Blogs in September 2007

Home Again.........

9 months after leaving the UK we finally move back in to our London home. We spent August, the driest month of a lousy British summer, in the West Country and Cornwall. We had a great time and really enjoyed the company of friends.
The big move back in came at the end of August. We had booked professional un-packers to help us. Having lived out of a bag for a very long time, it was great to have our things around us again - but why so much stuff? As my boxes and boxes of shoes were being loaded back in to corners and cupboards, I wondered why I needed sooo many pairs. Why do I have dozens of pairs of jeans, drawers full of clothes and the kids so many toys? It took us over a week to find enough places to put all of our things. We had a big purge before we left, but an even bigger one is coming now we're home. We have to get rid of loads of things before we start getting attached to them again! A car boot is definitely in order. It's a great exercise moving all your possessions out of your house and moving them back in again. Now we're completely settled, I know exactly what I have in the house and where it all is.
So how is it to be home? It's lovely to be sleeping in our lovely, comfortable, big bed every night, to be able to cook, entertain, watch TV.......all those things I really missed while we were away and the things we so often take for granted. The sad thing is it feels almost as if we have never been away. Time heals but it also means great memories fade - our 8 month trip now all seems so long ago. I need to find a job - although I am really not sure exactly what I want to do! In the meantime, I'm enjoying a lovely sunny September in London, cycling with the kids to school, taking them to London's parks, meeting friends. While the girls are at school (which they're loving) I am slowly putting together the first CV I have written for 14 years and preparing to rejoin the workforce, a year after leaving it. Dave's home, but off on tour again in a couple of weeks. He won't be home for 2 months.
With life back to normal, it's obviously time to start thinking about our next trip...........