Yesterday was Mel & Simon's big day. I caught the train out to Lymington, where I would be staying the night, and checked into a cute little pub called The Bosun's Chair. The guy I dealt with there (the owner, I think) was really welcoming. My room was on the small side, but perfect for one (and for one night). About an hour after I arrived, after a little chill out time and getting ready, I headed off to the wedding venue on the other side of the river. ...

After what seems like a lifetime of travelling, I've finally arrived in my beloved Bournemouth! The eight or so hours at Sydney Airport seemed to fly by in the end and the flight to Singapore was uneventful (apart from the old man in the seat behind me who a couple of times actually pushed my seat back towards me when he thought I was going to lower it back. The person in front of me had lowered theirs as far back as it would go, and I lowered mine just a fract...

I was up before the crack of dawn and managed to get showered, dressed and even do my hair before Dad arrived at 4am. I wasn't sure if the hair straighteners were going to cool down enough to put in the pack before I had to go, but luckily they did. Even at this early stage, my hair is the only part of me that looks decent! After a slightly teary goodbye to Mum and my cat, Daisy, I was on my way. Dad and I had a hot drink at the airport, and it was really nice...

Well, two sleeps to go and it still doesn't seem very real. It won't be long until I'm on the plane, winging my way across the world. I've totted up most of the numbers for the trip and there is a lot of time spent sitting down. If I'm not careful, my already ample backside will supersize itself! I only have the travel times for one of my tours, so the bus number would probably be in triple digits (!) if I had them both, but this is how they currently stand: ...