Home Part 1: Shopping, Walking and Naked Butlers...

There is always a pull back home. No matter how carzy/ amazing/ wonderful my life away may be. There is a tug on my heartstrings every time I hear the voices of my family, or read a note that reminds me of England. There is a longing in my heart that wants to take me back home, if even just for a day. So in mid-August, even though I was frustrated at leaving what was rapidly feeling like my new home, just as I felt my life was begning to settle and things were falling into place; I was so excited to be heading back to the UK. The only thing I was not looking forward to was the tube, train and bus that was facing me at the other end.  Four months away was enough time to get those things out of my system, so they no longer felt like a breeze, but were making me stress from hundreds of miles away.

Before I could get home though I had to first stop in Nairobi. I never seem to learn not to read what is on the internet, nor do I listen to my mother when she tells me at times it’s better to pay that little bit extra for some comfort. So those two life lessons ignored, I had booked myself into a cheap, but apparently nice place ‘near’ the airport. What I found was a dingy, mosquito infested hole in a part of Nairobi, which is cold at the best of times, I found myself in an even colder section next to a main road, in a fairly dubious area of town. I was cold and miserable. After a desperate call home to my sister Louise, I followed her instructions – doomed my room, escaped the toxins with a book for company at dinner (even worse than the room if possible). On my return I jumpped in the scoulding shower (I was just grateful for the warmth), jumpped into bed, and hoped that sleeping would make the morning and my flight home arrive sooner. Luckily Louises advice worked, and for whatever reason, exhaustion, or my mind protecting me from the horrors of what surrounded me (OK, possibly a little dramatic, but hey :P), I slept the night through and soon found myself in a taxi headed back for the airport.

The flight went smoothly and before I could decide between sleep and films, (my eternal flight dilema!), and wihtout feeling like I had had my fill of either, I was decending into heathrow. I landed and called Alice (my eldest sister), I was staying at hers and needed to check she’d be in. She had told me to call as I was going through arrivals, but I couldn’t wait to hear her voice. She was in Tesco’s (part of me was dissapointed she hadn’t secretly come to meet me), and we began to make plans for the night. As I did finally make my way into arrivals I heard a squeak both on the phone and behind me – my heart jumpped and I knew what I’d see as soon as I turned. I spun round and swear I could have burst with excitement, relief and joy – there was Alice waiting for me as I had wished she would be. We nearly squeezed the life out of each other, and all thoughts of Kenya, work and transport dissapeared. I was home, and with family. I knew I had missed her, but I hadn’t quite realised how much till I was standing with her in front of me. After an excited few moments of chatter we headed to her home gossiping all the way. To my added joy that night Louise and her fiance Paul came to join us (Alice, her fiance David and I) for dinner. It was such a great welcome home.

My trip to the UK quickly picked up pace after my return. When I described my trip back to my friend James, he said it was “a typical Emma trip”. Wth which I believe he meant compltetly over the top and an attempt to cram too much stuff into too little time (I often think if I were tested today I’d be diagnosed with hyperactivity or ADD), which indeed it was, and something I would never dream of changing.

'I'm pretty sure I packed more than this...'
Maybe Rhod Gilbert also got his suitcase from Lites Mtumba!

Mum came up to London and we did some serious sales shopping reaping the advantage of arriving home at the end of summer, and knowing I’d soon be heading to warmer climes (yep, a few days back and already thinking of getting back to Kenya – well I am nothing if not good at thinking ahead and trying to make plans). Along with our ability to talk anyone’s ears off (yep, it’s a family trait), us S-W ladies are very good at shopping. Inherited from my mother, we approach it with tactics and planning, only slightly short of a military attack, and boy are we effective. Join my mother’s eye for what will suit (most of the time...) and my six-sense-type ability to find a deal and we are a sales shopping Special Forces unit. With my Kenya wardrobe re-stocked, much tea drunk, cheese eaten, a number of pubs frequented and some great London meals drunk I headed with Mum to Devon soon to be followed by Alice, Louise, Paul and David for Dad’s 60^th birthday weekend.

Home sweet home - Beautiful Devon fields

For our family time we attempted to do a section of the coastal walk round the South of England. Unfortunately what we hadn’t banked on was the English weather. Unprepared for walking in the rain (you’d think being English we’d manage that..), our first attempt was a little bit of a failure. However after a good lunch, some drying off under hand-warmers, and clearer skies beckoning we finally managed to get in a good few hours along the gorgeous Devon coast-line. We then spent the rest of the weekend catching up and having some wonderful (and these days increasingly rare) family time.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Chris looking pleased at the decision to go to the pub

Now that's more like it... The view once things had dried out.

Once Dad’s weekend was over and I had finally settled back in I found life kicking itself off again with no thought to the distances I had travelled. A return to Canterbury saw me try to combine catch-ups, with work, meetings and a full-scale scrub down of my house after one set of tenants were out, and overseeing the arrival of new ones (this time, my gorgeous friends and with them a lot less stress and hassle – thank God). Once all this was sorted, and I had developed a ‘work game-plan’ for my time back, I found myself once again moving on. This time to London to stay with Louise, get in some more catching-up with her Paul and Paul’s daughter Jess, and our final preparations for Alice’s hen party. With some last minute crises averted we were soon on our way south for a seriously surreal but fun weekend.

Who knew Gosport could be such fun! It was one of the craziest weekends of my life. With Alice-in-wonderland characters, naked butlers, scavenger hunts, girls dressed as their Dads, interesting  and dubious interactions with the local police and many creepy old men, sports day, acrobatics by the sea, bouncy castles, some incredible food and lots of alcohol, it was definitely one to remember (well most of it I think).

Tweedle Dee (Me), Alice (Alice), Queen of Hearts (Charlie - MOH) and Tweedle-Dum (Louise)

On my way home I made a vital stop to meet a very special young lady, one of my oldest friends, Adam, and his wife had, just as I got back, had the most stunning little girl. It was supposed to be a short stop, but having quickly fallen completely in love with the tiny little treasure in my hands I couldn’t bear to leave. Luckily Anna happily let me hold Amelia whilst she got some sleep and Adam and I had a much over-due catch up. Once again I realised, that whilst life abroad is amazing, you miss out on so much that is going on at home, and neglect a lot of your friends. I vowed to make more of an effort the next time I was away.