Last week in the UK

All the talking is almost over with and the bright lights of Rome are now less than 1 week away! I am now back in Ipswich spending some time with my family and sorting out last minute bits and pieces before I head down to Gatwick travelodge on Sunday. Yes thats this Sunday, not this time next year, next month or even next week it is finally almost time for Rome to Rio to begin. And yet last week I cam so close to cancelling the whole damn thing. Leaving Hartington is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my life. I can't say I'm too bothered about the job finishing, I was at the end of my patience with it and if I ever do return there it would have to be in a different role but that is another story for another time. I knew leaving the friends I had made there was going to be difficult but thought my excitement over travelling would overide it. It did not. After my leaving party last Tuesday I have been through about a week of euphoria whenever I think about the next two years of my life quickly followed by misery when I think of those people who won't be in it. I am not over this by any means and miss the place and people terribly, I have pretty much lived, worked and socialised with these poeple for the last 3 and a half years of my life and not seeing them every day is going to take some getting used to. At the same time I am now 4 days away from starting my dream trip and that is massivly exciting, I really cannot wait to get to Rome and get going now, I've booked my flight from India to Thailand now, this will be in Februray next year when my India visa expires. Nepal is now not happening due to complications with transit visas and the cost of a flight out of the country. It is a shame but it does give me longer in India and South East Asia which is hardly a bad thing. I'm looking forward to putting some actual travel photos on this blog, after 2 years of counting down I am so close now