I SURVIVED..... just!!!

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Hidy Ho Friends,

How is everyone? Yes, it's me, made it through 6 wks of torture & i,m still alive. It has been one of the best/worst experiences of my life. Rules: No sexual relations, no ipods/cameras, no sleeping on the bus - on average have probably had about 4 hrs sleep a night - pulled a couple of all nighters & then got very sick, still recovering. To top it all off my widom tooth has been coming up. But alas, have also met some very awesome people - supportive friends for life (little family) & survived my training trip! We had crazy, spanish, itlalian, lithuanian, slovakian, english, dutch, french, oz & canadian aboard so a good mix of culture. I also got to visit some other awesome places I hadn't been to yet including.... Budapest, Berlin, Nice, Avignon, Antibes, Monte Carlo & Barcelona - YAY!! Just got some washing done today so I no longer smell like a tent - VERY exciting!

I leave on Saturday 31st May on my first trip as a 4th crew member on a summer fun and sailing trip (so exact same trip I did last year as a passenger) & then do the same trip by myself as trip leader when I get back leaving on 28th June. Goes for 26 days. So VERY glad all the major hard work is over & can now enjoy what it was all for - celebrations tomorrow night Crew BBQ & lots of drinkies - can't WAIT!!! It's hard to really explain what I have just been through, I think unless somebody else has done it there's no way of understanding so I don't think i,m even going to try and explain it.... maybe one small sentence - nonstop spieling, learning, histories, TIRED, driving tours til 3am, 3 days of 4hour walking tours, fact finding, confusion - what country am I in now? Route notes, research, preparation, lucky to shower - no sleep - no personal space - no 5 mins to self = NO EXAGGERATION!!! All worth it!!!! Trip has proven that it just goes to show you never know what you can do until you put your mind to it - you can do anything - very extreme!! 2 best days of trip - Tyrol (Austria) relaxtion for 1 day & Amsterdam - cruising the canals with our crazy duthcy's cousin who happened to own a boat - the gard life sipping wine, testing cheese & watching our dutchy stupididly fall into the canal - the funniest!!

So in the next few days i,m trying to sort out my stuff & hopefully see a dentist, and prepare for the next 2 tours - i,ll be back from the second Sailing trip bout 24th July & then who knows?! I do have photos of trip will probably get them all tomorrow & put them up b4 I go again. Staying at my lovely sheep shagging friend Aimz this week - went for yummy Japanese lunch today - very nice.

Anyhoo, I may have to leave it there for now as I am VERY VERY tired & my brain is still very fried, think I have used my brain more in the past few months than I have in my whole life - Hannibal lecture could serve them scrambled for sure - YUM!

Luv to all - miss you all billions - I want updates people!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

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