11,668 Miles

It’s 11:50 AM on Wednesday the 31^st of October 2012 and I’m sat in the Premier Inn bar on my own with two cups of coffee. I’ve just spoken to my Mum, Dad and Sister on the phone. I’ve just checked out of the hotel and I’m sat here with two massive bags. It’s all we own in the world right now, but it still looks like a lot. Mari has some last minute jobs to do and I’ve just met the letting agent so I could give the keys back and let her have a poke around…the flat, that is. We’ve enjoyed living here, but I’m already completely detached from it. It’s just an empty vessel now. Probably the cleanest this vessel has been for 10 years or so. The fruits of nearly 3 solid day’s labour.  

With such epic luggage in-tow, you always get asked where you’re going or where you’ve been. Invariably people are either incredibly jealous, or they want to tell you all about their time out there and the things you “have to see”; from the carpet-cleaner rental guy to the barman at the hotel. Everyone has something to say. Natural springs, mountain hikes, coastal drives and even an observatory open to the public. I’m not too proud to add every single one of them to my map. Ultimately we will make our own experience by beating our own path, but I would also hate to miss something unmissable as we pass through.

On the coach to the airport now and we’re saying goodbye to Bournemouth for the foreseeable future. Mari is already asleep and sporting her new neck pillow. I plug my headphones in and let the god of music shuffling decide. Canned heat – ‘Going up to the country’….Nice one shuffle. Nice one.




The scenery speeds to a blur and for the first time I feel a bit of sadness and nostalgia setting in. I’m sure I’ll get over that pretty quickly though.          

Pretty soon we’re airside at Heathrow, I’m drinking horrendously expensive Peroni and I’ve struck up a conversation with an engineer on his way back to work in Ethiopia and an older guy on his way to Brisbane to visit his family. “Where are you guys off to?” I actually love being asked that question. This encounter reminded me of what it’s like being a ‘backpacker’/’traveller’. All the social alienation of being British ebbs away and you find yourself being more accepting of strangers wanting to talk to you without feeling that at some point they’re going to ask you for money or your participation in a survey of some sort. It’s a great feeling.

I don’t really remember very much about the torturous 11-hour flight from LHR to HKG flight asides from the food being surprisingly good. I can never sleep in a chair. If I do pass out, it’s only for a few minutes, so yeah, I saw pretty much every movie and played every game that was on offer. I’m so incredibly envious of people that can just fall asleep and wake up on the other side of the world and not have any real perspective on how long it’s taken. When I was a kid I used to sleep on the floor in front of my parents feet on long-haul flights. I so wish I could get away with that now.

Four sketchy hours in HKG airport. Not long enough to go anywhere or do anything, but a bit too long to be sitting around doing nothing. I try to sleep on the floor of the waiting area, but there’s too much going on and I’m beyond tired now. This is a new level of exhaustion. I bought two coffees for $96. No idea how much that was, but it I couldn’t care less at that point. We're both amused by the nun getting in a bit of face time on her Samsung tablet and the pair of rabbis rocking as they chant through the glass to pray at the plane they're about to board. Half way there.

A similar experience on the next hop. Mari told me that I slept for 30 minutes or so. That figures because I suddenly felt a lot better, but that’s all I could manage. Not through a lack of trying, you understand. The last two hours of that flight were agonising. I so badly wanted off that plane. Grumpiness was setting in and Mari and I had a few near misses over something I can’t even remember now. I had set a timer on my watch so I could keep a countdown going. Every time I lit up my watch and soundbite of the clock from the series 24 played in my head, synchronised with the seconds counting down. I was beginning to become unglued.  

After having watched tv programmes like ‘Passport Control’ and ‘Border Security’ about Australia & NZ’s customs and immigration, I was really expecting an ordeal, but no. We got our visas, cleared customs and we were out in the fresh air within half an hour, despite our confession of possessing chocolate on our landing cards. I think they were more interested in the duck-tongues and powdered seahorse our fellow Chinese passengers may have been carrying.

We had a really chipper and friendly bus driver to take us to the general area of our hostel. A great introduction to the country. He couldn’t have been any more helpful. Getting off the bus we were asked by strangers on two different occasions if we needed any help/directions. We checked in to our basic, but welcoming hostel. We mindlessly gathered some supplies from the supermarket down the street and then finally got our heads down. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. It’s 3pm on Friday the 2^nd of November. 11,668 miles. Done.

Penultimate Weekend

Penultimate Weekend

A weekend to celebrate my newly acquired freedom, catch up with family and old friends and eat copiously.  

Work

My last day of work was as predicted. I felt very honored to be sent-off the way I was. Taken to the pub for a two-hour liquid lunch by a surprisingly large number of colleagues. An awkward speech and some bizarre jokes from my manager made considerably easier by the 2 pints of strong cider in my system. Presented with a bottle of Jack Daniels to drink in about a week. Shouldn't be too much of a problem. My Swedes gave me a lovely digital photo-frame full of pictures from hazy nights out. They also gave me a mask & snorkel which I wasted no time in wearing whilst at my desk. The cider was still speaking. A handfull of people had obviously gone to a considerable effort to ensure that I felt appreciated. And I certainly did. All the goodbyes were done and dusted by the time I was leaving. A cursory glance over my shoulder on the way out. Nobody was looking anymore. That moment was just for me. Done with that place forever.

Family

My Parents & Sister arrived the following afternoon. Pints of 'proper beer' and a walk to the beach started the day and it finished with what has to be one of the hottest Thai meals I've ever eaten. They all love Mari and she's really starting to relax and be herself around them. My family are always supportive and encouraging of all my decisions and our trip to New Zealand is no exception. Loading up the car and saying our final farewells the following day, I couldn't help welling up a little when I saw my mum was getting tearful. What is it about Mums that bring it out of you like that? A manly hung with a firm pat on the back and a "see you later" from my Dad realigned things somewhat.
They drove off with the car bursting at the seems with things I could neither take with me nor leave behind. It looked like a lot of stuff, but it could have been so much worse. All the windows were wound down. Partly so they could wave until the last possible second. Partly because last night's Thai food was causing some toxic gas issues.

Friends

Less than an hour had passed and my parking space was back in use again. My best friends and a 7(ish) month old Theo had arrived for their day at the seaside. They looked hungry and thirsty and in some cases a little soiled. Theo is a lovely little chap and perhaps reassured me that not all babies are screaming, horrible little shit-bags. I liked this one very much and hope my eventual offspring will be as calm.
Another walk on the beach and an epic burger at the postcards, washed down with a couple of cheeky Sunday mojitos. The time went so quickly that before I knew it I was saying goodbye and trying to fill up another car with as much of my stuff as possible.
Saying goodbye to them wasn't bad at all. I think you instinctively know if it's 'goodbye' or 'see you in a while'. With this particular collection of people, it's definitely the latter, so no worries there at all. They wont get rid of me that easy.

So, most of the goodbyes are done now and the flat is beginning to look a little bare. Just another little step into making this little travelling idea of ours a reality. 

An exit

Last day today. Last day of a 2.5 year slog at this job. Awake since 3.45am. No idea why. Tired enough to sleep, but can't switch back off. Anxious maybe? Excited, definately. Use this extra time to get cakes for everyone at work. It's a non-optional social convention. Slowly, slowly dawning that I'll walk out of there today and never go back. I think it does actually feel a bit like Christmas.
Pub at lunch maybe. People will be missed, but on balance, it's all positive.

I haven't looked at this blog in ages. I remember starting to write here and thinking the big day will never come. But here we are. Late September 2012. 36 days before we leave and boy, it's going fast now.

I've officially failed at keeping it a secret from everyone at work. I've always been an unconvincing liar and this has resulted in me telling a handful of people. Maybe a couple of handfuls.
I hand in my notice in 5 days. I don't think it's going to be quite the liberating "up yours!" experience I've built it up to be. Don't get me wrong. I'm very much looking forward to my last day at work and leaving for the airport a week or so later, but I'm really going to miss a lot of people I have in my life these days.

The flights have been booked for a few months now and I've slowly been selling off some possessions and buying up things I'll be needing for the trip. I've just spent some of my savings on a nice second-hand digital SLR camera, which is obviously a travelling essential...right?

I visited my old friends in Fleet the other week and it was so great to see everyone, but there's never enough time to speak to everyone as much as you'd like. I'm told that it's something of a rarity to see everyone together in one place nowadays. And that got me thinking about how easy it is to be homesick for a place or situation that doesn't exist anymore. You're not really missing out on anything...because it's not there, or it's changed beyond recognition.

It's all about the present and the future with your memories on a shelf in good health and good time.

We've got family and friends visiting every weekend until we leave. The time we have left has changed from a seemingly endless countdown to a slight panic about just how much we have to do to get ready and just how little time we have to do it. But these are still some very exciting times. I'm not going to be in the 'just about to go travelling' stage for the foreseeable future and I need to remember to slow down a little and enjoy where I am. I'm sure that will be much easier when I'm done with work.

Earlier this week, I received a nice email from Stewart M with his suggestions of 'must see' New Zealand. I spent most of the evening plotting these spots on a travel map I got for Christmas. That certainly got the juices flowing.

A picture

Count down - January

So, with Christmas & New Year done and dusted, I'm happy to say that the plan is alive and well. I had my Visa approved in mid November and for the first time in my life I'm saving money like crazy. 
I went round speaking to travel agents today, they all said that it was too early to get flights booked. Am I being ruthlessly organised or just impatient?


Probably the latter. My job it seems has lost all meaning. I have some amazing & lovely people working for me, but that's where the enthusiasm ends. I have no desire to progress or be seen by the new operations manager to be a 'can-do' 'go-getting' kind of employee. I'm really good at what I do and I just want to keep my head down and get through the next nine months. I wanted to try and keep it secret from work, just in case I was to be considered for a promotion or something, but that's highly unlikely with the direction that place is taking. It seems to climb the management ladder you need to think more about the needs of the business and to a certain degree forsake the feelings and demands of the people that work for you. That's just not something I'm willing to do...and I think they know that. I'm finding hiding my plans very difficult. Especially when normal conversation drifts near the subject of travel and adventure. 


I'm just so excited. 

An idea

Mari and I had the idea of moving to Norway.
After all we're not getting any younger and we want a family of our own at some point and Norway would certainly be a good place to do that kind of thing.

Norway would certainly be an adventure and new experience for me. Not only new surroundings, culture and people, but a whole new language to becomet fluent in. The mountains and laid back pace of life certainly appeals to me.
But despite going back to Norway was Mari's idea, she never seemed particularly excited about it. I eventually realised that even though it would be the beginning of my adventure, it would be the end of hers. Whilst she had seen and done everything she wanted to in England, she would be returning 'home'.
When asked, she made sure I knew that this was something she wanted to do, but was not in any great hurry to do so. We quickly ruled out most of European countries as alternative. Norway was the best option by far.
But did if have to be Europe? She reminded me of my obsession of immigrating to Vancouver before moving to Bournemouth and putting things on the back burner.

"But it's too late now" I said as we sat on Bournemouth beach at the sun was setting with a rapidness that can only mean Autumn is on it's way. "they don't give you a visa after you're 30"......."but i'm not 31 yet" I realised. As long as I apply for it before I turn 31, I should get accepted." I'll have a year to activate it, then it's valid for a further year". "I have to successfully obtain a visa in the next 3 months, but it could work" " We could go next year"

We both lit up with the idea.

Norway was still the plan. No doubt about that.

But what about what about one more adventure?

Just one more year of recklessness before adulthood and it's seemingly mandatory responsibilities are forced upon  us.

One more adventure.

Done.

Vancouver

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A let down
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The same night, i'm on my laptop, looking for information on Canadian working holiday visas and saw something that made my heart sink.
Dissapointment coupled with desperation and disbelief. That feeling when you realise you've lost you wallet or mobile phone. Or when you've left a bag containing 4 days worth of spending money, travel documents, passports, digital camera and car keys in the back of a taxi in central Amsterdam. (Yes, I actually did that).

Anyway, the last thing I wanted or expected to see was:

The 2011 International Experience Canada of the United Kingdom is now closed.

As it turns out, they only have a limited number of visas to give out to UK passport holders every year. That allowance had now obviously run dry. It was too late. By the time they open visas for 2012, it will be too late for me. I will be refused because I will be 31. Infuriatingly if you're in Ireland, you can apply up to the age of 35(!?). I was gutted.

New Zealand however has unlimited visas for UK passport holders.

Plan B was born.

The more I think about things, the more I thought this should have been plan A. I'm not sure a whole year in Vancouver would be necessary and there is little else I find compelling about Canada. But New Zealand? I've know many people who have been there for a year and come back having not seen all they wanted to.


We quickly agreed this would be a great alternative plan.