The next day of my travels in South Hampton was jam packed full of visits and more scenic towns. First, we went to visit Mandy’s sister in Knowle Village in Fareham. There we went to a Jiggly wrigglers class, which is uber appropriate if you are 2 or under. Mandy’s sister Julie has a small boy, and he loved it! It was lovely to meet her and her husband John. We all had a good in-depth conversation so I enjoyed that very much.
Touching briefly on the topic of Death (I know, not the lightest conversation topic; but if you know me personally I don’t like to talk surface level banal rubbish), we all agreed that it is so important to make the very most of our lives, and fulfil our dreams and wishes day to day. Death is not something we all like to talk about, but it is an inevitable ending we will all face. I hope to keep reminding people of this fact; and to ultimately encourage the people I encounter to make the most of their lives, follow their dreams and pursuit their passions. I aim to lead by example and continue to live an amazing, adventurous and enviable life. With passion, curiosity and an positive adventurous attitude, I plan to make the very most of my life.
After our visit and brief baby activities, we travelled on to South Sea boulevard, which from the car looked like a lovely place for a stroll. Ornate light posts lined the coast, the gusty cool wind keeping us in the car. We drove on to Gun wharf Quays where there was a massive shopping centre, and a million things I wanted to buy! I also liked the big spinnaker tower, I thought the design was pretty cool. I found some bright leather blue shoes from Timberland which fit all my specific fussy criteria making me very happy! Adding to my shoe collection, I bought Birkenstocks the day before, which I also absolutely love. It is confirmed, I am a Birkenstock convert. They seem so much more comfortable these days. I think the sole is lighter or something, who knows, but I do love the moulded firmness, and bright shiny designs.
I had only one and a half more days left for South Hampton. I was planning to go to the gym for a weights workout and a swim in the pool on my last day; and have a good wander around town. My sleep in the next day changed those plans! But it was good to long lie in and feel fully recharged.Strangely the longer we sleep, the more sleep we want. Quite a contrast to my 4am get ups in Perth, so perhaps I was finally starting to unwind. This is a good thing!
Mandy and I went together for a big power walk through the green commons not far from her house in exchange for my gym workout. The bright warm sunshine was the deciding factor, I much prefer to exercise outside anyhow. We walked again to the massive parkland, with ponds and ducks and big green trees and lush forest vegetation. Quite a treat to have such a lovely green environment so close to your doorstep.
In the afternoon we wandered around town heading in and out of shops like crazy obsessed female shoppers (are there any other types?), and probably walked another 5km easy, boom!. It was fun to explore some new shops and impulse buy a few things. I am a sucker for work out clothes and shoes. My suitcase is only expanding! Travel light they say!? Not this brown duck…I totally need to work on that.
After a few fun games of scrabble and monopoly (trust me if there was Rumi Kub we would have played that), it was time to get ready for our final night out. Mandy had organised her girlfriends for a gathering at a nearby Indian restaurant. It was lovely to meet some of her friends and have a good chat and of course eat some yummy food! Garlic naan bread, lemon rice and Chicken Pasanda were all delicious dishes. The Pasanda had the most amazing sauce, a rich coconut and aromatic sweet flavour; making this one of the best Indian dishes I had tried in a long time. To be honest it even gave me the idea of going to live in India for a short time. I have friends who lived there for over 8 months, and they loved it. I wonder if I too would enjoy such a unique place?
One of the nights we watched ‘Eat Pray Love’ with Julia Roberts. An old movie now, I do remember watching it years ago. I really enjoyed watching it again, probably better this time around. I love the concept of living in a few different countries over a set period of time. It has inspired another trip idea for me. Perhaps in a few years time, maybe around 40, if I remain to be single and no children, then I will plan to live in 4 countries living for 3 months in each place. I have already thought about it quite a lot and I would aim to live in really diverse places, all to enjoy a unique and diverse experience, and then; write a book about it! Travelling provides so much material for writing, so much daily inspiration, and new environments and experience to reflect on. So here are the places I would think about living: Argentina, India, Greenland and perhaps a Greek Island. Now they are all diverse places right? Which four places would you like to live in for 3 months over the course of one year?
My time in South Hampton went by super fast. It was a lovely visit, and full of mini side trips and good experiences. I managed to take some great photos and I also met some really nice new people. As I boarded the train for my next destination, I felt some anxiety over the 5 train trips I had to take to get to my final place for the day: Antwerp, Belgium. But I am brave! And bold and courageous! Enjoying the journey is all part of the game!
Anita xx
Live Your Truth 
Having my own journey right here in my house – cleaning up and purging stuff I no longer want or is it need.
I don’t know …does it matter? We hold onto both rather tightly
I’m sick so I’m in a totally different place
My dad was in the hospital this weekend for a fib …heart problems…new diagnosis.
How do I stay healthy in spite of what’s around me? Does traveling help?
Maybe I need a vacation
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Purging is really healthy. Get rid of the old stuff, clear the energy to create space for new energy. Sounds to me like you need to get grounded? Try getting in nature more it can be so good. Nature walks, beach swims, sunshine. I hope you feel better soon. I totally agree, we all have way too much stuff. When my mum died I had to get rid of so much stuff, some of her things were so precious she couldnt even use them!! Crazy! I say use the good stuff, always, and only keep the things around you that you love xxx hope that helps!
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