Extreme City Break: Part 2

Fact: A man who knows his way around a kitchen is incredibly sexy!

To watch a man cook me dinner and breakfast I must say… is one of my life pleasures, especially when it has been 8 weeks since I’ve seen him. (My contribution is to set the table and make the coffee!) More wine flowed when Matt and I took the ferry to Waiheke Island for lunch and wine tasting at Mudbrick Winery (Think I have a thing for New Zealand wine as well as men in kitchens!) and there was more laughter at the comedy show:  wine and laughter are  ingredients that seem consistent in all my holidays!

If only I could have forgotten that I had to leave! Time is a constant pressure for me… knowing that time is always limited with Matt means I can’t seem to escape the ticking clock, knowing how long I have… 3 days, 1 day, 5 hours, 30 minutes. As a result I was a ‘little stressy’ and ironically took it out on the person I wanted more time with.

Next time I promise I won’t be watching the clock. x

Extreme City Break

Part 1:

Edinburgh, Paris, Prague… they seem like normal destinations for city breaks for most people. Not for me… I have a track record for unconventional City Breaks: Hong Kong, Hanoi, Singapore but that’s when I was in living in Thailand so it makes some sense. I went a little crazy this time last year with a Long weekend in Bangkok but this time I upped the ante… I went to Auckland, New Zealand!

As life continues to be entertaining and completely ridiculous, I explore Auckland. When I mention on Facebook that I am in Auckland, Anna, a friend that I met in Bangkok, who lives in Singapore (!) contacted me to say she was also in Auckland; another strange set of circumstances that demonstrate how small the world is.

So, we meet up for a drink and a catch up… 3 hours later we are sat in a library reading about pasta, photography and statistics! This may sound very civilized but what I should also mention in addition to the measure of time… is that it was also 3 bottles of wine later! We found nostalgia in shared adventures and friendships, entertainment in stories that were strangely familiar and laughter ran through the whole evening.

Thank you Anna. x

 

My fundamental flaw…

Any ideas what it could be?

Well, I’ve realised I’ve not been writing recently and ironically it’s because I have a lot on my mind… I didn’t want to share what I was thinking because you might think I’m ungrateful and that is far from the case. Let me try to explain…

Maybe this is my fundamental flaw… although I’m appreciative of all the positive aspects of my life, it’s like I’m never quite satisfied: I take a career break and travel the world, I meet incredible people and by chance or fate a person I want to create a life with, I somehow secure a great job and a promotion and I’m now surrounded my challenging and intelligent people each day and I’m travelling the world again (AND someone else is footing the bill this time!). Now believe me when I say I am fully aware of how fortunate I am in achieving those things but something still doesn’t fit, things are not yet 100% and because I know things aren’t quite what I want them to be, I’m unable to settle.

Is it bad that I can’t just settle for 90%? It’s as though I am the cliché; I do actually have itchy feet! I’m always looking for the next challenge, the next adventure and it worries me a little (not enough to stop me mind you!).

When things aren’t the way I want them to be, I have to say something, do something; change something. I suppose only time will tell; things might all work out perfectly if I just wait and see… I just have to be patient…

…and therein we identify another one of my flaws! x

Let’s have a moan…

Let’s have a moan…

Weather; As the topic of the weather is built into every Brit as the ‘go-to conversation’ anywhere in the word I might as well start… I know now that am supposed to be in a climate where sunshine is mandatory. I don’t mind the cold but a lack of sunshine is detrimental to my health.

I land on UK soil and the best way to describe the weather is ‘grey’. What is that about? I go to Norway, Finland and Canada and even when it’s freezing… if it’s day time, the sun shines! It’s like the universe strategically places a grey cloud over the UK.

Petrol prices; I might as well cover that one as prices have reached 1.40 per litre! What is that about? Similarly to the weather, I know that nothing I say will change the price of petrol, and I will continue to buy it, because I need to get to and from work and around and about to see my family and friends.

British Airways; Well, where do I start; our national flag carrier and supposedly one of the best airlines in the world. Well, not for me! In my personal experience their staff are rude, their service is below their competition and given the fact that I am as stubborn as my Dad when I have a bad experience; where I have the choice I will never fly BA again.

Phew… Weather, petrol and British Airways… I feel so much better after having a little rant, but feel like I actually need to do something to make this more positive. As my weather changing abilities are as limited as my global fuel hedging power… so its time to get creative….

I’m going to buy petrol whatever the weather, so how can I work these problems into a solution that could turn my frown upside down?

A Virgin Atlantic credit card that allows me to earn airmiles that will allow me to get out of the UK to sunnier locations at a reduced cost as often as possible and I get to spend my well earned money and airmiles with an airline that is taking on BA all guns blazing? Yes please.

So the more I spend on petrol, the more sunshine I get and the more I can wiggle my bum in the face of BA by supporting the airline that should be our national carrier!  BOOM! Thank you Virgin Atlantic.

Muhahahahaha… and people say all us Brits do is moan!

x

Surprise Surprise

From London to Mexico City, London, Singapore, Brisbane, Nadi, Suva, Nadi, Sydney, Queenstown, Auckland, Sydney… and beyond!

This is the first time in the last 11 days I have been able to talk openly about my trip and my true locations. The work element of the trip has literally been nonstop from the moment I left the UK until Saturday morning, this weekend when I boarded my flight to Queenstown, New Zealand in order to surprise Matt for his birthday. Work is crazy busy and there’s a big part of me that is worried I’m going to mess something up, say something wrong, but if I’ve learned anything in the last 2 weeks its that you might as well give it a go. As long as I do things, take action with the best intention, at least I am learning rather than sitting, waiting and worrying. If the worst were to happen, I was to mess up and not be forgiven… I can get on a plane back to New Zealand! Every cloud and all that!

I won’t say too much about work; there’s probably some clause in my contract that states I shouldn’t write about it! (and I don’t want to deliberately get into trouble, do I!?)

So it seems my boyfriend knows me better than I thought, and although I managed to surprise him, I think he had his suspicions about a visit from me at some point over the weekend. His parents; Marilyn and Alan, housemates; Mikey, Kim and Collette helped make sure he was going to be in town and with a little help from his boss I managed to get him 2 days off work (Thank you Lan!).

Now I can only speak for myself in saying that I had the most amazing weekend; I was in arguably the most beautiful place in the world (so far on my travels at least) with a person who’s happiness make me smile from the inside… for the first time, it felt like everything fell into place. Ok ok… stick your fingers down your throat if you want… stop reading if my swooning really offends you (Matt’s also probably stopped reading by now!).

There’s a lot of bad news, sad news, in the world, it surrounds us every day and I know that not every weekend is going to be as great as the last one. The next few are probably going to be really shitty so I’m basking in the sunshine and smiles. Tune in again soon for something a little more somber.

I’m sure I can find something to moan about by the time I get back…

…I might be in love but I am also English!

x

Backpacker to Business Traveller

All in 3 weeks

I’m sat in the Marriott hotel in Mexico City having had a great introductory meeting with one of my customers and I’ve had steak for lunch. I arrived yesterday on a business class flight and I will leave tomorrow. It’s like a whirlwind, considering that just over 3 weeks ago I was arriving back in the UK with my life in a backpack.

The job is exciting and challenging. There have been moments when I have been frustrated by the processes and certain people, there have been days when I might as well have slept under my desk but I’m also excited by what each day has in store, I’m in a team of intelligent and fun people and on the whole, it feels like I’m in the right job.

… for now at least

x

Worth the Risk?

We all take risks every day.

We weigh up the risk of doing something with the benefit of doing it and decide if it’s worth taking the risk for. Driving the car to work in the snow, going to see a customer in Venezuela , writing this blog. We take risks with the words we use, in our relationships with others, when we invest in things and there is always a possibility that we are going to lose out, lose money or get hurt.

On the 21^st September 2011 I met someone who blew me away; someone who scared me: and he didn’t even know that I liked him! If I told him how I felt, I considered the risks; he could laugh in my face, he could tell me he wasn’t interested or maybe, just maybe he might like me too. It was the possibility of that ‘maybe’ that somehow gave me the courage to go and see him six days later. Now believe me when I say I was so nervous I was shaking (maybe you know the feeling!). I suspected he wouldn’t be the kind of guy that would laugh in my face but I tell you this, I had fully prepared myself for a polite knock-back. And as a get-out I had already booked my ticket to leave town the following day!

As it turns out he might have liked me a little too and after 3 amazing months together I accepted a job that took me 12,000 miles from him and from our home. Once again I found myself weighing up the risks; it could all fall apart, he could find someone else who he likes more (or who is simply closer!), he could decide it’s all too hard. And yes… I am well aware that those are all possible. What I realised though is that I have absolutely no control over what he feels or what he does; they are his choices to make.

What I do have control over are my choices, and yes I decided to take this job, and yes it does hurt every single day to be away from him. But I have to remember that it was my choice to leave. I just hope he also knows that every single day, that my choice is him, my choice is our unusual life, my choice is our plan.

Matthew Leon Davies: you are a juice, definitely worth the squeeze!

xxx