Who am I? Why did I start loving to travel? Where do I want to go?
I remember the exact moment when I knew that exploring the world would be part of who I am.
My Dad had received a job offer in Saudi Arabia, I was 7 and living with Mum in a little town in Lancashire. It was a lovely life, with school around the corner, my best friends Becky, Timmy and Marilyn. Parties that involved pass the parcel, a homemade cake and a few special presents. The internet didn’t exist then in the form that it is today so my only knowledge of where we were going was a black and white school prospectus. My world was about to open up and expand more than I could ever know.
Mum and I boarded the plane which in all honesty I remember very little about but when we touched down, that is when the magic began. The plane doors opened, it was night time and I was hit with the desert heat, thick and warm with the undercurrent of sweet scent. We walked down the steps and into a transport to take us to the airport arrival gates. Dad was there waiting for us with a dazzling smile and it was amazing to see him. He packed us up into our goldy coloured Mazda and off he took us to the souk to get a TV for the new house. Downtown Al Khobar at night time was something I will never forget, the noise, chattering and bartering, the electric lights buzzing constrasting with the black desert sky, amazing smells of Arabian street food, shawarma's, labneh cheese bread being sold out of carts and shops that seemed holes in the walls, men and women wearing oud based perfume that all combined together to twirl around my senses. It was breathtaking and my eyes sparkled with excitement and possibility.
We arrived at the new house in darkness but when I awoke the next morning the sun shone with intensity making the sky crystal blue. I threw open the curtains and had an intake of breath, my green garden in England had been replaced by a lovely little palm tree right outside my room. The emerald grass was now golden sand and the delight sparkled through my veins. This was to become my home.
I was the luckiest child to call home a 100 identical villa compound with a pool and a recreation centre. Paradise.
The next few years it became the norm to experience different cultures and languages, we were a melting pot of people all living in one place. I loved going to childrens parties and celebrating their food from the raclette to turmeric cake. It was all something that I loved to embrace and learn about.
We had wonderful holidays to Disney in America, Paphos in Cyprus, England and Scotland and I yearned to see more.
By 14 we have moved back to England and I met my husband Mike at the age of 19 working in Woolworths. Mike hadn’t travelled very much except for a disastrous school trip to France when he had been younger. For my 21st we travelled to Tunisia and I loved sharing the experience of seeing something new.
21 at El Djem
We were married on a beach in Cyprus at Nissi Bay with a few friends and family.
The next year a work colleague sadly passed away and it frightened me how precious life can be. I convinced Mike to sell everything, we packed up our 2 suitcases and we went travelling, Australia, Singapore and Dubai. Experiencing moments in my life that I want to bottle and keep forever.
Watching the sun set in Changi Village or eating cheese toasties on a train trip from Sydney to Adelaide while the kangaroos bounced alongside.
In 2011 we travelled to Argeles Sur Mer on the border of France and Spain, it was warm and peaceful on our private beach and yet silly and fun in the main town. We loved it.
4 weeks after arriving home we realised that we had come back with more than a suitcase of souvenirs and our beautiful baby Jack burst into the world 8 months later.
Just before lockdown from the COVID 19 we took him on his first trip abroad travelling to Holland completely by public transport and it was such fun! I knew instantly that our son gets the same pleasure from travelling that I did all those years ago and I want him to know that there is more than one place and one way to be.
Both my boys suffer from horrendous car sickness and I am a completely useless driver so with the very odd exception, all of my travel blogs will involve train, boat, bus and the odd plane or taxi.
I hope you will come back and check in regularly on what we are up to, it may be a day trip or our next big adventure.
I am toying with the odd youtube video if I can get over the sound of my own voice on film! (Why do you never sound the way you do in your head!?)
So from my family to you – happy and safe travels
Canterbury Nomad x
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