Saturday 14 August 2021

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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16 comments:

  1. Glad to see you're back with Project 365. I left some time in May, and am thinking of re-joining as well, as I miss weekly/monthly updates. I've seen some of your posts on Insta and FB, and felt very sorry for your "prison". The cost of the stay in hotel is atrocious. My DH had to isolate at home for 10 days after the visit to Italy, also double-jabbed, but at least he was allowed to stay at home. It must have been very hard, emotionally and psychologically feeling trapped in the room. Lovely that you were able to see your family later. And the cat looks very pleased to have you back.

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    1. thank you Galina, the hotel quarantine was hard. I've also done 3 lots of isolation prior top the traffic light system. Would love to see you abck and catch up with Eddie and Sasha also

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  2. I am so glad you are writing these posts again. I missed catching up on your life. I love the month long catch up. You had a very busy time of it. Good on you for doing 10k steps in a hotel room. I struggle to do it on a day when I am out and about. I am sure my stepcounter is wrong. lol x

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    1. thank you Kim, I've missed the blogging community, nice to be back and catch up

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  3. Nice to see you back. Happy birthday for back in June! It was someone else managing to do 10k steps when isolating that made me realise I should get my backside up and stepping. It's a bit mad fitting it in - I put music on, but I don't think I'd be doing it if stuck in a hotel room with my husband.

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    1. thank you for the birthday wishes. I haven't managed anywhere near 10,000 steps a day since my 'release'

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  4. Glad you've decided to return, trust me without kitten pictures I'd be screwed for anything interesting to photograph at all at the moment. Love the wellies shot of your granddaughter - such a lovely stage for you to be able to enjoy. Looks like you had lots of treats for your birthday. #365

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    1. Birthday was fab, not the cruise we'd planned though

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  5. Lovely to have you back again. Happy belated 50th birthday. 11 days quarantined in a hotel must have been so hard. What a relief to be able to get home again and out and about for dog walks rather than doing your daily steps cooped up in a hotel room. #project365

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  6. Belated happy birthday! Good to have you back with us on #project365. I have no idea how you managed 10k steps in the hotel...!

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  7. Welcome back to Project 365 and to the UK. Happy belated birthday. Good luck with the house renovations, I would love a new kitchen, but for now we have just painted it

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  8. Welcome back to the UK the hotel quarantine would have driven me absolutely mad and I would have also gone as soon as possible!! Happy belated 50th sorry to hear that the hotel was not up to scratch. Look forward to seeing what you get up to at home, we also need a new shed but started talking about that four months ago and still no nearer...

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