn the respect of our friends and family by knuckling down and earning some money once again ...

Thursday, 2 June 2011

So Many Socks


We had been warned that it would be challenge, settling back into life at home after nine months on the road.  And yesterday, I faced the truth.  There were just so many socks.

I was on my knees at the time, unpacking the clothes we'd left behind with friends in Brighton.  Our tenant had moved out, and we were free to move back in.   I opened our small (carry-on airline approved) burgundy suitcase, one of many items of luggage that had been stashed away with our neighbours upstairs before setting off last October.  I tugged at the zip, wondering what this particular case would contain.  The socks burst out at me.  Beneath them, wave after wave of boxer shorts and briefs.  I stared in disbelief.  Only a moment ago, hadn't I just filled the underwear drawer?  Yes, I had -- but that was with the ten or so pairs of socks and eight pairs of briefs we'd been travelling with, freshly laundered in Vancouver the previous day, ready for our return.  They were now safely home.  This armful of underwear was the fifty or so items that had stayed behind.

I had a similar moment when reuniting our T-shirts, and stood in awe in the kitchen gazing at the quantity of mugs that we had left in a cupboard.   A lesson of this adventure was being learnt, in the most humbling of ways.  We had always said our next trip away needed to be something modest, English and local.  I know now that it'll be to the charity shop up the road, which I shall walk to, as I consider what we have seen, what we need, and what we do not.

John

Note to blog-readers:  we may be home, but there is one more blog entry still to come ... up by Sunday!
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