Hello all!

Hope your all well and enjoying the snow at home! Im currently basking in 30 degree heat with tropical rain storms each day :)

So I have just finished my little trip to Bali and my last week was spent in Gili Trawangan, quite literally paradise...but it has been a bit of a tricky one for me! It was the most beautiful place but much harder to meet people than I hoped and I did struggle with the humidity for the first week or so, Ive never had it when sweat literally pours from your body, not an attractive image Im sure but the truth!

I am now properly backpacking and learning a lot about myself, my boundaries and do's and don't on the travelling circuit. Its been a bit of learning curve but Im getting there...

I spent most of my time on Gili chilling and just managed to get a dive done on one day but it is much harder to meet people here.

I have now also realised how important my friends and family are to me back at home, dont worry Im not about to thrown in the towel far from it but I now know how much I need connections with other people, and its where I need to focus.

Most nights I would go for dinner alone, there is nothing worse to pull at the heart strings than sitting alone by the dark sea by candle light with couples all sat around you, staring in to the empty seat opposite...ahhhhhh...I hear you cry...yes I know but the most 'comical' situations were the nightly chats I had with the waiters. I went to a different restaurant each night but quite literally this is what was said word for word.

Indonesian waiters " Ahhh pretty laaadddddiiiieeee, you have nice eye, where you eat dinner tonight, you come here and I make nice dinner for you"

Me, "ok thanks Ill take the seat by the front",

But then the 20 questions would start, Im now a captive audience...Im not sure if you have been to Indonesia but they are rather questioning and the same line of questions tend to follow

Waiter, "where you from"

Me, "England"

Waiter "Where"

Me" London"

Waiter, "Where"

Me" Ermm Streatham.." (this seemed and important point)

Confused waiter.. "Where is you friend?"

Me, "I travel alone"

Waiter, "So you have no friend?"

Me, "yes in England...but not here"

Waiter, "where is your husband"

Me, "no husband"

Waiter, "ahhh I see and your boyfriend?"

Me, "Umm no, no boyfriend'

Its normally at this point that the waiter pauses for about 5 sec considering his next line of questioning or is just totally confused that Im on my own without a chaperone...

Waiter' " Why you have no boyfriend"

Me, " Erm I dont know, can I have the bill please...*sob*"

So if it wasnt bad enough that I was on my own the Indonesian waiters gave me a nightly grilling as to why not. Not ideal....AND I KID YOU NOT THE SAME LINE OF QUESTIONING EVERY NIGHT!!

Anyway so I have come up with a top 6 things I need to stick by from now on when travelling, I have now got my head round the travelling mantra!

1. Thou will tell all local's that I have a boyfriend to distract from interrogation and unwanted attention (if I wasnt questioned then I was stalked..another problem I had)

2. Thou will not go to expensive posh hotels and will slum it like the rest of the backpackers to ensure that I meet new friends

3. Thou will post half my bag back to Mum so I can actually pick it up and carry it to new hostels and find some good deals

4. Thou will embark on diving course and fun dives in order to meet more like minded people

5. Thou will try and remember what date and day of the week it is, I keep forgetting and almost missing flights / boat bookings...

6. Thou will LISTEN to the advice of other travellers

So here I am in Singapore, in a hostel called the Inn Crowd, things are looking up and after a drink with my mate from home Anna last night I feel a lot more grounded. It was lovely being with someone who knows me, in a funny kind of way I found my identity again, when you spend all of your conversations explaining who you are and where you come from you tend to loose a bit of who you are and cant get past the personal CV! I have also met a couple of people in the hostel today who seem quite nice and friendly (apart from a snorer in the room last night - erghhhhh).

Anyway Im off to make friends and also plan my next trip to Thailand...miss you all so much

J xx