Hwyl Fawr Cymru, Hello Heathrow!

I thought it was about time to start this blog of mine that I’ve been alluding to for months so here it is – I hope you don’t have high hopes. It’ll probably end up being an incoherent rambling of stuff that runs through my mind. Which can be an illogical and confusing place to be at times, even for me.

So I’m writing my very first blog from a hotel room near Heathrow and I’m totally stuffed. I’m too tight to pay the extortionate amount of money they charge for food here so in a ridiculous attempt to keep warm, I put on almost all the spare clothes I have in my hand luggage, scrunched my shoulders up to my ears and shuffled across to Marks n Sparks to get tea (that’s dinner to people who live further down the valley and posh people).

After getting back, I sat cross legged on my HUGE bed (I can lie across it, arms and legs stretched out and there’s about an inch spare), stuffed my face with a duck wrap, salt and vinegar crisps and a heaven sent lemon cheesecake. Then I felt guilty about eating all that junk whilst watching that dating show with the skinny one from Max and Paddy so decided to write my first blog in an attempt to redeem myself and hope that made the calories I've just consumed vanish.

So, this is what I’m doing and why …

I’m off to Mbale in Eastern Uganda to work for two months for a UN Development Programme called TACC which stands for Territorial Approach to Climate Change. After this, I’m taking time off from work to travel from Uganda to Cape Town so I’m not back in Welsh work until July which is fantastic – as someone said to me, “It’s like mat leave without the inconvenience of having a baby to look after!).

I’ll write more about the assignment and the work I’m doing once I’ve arrived and settled in but in the meantime, for those of you who are interested in doing something similar in the future, have a look at this – http://wales.gov.uk/psmwsubsite/psmw/personaldev/international/?lang=en

But the assignment and additional travel time this means I’m going to be out of the Land of my Fathers for 5 months. I’ve been saying my goodbyes for about two weeks now to a variety of people, places and animals. It’s been quite emotional at times, with a fair few tears shed (none mine though, I can’t wait to be rid of you all) across South Wales.

I’m missing out on loads of good stuff that’s happening at home whilst I’m away though – new babies (singles and doublers), hens, stens, weddings, significant birthday parties, insignificant birthday parties – and that’s not even to mention the Six Nations. Although to be honest, it’s probably for the best that I’m not there for the rugby this year. I need a year off from the Six Nations Morning After Guilts. You know that horrid panicky feeling when you wake up with NO recollection of what you did the previous night?

I always seem to get led into all sorts of trouble on international days, but they are stories that will hopefully never see the light of a computer screen. After all, Auntie Bet or Nanny June may end up seeing this…

(See, I warned you this would ramble!)

Anyway, even though I know this is going to be an amazing experience followed by the trip of a lifetime, it’s been really hard saying goodbye to people and places I love. I’ve had so many lovely, thoughtful and generous messages, meals out, meals in, cards, texts, emails and pressies, so thank you all so very much.
They (and you) all mean the world to me and I’m going to miss (most of you) loads.

I’m just about cream crackered now so I’m not going to write any more and I’m signing off from my first blog. I’d like to say all future blogs will be fun, witty and entertaining, but in all honesty, the chances are slim. They’ll probably be mediocre at best.

Here are the answers to some of the questions I’d agreed with some of you before leaving :

Current location from swanky GPS thing :

No idea. It’s packed in my rucksack but I’m in room 3217 of a hotel near Heathrow!

Last text I had, who was it from and what did it say :

It was a photo message from my friend Helen who has just brought twin number two home. Good luck tonight Hels!

Last thing I ate :

A lemon cheesecake from MnS. About 500 calories but bloody lovely!

What did you wish you knew yesterday?