Clare McT p.s. very exciting! am moving to London on 3rd Sept to start LPC, living with Hazel and Kirst in Camden. Can't wait you will have to come down and visit when you're back. and of course i will be inviting myself up to sunny sheffield for another Leadmill night!! lol sending lots of lovex

Clare McT Hey Em!! Sorry for rubbishness been a manic end of Summer - but have just been catching up with your blog adventures! And have been excited to read the last sentence that your return has been confirmed!! Your whole trip sounds like an amazing experience (have been very jealous of the pics!!!) and one you'll never forget but i'm glad you'll finally be back in sunny England to tell us all your stories face to face in true dizzy emma style! Enjoy your last few days you deserve a relax after everything! and have a safe journey back sweetie, love you lots x x x

Patrick Hey Em Great photos! I was trying to piece your East coast trip together based on your photos but I got a little confused: surely even you didn't think it was a good idea to day trip from Fraser Island to Cape Trib?! So jealous of your trip - so you'll be based in the US of A til your return? When is that again?! Sorry, I'm not really keeping abreast you have skipped several continents since last I checked your progress (that whole sickness thing in India must have put me off?!). Anyway all good here - leaving this job in 2 weeks, then off to Lakes and to see Tess in Italy, and then starting new role for the university funding council in Aug.. can't wait! Be great to catch up when you're back - if back early Sept we have a provisional date of 2-3 Sept? Sorry the message ran on a bit.. be good to hear from you and hope u enjoy the American leg... P x

joanna Hey Em, Fiji sounds amazing em, I'm most amused at your native indianess! Hope you're having a great time with Richie, must be really nice to see him after so much newness. Lots of love josephine x

Liz K Emma in the states!! YAAAY! Finally. So, when are you planning to get to DC, hm? Liz xxxxxxx

Laura Williamson PS I've just looked at your pictures (wow!) and would advise a fake tan a la Durham Summer 2004. Do you remember the streaks (and shrieks!) that resulted from trying to look even better in Hatfield rowing lycra?!xxx

Laura Williamson Embob! So good to read your blog! I appear to have excelled myself in my rubbishness as you've patiently and pain-stakingly tip-toed your way around the globe in true Emma style: so sorry for not keeping in touch more. Busy, busy, busy (seven weeks in the West Indies nearly killed me!). I am astounded by two things about your epic stories "Down Under". Firstly, that you managed to write this sentence and keep a straight face: "I would say it [Brisbane] is closest to Newcastle in England but prettier and with good weather." (brilliant!) and, secondly, that you went sky diving. Fantastic! When faced with the prospect of jumping off a bridge (bungee jumping!) over the Zambezi in Zambia last summer I casually suggested that I'd rather sky dive...but you've actually done it! Well done you. I hope you enjoy New Zealand and don't misplace any money or encounter snoring/rampant boys in dubious hostel rooms. You must be yearning for your own bed by now. Very glad to hear Richie's coming out to see you: are you based in New York for the duration of your camp? I'm in the US for four or five weeks in the summer with the US Open Series tour so would love to try and see you, if at all possible. Anyway, enough bumblings. Great to hear from you and keep in touch Mrs. Lots of love, Lozzie xxxx

joanna Dear Emma, so sorry I haven't written for ages, I've only had internet at work for the last few months - which for some reason restricts the offexploring site crazy when it allows facebook! I've been really enjoying reading all of your blog now I have the internet at home. Good omens for an up and coming journalist! I'm really glad you've been having such a great time, India sounds so amazing - just a pity that you were so ill - I couldn't belive it when I read about your evil illness. Sounds like you're going to have some james worthy stories by the time you get back. So an update on Joanna land - i've progressed in the world of Eco hippiness - I have a real job, hoorah with a renewable energy company so one step closer to saving the world you're wandering. I have serious wander lust after reading all your blog, though off to play with camels in Morocco soonish, turkish baths tagines and Mr. atlas himself yey. Er, i've got a new flat in camden goth and - feeling like a need a new wardrobe after seeing someone at the tube this morning at 8am in full pvc corset, thigh-high boots and tutu - a case for trinny and susanna I feel. Really nice that you'll set to see Richie in New York - which is the coolest place _ think you'll love it, wandering round like Miranda. speaking of America you missed Liz Kim, she stayed with me for a week at Easter, which was great to see her - mad as ever. She lives in DC and I'm sure she'd love to see you go there. Any way, best of luck to avoid any gross boys, lost luggage and nasty bugs. Have a great time in NZ. Lots of love...Jo

Clare McT How rubbish am I?! Just wrote you a huge message and then it deleted it all because I didn't answer the sum!! Grr! My brain is not working...too much land law !!! I'm such a muppet! Anyway... I'll have a go at writing you another message and I'll try and do the maths this time! Hope you are well - your pictures look amazing! I was checking out the surfing ones and thinking that you have come a long way since the days of our swim test!! I'm in manic exam mode at the moment, 2 down 5 to go!! Can't wait til 13th June! So sorry i have been rubbish, I will send you a proper email very soon keeping you updated on the gossip!! Not that there is very much, i have been living in my bedroom revising! :( In fact so desperate to get out and have a break i have even started going to the gym, check me out! I am doing race for life soon, so thought would run 5k and see what it felt like. oh my god am so unfit! I couldn't walk for days! it was worse than when we did circuits with the boys! Ha Thinking of you - will be enviously checking out your pics when i am on my revision breaks!! Stay safe and well lots and lots of love, Clare x x x x x

To post a message on here you have to answer a maths question. Since when?! This blog malarchi is not as easy as it looks em.

Tori Miss Blackburnio!!!!!!!!!! Yo yo yo missy and how are you doing? Well i feel like i have caught up with some of your news from your blog and pics, you write like shakespeare himself have you ever thought about studying English?? Well, i hope you got your luggage back okay, i cant decide whether you had it in thailand or not or whether you just like that one white vest a lot?? Jokes  jokes, it all looks super and i really hope your having a ball still. Are you getting eaten alive, your legs look so bumpy in some pics poor you! Am setting oxford on fire with excitement here, exam time, you know how us academics are. Had a great week in gai paris on a field trip, and you just know how hard work those trips are = sighseeing, french lash, boys brought out the national anthem on late night metros etc eeeekkk!! So, economics tomorrow and then c'est tout, and picnic dans le jardin public, except bbqs not allowed so fortunately a friends house backs onto the park so we will set our bbq in the garden and be in the park. Ingenious! Champers on chill etc!! Until then, i am going back to learn equations mmmmmmmmm i think i left my brain in durham, or did i have it there? Maybe its at sch! Tons and tons of love and british weather, game pie, persil, lady grey, tennis, A1, woodfires, spitfires and gin. And hugs de moi xxxxxxx

Helen Blackburn  Hi em Weather now rather like April here but really envious of you on Rainbow beach - sounds amazing. You sound so brave going for all these trips and making new friends so quickly. Fantastic. I look forward to sampling your Thai cuisine by the way! Hope tummy trouble is a thing of the past - I trust. May is a busy month for me at work as well as practising for a concert or two in St John's Music festival. Assembly at Ashdell and lessons for year 8's at Notre Dame plus usual sermons keep me busy. Managing to have a walk tomorrow with Dad - Bank holiday Monday. Rob and Iz are limbring up to final bits of work and exams. Term soon finishes for them -just remembering this time last year for you! Time flies. Keep safe and keep having fun. love mum 

Helen Blackburn hi EmmaAmazing pics - so many - its taken me an hour to view them all! Lovely to get a good feel for all you are experiencing -  but you look so pale! Glad you settled for snorkelling and didn't risk diving. I'd be terrified more of monkeys hanging off my arm than diving! You appear very calm and at home with the monkeys. The elephants look like baby elephants. What fun. Keep eating lots of good fresh food - try some red meat too for your paleness. You need some iron it appears to me! Enjoy the remaining days and ward off cheeky Japanese etc. So glad you will head for Cairns sooner rather tahn later.Take care.Love mumx 

Clare McT Hey Ems! Just reading your blog - so glad that your experience in India was so rewarding for you a nd that you are living the dream!! I am very proud of all  your poetic blogs!! lol seriuosly  I am  sure that you  have given so much to the boys , you should be proud of all  their gifts as they show just how much you have  given to them and how much of a difference you can make. good luck with your next adventures in Thailand! I have written you a mammoth email on facebook  to keep you up to date with all the gossip!! Stay safe and well, I'm looking forward to reading your next entry. Love and miss you lots, Clare x x

Helen Blackburn Lovely to hear latest news. Glad India was so rich an experience. Hope your insides recover in Thailand you must be skin and bones. So you must have had no sleep then prior to your dawn flight to Bangkok? Dear me. We awake to Good Friday - so most of my day will be spent in church and most of my last night was also spent in church! Thinking of you. Sue Stewart is leading one service tonight at her church - its an ecumenical service so I shall go to support her though after our own 3 hours service I shall be pooped. Got one more sermon to write then few days off next week. Weather here has crept up to 18 C yesteday. Glorious - but nothing compared to Mumbai! Take care and enjoy a different culture that Thailand must be. lots of love Mumxx