Looking at the map & at each other with excitment!

♢ = Summer
O = Spring/Autumn
۞ = Winter



Are we almost there yet....Not long now before we set-off!

Like all big decisions we've had a mixture of excitement and nerves as we've gone through the final few months preparing.

Letting go of our engrained routines, work lives, city lives, anchors, letting go of them one at a time. Preparing the logistics. It's empowering and nerve racking at the same time. We've been here before, seven years ago, so we know its a great decision with our ambitions, values and passions at its center.

Sod's law says you make these big decisions and then some things come along that seem to put the dream at risk.

First, Paula suffering an Achilles tendon rupture leading to A&E and an operation before Christmas, where we met a specialist who talked of 12 months of rehab before return to sport - arrrgghhh!! Only one option we could see...take it on the chin and get super motivated to beat the experts timetable!!

Feels brilliant as the dark winter months fade away, that after all the rehab we've done and those moments of uncertainty - she is out of plaster, out of the airboot, no more crutches, walking properly and even running, and most importantly been climbing for the past month.

Thanks very much for your help Mr Specialist in A&E, but sod 12 months, make that 4 months and she'll be back. Love the power of positive thinking, discipline, and competitive spirit!!

Second,...my turn, feeling strong and fit, psyched Paula is recovering fast, and probably overdoing my training = shoulder impingement, an overuse injury from what I think was too much fingerboarding and strength conditioning and swimming without balance, grrr, lesson learnt. My turn to get the endless list of new exercises from a Physio and stay positive. Seems its turned a corner after 4 weeks, and whilst I still feel something in the shoulder, it seems to be in much better condition.

So,...Winter is fading fast, stan the van is ready, we've found what we believe are good tenants, we've left our jobs, we've booked the euro tunnel, spring is in the air, we are both rehab'ed and we are looking at the map and each other with excitement again,...