I did it in SA, but not properly since...This month I will try!

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So the decision to come here happened a little over a year ago, it’s one that I’ve continually questioned, but, as has been the norm of my life since that first BIG trip to South America, seven years ago, I’ve tried to go with the flow and make the most of the situations and the people which I find myself with – you often get asked two questions, in either order, but both accompanied with the vague expression of WTF… a) where is Bratislava? And 2) Why are you going?!!! (Cue inane laughter and the distant loony-bin sirens drawing closer…)

Well, 9 months in and I’ve started pretending that I moved here at Christmas; my limited amount of Slovak is embarrassing – I really am better of in thai!!! I can ‘ahoy’(but still without murmuring 'sailor' in my head, and sometimes, as you can imagine, unsuccessfully!) and I can order a bill, although often struggle to order the actual items on the bill, and I can say please and that things are dobre, which now the sun’s out, things really are. I really must try harder, but I’m not sure I really want to…it’s not a particularly friendly sounding language; so I think, for now, I will stick, to everyone’s amusements, to dobre.

Nine-months have passed, and another year and a bit to go…Despite a winter that seemed to last FOREVER, I’ve crammed a fair amount of fun and adventures into my time, so it’s nice to look back and realise it’s not been too bad, despite my moans and protests to the contrary; apologies if those rants and tantrams have been directed at you, thank you for putting up with them!



September was sunny, I was new, things were fresh and exciting; a few afternoons by the lake near Polis, meant picnics, swimming with ducks and exploring the tram. Lake near Polis as I have discovered this month is actually called Kuchajda, just like I finally know that Duck Pub is actually called Husa, which really means goose!

October brought the second visitor; Janey! She landed and I whisked her off to Poprad for forests, mountains and the first snow – oooooh the excitement! It didn’t last ‘til day two, when we stepped out of the funicular to be met with the iciest winds we’d experienced…EVER. We took refuge in a tiny random hut selling gluhwein, with the lederhosen mustache man, and there the love of hot, spiced, read wine with rum and goodness knows what else was born.

November; I visit, and third visitors arrive, the snow began to fall properly in the city. It was exciting, and nice to wrap up in hats and scarves and purchase winter coats.

December; and I was beginning to be over the snow – the ridiculous outside Michelin-man layers necessary, the incessant slipping over was just getting beyond funny. Iceskating in the square with Julia, lots more varené vino or gluhwein depending on whether we were here at the Christmas markets (quaint) or in Vienna (bigger, more tourists, yet quaint).

January; after a wonderful Christmas with Henry and Olivia I returned with friend in tow for NYE - I had decided to host and therefore had committed to the relationship that is good friends! A hungover New Years day led to the plastic being attacked and a week being booked in Serbia and a weekend in Venice - carnival here we come!!!

February; said weekend away in Venice with Mumsie, and i turned another year older with bubbles and friends.

March; and the snow is still here, though bizarrely has disappeared again for Ruth's second visit; birthday cocktails, icecreams and steaks. Well and truely over the white stuff by now - the first snow was exciting, then big flakes tumbled from the sky and the inner child in me was released, then came the melt and the refreeze and the slush and the refreeze, so with it the skidding and sliding and banging over...

April; two weeks in 40 degree heat - I left for the airport in waterproof boots and coat, hat and scarf and promptly stripped off whilst waiting for a taxi - a 45 degree temperature change took it's toll on my body as I reacquainted it to it's long lost friend Vitamin D.

May; I have entered into the world of team sport, and with it I have a link to 'out of school socialness'. Gaelic has caught up with me, and I am writing this now, after our first official game against Vienna; afraid that once I lie down in bed, I may never go vertical again - I am going to ache in the morning...



So 9 months in, 15 to go. Slovakia, Austria, Hungary (randomly on a bike ride that went a little wrong) Czech; twice. UK several times, Serbia, Italy (twice too), Thailand and HongKong.

New friends and a new team, a new country to explore more of, and winter plans already forming - I certainly won't beat the snow, so I am going to learn to ski, or board, or sledge, or buy a husky, or a big fur hat...

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