Sometimes it takes us reaching out to remember how good it feels to connect with those who are special to us.

When I moved back to the UK after spending 16 years living is Australia, I planned to go back at least once, if not twice a year – a chance to catch-up with friends and family, for Patrick to spend time precious time with his dad, but also an opportunity for me to spend time with the team at Flyaway, keeping me in the loop and taking it all in. At the end of each trip, I would get on the plane back to the UK, somewhat safe in the knowledge that it would only be a matter of months until I was once again back in the ‘lucky country’, laughing with friends and enjoying the sunshine.

As with the rest of the world, I didn’t foresee COVID and the restrictions on travel (and life in general) that it has brought with it. It seems like forever since Patrick and I have visited our other ‘home’. We miss Australia, but we definitely miss the people more. I know Patrick misses his dad beyond measure.

It can be hard enough to stay connected to people who live close by when the busyness of life gets in the way, let alone with people who are 10,000 miles away, and with a time difference that makes catching up really tricky. Add in a year like we have all just had where isolation has become the norm for so many, and it’s not difficult to understand why friendships may have fallen by the wayside.

But when you actually make the time, take the leap and put all your fears and worries to one side and just pick up the phone, it’s so very worth it.

This last week I have enjoyed a long overdue catch up with a couple of my closest friends in Australia. We laughed, we cried, we caught up on things we have missed out on in each other’s lives since we last spoke. We put the world to rights, we listened, we talked, we did what old friends do and it was wonderful.

And it’s not just far away friends where spending time together reignites a fire in your soul. Last weekend, when the boys were out at a boxing match, my sister and I had a girly night where we did each other’s hair and make up, got take away and remembered what it’s like to enjoy each other’s company outside of working together. These times are special and I need to make the effort to do more of them.

It can be too easy to let friendships slip because too much time has gone by, or through fear that you may have nothing to talk about or anything in common anymore. Spending time with people I miss and care about made me feel alive and made me happy. These relationships are real and genuine, with no expectations and no judgements. They just are.

It’s connections like this (near or far) that help us enjoy life just a little more; they help us remember the good times, create new memories and give us hope that for those who are a bit further away, that one day soon we can give them a hug and catch-up in person. Fingers crossed.

‘Friends are connected heart to heart. Distance and time can’t tear them apart’

We are heading into week 4 of lockdown here in the UK with no real end in sight – I’m hoping for some sort of reprieve after Easter but fear it may be May or even longer before any kind of normal resumes.

Infection rates don’t seem to be dropping much, the number of people dying daily and the stress that the health service is under is almost impossible to get your head around (unless you’re working on the front line which I am grateful I am not) but there’s one thing for sure, it’s dire; and the new strains seems to be throwing an additional curve ball for everyone, including the vaccine.

I know we are lucky (me and Patrick) – we are safe and warm, I am working, homeschooling is a million times easier than it was last year and I have a project on the go that I’m enjoying and which keeps me busy. I have even found two tv shows which I am loving. We are getting out for our daily exercise and my family are all well (touch wood) – in general this lockdown has actually been a much ‘happier’ and less stressful one compared to the other two.

But this time round I have this uncomfortable feeling of being disconnected from everything that was before and it seems to hang over me like a cloud promising rain.

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I am grateful for the 6am phone call with a good friend in Oz. Our conversation was largely work related but we digressed as usual and managed a long overdue catch-up which made me smile. But as the call ended, it reinforced what I have been feeling these last ten days or so – that I really miss people, especially those who I hold dear to me.

Before lockdown I interacted with more than 400 children a week. I’d speak to parents, engaging in general chit chat and making new friends. I was able to catch up with good friends who dropped their children off at gymnastics, albeit briefly and I got to hug my sister regularly (much to her dislike). I enjoyed the new found friendships of the people I work with, spending time together outside of work, and I loved the familiarity of catching up with an old friend for a drink.

Messages between family and friends (all over the world) were reasonably frequent; sometimes just a quick hello and other times writing essays where a catch up was long overdue. Meeting up with someone for a coffee or dinner now seems like a lifetime ago and a visit to Australia, even longer.

But many of these interactions which existed in lockdown 1 and 2 seem to have fallen by the wayside this time around. It seems like COVID hasn’t only taken countless lives, and the freedom we once enjoyed away, it has also had a direct impact on how we interact and connect with those around us.

[I know that in part this is a result of many of us working from home, spending more time on devices during the day and wanting a break from screens and phones when the evening and weekend comes around; something I completely understand and do much the same.]

But I am fearful that after so much time of not being able to see and spend time with people you love, that those relationships will no longer be there once this is all (eventually) over. A fear exacerbated by the thought that after so long maybe people will stop caring and/or wanting to make the effort to interact.

Maybe it’s just me. I know I have a tendency to withdraw from the world when times get tough but this feels like more than that. My mood most days is bright and happy, and apart from not being active anywhere near as much as I need to, lockdown life is actually ok. But somewhere in there, there is a this kind of acceptance of life the way it is now, of just getting on with it and living in our own little bubbles, and surviving the apparent never ending storm, without the perceived need for others and almost a reluctance/hesitation/ability to connect.

I hope I am wrong, I hope we can pick up where we left off 12 months ago before all this began, or 18 months ago which was the last time we were in Oz, because I really do miss my family and my friends and our interactions, in person or otherwise, so very much. I long to laugh over coffee with a friend, or go for a run with anyone I can convince to tag along; or pop to mum and dads for a cuppa and a kiss.

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I conclude that I miss life and think that what I am feeling is loneliness. Not the kind of lonely that comes from being alone, because I am not; more so the kind of loneliness that comes from not being able to spend quality time with other people.

This Monday morning reflection makes me better understand that being and feeling ‘connected’ is such an important part of our overall wellbeing.

I know what to eat to look after my body, I know how Important being active is and I know the things that will help my brain if I am feeling overwhelmed, but I have never had to think about actively pursuing social connection before because it has always just been there.

And maybe somewhere in all of this reflection and ramblings is my personal challenge for lockdown 3 – reengaging with people who I love, who I miss; those who I’ve not been as connected with as I should be, and would like to be more recently. Maybe it’s time to face how I am feeling head on and actively do something to change it, to actively interact.

I fear it may be a little harder than I think, but I will make a promise to myself to at least try. 💕

Is your team performing at its best?

Before I left the corporate 9-5 world, full of morning teas, office politics and more meetings than I could ever imagine are necessary, I dreamed of working in the fitness industry. I have always been sporty and while I always enjoyed the office jobs I had, I often found myself craving a career which would enable me to be more active while I worked.

I thought about becoming a personal trainer or working in a gym, I dabbled in teaching group fitness and on more than one occasion considered if teaching gymnastic full time was an option. All the while I naively believed that any or all of these roles would offer me more time (and motivation) to dedicate to my own personal fitness and wellbeing, while doing something I was passionate about.

The final straw came when a job I was newly appointed to had me sat in a windowless corridor with no one to interact with. After a particularly challenging day, I bit the bullet and traded my shift dress and heels for active wear and trainers and started working full time in the fitness industry after purchasing a gymnastics club.

That was eleven years ago now and while I have no regrets about the decision I made to walk away from office life, it’s not quite been the ‘fitness’ fairy-tale I had maybe dreamed of, and needless to say, my personal wellbeing has fallen to the bottom of the seemingly never ending to-do list on many occasion.

I had completely underestimated how tough the sporting industry can be, let alone running your own business. Being self-employed is hard, employing people can be really challenging, managing client relationships is a delicate balance and something which you can never switch off from; and I have learnt that the sporting industry as beautiful as it can be, can also be as ruthless and cutthroat as any corporate workplace, if not more-so. And if all of this wasn’t hard enough to manage, juggling family life as well leaves very little time to think about much else, including wellbeing.

Some of the hardest working teams I have been fortunate to work with have been in the sporting industry, my own teams included. But regardless of the wonderful experiences and services we offer our clients, we don’t always dedicate the time we should to our own health and wellbeing or that of our employees.

We often work anti-social hours including late nights and weekends. We pass like ships in the night with our team members (and families) working different shift rotations to meet the long hours that our industry and athletes require.

People who choose to work in this industry often do so out of love, and a lifelong passion for what they do and will go over and above for our clubs, teams, athletes and bosses.

We write training programs for our athletes, carefully scheduling for periods of skill acquisition, consolidation, peak performance, and rest. We employ professionals to further support our athletes, providing guidance in areas beyond our own expertise such as physiotherapists, nutritionists, and psychologists. We check in with our athletes regularly and provide opportunities for them to reach out if they need additional help or support with personal challenges. 

If we know what is required to ensure peak performance from our athletes why don’t we apply some of the same principles and practices in the workplace? If we invest some time and energy into nurturing, caring for, and providing wellbeing support to our team members, can they not perform at their best too, along with our athletes.

Maybe it’s time to start listening to the advice and guidance we pass onto others and start doing as we say.

If our physical and mental health are in good shape, there is no limit to what we are capable of achieving.

Being physically and mentally well is critical to our ‘performance’ in every aspect of our lives.

By performance, I don’t mean our ability to run 100m in record time, do the limbo, or stand up in front of an audience and give a speech, I mean doing the things we do daily such as getting out of bed, being a mum, being a dad, a grandparent, an employee or any other ‘hat’ we may be wearing at any given time in our crazy lives.

If we are not looking after our wellbeing, daily activities will undoubtedly become more challenging. Things will start to take longer than they should, and our minds may start to question our ability to perform the simplest of activities. Our brains may even begin to work against us, sometimes with devastating effect.

Regularly investing time and energy into our personal wellbeing is really important for being able to tackle each day as it comes and face the challenges that life throws at us from time to time.

Here are a few things that you can do every day to support you take care of you.

• Get a good night sleep. 

We should be getting around eight hours sleep regularly for our bodies and minds to feel fully rested, alert, and ready to embrace the day ahead.

• Drink plenty of water.

Staying hydrated keeps organs functioning properly, improves mood, regulates body temperature, and helps deliver important nutrients to cells in our body. 

• Exercise. 

Being active has many health benefits including improving mood, decreasing feelings of depression, anxiety and stress. It can help with weight loss, is good for your muscles and bones, increases energy levels and reduces the risk of chronic disease. Doing exercise doesn’t mean running a marathon or joining a classful of Lycra clad gym junkies, it can be as simple as going for a brisk walk, a gentle jog, a swim, choosing the stairs instead of the lift, or parking at the far side of the car park, encouraging you to walk a bit further each day.

• Make time to do things you enjoy. 

We can get so caught up in the rat race we call life that we often forget to stop and do the things we really love. For example, reading a book, drawing, watching a film, cooking for pleasure, or dancing in the kitchen. Doing things we enjoy can make us feel happy and help make the things we have to do more bearable. 

• Stay connected.

There are so many ways to stay connected with friends, colleagues, acquaintances, family and loved ones these days, it is hard to believe that we need reminding to do it. Pick up the phone, send a quick message, arrange to catch up over coffee (if we can) – believe me, your brain and body will thank you.

Social interaction can improve mental health by lifting your mood and making you feel happier. Spending time with others can boost your immune system, helping us better fight things like cold and flu, and being sociable can help us live happier, longer lives. Connect with someone today and smile.

These are just a few of the ways that you can support your own wellbeing that are not difficult to do, wont cost you anything in the way of time or money, but can make the world of difference to how you feel.

#wearewellbeing

So here it is, the last day of 2019…the last day of a decade… and the start of a brand new year! I couldn’t let the year end slip by without taking some time to reflect on all Patrick and I have done and also think about what we might do next.

I’m often accused of taking too many photos, and while my phone may be too close to hand and in peoples faces (more often than not my own), ever ready to take the next happy snap, I do love being able to look back on the year gone by through the photos I have taken to remind me of all of the wonderful places we’ve been, the fabulous people we’ve spent time with and the fantastic adventures we’ve had.

I know 2019 hasn’t been a great year for lots of people and it’s certainly had its ‘moments’ for us too, but overall it been good to me and P.

I was trying to think of a word that best describes our year gone by and while ‘change’ sprung to mind immediately (change really is the only constant in our world), I didn’t feel that it was quite right this time round. So, after a little help from Google, I decided that ‘established’ is much better.

After two years, two months and eight days of living back in the UK, I feel like we’ve established our place in our little corner of the world. We moved house to a fab third floor apartment with amazing views and we love it, I got myself a car with a bit of oomph that makes me smile when I drive it. Ambitions has built a solid reputation with lots of happy members, Patrick is loving football life and we finally feel like we have found our tribe…and we love them! That’s not to say we don’t miss everyone on the other side of the world terribly, and birthdays, Christmas and special celebrations are always hard to sit back and watch from so far away – but we are always there in spirit. We’re lucky to have been back to Australia twice this year, Daddy has also been over three times and we have our dates planned for our next trip in May. We have amazing people in our lives all over the world and while we may not see all of them everyday, we know they are there and know they always will be.

We enjoyed the sunny skies of Greece once again, a wonderful girls trip took me to Cheltenham, we did Blackpool illuminations with Sarah and the family and seeing Pink took me to Wembley for one of the best nights of the year. It was during that concert that I decided that I was going to start saying yes to doing more things and going more places and I’ve started booking things in already.

I appear to have found a love for socialising that I never knew I had and I reckon I’ve consumed more alcohol in 2019 than I have done in the 25 years that preceded it! In saying that I’m also the fittest and the healthiest, both mentally and physically that I’ve ever been – go figure??!!! I have an active job, my family around me, great friends, Patrick and a positive attitude (most of the time) to attribute my state of wellbeing to I think.

We’ve really loved spending time with family, from both sides of the world this year and those wonderful times have been very special for both of us. Patrick still lives for football and he has been lucky to have a number of opportunities in 2019 which will no doubt put him in good stead for the future.

I feel fortunate that the work we do with gymnastics and teaching children was recognised here in the UK this year and I am confident that this is only going to keep getting bigger and better for the Ambitions team. Flyaway has had an interesting year and as we look back on it, it would be easy to get lost in the tumultuous times, but I have an amazing team who I have the utmost faith in, and it’s a gym that has more passion, love, loyalty and joy in it than any other I have ever been in, and I am so very proud of it and because of that, I know that 2020 is going to be our best year yet!

2019 has also been about letting go (people, places and things), accepting change for what it is and opening our minds to new directions. But when one door closes, another really does open and I found this to be true on so many occasions in the last year. Not having a path mapped out step by step has been a little challenging for my crazy brain at times but…we’re having fun and while we’re having fun, we’ll keep doing what we’re doing, and if we’re not having fun anymore…we’ll work out what we do next!

Looking forward to 2020, I want to take more chances, do lots of fun things, go places we’ve never been, spend more wonderful times with family and friends and keep enjoying life to the full…and maybe not work quite so hard!!! In saying that, I have business plans and ideas that I want to turn into reality and I want to keep making a difference in peoples lives.

So here’s to a year gone by without too much heartache or pain (for us) and here’s to the year ahead, where anything is possible and magic will happen. 💫

Happy New Year everyone 🥂💕

I started coaching after quitting gymnastics at the age of 14 when going to the underage disco with my friends suddenly became much more appealing than putting on a leotard and training for three hours.

I missed being in the gym very quickly though, so put my hand up to help out coaching. Apart from a three year break while at University, I have coached ever since. Until 10 years ago, coaching was only ever a hobby I did outside of full time work, but I loved it and found myself teaching most nights of the week, often voluntarily.

I get bored very easily – jobs, hobbies, houses etc and often found myself moving on to the next seemingly bigger and better thing, but teaching gymnastics has been a constant in my life since as far back as I can remember, a constant that I have never got bored of.

Ten years ago, I bought a gym and made teaching gymnastics my full time occupation, and two years ago I moved back to the UK and decided to do it all over again.

Teaching children isn’t always easy. It can be challenging at times and every child is different – from how they move, how well they understand their bodies, how they interpret instruction and the rate at which they learn. As a coach, you find yourself wearing so many different hats to make sure that every child has the best gymnastics experience possible while in your class. And it’s often the little things that make all the difference – like remembering every child’s name the first time you meet them, letting them tell you a never ending story right in the middle of when you are giving instructions to the whole class, being proud of the little wins as well as he big ones and looking them in the eye when you talk to them, even if it means kneeling down to do so.

Teaching children isn’t always easy, but it is by far the most rewarding role I have been fortunate to do. If I am having a bad day, I can guarantee that there will be a smile (or ten) or a moment which will turn my day around in a heartbeat. Being enthusiastic and energetic is easy when you have such a captive audience; little bodies and minds that are like sponges when it comes to learning.

Knowing that you make a difference, every single day in the lives of the children you teach means that every day you have to be at your best. Every day you need to reflect and learn so that you can come back tomorrow an even better version of the coach you were today. Every day you have another mind to influence and instil a love of gymnastics and movement and learning. Every day you have the opportunity to influence others and help them achieve their goals, dreams and heart desires.

Every day is a great day when you are a gymnastics coach and you absolutely love what you do. 💕

No it’s not a typo or a reference to the film of a similar title, there really is something about May.

Let me explain.

I’m lying here wide awake at 5.30am on Easter morning waiting for a little boy to wake up and excitedly see what the Easter bunny has left. I should really try and get a couple more hours sleep but the birds are chirping, the sun is shining through the skylight in my bedroom and my brain is typically wired.

After sending through a link to my blog to a friend late last night, I realised that it’s been a really long time since I’ve written anything. There are two reasons for this, firstly I just don’t seem to have the time these days, and no that’s not a lame excuse, I really do struggle to find any time for extra curricular activities, especially anything that requires me to think!

Term time feels like running on a treadmill with no stop button for six weeks straight and with very little control over the speed at which I’m going, or the undulations along the way. This wouldn’t be so bad if I was actually running, treadmill or otherwise, because that would mean I’d be doing some exercise at least, but sadly no!

When you put together school runs, some semblance of domestic duties, nine hours of driving to and from work each week, teaching 20+ classes in five days and trying to be a good mum too, there’s not much time left for creativity, just sleep!

The second reason is that I mostly seem to write when I need to process something that is happening in my life at a particular time, or if I’m struggling with something a bit challenging and writing helps me work through it, but lately I just haven’t felt the need.

I realise now though that I’ve actually missed it. I love getting lost in my own thoughts and arguing with my inner self about whether something sounds ok, or if I should even post my ramblings at all. Then there’s the over obsession with with making sure there are no spelling mistakes or an extra word here or there, only to be picked up by Goele once posted, regardless of my neurotic efforts.

So as I lie here enjoying the suns rays and the fact that for once I have nowhere to be, I start thinking about Ambitions and how it’s coming up to 12 months since we started our epic adventure. I suddenly realise that many other big moments in my life have also happened in May.

May-be it’s just coincidence and it probably is just that, but there definitely seems so be something about this time of year that brings about change and exciting times for me.

So what will this May bring I wonder…hmmm? Well, now you mention it 😉 there are actually lots of exciting things coming up in the next month. Ambitions has BIG plans, Flyaway is going through lots of change, my little Aussie house will have new tenants, we’re hoping to move house here soon and Patrick and I are off to Corfu at the end of the month (can’t wait). Oh and I plan to launch my new business – Eek!!

The holiday is booked so that’s a definite and while the other things may or may not happen (ha ha), we’ll embrace whatever comes our way with excitement and an open mind.

I have lots of dreams and goals and I’m always thinking about what’s next but I’m getting much better at living in the moment and enjoying the little things as well as the big ones (children are good like that!) I’ve also learnt that it’s good to reflect once in a while to see just how far we’ve come.

Eighteen months ago, Patrick and I embarked on an incredible adventure with no idea how it would work out. We still don’t really, but we’re having lots of fun doing things we’ve never done before and going places we’ve never been before and meeting lots of new people. We’re spending time with wonderful family and friends, making some fabulous new ones and managing to staying in touch with those who mean so much to us on the other side of the world.

Change is scary, the unknown is scary, doing something for the first time can be scary – but sometimes you’ve just got to embrace it and do it anyway.

Right now though chocolate, sunshine and an excited little boy are calling me – May can wait a few more days 💕

You’d think being a gymnast I’d have the concept of balance all worked out by now, goodness knows I’ve been doing it for 35 years!!! (I know calling myself a gymnast it’s a bit of a stretch but just go with me here).

I can boast that have mastered tree pose and many other one legged yoga contortions in recent years; I regularly balance precariously on my tip toes in my cellar stairwell while attempting to grab my coat which is hung on hooks ever so slightly out of reach for my 5’ 2” self; and I have been known to walk on my hands for longer than most 42 year old women would even dream of. So how is it that while I appear to have balance all worked out in many areas of my life, that this fundamental life skill (which I also profess to teach well to lots of children) is way out of kilter as far as my work-life balance goes? So much so that it’s become more of a work, work, oops there goes another weekend, juggle!!!

It’s not just me, I know lots of people who are in the same boat. We are all so busy trying to fit a million and one things into everyday that we barely get time to come up for air. But just lately it’s seems to be busier than ever and something, somewhere is going to have to give!

Every day, regardless of weekdays or weekends, the alarm goes off at 6.13, 6.15 and 6.17 (I’ve got an odd number thing going on). I have barely opened my eyes and I’m checking my phone for overnight activity. (The downside to having a business on the opposite side of the world is that lots goes on while I’m sleeping, but at least I’ve stopped checking through the night). I check my business notifications on Facebook and Instagram, quickly catchup on what’s going on in everyone else’s world and then I open up my emails (all 5 accounts)…and so it begins!

By 6.55 I realise that I have yet again failed to get out of bed in time to do everything that I need to, to be able to leave the house at 8.23 to get Patrick to the child minder and myself to work, and that’s if I don’t have a clothing or hair ‘moment/melt down’ in which case we’re completely stuffed!!

The rest of the day doesn’t get much less frantic and when I arrive home at 8.30 in the evening, I shove a ‘balanced for you’ meal in the Microwave (at least I’m trying) and not long after scoffing it down, while answering messages I haven’t get to earlier or shouting to Patrick to get out of the shower he has been in for the last 20 minutes, I’m crawling back into bed. It’s usually about then that I remember that one email I didn’t reply to earlier and I quickly switch the lap top back on, and before I know it it’s midnight!!!

Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do and all things considered I have a great life but when you constantly feel like the rev counter is maxed out trying to keep up with everything, and your brain is so wired that you feel like you’ve had ten coffees instead of just one, sometimes it all gets a little too much…and that’s without mentioning the guilt!

When I reflect back on my life, I realise that apart from short periods of transition to something new, I’ve always operated this way. If I’m completely honest, I actually like being super busy and I’d probably bored if I wasn’t. I go a hundred miles an hour until I hit a metaphorical wall which forces me to come to a grinding halt usually with copious amounts of tears and then I slowly build back up the revs until it’s once again full speed ahead. And most of the time I’m happy to exist in this constant state of go, go, go, work, work, work but just recently I’m left wondering, where is the balance? Maybe I’m getting old?! Or maybe I just need to adjust the way I do things a little.

Where are the cuddles on the sofa when there’s nothing to do and nowhere to be? Where’s the time to soak in a bubble bath to relax and unwind until your fingers and toes get wrinkly? Where’s the time to watch every episode of that series that looks really good on TV? Where’s the time to pick up the phone, call a friend and chat for hours, instead of texting to say hi, how you doing?’…where’s the time to be the good mum, the big sister, the helpful daughter, the best friend and loving partner I so desperately want to be, yet feel like I’m failing miserably at?!

I don’t think I have the answers really, either for myself or for anyone else who finds themselves in the same boat. And the reality is that we all need to work, and that life by its very nature these days is busy!! But by making a conscious effort to live in the moment instead of always looking at what’s next, it might seem a little less frantic.

So I’m going to really try to enjoy the little things that bring me joy among the chaos like the morning cuddles Patrick asks for before he gets up everyday; like asking the important questions when he comes out of school and really listening to the answers; enjoying every moment of the weekend time we spend together; putting my phone away when I get the rare chance to meet a friend or my mum for coffee or lunch; not just saying ‘let’s catch up’ to friends but actually doing it; saying ‘yes’ more and making time to doing things I actually love to do, and consciously be in contact more with the people who mean a lot to me.

Life is short and while I’m not going to promise myself that I’ll slow down of do any less anytime soon, I’m going to make sure that I really enjoy the bits I can and say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to more of the things that will help be get my balance back.

“Plan strategically for a very fulfilling future, but don’t forget to enjoy the beautiful sight of this precious moment.”

#bringbackthebalance

Love Georgie 💕

Wow! It’s been 12 months to the day since we boarded the plane at Melbourne airport bound for the UK and our next big (massive) adventure. After 17 wonderful years in Australia, I was going home!

A far cry from the 25 year old, bright eyed, very blonde, very naive, young girl that landed in Sydney all those years ago, I boarded the plane on 23rd October 2017 with tears stinging my eyes. I was trying so desperately to hold it together and be strong for Patrick, who too was walking away from everything he’d ever known.

We landed in the UK in Autumn, which really is a beautiful time of year. The sun shines a little more than usual (if you’re lucky), the evenings are starting to draw in but it’s not dark at 4pm like in the middle of Winter, and the morning frost and gorgeous autumnal colours make Britain a very pretty place to be in October.

As pretty as it was and so lovely to hug family after another long twelve months apart, the bump back down to earth reality came in the form of no house, no car and no job! I couldn’t get a bank account until I had an address (chicken and egg) and I had to give up my Aussie drivers licence if I wanted a British one. And to top it all off, our ‘stuff’ was on board a ship somewhere, expected in two months. The only thing we did have (apart from our family and friends and each other) was a place at a school for Patrick and he was starting in a weeks time! Very much eek!

I could have quite easily curled up into a ball at that point, too scared to face the mammoth task of starting a new life in the UK, or just as easily jumped back on a plane and gone back to the life I…we, knew.

But I didn’t, we didn’t..and here we are 365 days later and what a year it’s been! It’s possibly not turned out quite as my brain had either planned or originally wanted it to, but here we are…and you know what, we’re happy and we’re doing ok!

We had an amazing Winter filled with more snow than I think I’ve ever seen. We made snowmen and snow angels and sledged down very big hills. Our Summer was the hottest since 1976 (happy for that to be repeated next year) and we definitely made the most of the sun. We’ve been abroad, more than once, enjoyed the European sun, beaches and short flights. We’ve explored parts of the UK that neither of us have been before and made many new and wonderful memories. We even went camping (well maybe glamping – I did take my mirror with me!)

We’ve both made some amazing new friends, spent wonderful times with old friends and family and we’ve both cried on more than one occasion for the ones we miss everyday back in Oz. We’ve been very lucky to have had SOOO many visitors in our short time here and can’t wait for many more to come and stay so we can show off the British sights (Goele, you’ll need to come again as seeing the inside of Accident and Emergency, teaching my classes for me and sitting in a park nursing my broken toe wasn’t really the adventure I had planned for your visit!)

I think Patrick has found his thing. He has lots of ‘things’ to be honest, but he lives, eats, sleeps and breathes football, and while my knowledge of what a good little footballer looks like is limited, I reckon he might just do alright at it if he keeps going the way he is.

He is happy and that makes me happy. He’s as sensitive as he’s always been, as loving and caring as you can get, more in tune with my emotions than I ever give him credit for and he’s the one person who can brighten my world even on the darkest days. He’s my little hero and I’m so proud of him. I know it’s tough for him too and we acknowledge that in our own way and he will have the best Christmas with his Daddy in just a few short weeks, a trip we are both looking forward to very much.

I tried to apply for jobs, I actually applied for two! But when I saw that I could only have 4 weeks annual leave and thought I might have to wear a uniform (and lanyard, heaven forbid) and then actually turn up on time, I quickly made the decision that working for myself seemed like the best option (for everyone).

I toyed with lots of business ideas, from business consultant to personal trainer but gymnastics got the better of me (again), this time with business partner on board. And Ambitions Gymnastics was borne. That was back in June and we now have over 250 members, a team of 7 coaches and a permanent venue on the horizon with lots of amazing plans for the future. I’m not sure I really envisaged the amount of equipment lifting as we do but hey, it saves on the gym membership!!

Missing Flyaway and my Australian gymnastics family has probably been the hardest part for me in the last year. I know I am so very lucky to still be a part of it, to still be their ‘leader’ but as I sit and watch their adventures, successes and triumphs through the wonderful world of social media (always with immense pride) I can’t help but feel like it’s slipping away from me just a little. I hope not because it is still very much a part of me and who I am. Ok, time to stop on this subject before the tears come again.

I have sooo many exciting things on the horizon to keep me even busier than I already am. I’m hopefully going to be involved in a new project working with school students developing ‘life skills’; I’ve just signed up to do a child psychology diploma and mum really inspired me today to pursue (in some way, just not sure how) my long term goal/dream of being an inspirational speaker/life coach, so I’m going to try and get the ball rolling on that one.

Above all though, I hope to continue to be a good role model and mum to my boy. I will continue to trust my journey and try to enjoy all the lessons that life chooses to pass my way. It really is a roller coaster!

So after all things considered…life in the UK is good. We are busy, we are happy and we are enjoying our adventure so far! We can’t wait to see what the next 12 months brings 💕

If you’d have said to me…err, ever…that I’d be heading off for a weeks holiday on my own, I’d have probably laughed the whole idea off as completely absurd. But, here I am, five days in to a weeks holiday in Corfu, all on my tod!

I’ve travelled between Australia and the UK many times on my own, or with Patrick in tow, back to see family and I’ve never spared a thought to it being anything other than what it was, flying home. I’ve driven in major cities on my own (getting lost now comes as standard) and I’ve eaten in restaurants alone. I don’t think I’ve ever been to the cinema alone but it’s not something I would shy away from if the situation arose. And I’ve been absolutely fine doing all of these things in my fierce/forced independence in more recent years, but somehow booking and going on a ‘holiday for one’ seems a little different somehow.

A Shirley Valentine-esque style of escape has been suggested more than once by those who have heard of my solo adventure. Others have raised eyebrows, unable to fully comprehend ‘a holiday, on your own?’, but in the main, the news of my getaway has induced a ‘wow, really?! I wish I could join you, how exciting!’ kind of response.

I must admit I felt a little odd when the travel agent asked how many guests the booking was for and I responded with ‘one’, for my Greek getaway. It’s not that people don’t holiday alone, lots of people do it, it’s just not something I ever really thought I’d be doing.

So here I am in Corfu, for a week, just me, myself and I. And you know what? I’m having a really lovely time! Of course I miss Patrick but I would never, could never, begrudge him time with his Daddy, but if I’d have stayed at home for the full three weeks that he’s away, it could have got messy, especially without work to keep my mind busy!!

When I arrived at the accommodation I must admit that I did become a little edgy. We arrived in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, I was shown to my room, which was on the ground floor, with a balcony to the walkway, and for a moment my head was filled with all sorts of less than desirable scenarios. But after I’d unpacked my suitcases, got changed into my sunbathing attire and wandered out to the pool deck, only to be met by Alex, the complex owner and one of the most genuine, kind and caring people I’ve ever met, all of my ‘fears’ were allayed. [He actually appears to have taken me under his wing and made it his mission to look after me – I even got chocolate delivered poolside today!, I must look like I need watching over, I don’t mind in the least if it means I get chocolate!]

In the last five days, I’ve got up when I wanted, got ready in my own time, enjoyed breakfast by the pool and I’ve even spent time doing work on my laptop at the pool bar. I’ve had lunch when I’ve felt like it, dinner too (in some beautiful restaurants watching the sunset) and enjoyed hours and hours of sunbathing and reading. I’ve chatted to people, lots of people, from all walks of life and I’ve also enjoyed not talking to people when my own company was all I needed. I’ve taken in the sights of Corfu Town, exploring places I probably never would if I wasn’t on my own, and I’ve loved my evening strolls (still a bit of a hobble if I’m honest) along the Main Street of St. George South, with nowhere to be and no one to answer to.

I haven’t felt lost, or alone, or like some desperado which maybe I thought I would. I’ve slept well and I’m looking forward to my remaining two days. In fact, I feel relaxed, happy and ready to face the next no doubt, crazy six months. The whole experience has been really quite liberating, and one that I would highly recommend to anyone who has the chance to ‘escape’ on their own for a few days.

I must add that I haven’t been swept off my feet by some Greek Adonis, which is a little disappointing, but I’ve still got two days left! Here’s hoping.

Yamas! 💕