THIS IS MY LIFE: LATELY I THINK OF YOU

It's been almost two years now since I last saw my family and although I am missing them all dearly, I am still no where near ready to go home. The more I think about home, the more bizzare my whole life seems. The fact that I am currently living on the other side of the world, and have been for the last two years is slowly becoming a lot more real.

I surprisingly haven't actually missed home a lot since leaving and I think this is because my brain is yet to click on to the fact that I am actually physically on the other side of the world. It doesn't help that social media is such a big part of our lives these days, it really makes the world seem like a much smaller place. My time abroad has really flown by so fast and I love thinking back to how much I have seen and done in this time.

There is no point in fighting the truth, I have to go home. To make the process easier, I have begun to think about all the reasons for going home. Not the biggest and (obviously) most important reasons, but the smaller, less obvious ones. For me it is all about being able to hang washing on the line again. My clothes have suffered enough with driers, and indoor airers, I am so excited to hang them up, outside, to dry naturally in the wind! I think it is the same for me as well, I cannot wait to smell the clean fresh NZ air!

I have missed driving so much, and already cannot wait to get back behind the wheel of the car, probably even home from the airport! It is crazy how much we take it for granted in New Zealand. If we had the public transport system that the UK does, things could be very different for little old NZ! One obvious reason for coming home is the food. It is going to be amazing to have mums home cooking again, I have already put in my first meal request - kumera! It will be different though not having a traditional pub meal located on every corner, something I will miss for sure! Obviously it will be amazing to see everyone again, but first I get to show my little bro this amazing place I will be leaving a part of me in.

Probably the most exciting thing about being unemployed is the opportunity to travel, as you are left with no ties! As soon as the details were all worked out, I jumped online to make plans for the last of my trips before returning to The Land of The Long White Cloud, Aotearoa, New Zealand. I am fortunate enough to be able to head to Turkey and Gallipoli for the ANZAC day dawn service. It is going to be an unreal experience, no doubt!

During my time in the UK I was wanting to spend a few months living in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, part of the UK. Unfortunately I have run out of time on my visa though, because two years is definitely not long enough! Instead I am going to spend ten days seeing as much of the country I can, from top to bottom! It doesnt really count as totaly immersing myself in the culture but its as good as its gonna get, for now!

The third destination, or destinations, in my final adventure abroad for now is going to be Scandinavia. I will be taking part in another Topdeck trip starting in Berlin and heading north through Copenhagen up to Stockholm and across to Oslo, before flying back to London, where hopefully they will accept me back... Its great to have these adventures to look forward to but gives me mixed feelings about time. I am really appreciating living in the now and making the most of the time I have left. I will never wish away the time again! Now all I need to do is save up another 600pounds for a flight home!

The Scottish accent is definitely high up in the most attractive accents, in my books anyway! But working in a touristy town like Saint Andrews, in a hotel, means we get people from all over not only Scotland but the world. Quite often I find it hard to understand the scottish people, especially when they tend to use a lot of words and phrases that i've never heard before, it makes for some awkward conversations.

I thought I would take the time to write down a few Scottish Phrases that I have picked up over the last five months, and try to explain how the scots communicate. Firstly, when someone walks into the pub, the approperiate greeting is "You alright?" Apparently this means hello, two birds with one stone I suppose as the answer can be anything from "aye whit like yersel" (yes and what about you), or "och aye" (ok) to receiving a drinks order. To announce that you are leaving you would say "i'm away", "nee bother" is the kiwi equivilant of "no worries", and "just now" is used instead of "right now" or "at the moment". "Dinnae" means don't and "ken" means know, so I don't know would be "a dinnae ken". One last one used on a regular basis is ladies being called "hens" - apparently it is a compliment?! I'm sure that you can now begin to understand my struggles in every day communication.

Although I am yet to pick up these phrases, with the exception of "just now", I can proudly say that I understand what all of these phrases mean. There is one other that I will be bringing home with me, simply because I find it cute, Baffies = Slippers.

Expanding on from the idea of Multipotentialite in my last post, as the time comes closer for me to go home, I am starting to really have a think about the age old question, "what do you want to be when you grow up". This question was put to me just over two years ago when I stood there, holding a degree in my hand, with even less idea of an answer than what I have now. All I know at this stage is that I don't know exactly what it is that I am wanting to do. Despite the fact that I was running away from making this decision two years ago, I still dont know exactly what that magic answer is.

There are so many possibilities out there for me and I know that I definatley have more than one interest and area of expertise, I just need to work out what those are and create a job based on the answers! There is always the possibility of going back to study, postgrad, teaching, or even starting again with interior design, but I am not ready to make the big decision just yet!

Sometimes its nice to take a step back from the realities of the real world and just get lost in the finer things in life. Every time I am fortunate enough to Facetime with the Rasmussen kids (who I used to nanny for) I am reminded of how simple life is when you are a kid. They are always so excited to talk, to the point that there are fights over whose turn it is - feeling the love!

I absolutley love hearing their news and just feeling like I am a part of their lives is so enjoyable. Mia, aged 6, has the most incredible imagination. Her brain is all over the place and she is constantly going off on tangents. I would love to get inside her brain and use some of her creativity!

Alice, aged 9, is so focused on the future, she is ready to grow up! She has more drive and goals set than I do! At this stage she is choosing between becoming a world champion swimmer, a ballerina, a singer (in one direction - obviously!) or a vet. There is no limitations which I absolutley love! She also told me about one particular boy who is in love with her and its so annoying and he told my friends that one day she will love me back but that will never happen! I told her its hard being so beautiful!

Lucas, aged 10, is very much into the teen years. I am already struggling to get answers from him that are more than one word, sorry mum! I love them all dearly and am so thankful to be a part of their lives. Not only was I able to teach them and they me, but it is nice to be reminded that anything is possible, if we put our minds to it.

"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, love the people who treat you right, forgive the ones who don't and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it'd be easy, they just promised it'd be worth it." - Dr. Seuss

I hope this has inspired you.

LARISSAJODEE. x

#aupair #family #lifestyle