When Simes and I first decided to move to London, it was supposed to be a 12 month adventure filled with travel and good times (I remember us both saying that we were going for a good time, not a long time). Here we are four years later and it’s time to head home to Australia with our little baby girl. I never imagined that we would meet so many amazing characters and that our lives would be filled with so many riches.
As the old song goes… you don’t know what you got till it’s gone. The moment we decided to leave this big, bustling city, I fell more in love with it than ever before. I love that it is rich in history and culture. I love that it is truly multicultural and that when I catch the bus to work I hear at least five different languages and see faces from so many different backgrounds. I love that it is full of creativity and allows people to be exactly who they are without judgment. I love that I walk past St Mary’s hospital in Paddington on my way to work and look up and remember bringing our beautiful baby girl into the world in that funny old maternity ward. I love that it is so close to the rest of Europe and that you can be in another country in a matter of minutes. I love that Simes can revel in his passion for football and see world class players on a daily basis (well I kind of love that, except when I want to watch something else on TV!). I love that the UK is so regional and that every part of the country has its own identity and characteristics. I love that as I walk through Soho each morning I see the characters that make the West End tick (everyone from cross-dressing parking inspectors to cheery fruit stall owners). I love its beautiful big parks and the cheeky squirrels that run around them. I love the London pubs and the bangers and mash that fill our tummies on cold winters days. I love the summer music festivals and the amazing, fresh live music scene. I love the long summer days when the sun doesn’t go down until 10pm. I love that Simes and I are still crazy about each other and that Maddie has enriched our lives more that I could ever have imagined. But most of all, I love that we have made friends that will always be in our lives regardless of how often we see each other.
Saying goodbye is always hard… but I had totally underestimated how hard it would be to leave this amazing city. I can’t wait to be home with our treasured family and friends. I just wish we could bring parts of London with us. I remember when we left Sydney my mum gave me some great advice. She said “life is a great big canvas and you just have to throw as much paint as you can at it” (I think she borrowed the saying from the actor Danny Kay). I like to think that the London part of our canvas will be one of the most beautiful sections.
The last couple of weeks have been a series of catch ups with friends including a trip to the Cotswolds with our dear friends, a visit from Maddie's Godmother (Cherie) and her lovely husband Brendan, and a fun catch up with Maddie’s baby mates and their mums. It was Maddie’s last day at nursery on Friday. It was a teary farewell and the lovely ladies that have looked after her made a fantastic photo book to remind her of her time at St Stephens and each wrote her a little poem. The week ahead looks like it will be mayhem with leaving drinks, a night at the Brit Awards, leaving dinners, moving out of our flat and a trip to Brussels.
We are staying with our dear friends Simon and Nattie next week. They have been unbelievable friends to us. They welcomed us into their home when we first arrived in London, so it made perfect sense to end the journey in the same way. We love them so much. I can’t imagine how it will feel to say goodbye on March 2nd
Lots of love xxx
As the old song goes… you don’t know what you got till it’s gone. The moment we decided to leave this big, bustling city, I fell more in love with it than ever before. I love that it is rich in history and culture. I love that it is truly multicultural and that when I catch the bus to work I hear at least five different languages and see faces from so many different backgrounds. I love that it is full of creativity and allows people to be exactly who they are without judgment. I love that I walk past St Mary’s hospital in Paddington on my way to work and look up and remember bringing our beautiful baby girl into the world in that funny old maternity ward. I love that it is so close to the rest of Europe and that you can be in another country in a matter of minutes. I love that Simes can revel in his passion for football and see world class players on a daily basis (well I kind of love that, except when I want to watch something else on TV!). I love that the UK is so regional and that every part of the country has its own identity and characteristics. I love that as I walk through Soho each morning I see the characters that make the West End tick (everyone from cross-dressing parking inspectors to cheery fruit stall owners). I love its beautiful big parks and the cheeky squirrels that run around them. I love the London pubs and the bangers and mash that fill our tummies on cold winters days. I love the summer music festivals and the amazing, fresh live music scene. I love the long summer days when the sun doesn’t go down until 10pm. I love that Simes and I are still crazy about each other and that Maddie has enriched our lives more that I could ever have imagined. But most of all, I love that we have made friends that will always be in our lives regardless of how often we see each other.
Saying goodbye is always hard… but I had totally underestimated how hard it would be to leave this amazing city. I can’t wait to be home with our treasured family and friends. I just wish we could bring parts of London with us. I remember when we left Sydney my mum gave me some great advice. She said “life is a great big canvas and you just have to throw as much paint as you can at it” (I think she borrowed the saying from the actor Danny Kay). I like to think that the London part of our canvas will be one of the most beautiful sections.
The last couple of weeks have been a series of catch ups with friends including a trip to the Cotswolds with our dear friends, a visit from Maddie's Godmother (Cherie) and her lovely husband Brendan, and a fun catch up with Maddie’s baby mates and their mums. It was Maddie’s last day at nursery on Friday. It was a teary farewell and the lovely ladies that have looked after her made a fantastic photo book to remind her of her time at St Stephens and each wrote her a little poem. The week ahead looks like it will be mayhem with leaving drinks, a night at the Brit Awards, leaving dinners, moving out of our flat and a trip to Brussels.
We are staying with our dear friends Simon and Nattie next week. They have been unbelievable friends to us. They welcomed us into their home when we first arrived in London, so it made perfect sense to end the journey in the same way. We love them so much. I can’t imagine how it will feel to say goodbye on March 2nd
Lots of love xxx
