B L I T Z V I S I T S

During the first seven days of our holiday we made twelve visits, all of them were with groups of people, three of them involved overnight stays and none of them, it seemed were close to one another.

Don’t get me wrong, it was great to see everyone again, and if I could, I would have included more visits, not cut any out, but it did feel more like a rock tour or a military campaign than a vacation at times.

Just a few of our visits.  

The week culminated with a larger-than-average family reunion where my wife was introduced to many new family members and I encountered gown-up people who were babies when I last met them. To me, this is one of the best advantages of my living abroad; if I didn’t make these ‘special’ visits home, I would probably never see these people, and many of them would likely not see each other, either.

On the morning of our final day in the area I still call home, I found myself at my cousin’s house, surrounded by acres of forest, and afforded the rare opportunity of sitting and relaxing for an hour. I took advantage of the back deck, a recently purchased box of cigars and a satisfying cup of coffee to take in the atmosphere. It was the most peaceful hour I experienced all week: just sitting, listening to the soft rain, surrounded by the scent of spring while mulling over memories of all the friends and family I had just spent time with.

A little bit of heaven. 

I was more thoroughly content than I had been in a long time. I love living in England, but I’m a country boy at heart, and could easily spend the rest of my days surrounded by the sights, sounds and smells of the forest. As long as there was a pub and a Waitrose express nearby.

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