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Well as I write this next instalment I am 2 hours in to a 10 hour journey on a bus full of primary and secondary school girls returning from Nairobi!! But despite my previous moaning I have had a lovely trip – topped off by driving past some beautiful giraffes meandering in the distance! I love this country!! We finally had some great accommodation so despite getting thrashed at the hockey tournament again ... I had a lovely and fairly relaxed weekend. I am however slightly concerned at the affects it has on my body. Nairobi is not that cold particularly at this time of year in fact during the day it is a very hot dry heat and yet every time I travel up I instantly get cold like symptoms and sore lips – I have no idea how I will cope with England in the summer!
I love listening to some of the kids telling me about their families I am so sheltered coming from parents that are still married – many of my students can’t believe I have a 31 year old sister and my parents are still married some of their families are so complicated but colourful and interesting. I am a little bit more excited than usual for my journey home as once again on the romance front the first weekend he is back from Uganda for a wedding – I’m in Nairobi L however he has kindly taken Monday off work so we can spend 1 evening together! What happened to nice uncomplicated men who live around the corner hey?? But we do get a week together in the Easter hols when we have plans of staying in Watamu, camping, lounging and exploring which will be really cool.
My trip to Uganda was great – we didn’t end up going to Ethiopia in the end which was good as I got an extra night in Uganda rather than in the airport however I still had to share my date with his work on many occasions which was a little frustrating at the time, but so nice to see Kampala it’s so different to Kenya. The climate was particularly nice apart from the rain and the ridiculously scary thunder storms. You can wear anything you like without feeling too cold or too hot and without the ridiculous sweating and humidity of Mombasa. And obviously very nice to spend some time just the 2 of us. Just a shame we are both back in England at totally different times this summer – I could of shown him North of Nottingham seen as how he thought Nottingham was very North so when I told him I drive 2 hours south to get to Nottingham he was so shocked!
Although I love Mombasa and can see so many plus factors for living here I am starting to have career issues, I am so ambitious I really want to climb the career ladder and get responsibility. I would love to be a head of department but that is unlikely to happen at Braeburn and also I miss climbing the main pay scale then aiming for the upper pay scale it doesn’t work the same here. The pay I receive is definitely a massive negative for living here L we shall see what happens – if I can get a community gym club up and running that will hopefully bring in some extra income. I want to travel to so many places but vowed I would not dip into my savings in England whilst I’m here. We’ll see I get my review meeting next January, a lot can happen between now and then.
I am so so excited that my parents arrive in less than 2 weeks, I have never spent so long apart from them and cannot wait for them to experience Kenya. Both have rarely or never travelled outside of Europe so it will be really cool to experience that with them. Just hope they don’t get bored, it’s a hard balancing act making sure they have enough to see and do but not too much so they don’t feel like they’ve had a holiday.
Had some very busy weekends recently with work and also celebrations I helped to throw one of my friends a baby shower at the start of march. Had a lovely day and it was very surreal experiencing a balloon bump even that was restricting never mind a baby, but with lots of indulgent food and games and gifts the afternoon ran smoothly. Just need to wait for the arrival of baby now! Very exciting I can’t wait for cuddles! We did have to explain (as she is Norwegian) that the name Berk for a boy is not a good idea especially as his dad is British so fully understands the term Berk and with a surname like Nutter – Berk is definitely not a good idea!!
I pleased to inform you have I stopped being a total lazy Sloth and have actually started an exercise regime in a hope I can complete this triathlon without actually dying or needing medical assistance! It is all going well I am cycling around 20 miles a week swimming around 50 and running about 5 – still have a way to go but it’s amazing how energized and motivated I feel, the swimming is the worst I have never had a swimming lesson in my life and although I can swim competently I question my technique particularly when it comes to breathing we shall see I managed 30 lengths in one session this week which is an achievement just need to try and cut down the rest periods now. The netball club I am running is also going well just need to make sure we can keep up the numbers and also try and appeal to new faces!
It’s amazing how every week and every weekend when I am busy working I moan (I know what some of you are thinking, you can’t believe that I would ever moan) that all I want is a weekend of nothing – yet when I get a weekend of nothing it drives me crazy I looked forward to getting jobs done today then sunbathing and yet despite getting jobs done and sunbathing I have been bored out of my brain I used to spend most weekends doing nothing in Scarborough I don’t know how I ever coped!!
Everything has been pretty uneventful over the past few weeks just busy working, however I’m hoping my next blog will be much more interesting as I’ll have tales of my parents visit (there’s bound to be humour), my hopefully romantic break (hint) and I will have also spent my first birthday in Africa!!
Really looking forward to coming home in the summer despite having currently no desire to live there it is still home I miss the people a lot can’t wait to see my nephew and get a big squeeze just hope he hasn’t forgotten me although I don’t think he would ever be allowed!!! I have 2 weddings with bridesmaid duties and 2 hen parties, plus some babies to meet I can’t wait! Also looking forward to seeing what delights my mum and dad bring our for me I gave them a list but just asked them to select things off it so it will all be a nice surprise but I would have been just as happy for them to turn up with just the clothes on their backs!!
Final thought - ‘Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift, that’s why we call it the present’
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Steph xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
P.S I promise my next blog will be more interesting and I will take more time in making it flow!!!
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