June 2021 One Daily Positive and Project 365 Dubai to the UK

I stopped writing these posts in June as I felt there was little to talk about and I was finding it harder to take 'interesting' photos.

Now we're living back in the UK it feels like 'well that's that then' No kids at home, no work to go to, no travelling abroad (for now).

But when I think back to what we've done since we arrived back in the UK on June 3rd, we've done an awful lot with 3 hotel stays (one mandatory on arrival), my 50th birthday, a wedding and plenty of family time.

It's just the two of us now, Peter has retired, I haven't worked since 2016, the kids left home in 2014 when we were living in South Africa and the last 4 years in Dubai, I'd been travelling between the UK and Dubai and moved back a full time a year ahead of Peter as Covid closed the borders on me.

I have managed to get back and forth, with long periods of isolation and lots of PCR tests, as well as being double vaccinated back in Dubai in January 2021. 

It's strange being back, we don't really feel like we've returned, it's been 10 years and so much has changed about the way things happen here. We're living in our former family home, but using it very differently and we've decided to stay put and will be having a new kitchen, sheds, extension. 

But for now we're gardening, doing some DIY. There was no unpacking to do as the container didn't arrive until July (more drama), the dog is getting walked and we've been catching up with family and friends.

Here's a photo a day for June:

Day s 152-181

152 Beach Day at the Ritz Carlton

153 All systems go, flight early hours

154 Homeward bound to Birmingham via 4 hour stop over in Amsterdam

155 11 day mandatory hotel isolation travelling from a red country, despite identifying ourselves at the border we were informed that we had been identified as a risk to the UK and if we failed to obey orders we would be arrested. Hotel Crown Plaza at the NEC at the cost of £2400.

156 view from the room of the carpark.

157 Trying to keep sane and occupied.

158 Managing 10,000 steps a day in the hotel room, the less people I see the better it is for everyone.

159 tried to do some blogging, write letters, sort emails, but no will to live anymore.

160 ordered room service and watched the 4 x daily prison bus arrive

161 Still walking, still bored, still upset

162 watching the rabbits and geese. On the other side of the hotel is a lake

163 Food is reasonably good and they've catered for a wheat free diet

164 the longest day of quarantine. Day 10

165 One minute past midnight, in the taxi and home to our new lives

166 one very pleased and happy cat

167 Asked Peter to just cut the worktop off so we can get the fridge IN the kitchen

168 dog walk and pub garden

169 I brushed the cat

170 dog walk and take out coffee

171 visit from child 2, his wife and our grandchild

172 walk in and around Malvern

173 endless marketing scam calls

174 trip to Ikea

175 2 days to go and a night in a disappointing spa hotel

176 present from friends in Germany

177 my 50th birthday and my oldest friends, daughters wedding and a hotel stay

178 my nieces babyshower

179 more presents in the post

180 the last of the birthday cake

181 a visit to see child 1. Lateral flow tests, forms filled and masks worn.

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