It wasn’t the trip we expected 🙂 The last time Phil saw his Father was March 2020. He flew to the Isle of Man days before shielding began, and days before the island closed their borders to visitors. For over a year. Living with advanced dementia, and in a residential home, we couldn’t even ring … More Covid Russian Roulette
Back in my twenties, buying travel insurance was easy. And quick. And cheap! It was one of those simple five minute jobs, normally done whilst watching television, and often on the day before the holiday. Fill in a short form online, pay for it, and voila, insured wherever I wanted to go. For a few … More The Eye-Watering Cost of Travel Insurance
Phil’s brother rang me on Wednesday. He had just tested positive for Covid. At the mere mention of the virus, my stomach dropped. Worry. He’s the first close person I know to have caught it. The news headlines have reached us. But then my head started whirring, and my heart started thumping. I thought back. … More The Wait
I was taught how to read maps as a teenager. Well, I learnt the theory. 😉 I knew churches were represented by black crosses, red triangles were youth hostels, and toilets were politely labelled as PC. I could calculate distance by counting the squares, could work out height gain by the contour lines, and knew … More Our First Real Adventure
I met my tribe at university. I arrived at York on a cold October day, with a lava lamp, yellow dinner plates… and an enormous desire to do something different, exciting, adventurous. To make the most of my uni life. So I joined the canoe club. Over the next -amazing- three years, those black-and-yellow clad … More Rekindling Friendships
Six months ago, I was lost in the storms of depression. My happiness had upped and left, my enthusiasm was missing, and I couldn’t find joy in usual loves. With rain pummeling the windows and my heart, with coronavirus restrictions still creating uncertainty and loneliness, and with the rampant virus still causing fear; summer seemed … More The Sunshine After The Storm
When the Coronavirus entered British shores, back in Spring 2020, the Isle of Man closed their borders. Residents couldn’t leave, and visitors were prohibited from entering. For seventeen months, Phil couldn’t return to his homeland. For seventeen months, we could only seen his family through a screen. And it was odd being kept apart. Our … More Sharing A Holiday Home
When I was first diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension, back in 2013, I was really ill. After a month of lying in a hospital bed, overwhelmed with weakness, incapacitated with fatigue, and breathless with movement; I was like a living corpse. Phil would spend every day on the ward, by my side, emotionally supporting and physically … More Beating My PB
I’ve never looked forward to a wedding so much. After being postponed twice, due to lockdown, one of my oldest and closest friends -Kate- was hoping for third date lucky. After a year of staying in and bad news and being apart, I was ridiculously excited at the prospect of a celebration and a long … More A Lockdown Wedding
Over the last eighteen months of staying home, I’ve grown to love where I live. Forced to keep local, instead of day trips in neighbouring counties, we’ve enjoyed picnics and adventures straight from our front door. Instead of driving for miles to find our fun, we’ve had fun scootering for miles. Instead of exploring the … More A Change Of Scenery
We Can Adjust The Sails 