I am safely back in the UK after an amazing month exploring Australia and discovering quite a bit about myself, which sounds so cliched and pretentious and I hate that. Whilst travelling I decided I would take a break from blogging for a while as I want to concentrate on various other hobbies, especially as I’ve decided to focus on a new fitness regime and doing things I love away from blogging. I want to just read for the sake of reading for a bit and not feel as though I need to blog about every book I read and churning out half hearted posts as I try and fit blogging into a busy work/life schedule. I might decide in a few weeks to upload some posts about Australia, although there is a part of me that doesn’t feel the need to create a digital copy as I kept a journal whilst travelling.
I feel this decision has been cemented by events at home as on my return to England I learnt of the death of a close family member. It had been inevitable as she had been fighting cancer for several years and really it is a blessing that she fought as long as she did, however it still came as a shock. Before I travelled to Australia I knew that there was a possibility that she might die when I was over there and I can remember expressing my fears to my mum that I would find out over social media and being on the other side of the world – on my own – and hearing this would have been devastating. I have since found out that she died when I had eight days left on my holiday, spending a few days in a hospice before that, and that my family and boyfriend did absolutely everything to ensure that I didn’t find out before I arrived home, messaging people privately on Facebook and calling various people to stop anything appearing on social media. Something which is incredibly hard to do in this modern age of people discussing everything online and something for which I am eternally grateful. I had lunch with her the day before I left and mum said she showed her photos of my trip when she was in the hospice and I know she was excited for me and my big adventure so I’m sure she would have been pleased that I was able to happily complete my trip. My family delayed the funeral until my return so I again I am grateful that they have waited and that I can say a final goodbye with them too.
Whilst in Australia I felt some sadness for the fact that I hadn’t travelled much before and I feel that recent family events have made me fully decide that I am absolutely going to make a huge effort to visit more places and experience more of what the world has to offer. It has been a strange month of such mixed emotions and I’m looking forward to a break from blogging, but even as I write this I am sure I will be back soon as writing is such a cathartic process for me, whether that is through a private or public space who knows.
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LindyLit 