Well here we are back safe and sound. The flight was fairly painless - lots of movies to watch and nibbles to keep us occupied along the way. Scott managed a full 6 hrs sleep (lucky man); I could only manage 3. Either way we would soon be back in our own beds. As we arrived into Heathrow it was still dark at 6.20am and about 3 degrees Celcius- but it felt good to be back on British soil and I was full of excitement to catch up with everyone.

By about 7.30am I spied the back of my parents heads waiting for us in the airport as they had kindly agreed to pick us up. After a good British cuppa at the airport and a catch up we headed out to brave the weather. It is bloody freezing here! Quite a shock to our systems since we have been in permanent summer mode since last September! There was a crash on the M4 so we found ourselves in a traffic queue, but despite my tiredness there was no chance of sleep as we nattered away. Back home it was slightly daunting to look at the huge pile of mail to sort through and the massive pile of washing I had been clever enough to leave before we left (along with all the dirty washing in our bags of course)!

Scott spent all morning manically sorting his life admin before deciding to have a nap before we headed over to his parents for a roast dinner. I think I had gone into a slightly hysterical overtired mode (similar to coming off a week of night shifts!), as I decided rather than going to bed I'd go on a run. I set out along the lane and felt strangely energised. It felt a relief to be back in control of my life - to exercise when I wanted and to re-establish some routine. Maybe it's because I've been jogging bare foot in the sand and heat in Thailand, and the weather here is cooler, but I just felt like I could keep on running. I managed about a 5 mile run and didn't even stop. It felt great to be back in the village and jogging by the lakes as the sun was low in the sky, and to not be sweating buckets with the slightest activity! I spent the time on the run reflecting on the last 4 months. We have visited so many amazing places it is hard to conceptualise them in your head in one go. We have had the journey of a lifetime and the memories will always be with us. I am so pleased we embarked on such an adventure even if we are completely broke as a result! It was worth every penny and more. We have come back stronger in our relationship and more connected than we have ever felt before. Despite the inevitable bickering, travelling together does make you work through your difficulties rather than walking away from them; and you learn to adapt and be patient with one another's weaknesses and appreciate each others strengths. A good lesson to learn for any marriage. We have had a honeymoon never to forget, but I couldn't help thinking as I jogged through the Leigh - it is so good to be back. So I will leave you with the wise words of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and with a phrase I truly appreciate the meaning of...'There is no place like Home'.