Another post so soon?!! Well yeah I felt bad only writing a smidge last time.
Yesterday I bought more stuff for my Camino and realised how I can't actually AFFORD to go but I NEED to go, so... I'm just going to keep at it. I drove to Edgware yesterday to a Go Outdoors store and what should have been a 20 minute drive - what would have been a 20 minute drive in Melbourne anywhere but Punt Rd - took 45 minutes. Oh London Traffic - I hate you with a passion. I bought a sleeping bag. It was the smallest there, it was the lightest they had, I got it home and tried stuffing it in my backpack and unless it's just me, someone who doesn't hike overnight and has never tried this before but, it takes up so much room! It barely fits in there. It's a 30L pack. BUT! It's perfect for my Camino. The temperature range is good, weight, size of actual bag and it means that as it takes up more room, I'm less tempted to shove more stuff in there which will make my pack heavier. I spent half an hour in the store messaging my friend back home who walked it last year, MANDA PANDA, THAT'S YOU! Asking 'what do you think of this jacket' 'do I need this' 'what kind of hat...' bloody hell, I don't shop. I can't stand shopping. I wish someone would just buy me clothes (BERNI) and send them to me (NUDGE NUDGE, WINK WINK). I'll pay you back, cheers.
I got so excited last night that I did I trial pack. I do need toiletries in there and a water bottle, a torch, oh and my scallop shell on the front, but other than that I think I've got it all. I also bought a jacket yesterday. It's a fleecey jacket, warm, breathes, dries quickly but it's purple. They didn't have any other colour and I really can't afford to keep putting off buying this stuff. As I need more overtime shifts to book off the later days, I needed to just buy what I needed and not waste anymore time, utilise my days to the fullest. I bought a cap, because I don't own a hat here other than a massive wide brim sunhat, and lately a waterproof jacket the rolls into a little pouch that I've strapped to the outside. I look like I know what I'm doing. I'm going for a walk today wearing the pack with an Aussie mate from work. We're heading to Richmond Park. It's an hours' walk from my place, then it can take you over an hour to walk straight through the middle to the other end, let alone around the whole thing. Oh! I'm excited.
I caught up with a friend from home last night. THAT'S YOU LAUREN G!!! She lives over Clapham-way so I made the train trip over and I'm so glad I did. Made my day. There's so much happening over there that I almost feel jealous. I live in Isleworth, but on the outside of it. There's nothing actually near me in terms of restaurants and bars and clubs. I have a pub. It's nice. I don't think they have live music so it's not the best but! I have a pub. Lauren is surrounded by culture and busy-bees and cafes with really good coffee. I guess it means I save money just because I'm not tempted to spend it?
Ok, off for my walk. I'll let you know how it goes!
And I'm back, over 6hrs later. I had to shower because oh, pissed down with rain for most of the day but so worth it. It was probably better in the rain. It was muddy and cool then hot and dry; I had a lot of fun using and getting familiar with the jackets and pack. It's made me realise just how poor my posture really is :/ Not good.
We walked 23km today, which isn't too bad! And there was a lunch break in there.
Ok starving, need to refuel.
TTFN!
Wednesday, 13 July 2016
Friday, 8 July 2016
I am a Paramedic. Oh and the parentals are here!
How's this font? Any better? BERNI?!
I've been really busy (not slack) so haven't been able to post anything for a while.
After 3 hard years of studying, packing up my life and moving overseas and a mere 300hours of placement, I am finally out on the road as a fully qualified Paramedic. It's here, I'm here and it's scary! I'm on relief so I work crazy hours, all mostly 12hr shifts, but because I don't have a permanent line at one particular branch, I don't get the luxury of getting one week off every month. Plus I have a big trip planned, for which I need at least 6 extra shifts to make up the time to go. But I'll tell you all about that in a bit.
So I get about 6hrs sleep, wake and run out the door. I will work for 12hrs+, drive home, eat tea, prepare lunch for the next day, shower and go to bed. The two days off I have are mostly spent doing the grocery shop or washing, which I should be doing right now haha but I'll squeeze that in later this afternoon. Finding a time you're free that coincides with the same time that someone else from work is free to catch up is near impossible. I have slightly better luck in catching up with Nicole because she at least has most evenings and weekends. We see each other every 2ish weeks and I love it, really keeps me going. She's helping me find the attractive side of London. The colours and smells and foods, drinking wine on a hill in the lazy afternoon sun. It's not just a grey city of smog and grumpy people.
My parents are traveling at the moment around Britain and we've caught up twice now. I waited a good hour and a half at the gate of Terminal 3 at Heathrow because there were hundreds of people going through Passport Control when they landed. Their faces lit up when they saw me there waiting, but whose wouldn't? I'm adorable.
What did we do? Geeze, oh well we had dinner at the pub around the corner from my place. It's a great little pub on the Thames with a really nice beer garden. I'm not sure I'll be sitting outside in the winter time as the heaters do a poor job of keeping anything warm but it's great in summer. I had to work a bit but we had dinners together. They did the grocery shop for me, and paid for it for me, oh I really did appreciate that. Me so poor! Adulting is really expensive. Especially when my extra shifts will be for TOIL (time off in lieu) for my trip. Mother Dearest then spent 3hrs in the kitchen cooking sugo, kidney beans and minestrone for me to freeze. My freezer is still fully stocked, oh it's so sexy! Pa and I watched the soccer. Yes, I'm going to keep calling it soccer because you can take the girl out of Australia...
Ah damn, my tee shirt is covered in chocolate now. That's what you get I suppose when you eat slouched on the couch.
They stayed for 3 nights then went off around Britain. They passed through again the week after for a day, we went into town so I could vote in the Aus Fed Election. I voted twice in a space of 7 days and felt pretty important. Not that either of my votes actually made a difference in the end, but I felt better inside. We had Japanese for lunch and you just can't have asian food without pouring too much hot red sauce on your plate and smothering every bite in it. Crying. Using hard napkins on your face. Then going back for another bite. They're in Ireland now but coming back oo next week, I think. Haha possibly. I'll check our rosters later this week.
I'm trying to do one activity per day, on my days off. Yesterday's activity was the beer fest. Today's is recovering from the beer fest. It was hot, sunny, 7 pints with one glass of water. I'm not so smart for a smart person. Oh god, I feel so lousy and can barely focus my eyes on the screen but I shall carry on!!
My trip that I have planned from mid September to mid October is the Camino de Santiago, walking the Camino Frances. A 30 day pilgrimage you walk in Spain, from St Jean to Santiago. Look it up. There's a movie about it with Martin Sheen and Emilio Esteves.
Ok if I'm honest, it's taken me about an hour and a half to write just this much, I'm going to have to stop and keep going another time. I just can't think straight! Egh.
Cheerio!
I've been really busy (not slack) so haven't been able to post anything for a while.
After 3 hard years of studying, packing up my life and moving overseas and a mere 300hours of placement, I am finally out on the road as a fully qualified Paramedic. It's here, I'm here and it's scary! I'm on relief so I work crazy hours, all mostly 12hr shifts, but because I don't have a permanent line at one particular branch, I don't get the luxury of getting one week off every month. Plus I have a big trip planned, for which I need at least 6 extra shifts to make up the time to go. But I'll tell you all about that in a bit.
So I get about 6hrs sleep, wake and run out the door. I will work for 12hrs+, drive home, eat tea, prepare lunch for the next day, shower and go to bed. The two days off I have are mostly spent doing the grocery shop or washing, which I should be doing right now haha but I'll squeeze that in later this afternoon. Finding a time you're free that coincides with the same time that someone else from work is free to catch up is near impossible. I have slightly better luck in catching up with Nicole because she at least has most evenings and weekends. We see each other every 2ish weeks and I love it, really keeps me going. She's helping me find the attractive side of London. The colours and smells and foods, drinking wine on a hill in the lazy afternoon sun. It's not just a grey city of smog and grumpy people.
My parents are traveling at the moment around Britain and we've caught up twice now. I waited a good hour and a half at the gate of Terminal 3 at Heathrow because there were hundreds of people going through Passport Control when they landed. Their faces lit up when they saw me there waiting, but whose wouldn't? I'm adorable.
What did we do? Geeze, oh well we had dinner at the pub around the corner from my place. It's a great little pub on the Thames with a really nice beer garden. I'm not sure I'll be sitting outside in the winter time as the heaters do a poor job of keeping anything warm but it's great in summer. I had to work a bit but we had dinners together. They did the grocery shop for me, and paid for it for me, oh I really did appreciate that. Me so poor! Adulting is really expensive. Especially when my extra shifts will be for TOIL (time off in lieu) for my trip. Mother Dearest then spent 3hrs in the kitchen cooking sugo, kidney beans and minestrone for me to freeze. My freezer is still fully stocked, oh it's so sexy! Pa and I watched the soccer. Yes, I'm going to keep calling it soccer because you can take the girl out of Australia...
Ah damn, my tee shirt is covered in chocolate now. That's what you get I suppose when you eat slouched on the couch.
They stayed for 3 nights then went off around Britain. They passed through again the week after for a day, we went into town so I could vote in the Aus Fed Election. I voted twice in a space of 7 days and felt pretty important. Not that either of my votes actually made a difference in the end, but I felt better inside. We had Japanese for lunch and you just can't have asian food without pouring too much hot red sauce on your plate and smothering every bite in it. Crying. Using hard napkins on your face. Then going back for another bite. They're in Ireland now but coming back oo next week, I think. Haha possibly. I'll check our rosters later this week.
I'm trying to do one activity per day, on my days off. Yesterday's activity was the beer fest. Today's is recovering from the beer fest. It was hot, sunny, 7 pints with one glass of water. I'm not so smart for a smart person. Oh god, I feel so lousy and can barely focus my eyes on the screen but I shall carry on!!
My trip that I have planned from mid September to mid October is the Camino de Santiago, walking the Camino Frances. A 30 day pilgrimage you walk in Spain, from St Jean to Santiago. Look it up. There's a movie about it with Martin Sheen and Emilio Esteves.
Ok if I'm honest, it's taken me about an hour and a half to write just this much, I'm going to have to stop and keep going another time. I just can't think straight! Egh.
Cheerio!
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