Get Real Baby - Holidays

Really....having six months o/s as a 21 year old was a life changing experience. I discovered that Australia was really my home [and not the Uk where I was born]. I met my Italian penfriend and had three weeks staying with her in Rome. I also got to know some of my relatives really well and felt grounded in knowing where I had come from. However, arriving at Rome's train station at night and not being met was a tad daunting, as was taking the overnight train to Venis and arriving at the wrong station, then running in a panic to meet my flight. Needless to say, not being able to speak a word of Italian and discovering my friend knew limited english, proved to be an interesting experince. [a friend had translated letters for her].


Really.......Taking the kids to the U.K. in 2001 was awesome. They met my grandfather as well as other relatives and got to see where I had grown up. Not to mention the highlights of London and travelling across the countryside. However James projectile vomiting continously the first night in a youth hostel, using all five of our towels to clean up, was not fun. Nor was having to evacuate from our first visit to an underground due to a bomb scare. it sure gave the kids a different perspective of the world. We travelled a month after 9/11, so security was already at a maximum everywhere we went. Then of course the kids reducing their delight to complaints of 'Not another cathedral/castle mum!! "Just indulge me kids, it may be my last visit to England"


Really.....Taking the kids to New Zealand to visit family on Great Barrier Island over Christmas and then to tour the North Island for nine days was a fantastic plan and it had many highlights. Especially the Maori evening and bungi jump [not for I, my feet were firmly grounded]. However having a family member with depression who was feeling torn from all she knew, was not such a delight. It was the toughest three weeks we have ever had as a family, but we survived and grew from the experience and these days we are as strong as ever. Praise God.


Really....family camping trips to Tathra have been fabulous. We aim for an annual visit, and they are always great weeks to focus on being a family and fully relaxing. However this year it's not to be and we are feeling a tad disappointed about that. But, the reason for not going is the soon to be arriving family addition, and that is excitement plus!