January

Well 2015 is flying by so far, I feel like I've barely had time to sit down this month but it's been great - no January blues here! I thought I'd share what we've been up to it a bit of a monthly roundup :)

• New Year with family

We spend the first few days of the year sharing the sights and tastes of Nakhon Sawan with Darryl, Emma and Selina.

We are couch surfers!

Well actually we haven't 'surfed' yet but we hosted for the first time last week and it was an incredible experience. Opening up your home to complete strangers is a fairly daunting prospect and I admit that we were a little scared about the whole thing.

Of course we had no need to fear and we were blessed with truly wonderful guests. Jon and Coco are very special people and being able to eat, drink, chat and laugh with them was a real pleasure.

Couchsurfing is not just about a place to stay, it's an exchange and this was demonstrated to us perfectly. We gave two people a bed for a couple of nights but I came away feeling that they had given us so much more in company and friendship.

Maybe we peaked early but we are looking forward to meeting many more people in this way. If you have ever thought about getting involved or are interested in this idea I would urge you to take the plunge - you never know who you'll meet!

www.couchsurfing.com

P.S. How awesome in Jon's beard? Well of course it is cos he produces Beard Balm for a living. Go check it out - I don't have a beard but it sure smells good!
www.beardbalm.us

Here on Koh Samed

About a month ago, a lucky combination of public holidays and other days of school gave us a surprise week long holiday. Making the most of the time off work, we decided to hop down to Koh Samed with our friends for a bit of beach action.

Sawatdee Pi Mai

This a rather late New Year post but frankly we've been far too busy eating our weight in chocolate and cheese with friends and family to notice how quickly the New Year is already running away from us!

2014 was quite a year for us, it saw us both quit our jobs and move to Thailand to teach. For the first few months, everything felt new, scary and exciting and it definitely took us a while to get used to the jobs and culture - not to mention the heat. We are still learning all the time but we feel very settled in our new home and love our jobs and our life here. Over the year we visited Hong Kong (twice!) and Malaysia as well as countless beautiful places in Thailand. All of that was after taking in our favourite parts of the UK before we left in the Spring.

Christmas in Nakhon Sawan

The roaring fire has been replaced with a fan and I will be eating vegan duck instead of a stuffed goose but don't worry, we know it's Christmas time...

Here in Nakhon Sawan Christmas doesn't happen unless you make it yourself. So that's exactly what we've done. We've filled our flat with fairy lights and paper chains, the fridge is full of chocolate and cheese and I am listening to Carols from Kings as I type.

Here in Hong Kong #2

Back in Hong Kong six months down the line and at the end of a three week holiday we saw the city through very different eyes. The sea of sharp suits seemed strange and unusual. The duvet and soft mattress seemed a luxury (as did the wine and the black coffee). The endless choice of cuisine was amazing but overwhelming and we couldn't even begin to keep up with the nightlife (in fact we didn't even try).

Wish we could be there!

Today I am feeling like a bad friend.

One of my oldest and bestest friends is getting married and I'm 6,000 miles away.

I met Rachel when I was 10 - she was the new girl in school and we bonded over both being freakishly tall for our age. Since then we've been through teenage crushes, unwise experiments with alcohol and some rather questionable fashion choices as well as hundreds of wonderful memories.

Since university, we've lived far from each other (although this is by far the furthest to date!) but when we do see each other, nothing has ever changed.  I miss the days when I would pop round her house after school for a cup of tea and Neighbours but she is still one of my best friends and as I get older I realise that time and distance are not barriers to a good friendship.

When we whiled away hours after school gossiping and discussing how we definitely wouldn't get married before 24 before we were strong independent women and we wanted to have careers first (because obviously after 24 you're past it and you can't possibly have a career once you're married) I never dreamt that I wouldn't be there when you 'tied the knot'.

So today I will be feeling slightly sad that I can't be there with you but mainly thrilled that you are both starting an exciting new chapter in your lives. I may not be able to celebrate your wedding with you today but I am sure there will be countless opportunities to witness and celebrate your marriage in the many years to come.

I love you and miss you - CONGRATULATIONS!