OK, so I know a postcard from Basingstoke is hardly going to make you jealous just yet, but the next one is likely to be from Rio, which I'm sure will have a bigger effect!!! Thanks so much for all your emails and messages on the board wishing me well - it means a lot to me - thanks for your support. I wanted to let you all know about and invite you to come along to my going away party - well, it wouldn't be right just to disappear without doing some se...

OK, so I know I've just said I'm in Basingstoke and the photo is of Big Ben, but unsuprisingly Basingstoke doesn't feature that highly on the list of most-visited tourist attractions in England, so I'm improvising! The first really big step in the plan has now happened... I've let my flat and have moved back in with Mum and Dad until I go. It's just starting to sink in that I'm really going, and it's not just a little bit scary! ...