Put me on my death bed right now and I would spend most of my time snivelling and trying to get sympathy. In between, if you were silly enough to ask, I would probably recount my life in journeys. Student debt to solvency, single to happily married, starting points, turning points, aspirations. You know, the big stuff. I might not mention which particular diet fads worked or didn't work. I may not remember that mistake I made at work which was not significant but for which I spent nearly an entire week mentally crippling myself. I would definitely not care whether on Tuesday 24 August 2003, someone had remembered to put the bins out.

And yet on a daily basis approximately 90% of my energy is ploughed into just those issues and the bigger picture is....well, a bit over pixelated.

This is fine, I reason. And perfectly rational. What is important however is not to let stuff I won't remember prevent me from finding the time to create the memories I will cherish.

And so....operation no regrets. Beginning with a travelling adventure. Eleven months, eleven counties, two backpacks, myself, my husband and the odd mosquito along for the ride.

Tuesday, 3 March 2015

Leaving.... on a jet plane

Planes. Air travel. I am sorry because I know it goes against all my environmental principles (and in the case of Ryan Air and Easy Jet, a few ethical ones) but the fact is I love it.

Nowhere else do I have the opportunity, or allow myself the opportunity, to sit and eat, drink and watch films for free for upwards of six hours. Even my drinking less rules allow for a tipple on special occasions - and flights. 

I am travelling to some of the most fascinating countries in the world - and still the flights between them - especially the long ones - are looked forward to, even counted down to - as much as the arrivals. 

This flight I have been looking forward to especially because it is the first long haul one since we embarked on this journey, having allowed ethics to intervene on the environment's behalf when moving smaller distances between countries. And that first long haul flight had been so looked forward to, as the moment that would culminate all those months of fevered planning and packing and tying of loose ends, and would be my permission to finally, finally relax and enjoy it. Except I was feeling pretty ropey due to some badly timed ill effects from the Yellow Fever vaccine. And ill I was. I practically, as I will tell anybody who will listen, had yellow fever. I didn't want the wine. I barely gulped down that unexpected glass of champagne. Darlings! It was just too, too awful!

So now, if you will forgive me, ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to sit in the airport lounge I am entitled to as M's guest further to his executive status (if you please? A work perk) and I am going to drink wine and try every single one of the food options. Then I am going to roll onto a plane and spend the safety announcement secretly pursuing the film list. Followed by a food, films and wine orgy. Punctuated by that nice tomato juice they serve with Tabasco sauce in.

For a joyous total of eleven hours. Oh yes. 

And not even a single twinge, not a hint - of yellow fever.

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