My travels this year

Hi everyone, I hope you’re all doing well. This last week of October has come by quite fast hasn’t it? I can’t believe how quickly this year has gone by. I made a start of this post while on my overseas holiday with mum. It was an amazing experience seeing my sister’s family and connecting with them, at times emotional but mostly filled with laughs. So if you’re up for a short foray into my travels, press below…

Glad you made it friends!! So my mother and I jetted off to the UK in early August thanks to the Emirates airline. Since mum has some mobility issues, I managed to get her wheelchair assistance, and it made our journey so much easier. The friendly staff helped us with almost everything. Seeing my sister and her family in their home in Gloucester felt awesome!! My niece and nephew had grown since I last saw them. We ended up spending six weeks in the UK. The religious function marking dad’s one-year anniversary since his passing was in mid-August and my brother and his family joined us for that. 

Once the function was finished, mum and I joined my brother and his family on a short visit to Paris. Yes, folks, Paris: the City of Lights!! Oh, it was amazing!! There we were, having croissants and coffee for brunch, posing in front of the Eiffel Tower, enjoying the city atop the sightseeing bus, and even an idyllic river cruise!! The kids enjoyed a unique culinary adventure with the croissants and baguette for brunch, escargot for dinner and macarons for desert!! After that short hop across the English Channel, we returned to the UK and the whole family had a weekend in London before my brother’s family returned to New Zealand. Exploring Stonehenge and London as a family was a blast!! The kids really enjoyed seeing Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, the Tower of London and other historical landmarks. I think the quiet climb up on the London Eye was something we all enjoyed though!! 

The remaining several weeks with my sister were filled with your usual domestic dramas. The kids started school and just being a part of their lives was enough for me. Although the weekdays were filled with swimming lessons and homework, on the weekends my brother-in-law would take us exploring!! The surrounding towns of Cheltenham, Painswick, and Ledbury brought their Cotswolds charm into each of the visits. Shopping in Gloucester town and seeing Roman history at every turn was something I found myself getting used to. It was amazing to see how the Roman Empire influenced the western reaches of England. My sister said that it was thanks to my visit that she learned so much about the town she called home. You’re welcome sis!!

For those of you who thought our summer vacation ended there, I have a little news for you. It didn’t!! After six weeks in the UK we hopped on a plane and jetted over the Atlantic towards Canada as my uncle, mum’s brother, had invited us to visit. Seeing him after thirty odd years was so emotional and overwhelming for me. Although we’d all aged, the cheeky nature that he shared with mum kept us entertained for the whole two weeks we were there. Since they lived in Vancouver, weather wise autumn was just starting. They took us to Stanley Park, checked out the view from Cypress Mountain, and walked through the forest near their place inside the campus of the University of British Columbia where my uncle worked as a research scientist. My uncle even took us on a day trip to visit Vancouver Island and do a short tour of the main city of Victoria. Connecting with his three grown up kids I’d never seen before formally felt a little daunting but once we started talking and sharing common interests, the family connection was instant. Most of our trip we spent seeing the sights around campus; visiting bookshops, the Museum of Anthropology, and even a short shopping trip to a large Toys ‘R Us. Mum HAD to find stuff for the little girls back home! Spending time with my cousins, even for that short time, gave me immense joy and gratitude. I found a ‘kindred spirit’ with my middle cousin sister as we shared books we both grew up with even though there was a couple of decades in age between us. 

Mum and I returned to the UK and spent a few days with my sister so she could get a bit of a rest before our flight back to New Zealand. Those few days were a whirlwind of packing all of the goodies we’d bought in Canada and even getting a few other things from the local mall. Over the last weekend we were in Gloucester, my sister had saved a treat for me. Would you believe that the inner Harry Potter fan in me got a surprise?! Yes, friends, I managed to go on a tour inside Gloucester Cathedral and walked along the Cloisters where they had filmed many of the scenes from the Harry Potter movie franchise!! That may have been a true highlight, but seeing that magnificent building and hearing of its centuries old history left me humbled and breathless. What an ending to my time in England!! 

Being back in New Zealand now the whole adventure feels a bit like a dream and reality seems a bit hard to get back into. Everything I saw, felt and experienced has changed the way I see my world. I suppose it gave me a new perspective on my life and helped me re-calibrate. Here’s hoping this next chapter in my life is one that will continue to be an adventure for me!!

So there you have it, I hope you enjoy the photos I took.

Stay safe and keep reading friends

Miss Mahee