It all starts Here.......

It's been 6 weeks since I waved goodbye to my job and my home to experience a gap year with no stress or responsibilities apart from my dog and my bank account. In that time I've not worn a watch or set my alarm and it's amazing how little you need either one. I wake up when I've had enough sleep (usually 8.34am) and somehow I always seem to know what time it is. Now that Christmas and New Year are behind me I can start to focus on my year ahead. I spent some time last year making lists of destinations to aim for and this has now been shortened, once I realised how thinly my budget would need to be stretched! I have a more realistic outline which is split into 3 lists: 'MUST DO' which includes the USA, Canada, Europe, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Then comes: 'WOULD LIKE TO DO' which has North Africa, South America and Asia followed by: "IF I WIN BIG ON THE PREMIUM BONDS" Which is a 5 year plan to visit everywhere else that isn't mentioned in the first 2 lists! I'm off to the Adventure Travel Show this weekend at Olympia so I'll get some valuable information and hopefully some inspiration too. It's a miserable time of year with rain and windy weather, but Kipper and I are making the 'most of the coast'with regular trips to the beach but it's way too cold for swimming! Here is a photo of Widemouth Bay taken just before Christmas - and yes, there were people surfing!