Hiiiya!!

I know, I know, I know..... I am a terrible blog writer...
I actually have no excuses... Except i was uber busy on the ships.. Enjoying myself far too much to write about it... hahaha.
So much has happenned since I last wrote before christmas... Let's see if i can remember it all. I can't promise that my grammar or spelling will be that great, because im on the laptop and not my iphone - so no autocorrect - and i'm far too lazy to be coherant...
So.... where to begin??
Well, my contract ended on the Stylish Braemar on the 3rd June and it was very emotional. I had made such wonderful friends on that ship an it was so sad to leave them believing i would probably not see them again. We had gone through so much together, we shared christmas and new years together, Easter and my birthday - which was pretty amazing!! (All of the occasions, not just my birthday)
Don't get me wrong, i did miss home....I missed my friends and family but I wasn't ready to leave the ship when i did... That's what made it harder I think...
I went to some amazing places - Gambia, Senegal, Morroco, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Madeira, Amsterdam, Belgium, The Canaries and UK.
I can't remember if we visited any other location as there has been so many - not meaning to brag.
My favourite place....Well there's two... The first one was Gambia. OH MY GOD!!! IT was Phenominal with a capital P!!! Such an eye opener! Now there is poverty there as you would expect with a third world country... But it was also a beautiful place with the friendliest people...
It really put things in perspective. They literally have nothing...We went to a school to see children standing at the gate wanting to go in, they wanted an education but they couldn't afford it... To them education is a privelidge.... it's not mandatory like here. It was heartreaking... In the school, there was children who were skin and bone, wearing tattered school uniforms....But do you know what? They were so happy to see us... It was such an experience... They had nothing but they were happy because they didnt know any better.... We complain about public transport, about petrol prices and school dinners..... They are most probably starving, yet happy to receive visitors and so grateful to be given a pencil as a gift..... a pencil!! It really puts things into perspective and makes you thankful for what you have.
My other favourite destination for a completely different reason was Dublin!! Man i love that city!!!!!!!! I love the buildings, the parks, the people, the accent, the bars... just everything!!!! St Stephens Green is out of this world, just so beautiful. A few friends and myself went exploring the park and it was huge, someone once told me it was bigger than central park in new york.... i've never been so i wouldn't know.... But WOW!!!
The nightlife is pretty awesome too, with the Irish bands playing in the bars...My friend getting chatted up by a blind guy.... hahaha somehow he knew she was pretty.... Don't get me wrong, she is! But it was hilarious how the blind guy knew it....
I wasn't supposed to do the UK cruise but one of the team was delayed so i got to stay on longer.... secretly i was loving it!!!!
Then i had to say goodbye to everyone...Sad times.... As far as i was aware i wouldn't see them again as i was to be joining a different ship in Septemer.... and my company actually asked me to do a mini contract on that ship from june 18th - july 16th... which i thought... why not????
So there was on the 18th June boarding the Balmoral! Luckily a few of my friends from Braemar were also boarding that day, so at least i would know some people. It was a short but sweet contract and i met some lovely people and made a few friends on the way....Some of who are absolute nutters... and some who are very special.... I won't mention names because they know who they are.... hehehe....Norweigan Krona..... (private joke)
So with the Balmoral we travelled around the Artic Circle - To the most northern point of Norway, which again was spectacular..... At 4am it was broad daylight!! 4am!!!!!!! And i know that, because i was definitly not drinking at that time.... hehe.... But anyway, Norway was beautiful! I can understand while the Norweigan people are so proud of their country! It was picturesque and clean and just lovely...albeit expensive!
The next cruise on the Balmoral we ventured around the Baltic, seeing Denmark, Sweden, Estonia and Russia... Couldn't actually disembark in Russia so i just sunbathed... Yes i sunbathed in Russia, on the account of it was almost 30 degrees!!!! All of these places were beautiful, again they were clean, the architecture was amazing... the men..... i mean the scenery was very pleasant ;-)
Like i said i made some lovely crazy friends on that mini contract and would've looked forward to seeing them again when i was to embark in September....however.. (pause for dramatic music - dum, dum ,duuum) I received news that the contract had been double booked.... so would I be willing to return to Braemar in September..... Now this was a very hard decision.... Did i want to go back???
OF COURSE!!!!!!!
Don't get me wrong, i was sad that i wouldn't see my friends from Balmoral again, but then i looked at the itineraries and the two ships meet up twice over christmas!!!! So woop!!!! Best of both worlds for me!!!!
Only downside is, when i embark Braemar many of my friends leave or will have already left!! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! But at least i get to see them for an hour or so before they leave... sad times though.... Bloody mumps symons and show company!!! grrr!!!! But some will come back and I'll see them again!
Even though I was sad to leave, this time i was ready... It was time to go home....
Woah. I've written quite a bit so far!!!

So anyway, i left the ship on 16th July and spent sometime with friends in the south... I even went back to work for good old Specsavers for a while and got to see everyone there again.... It was weird.... Like a surreal case of deja vu.
It was lovely seeing everyone again though, no body has changed at work... no body has changed outside of work either... Claire is still a complete nutcase!!
Also met up with the good old wolfpack! Heading right back to our childish antics!! Along with a fair few units of alcohol... haha good times!!
Another quite significant point to maybe mention is.... the secret is finally out! Manish and myself have had an interesting on off relationship for the past couple of years. We decided to take a break just before i joined the ship and despite a few.... peaks and troughs, we decided to give it another go now i'm back... All is going very well so far, it is such a relief now everyone knows and everyone is being so supportive and happy for us....It's great!
He's coming up to meet my family shortly and then at the end of the month i am going to meet his.....NERVOUS!! Though he assures me i will be fine.... we will see!
We've also decided to stay together while i do my next contract and see how it goes..... I'm feeling very optimistic :-D
So, in a nutshell i think that is everything!
I promise i will try better in future to keep this blog alive...... but you know me - it depends on how busy i am with my very hectic social calendar....
I hope you have enjoyed this anyway.... I'm not going to reread what i have written before i post... it feels more natural this way....
Speak to you all soon!!!!!
Any feedback is more than welcome - as long as it is nice :-D