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    Sundays....

    optimistic-mummy
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    Sundays are an odd day, whether you are starting work tomorrow, getting the children's things ready to go back to school.... yay!! I do believe Sundays are a family type day to have fun together and relax, this morning here in Orihuela was the day of Reyes which is a celebration of the three kings (the 3 wise men to some) giving presents to Jesus. last night there was festivities in each town, parades and excitement. Very similar to our Christmas morning, the children here wake up to find presents left next to the shoes they put out the evening before, leaving water and nougat out for the wise men to build strength for their continued journey. 

    A lovely occasion i do admit, your probably asking why we celebrate when we have Christmas day. Well being in Spain and having our daughter in a Spanish school she learns about these traditions from her friends and of course we do the parental duty so she is not left out and do something similar for her, in my case save 3 presents from Christmas then hide them round the house until she finds them and then she can open them and play that is as far as our celebration went for today,  In the afternoon we watched the film "The Greatest Showman" which was amazing I highly recommend this film. Then now its the rush around making sure Alexis has everything for her first school day tomorrow of 2019 of course.

    They say January is the most depressive month of the year, festivities over, going back to work, but a little cheesy quote from the film, be unique be you.
    The Optimistic Mummy xx

    "No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else."— P.T. Barnum (Hugh Jackman), The Greatest Showman
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    What To Write....

    Family Life Lexi Officialdom optimistic-mummy
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    In 2015, Darrell and I moved to Gran Alacant in Spain, where we met the Stewardson family; Katie, Andy and Little Lexi. During testing times, Darrell and I formed a close bond with these special people, who still remain in our life today, despite us leaving Spain six months ago. The Stewardson's are still living their Spanish dream, despite the pitfalls they encounter everyday. With time on her hands Katie has decided to set up her own website called 'Optimistic Mummy,' a tale of life in an unforgiving climate. I am delighted to showcase Katie's work on 'Roaming Brit,' and hope my readers will also enjoy her adventures in a foreign land!
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    Over to Katie....

    I have never done a blog before, I have read a few, my good friend Luke has a blog which is very good.. so I don't really know what to write to be honest or where to start. 

    I moved with my family to Spain in May 2016, my family consisting off my husband and my (at the time) 3 year old daughter, whose now 6 going onto 16 but that is for another time. Any way in a quick span we moved from one house to another that we are in now, our lives have never been simple even before moving to "sunny Spain", I find the harder you try the more obstacles you find are in the way. 

    Simple things for instance buying a car: in the UK nice and simple really fill the log book in and post it or now it is all online, where as here in Spain you need a dozen different types of paperwork and you have to go down to the Traffico office (if you do not speak Spanish there is no point trying.)after going through all the paperwork you have to pay the office for them to put the car in your name on top off paying a tax on the car and that's not the road tax.......need a cup of tea now after writing that, even writing about it is complicated. 

    Back to the beginning of this year everything was fine. My daughter is enjoying school, I had work so did my husband and our dream house... kind of..... its not ours we just rent it .

    then all of a sudden another hiccup in the path for a simple easy life.... is there even such a thing. I lost my job. Devastating as you would know if it has happened to you under any circumstance the hit to your self confidence is rocketing. i did the only thing I knew how to do be positive and the optimistic mummy I am.
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    2018 Year In Review - Blogging!

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    'Roaming Brit' has been going from strength to strength and I was humbled by the amount of interest shown by you, the readers last year. During the month of November and December I asked the general public if they could send in their Christmas thoughts, highlighting their entries each day. The response was amazing, each of you who took part, detailing stories, thoughts and feelings about the festive season. I thoroughly enjoyed reading every one of them; it was a privilege to have your words documented on my blog, something I can look back to in the future at such an important time of year.

    'Christmas Thoughts' was about including people, asking for opinions and recording comments that would otherwise be forgotten. It is important for a Blogger like me, to involve as many people as I can, to keep this site interesting, fresh and current. The interest generated from 'Christmas Thoughts' was phenomenal, with my inbox full to bursting everyday from eager patrons of this site, asking to hear more from those who took part.

    Since I began blogging, four years ago I have been amazed by the reach my words have, spanning the globe. During 2018 thousands of people read 'Roaming Brit' each week, a satisfying epitaph for a blog that was born from adversity. Though difficult and challenging subjects are tackled by me all the time, this current blog documents happier times, a departure from what transpired in my life during 2015. In 2019 I have firmly moved away from the testing times I used to write about constantly and concentrate my efforts on a brighter future ahead. All the while I am still mindful of the perplexing, anti social behaviours that were responsible for me putting pen to paper in the first place.

    During 2018 I received many messages about bullying and sociopathy, from readers needing help and direction, coping with difficult and arduous circumstances. I do my best to reply to each and every cry for help, or direct them to other organisations who can help them deal with their demons. Blogging isn't just about self serving indulgence, it is also about taking responsibility for our words and helping an audience who have been touched by what we articulate.

    I was delighted to include many new guest bloggers last year, people who read 'Roaming Brit' and decided they too wanted to express themselves through the power of writing. Their dedication has been an inspiration for me and to all of you, once again messaging me daily, wanting to become involved. I would like to thank Claire Coe, Debra Rufini and Richard Guy for their continued commitment to their own blogs; they have all become integral to the success of 'Roaming Brit.'

    Finally it was a untimely farewell to a dear friend and guest blogger Penelope Wren in 2018. Penelope and I were pupils at the same school in Fareham where we grew up. I was contacted by this wonderful lady about my writing, expressing an interest in blogging and asking for help in setting up a new site. She also continued to write for me, right up until her death in America. Not only will I remember her entries with fondness, but I will also look back on her kind heart, encouraging words of love and wonderful sense of humour. Penelope will always remain a part of this blog, I miss her everyday!

    Thanks once again for all your support last year, personally and professionally. You have made 'Roaming Brit' the success it is today and I am looking forward to another fantastic year ahead. Please do keep sending in your thoughts and expressing your views, without you, this blog wouldn't exist and for that you should all feel proud!


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    Sigh of Relief!

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    It's over, finally bloody over! All of us can breathe a sigh of relief and say goodbye to Christmas. The atmosphere at work today, was decidedly downbeat, as customers contemplated the start of 2019. After all the expense, hype and build up to the big day, it's time to start paying the bills, The sudden realisation that the festivities are at an end for another year can be too much to stomach for some. Britain celebrates the birth of Christ like no other Country I know, so it's only natural to feel deflated and fed up, as the season comes to an end. Next year will bring more of the same, but I wouldn't change it for the World; it's good to be home!

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    Change!

    2019 Reflection richard-guy
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    Happy New Year and welcome to my first blog entry of 2019.

    I tend not to make new year resolutions but I do look at what I can change in order to make improvements in my life.

    I already feel that 2019 is going to bring a lot of change to my life and I am determined to get to the end of the year and feel I have given it my all. I feel that I am at a bit of a crossroads in my life and I have the opportunity to make quite a few changes for the better this year. I have a job interview next week which is a great chance for me to focus a bit more on career progression and development.

    I need to change my mindset a lot this year – I’ve spent the last couple of years dragging myself down or being dragged down by others and have been left feeling that I am not good enough. That is going to change now and I am not going to place limitations on what is achievable or obtainable.

    I feel over the last couple of years I’ve taken a bit of a kicking both mentally and emotionally and it has left me feeling a bit numb and very cautious of who I really trust in life. I need to remove the barriers I put in front of me at times – again this is probably due to feelings of not being good enough. I need to remove those things from my life I don’t need because they drag me down. The past is the past and I can do nothing to change that but I can learn from it – actually I can learn a lot from it and make sure I don’t make those mistakes or poor decisions I have in the past.

    I need to change my mindset regarding training for the Ultra in August. The training will really ramp up in the next couple of months and I need to be prepared both mentally and physically. There will be times I will just want to throw the towel in and give up but I must learn to push through and keep going. There will also be times of self-doubt and I need to believe that I can achieve the targets and goals I set for myself.

    With winter being here now it can sometimes be a bit of a chore to get out of the door to train with the option of staying indoors where it is warm and comfortable seeming more sensible – I need to tell myself I haven’t entered an ultra to feel warm and comfortable, I’ve entered to push my boundaries and to challenge myself.

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  • Published on

    Quality Time!

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    A big thank you to everyone for asking how Darrell is getting on in Australia, since he left the UK two months ago. He has settled in as well as can be expected under the circumstances, staying with his Mother in Perth, Western Australia. Like me in the UK, he has reconnected with friends and family, people he hasn't seen for many years and is enjoying being around those close.

    We have spoken to each other often over the last nine weeks and it is clear that although he is happy to be with his Mother, he isn't particularly euphoric about being back in Australia itself. It isn't the Country he left behind in 1995, there has been dramatic changes to his homeland and he is finding it difficult to adjust to life down under, as he did when he returned for seven months in 2016. We have both discussed the path we need to follow, when this testing time comes to an end and both feel Australia is probably not an option. The hurdles we would have to cross and the nature of Australian society is not what we want at our time of life. We haven't made any firm decisions about where to live long term and are content to go with the flow for now!

    Darrell has adopted a feral cat called Nakita who is helping him during his stay. At the moment, the summer has just kicked in in Australia and the temperature is rising, unlike back here in Britain. Darrell hasn't experienced an English winter in many years and consequently his body clock is finding it problematic. Australia is indeed a wonderful country but it isn't necessarily the long term future we both desire.

    Darrell had a very quiet Christmas and New Year like me, spending time with his kinfolk and close friends. Unlike the UK, Australians don't tend to celebrate the festive season in the same way, understandable, when one considers the raging hot temperatures across the region. Family is important for both of us right now, so that is our priority. During this period, Darrell has stayed close to his Mum and enjoyed all the benefits that brings. Living in Britain for over twenty years has taught him the value of relationships, especially with his Mother; one never truly realises the significance of our parents, until they are gone. None of us can be sure how long we have left with them, so we should all do what we can to cement our family bonds, creating enduring and everlasting memories that will stay with us for a life time; both Darrell and I are doing just that!
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