Adjusting to Living the dream!

Written and based on experience up and to the end of the Nepal trip:

Firstly, we are chuffed to bits that people other than us and our parents (who have to!) are reading this. As I said earlier its intended for Glenn and I to capture memories so its been great to get your emails and texts, thank you!. Can we ask one favor though? instead of emailing, can you add the comments directly to the blog? even if its to say you are reading it (as we cant see who is) that way we can capture and look back on your contributions too :)

So, I thought we would start capturing our thoughts on how we are both managing to adjust  to taking 12 glorious months off work and not being driven by the clock in ,clock out daily grind, that horrible feeling that hits you around 3pm on a Sunday of  'work tomorrow!' 'where did the weekend go?', shite I need to iron a shirt! , . I think it'll be interesting to see how we adapt or don't! and what we love now may truly piss us off later!. So here goes...

A friend of mine said "Shelley, wishing you both an amazing adventure, I have visions of you spreading your toes on warm sandy beaches, drink in hand, lapping up the atmosphere but in reality, you will be probably chugging along in hot crowded buses and trains or waiting around for hours on end for your next connection" Tracei you were right!, but living the dream all the same x ...

We expected the realization to hit us both when it came to the end of the Sri Lanka leg when instead of going back to Blighty we would be off to another amazing place but in reality, we had already started to adapt there.  We started to get into the  groove of budgeting, what to start looking out for in accommodation other than really cheap! and to start embracing local transportation. Here's what we've learnt about ourselves and traveling so far.

Adjusting:

1. No. 1 would be that we need to slow down a bit, after a hectic but great time in Sri Lanka, we arrived in Nepal totally exhausted and still ill from the bad colds we picked up earlier. The manic running around, finishing work, renting flats, moving out, saying goodbyes etc etc  had really taken its toll on us so realizing that its OK to just do nothing and NOT try to cover everything in the first day has been our biggest adjustment so far
2. So I would say that No 2 would be that you should leave more than 1 week to get your act together before you depart! Working right up to the end, though the right thing to do for work,  wasn't the best choice for me!. 
3. Technology!, take back-ups/spares and a lot of patience with you!
4. Whilst we are on a budget, it shouldn't be to the point of sacrificing experiences/excursions, we may never come back to a particular place again so do it now!. Where we do budget is transportation, food and accommodation. 
5. Beer, we need to cut down on them to stay in budget! (Glenn AND Shelley!)
6. If reserving ahead, only book the first nights accommodation as you might be in a hell hole!. Nothing and I mean nothing looks like the pictures advertising it!. Plus you may get cheaper than the web if you shop around locally, inspect the rooms and barter directly. (We are building up to doing that so lets see how we fare in the next lifestyle update
7. The dawn chorus of throat clearing, snorting, chewing and spitting whilst the natives clear their nasal and throat passages of the terrible pollution, Weve come to accept this as a neccassary evil, and Glenn's starting to join in a bit!
8. Having to be a bit more sparce on toiletry items and not using up all the shampoo, toothpaste and deodorant in 3 days! (Glenn not Shelley!)

Love

• Clean Laundry!
• That in a hop skip and a jump you are in your next exotic location!
• Smells sounds, colours and people
• Traveling!!!!
• Technology - when it works!

Dislike

1. Technology- when it doesn't work!. Devistated when my iPhone blew up on the last day in Sri Lanka, my main means of keeping in touch with loved ones!.  Luckily we had 2 alarms set for a 4am call else we would have missed our flights. Complete melt down for a while but now i'm over it!. I'm not going to say its liberating not having a phone but i've survived!. After failing to get it fixed in Kathmandu, its now buried in the bottom of the bag until India. 
2. First heart stopping moment when I thought Id lost my credit card!, cold sweats, keeping it to myself as I rifled through bags, pockets and hiding places!. Glenn noticing that I was quiet for once, finding out what I was up to and joining in, keeping (ME!) very calm and methodical till we finally found it!. have now limited the number of hiding places!
3. Top knot wearing, hoola hooping, fire eating, Trustafarian prats!. you know, the ones that mummy and daddy have paid for them to take a gap year off so they can tour around and be slightly offensive to the local people?. We actually had 3 on our bus in Nepal who, although there were perfectly adequate seats in the air conditioned bus, wanted to to sit on the roof so they could look cool. KNOBS! (I think Glenn's outlook on life is rubbing off on me a bit already?)
4. Constant power cuts. Just when you want to charge something or when your torch is buried in the bottom of a locked bag!. 

Miss

• Clean Laundry!
• Phone  (Shelley not Glenn) 
• Long Johns lost in Nepal (Shelley not Glenn!)
• West Ham (Glenn not Shelley!)