Return to reality

13th Jan 2009 - Return to the UK

I find it hard to believe but tomorrow it is a year since we left Bristol in our little van and set out on our big adventure, it seemed therefore an appropriate tome for an update. I was going to leave this blog on our return to the UK but have decided to continue at least for the next few months as we settle into our new lives (in Essex!! - I know, more on that in the next post....!)

So much has happened and its been such a fantastic year, looking back through my posts on here it is hard to believe we actually went to all those places. I think it is going to take a little while to sink in, and certainly a long time to sort out the 2500 photos that we have come back with. It was a sad day when we finally emptied out the van and left it in storage, hopefully we will be back in it for a few holidays later this year.

The first few weeks back in the UK have been great catching up with so many family and friends but it was also all quite disorientating. Even the little things like finding the correct change in a shop was surprisingly difficult, and it was really odd to feel foreign in my own country. I am looking at things with slightly different eyes after being away for so long, slightly more detached and spotting all the little peculiarities of life in Britain, which I am thoroughly enjoying!

The last few weeks have been quite hard for me as I have not really been able to settle into any kind of routine or do a lot towards getting our life going in the UK, while we were waiting for Chris to find a job and decide on where in the UK we are going to be based. To make the most of my free time I have been volunteering in the local Oxfam bookshop which is really interesting and good fun, although I am having to learn a lot. I am becoming quite an expert in the terminology for old books but was completely befuddled to start with by people going on about foxing, bumping and closed tears!