Hello world!

Well, here I am at 70!

Not quite sure how I managed it, but I made it! Time for a bit of reflection

• 25 years ago I learned that you should never say never
• 20 years ago I learned that no matter how good things are, life as we know it can change in an instant
• 4 years ago I learned that you never know what’s round the corner
• 3 years ago I learned that your heart can break, but still keep beating
• 9 months ago I learned how to be a helpless onlooker as my family’s (and my) world was shattered

And I’ve discovered a few things as well:

• The path to healing from trauma and heartbreak lies in helping others. It brings a sense of belonging when your foundations have been shattered.
• Help isn’t always appreciated, but that’s ok. It will be valued when the time is right.
• Life’s harshest lessons can become our greatest source of strength.

So, as I enter my eighth decade, I’m packing my bags and setting off on new adventures. Forgive the cliché, but you just have to do it while you still can. And spurred on by my determination not to become a dinosaur, I’ve started this blog as a kind of travel diary, for myself, for posterity and for anyone who can be bothered to read it!

As Mama Cass (and more recently Paloma Faith) said way back in 1969, “You gotta make your own kind of music, sing your own special song…even if nobody else sings along.”