Fond Farewells

Just a few days left now before departure. I have left my house and am staying for a few days at my mum’s before I fly to Bangkok on 26^th. The last month or so has been filled with goodbyes and doing things for the last time, which has been quite emotional in many ways. I know that what I will miss most (far more than Cadbury’s chocolate or Marmite or whatever else British people are supposed to miss abroad!) will be people. I never like saying goodbye, though I have learned over the years that it is rarely for ever, and that wherever you go there are more friendships to be made. The goodbyes of the last few weeks have really brought home to me just how many great things I have been involved with and how many wonderful people I have met in the few years since I came back to the UK from Italy in 2009:

January  17: Oxford VSO group pub evening – thank you to Oly and Katja and all the gang for your support and encouragement and your infectious enthusiasm for the whole VSO experience! I know the pressure is on for me to keep up the tradition and return “partnered”, but I’m making no promises!

 

January 19: A huge thank you to everyone from the Swindon/Faringdon Amnesty groups and the Harbour Project who braved the snow and ice on one of the most treacherous nights of the winter to join me at the Thai Orchid. It was a really lovely evening, with wonderful food – a taste of things to come!

January 26: A long overdue visit to Cherry, school friend from years back who I hadn’t seen for almost 10 years. It was lovely to see you and the family, and thank you so much for giving a home to my cello. SO pleased it is going to be played!

January 27: Last walk with the Oxford Weekend Walkers. Thank you to Alison for such a fantastic walk, and to Anthony for the lovely photos. I will remember it for a long time!

 

 

 

 February 2: Thank you Luigi for another lovely day out in London – not the last, just the last for a while. (For great fish and chips I can recommend The George at London Bridge!)

 

 

 

February 3: Farewell lunch with the Oxford Humanists Group. Thanks to everyone for your support and interest in what I’ll be doing, and for giving me such a great send-off!

February 5: Farewell drinks in Oxford with some of the OWW group. Thank you for the useful gift, which is safely packed, NOT in my hand-baggage!

February 7: Last Thursday-visit to the detainees at Campsfield. So sorry I couldn't make it to the volunteers' get-together last week - packing and cleaning had taken over by then! Thanks to all at Asylum Welcome for the opportunity to be involved.

February 8: Last shift volunteering at the Harbour. Thanks to staff, volunteers, trustees and visitors for all your good wishes. I have appreciated so much the chance to be a part of the fantastic work of the project.

February 8: Farewell meal with ex-STEPS colleagues. Thanks for a great evening and good luck to all of you in your new ventures. (Sarah, I will wear the T-shirt in moments of crisis!)

                                                   Wendy is hiding behind the camera!

February 9: Thank you to Ruth and Andrew for a lovely, relaxing weekend – indeed for ALL the lovely relaxing weekends spent at your home. So many precious memories! I will play my ukulele and think of you!

February 13: A flying visit to cousin Rosie and new baby Tristan. He’ll be so big by the time I come back! So lovely to catch up.

February 14: Last meeting with Swindon Amnesty. What can I say?! It has been so much fun working with you all. Good luck Livio as Campaigns Coordinator – you’ll do a grand job!! Thank you Liza for the cake and to Mark and Emma for drinks after. Emma, did you ever finish your birthday beer?!

February 15: Thank you to Alessandro and Antonella for a lovely meal out in Shrivenham. (They have almost booked their tickets to Thailand already!) Ale, I hope you are satisfied that I have put something on my blog at last!!

February 16: Last walk up the White Horse Hill. Thank you Alison for coming with me - it was a beautiful afternoon. I will miss our walks and deep conversations!

February 17: A wonderfully relaxed and leisurely lunch and stroll in Oxford with Arjan. Good luck with whatever the future may hold!
Followed by tea and cake with Jane. Thank you for the travel iron - I can now be confidently crumple-free!

February 18: Totally chance encounter with OXHUMS friend Tarquin on his way into the post office as I was coming out of my front door! Take care in those Scottish mountains!

February 20: Last film with the Swindon Film Society. Who will save you a seat now, Emma? You’ll have to start getting there early!! Thank you for your company, especially on my very last night!

February 21: Finally finished packing up my little house above the post office in Shrivenham. I’m finding it quite hard to believe I won’t be going back there! Thank you so much to Mum and Ed for coming and helping me to cart away the rest of my belongings, and to Sharon and Gregory for storing it all in their attic! And thank you to the kind folks at the post office and Minerva for taking such good care of me!

                         Shrivenham in the snow. Very pretty to look at, but I won't miss the cold!

February 23: Family day in Gloucester with Mum and Ed, Sharon and Gregory, and three of the four nephews, the eldest being away at university. After a period of almost twenty years when one, other or all of us were living abroad, we were just getting used to the idea of all being back in the same country and in easy driving distance from each other. And now here I am, about to leave for the other side of the world! So thank you for your support and encouragement in my new venture, even though I know that in some ways you would prefer that I didn't go! Still, there's always Skype, which is a huge step forward from the airmail letters we used to send back in the early days! I will miss you all. xxx

Of course, I realise that when the time comes to leave Thailand I will probably feel just as emotional about leaving all the friends I will have made there, but that is two years away and so much to experience in the meantime, so I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!