Hey both – how goes it all?

@ Genie. So glad to hear the antibiotics did the trick. I used to get so nervous at going to the doctors, they called it “white coat syndrome”. Pretty common apparently but makes it nigh on useless to go in for blood pressure readings! These days I really don’t suffer as badly, even through the recent breast cancer scare. The more knowledge & experience I’ve got with it, the less it makes me anxious anymore – one upside of getting older??!

Personally I don’t hold out much hope Boris will help things much, he’s easily my least favourite politician by a country mile tbh! But at least with the power vacuum gone there’s no excuses not to get on dealing with it all instead of just more talk I hope at least.

It does make sense about your anxiety flat-lining. It’s pretty amazing once you try a different approach and realise things can actually be different for you. What is it they say, insanity is repeating the same behaviour again and again but expecting a different outcome. Einstein I think?  By breaking your old behaviour, you’ve changed from simply reacting to events and needing to be in control to ‘protect’ yourself – to having a little bit of confidence in letting go and seeing that things can (and do! ) still turn out well. Awesome. I’m looking forwards to hearing what the next isodate is/was – you gotta be pretty excited you guys are dating, all be it at a distance?

I think travel will survive but it’ll change and it’ll be harder for a while whilst countries are understandably nervous about letting in potential re-infections. I am concerned I guess since UK has done so badly we’ll be one of the last countries people will want back but it’ll get there eventually. Travel is more a state of mind for me about being curious about everything ( drives Mr S nuts occasionally 🙂 ) so I’ll just find other things to be curious and learn about in the meantime! That said, there’s some awesome deals on right now and it’s very hard not to book & hope….

@Adelaide. Ah, loved hearing you had planned to travel this way – it’s so sad, there are so many people who had great plans who are having to wait it out a while yet. Absolutely I will be hitting you up for tips – local ideas and knowledge is always the best. I much prefer personal travel blogs to the official tourism/big travel industry sites, especially since I tend to like the lesser-known places. Show me a glass of good wine or beer after a great hike and I’m there 😉

I think it’s so cool she’s already thinking about how she could make cooking at hers work. It’s a wonderful feeling isn’t it, that someone is as excited about getting to know you better as you are about them. I love all the little surprises you guys are doing for each other. 5k is nothing – I had visions on you being on North island and she was on South! It’s actually kinda nice to build up the relationship before bringing the physical side into it to.  The first ‘real’ date will be so much easier but also so exciting!

Mmmm…..Malaysian food was delicious….it’s one thing I really miss being back in the UK, food tends to be so much better in the countries I travel in, especially healthy food. We’re good at solid food in the UK, pies, mash, sausages, so on. Lovely too in it’s own way but heavy and takes a lot of running to keep it off – especially once you are over 40!  We’ve been making ourselves some very tasty fresh spring rolls with spicy sauce for lunch, after having fell in love with them in Vietnam.  And how much would I like a Vietnamese ice coffee – those things were addictive…!

Take care both – look forwards to hearing how it all goes.