After a day or two of unpacking, doing copious amounts of washing, celebrating nan's 70th birthday helping friends celebrate the arrival of two new babies, and picking up the dog from his grandparents' house (he appeared to have had a fabulous time but was still happy to see us), my 31st birthday had suddenly arrived, seemingly without warning.
I spent the last week of the trip running a daily countdown, mostly to torment Bryan but also in a bid to build some momentum for this birthday that we had almost forgotten in the hype of our holiday. Despite a low-key celebration (drinks and dessert pizzas at Cargo with a handful of good friends) I couldn't help but note the significance of the day.
...to the awesome holiday at the end -- and all the fun stuff in between.
Everyone has asked which destination we liked best (and where we would live given the chance), and the answer is undoubtedly Greece.
But there were plenty of other highlights too -- whether we were climbing China's Great Wall, relaxing in the 40C water of Budapest's hot springs or getting amongst the craziness of New York's Times Square, it was a holiday we'll never forget.
Of course there were some dramas -- credit card fraudsters ripping unathorised money from our account, a swag of car rental companies who refused to accept our bookings because they didn't like the Commonwealth Bank's travel money card, and some extended airport stop-overs due to delayed flights.
But there was also plenty of laughter, plenty of relaxing, and plenty of shopping (Bryan now has enough t-shirts to start his own shop), and I even managed to find some bling along the way.
So thanks to everyone -- those who gave the amazing gift of travel vouchers to kick-start our saving effort, those who offered itinerary suggestions from their own overseas travels, those who looked after our home and our pets, and those of you who followed this blog. And a big thank you to my fabulous travelling partner who was not only great company but was also VERY good at carrying my heavy bags at the many airports we flew in and out of!
You all made 30 special -- it definitely was a year to remember.
No comments:
Post a Comment