Australia

Although they say that when you are tired of London you are tired of life, I must admit that in January this year, I was tired of London . I was sick of the grey, and the cold, and the never wanting to do anything but stay inside and sleep. I couldn’t be bothered doing anything new or different, but at the same time hated the rut I was in. So it was timely that George bought me a return flight home for three weeks in February.

I flew home on Virgin Atlantic – excellent in-flight entertainment, horrifically uncomfortable chairs, and not too crash hot food. However, I was so excited, that I didn’t even care (unlike on the return home flight when I definitely did care, and thought I was near death from lack of good food and air). When I arrived, Kirsty, Betty, Amanda and Graham were all waiting with smiles, hugs and balloons (including a monkey balloon with big ears and stick arms which looked suspiciously like me…I later found out that that is exactly why they bought it).

and then I got driven down to Wollongong, and after being in London for so long...being driven anywhere was a luxury. Being driven all that way, and not having to pay a minimum of £25 was bliss. Even better was later on when I started driving myself, in the fantastic Echo. I thought it would be difficult to be driving again, but it was a piece of cake (due in no small part I am sure to the magnificent engineers of the Toyota Echo, best car in the universe, and superiorly named in Australia, compared to in the UK where it was always called a Yaris...bad, bad name).

While I was in Wollongong I spent a lot of time with all my friends and family, went shopping in Sydney (and bought an Alannah Hill dress for which I will have no use in the foreseeable future unless I star in a London show of A Midsummer Nights Dream), visited my grandma, spent a lot of time in George’s shop catching up with old work-mates and favourite customers, slept in, had afternoon siestas, ate lamingtons and KFC chips, went to the beach, watched McLeods daughters endlessly, bought shoes, ate FRESH fruit and LAMINGTONS!!! yum yum! (since I got back I have attempted to make lamingtons. They came out as delicious, but hard little rocks. Maybe this was because I covered them in melted chocolate, rather than chocolate icing. I will be trying again at some point....

I even had time to fit in a trip to Canberra. I got down there on a Friday afternoon, loaded down with cakes. Bredoir let me into the building and I wandered around the third floor giving away cake to mostly strangers. No one knew who I was, yet they all accepted food from me, which shows, that we don't really learn from childhood that we shouldn't accept sweets from strangers. I also met my replacements in the FaCS AAU...um, I don't think there is too much to say about that without getting into trouble from the politeness police. Thank you everyone that came out for tea with me on that Friday, re-enacting my farewell dinner of over two years ago (similar to that farewell, I also got to sight my 'nemesis' which is always good for a laugh). Thanks to Tina Lee and Phoebs (and Josh) for letting me stay at your flats, thanks Arun for driving all the way down, and thanks to Robin for the lovely Finance anniversary mug.

While I am on thanks...thanks to Kirsty for coming all the way down from Brisbane and Christina for driving me to the airport, and every other man and his dog (especially Betty George Amanda and Graham), for making my time at home so special.

I dreaded coming back to London , rain and work. But when I got here, the weather had brightened up, the days had started getting longer, and everyone was in a better mood. That immediately made me feel better. Then the weather snapped, and it started snowing, and now it is like I had never left at all...but I am trying to be positive!!!

The work situation is getting to be quite interesting (“will I stay or will I go”-type-drama’s) and my housemates are all back from winter trips, so it feels fun again. I think I can battle it out for a bit longer over here.

Since being back I have even been getting out at the weekend, exploring london, or like yesterday, I went to Cambridge for the first time.

Also, I have a five night mini-break in New York planned for the Easter Weekend! hooray!!! So I guess that will be my next post!!!

I can't be bothered proof-reading this, hope it is ok.