The Sphere Effect

So exciting! My sister Kellie will be here after just 9 more sleeps!

And one of my best friends, Mary will be here after 12 more sleeps!

And another one of my very good friends, Katrina will be here after ONE MORE SLEEP!!

I haven’t seen any of them since at April last year, so it will be so exciting and wonderful to see them again. Katrina will be flying in tomorrow night after spending a year on the Anastasis Mercy Ship in Liberia. I am sure we will have much to talk about.

Have been thinking lately (ouch) and have realised that I really only have about five and a half weeks left in London. In July I will spend about two weeks in Greece, and another week somewhere near Wales at the New Wine Conference. Then back to London for four weeks before off to Eastern Europe.

Not sure if I should be feeling excited, or panicky, or what!

Things I will miss about London…

Christchurch Friends - all of my new friends from my church. Especially Rebecca, Anna, Joel, Pete, Geoff, Becky, Stella, Evie, Matt, Simon, Andrew, all of the Production Team, and the Worship Team, and Leaders - Oh and basically everybody there

My work friends - in particularly my lovely boss Chris, and my friend Jo, but also everyone else from Network Services, AHRS in Milton Keynes, and the Telecoms Help Desk in Dublin.

My other fantastic friends - namely Alina (my best friend from High School), Mark (a friend from SJOG in Perth), Grania (a friend I met here at the Hostel)… Funnily enough - ALL FROM PERTH! PERTH RULES! (I’d better go back there)

Sunny days outside - pretty english landscapes

Things I will NOT miss about London….

The Tube in Winter

The Tube in Summer

The two hours it takes to get to work in Milton Keynes

The rainy dreary days

The small houses

The lack of beach

The constant talk of FOOTBALL!! (Sob we lost on Monday night)

I think the hardest thing about travelling, is the way that we make friends, and they become good friends very quickly, and then they leave us. And when they go, it leaves a hole that you can never really replace. Some people affect us strongly, and some, though we love them, can pass out of our lives and never be seen again.

Amber is one that I hope I meet again one day.

I met Amber when I answered a gumtree advertisement to move into a sharehouse in Putney. We obviously liked the look of each other as she decided that I was the one to move into the house when there were so many to choose from, and I said yes!!

It was an experience!! Both of us had been in a pretty sad place, and were desparate to use London to pull us out of the blues, and put us into a really good place. I’m still not sure if London actually has the ability to do this, although it can certainly make you forget about your worries for a time, with the excellent nightlife - and inexhaustable supply of antipodean friends, that you can make at any and all times.

Amber lived in the room above me, and I’m sure I will miss the squeaking floor as she and Grania danced all night above my head, screaming Kelly Clarkson and Madonna out of key out of the window (surprisingly as Amber is a brilliant singer when she’s with it). I’m sure she won’t miss me as I grumpily stomped up the stairs and yelled at them at 4am in the morning to knock it off!

They say that we make different types of friends in our life. Amby was my deep and meaningful friend. The friend I could sing soppy girly songs with, and pour out my feelings to. She was the one who pulled me up when I was at my lowest, and always thought the best of me. We didn’t always go out together, but we connected at a completely different level.

I love you Amby. I pray that you will find peace and happiness in Australia, and that your new life back in Sydney will be Awesome!!

Everyone in Australia, keep an eye out for an up and coming new label called Effigy4:9. Currently available in General Pants, Urban Store and Live. The designer is Amber’s sister Jade, and the clothes are awesome. Take a sneak peak here: http://www.effigy49.com.au/chix.htm

Okay, so I know I seem to change my mind a lot, but this is not strictly speaking a change of mind. Just the acceptance of a new opportunity

I have been offered voluntary work with an organisation in Banda Aceh. They have invited me to go and have a look at the work they are doing, so i’ve decided that this is what I will do on my way home from the UK, instead of going to Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. I will hopefully still get to spend a couple of weeks in Thailand, but I’m so excited about finally getting to do some actual work in a country that has been so ravaged by disaster.

And to hear of the ongoing tragedy after the earthquake last week, really makes me want to get in there as soon as I can. I am still interested in going to work with MSF in January next year, but will have a look at this in the meantime to see if it’s a distinct new possibility for me.

So I’ve finally booked my tickets home - and will be arriving in Perth around the 28th November after a couple of weeks in Melbourne and Sydney. Bring it on!!