Leap year = "Mi vuoi sposare?"...

Well it's been about two weeks since I've written on my blog and I must say I'm missing it so much. Since I got back from San Pedro I've been quite busy organising my future. I've got myself a winter job at a reputable local restaurant, working on the bar and also serving tables. I am struggling with the fast paced environment after spending the summer never having to worry what day or even what time it was. That was the best feeling in the world. But needs must, I need to save as much money as possible if I want to go travelling again. My dream is to try Italy, it's just going to take a little more planning, like learning to speak Italian! "Mi vuoi sposare?" (Well it will be a leap year!) I've also just found out my friend is going to be in Italy for the summer, she has rented a large beach apartment for three months.

So I'm now working as many hours as I can, which works well with Milo, as I only ever start at lunch time so he gets his big walk every morning. We've both enjoyed going to our old walking haunts, shame about all the rain though. I've Sorn the Beast and parked it up in my mums garden, where I spend most days hiding out with Milo and writing my book. It's still all a bit higildy pigildy but I'm loving reliving all my summer memories. I truly had the time of my life and feel so privileged to have experienced what I did. I sadly didn't get my happy ever after but Mr P will always have a special place in my heart. 

So many people say they admire what I did and that I am very brave. I don't think of myself as brave (maybe crazy!) I just had an idea and saw it through, I came upon many obstacles but that is all they were, obstacles. I moved them, ignored them, jumped over them or faced them head on and dealt with them. I think anyone could do what I did, I'm just grateful I got to do it with Milo :) ...

Milo and Me hibernate...

I've been back in the UK for a week now and I definitely have the winter blues. I can't believe what a downer I'm on after the Best Summer of my life. The dreary weather and dark nights certainly don't help lift my mood. So I've decided that Milo and Me are going to hibernate for the winter!

I won't be writing my blog while in hibernation as realistically nothing will happen! Unless of course something incredibably exciting does occur, then I will scream it from the rooftops and post a blog update :)

I've looked into travelling over the winter, in the Beast, and besides the fact that I can't even afford a tank of petrol, it isn't really feasible either. So my plan is to try and find some work locally and save as much money as I can to restart my travels in the early Spring time. Hopefully I can find work that allows me time to also write my book. There are so many adventures I didn't manage to fit into my blog, I've had an amazing week looking over all the photos I've collected. It brought back so many memories both happy and sad. The hardest thing about writing my book (besides the grammar!) is the ending. I haven't got one yet...

Thank you so very much to everyone who has followed our adventure from Milo and Me...

What to do now...

It was so lovely to catch up with old friends this weekend. Saturday morning I caught up with my old coffee buddies and I don't think we stopped for breath whilst chatting away. Saturday night I jumped into the beast to go and meet some old work buddies at a restaurant. Felt weird driving the beast as a vehicle and not as my home. Had a lovely catch up and it felt like we'd never been apart. Filled them in on some escapades I never got to put in my blog and caught up on their news. The evening was over far too quickly, I was tempted to invite them into the beast, in the car park, to carry on the evening!

This morning I met another good friend for coffee and got to catch up on some local gossip, always the best type! Then this afternoon I got a visit from my son, undoubtedly my favoutite catch up. His first comment was 'you're not very tanned', too hot to sunbathe son!

Every single person I've come into contact with since I got back has asked me the same question. The same question I ask myself every day. The same question I'm sure everyone is asking. "So what are you going to do now?" And the only answer is "I don't know yet!" Any suggestions greatly appreciated...

Feeling like a teenager...

Day three living with my mum. All my washing is done, all my meals are cooked, all my needs are catered for. I feel like I'm 15 not approaching 50! Could so easily get used to this. But although I love her to bits, grownups shouldn't live with their parents. And I'm sure she misses her space. Milo is being so well behaved, especially considering the amount of fireworks at the moment. He is so scared of them and just cowers in his bed until they stop. I took him to our old haunt Royden Park yesterday and I think I confused him by taking him in the Beast. When we got back to my mums he couldn't settle, I'm sure he felt we should be off travelling again.

I too feel we should be travelling again but feel like I've lost direction. My dream of true love happy ending is still in my heart, but my map is tatty! I've got my thinking cap on but it keeps slipping over my eyes! Maybe I've still got jet lag?

I'm meeting up with some old friends this weekend and am so excited to see them. I can't believe I've been gone over five months, it feels like five days and also five years. So much has happened for Milo and Me this year I still have to pinch myself that it was real. Most of it has been so positive and good  it makes me feel blessed. Some sadness has occurred and my heart breaks for that...

Looking only ahead...

I left San Pedro 9am Monday and arrived at my mums 9pm Tuesday. It took four aeroplanes, four trains, one car and a golf buggy to get me there. It got to the point where I was confused as to why the train was taking so long to lift off the ground. My favourite airport was Atlanta, so clean and modern with every facility available.

On one flight with KLM, I was seated between two little old ladies, one rather hard of hearing Dutch  lady and one very chatty South African lady.  Quite difficult trying to sleep through that conversation being sat in the middle. The deaf lady also thought I was Dutch and spoke to me throughout the flight in Dutch, though it didn't matter much anyway as she couldn't hear anything I was saying!

Euston train station was rather interesting. I've never seen so many good looking men in suits in one place. Viewing heaven. Certainly passed away the time for me.

So now I'm at my mums house and back with my Milo :) He was pretty casual on my return, like I thought, probably thinking I'd just been to the shops. But it's so good to be back with my little partner in crime :)

So what's next? Still haven't got the answer to that one. Would love to find a quiet hideaway and just finish writing my book. But, as I haven't got a penny to my name at the moment I'll need to rethink that one. I have looked into doing house sitting around the UK, but unfortunately you don't get paid for doing it. Would absolutely love to travel around Italy in the Beast with Milo but would have to save up big time for that dream. So I'm still at the drawing board just now, weighing up my options and looking only ahead...

Leaving San Pedro...

I arrived in San Pedro feeling rather damaged, fragile and broken. I'm leaving today and though I can't say I'm completely repaired I've had plenty of time to reflect. I've learnt a lot about me. My limits and boundaries. My coping mechanisms. My outlook and perception of life and the people around me. Just boils down to the fact that some days are good some days are bad, some people are nice some not so nice. So I just keep going, one day at a time, and just God Damm appreciate and enjoy what is put in front of me!

Can't say I'm looking forward to the journey back to UK. Going to take about two days but heyho you never know who I may meet on the way.  And when I get back, after the biggest hug with Milo, I will begin to plan the next adventure...

A very lonely bride...

And there I was. Stood at the altar. Hair blowing in the gentle breeze. A bride waiting. And waiting. And waiting! No bloomin groom to be seen haha! Well at least I got to stand at an altar 'like' a bride.

In all my time here my neighbours have changed constantly. First there was a polite quiet American boy. Then a loud and fun American boy. Then a group of six very loud Mexican men. Now a young couple with a small baby. Who next I wonder? Maybe a tall dark handsome stranger...

The second batch of army boys arrived on Friday and happily there were some closer to my age bracket. Such is I took up their invitation to 'hit' the town last night. We walked the whole length of the town looking for a decent restaurant, and then walked the whole length of the town again back to the first one they had seen. It was like dress shopping with a girl! We then headed to some kind of beach night club where everyone was in Halloween fancy dress. Or maybe they weren't.

I met a man with a dog in his bag. I met two very muscular teenage mutant ninja turtles. And I watched a man on the dance floor dancing with a small baby (definitely a pulling tool, he had a crowd of girls around him cooing). I also impressed myself by matching the boys beer for beer, although I am suffering for it today. The army boys were really good fun and kept the banter going all night. And they made sure I got home safe and sound.

Off to the beach now, see if I can find me a groom...