To be continued...

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So, this is it.

After a few minutes of considering what to write Mat gave me a big cuddle and said "I'm scared" to which I responded "me too". Traveling has been our way of life for the last six months; unpredictable, encapsulating, educational. We've had so many highs and some lows in there too, which we have learnt are just character building. There have been some national tragedies along the way which, at times, seemed to be following us. I said to my Dad last night "we've been pretty unlucky" to which he replied "no, you are the lucky ones." He is so right of course. People said you will come back changed people and I was dubious, they were right too. It will be very hard for us when we return to not always out-do people with our experiences. These experiences have become an integral part of who we are and will stay with us forever. I'm actually a little lost for words which is unlike me! It's not the easiest to summarise the most incredible six months of our lives. We have learnt and grown; we have so many people to thank for that. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to follow us, we hope documenting our travels along the way has been as enjoyable for you as it has for us. So many times we've said "that has to go in the blog" like the other night for example - Mat asked me to help him bottle his fart - I told him it was time for him to go back to blighty.

We've spent the last two weeks in Perth doing very little. Sunning, swimming, eating. That's it! We wanted this time to spend just winding down before Mat goes home and I go on to Africa. This has been possible thanks to Gissy and Jaz who put us up for the whole two weeks and even let us stay in their holiday apartments (right on the beach) for a long weekend. It has been lovely to be reintroduced to their children who I used to play with when we were infants when they lived in the UK; Chelsea, Denholm and Billy. Chelsea and her boyfriend Leigh very generously took us out for a meal at the weekend which was lovely. We hope to see you all back in the UK in the near future.

It's 10am here, in 12 hours we will be at Perth airport going our seperate ways, I really don't want this to end. I suppose all good things come to an end eventually. I feel torn. This time tomorrow I will have my brother in my arms and we will be boarding a flight to Zambia but before this I have to say goodbye to the person i've spent the most amazing six months with. Hometime is near. I always had a plan: school, college, uni, travel. I know the real world is waiting for me when I get home and I don't know if I'm ready for it. Time will tell. I Blame my parents - there must be a gypsy gene somewhere!

I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to do this and that we've been able to share these experiences together. Being this far away from home just opens your eyes to so many things; it also makes us realise how lucky we are to be able to call England our home. We are very fortunate.

Right I'm going to stop blubbering and get out in sun!

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Well... I can't really follow up with anything else, as everything that Amber's said, I completely agree with. On a personal note, i'm just so greatful that I can say 'I've done it', and the life experience gained from this can't be underestimated. As our good friend said to us, it'll be hard to not refer to travelling all the time - for example, his mum said to him ''Bloody hell, that motorbike was loud'' as it zoomed by, and all he could think was ''Try 500 motorbikes flying by you in Vietnam''! It's little things like this which re-shape you as a person and enables you to think differently about all sorts of things.

One thing I learnt a long time before I came traveling - It was a piece of wisdom given to me by my mum before she died, and she said to me ''Whatever you want to do, do it, because you never know what's around the corner'', which is a cliché, but it's bloody true. And from that day, I can truthfully say that i've done exactly what i've wanted to do. There's still the rest of the world to see - I haven't even scratched the surface, so my question is, ''Where next?''


There is one person I need to thank for not only the last 6 months of my life, but for the last 5 years of my life, the years which have seen me through the passing of a parent, a life in London, and an excursion around the world. Through the shit times, through the amazing times, from catching a python to walking through the streets of Delhi, from being interrogated in a Vietnamese Police Station to sunbathing on some of the most amazing beaches in the world - It's been an absolute pleasure and a privelege to share the most amazing 6 months of my life with such an inspirational person. Soppy, I know - But believe me, without Amber, none of this would've been possible - But with a little 'get up and go', it's enabled me to achieve things i'd never have even dreamt of.



''Whatever you want to do, do it, because you never know what's around the corner''.


Love Always,


Amber and Mat xXx

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Photos

Little Creatures
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Comments

[Paul]

Tears in me eyes!!
Aww, that was emotional! Safe journey home to both of you!! Amber enjoy Africa!!XX

[rena]

Ok SO that had me in tears.......................AGAIN!!!!! I love you guys xxxx Mat come and visit for sunday dinner and tell me all about it and Amber stay safe. xxxxxxxxxxxxx