Asian Adventure - Leaving Portsmouth, 29 April 2019

Today I have returned to the UK with my Aunt after a three week holiday in Asia, a vacation like no other and an important period for me to spend with my husband Darrell. This time was crucial for us given our circumstances and we have managed to create many more memories to add to our twenty-four years together, the only thing that matters at my time of life.

Today I am reliving that journey in Asia here on my blog, on the day I set foot back on British soil. This first entry, will begin the story of just what happened during our time together and the adventures we experienced in my favourite part of the World.

I did manage to keep a journal of events whilst staying in every country I visited, so will be serialising them over the next month. My travels abroad have been detailed on social media as one would expect and the interest shown by followers to my personal profile as well as my 'Real Truth Blogger' page as been phenomenal. I would like to dedicate my diary of events to all of you, my loyal readers, for sticking by the blog, even when I was away and unable to write as I would have liked.

Today's entry begins nearly three weeks ago, as my Aunt and I left Portsmouth on day one of this expedition of a lifetime....It feels like a lifetime now, we have seen and done so much!

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So here we are finally in the air after an extremely long day. As I begin this narrative, I am mindful of how tired and exhausted I feel, the anticipation of the days ahead has been as exhausting as getting up early today. I was up, bolt upright in bed at 2am, even before the alarm sounded. I had a terrible few hours sleep, in the end taking a sleeping pill given to me by a friend and customer where I work at The Newcome - Melatonin she called it, a pill that produces the very chemical we all secrete when we naturally drift off to the land of nod.

It was about a quarter to eight in the evening when I finally popped the tablet. I had been avoiding it, not wanting to take something that would have left me a zombie for the rest of the day, but when my Aunt woke me up a few minutes after I fell asleep, looking for her keys, I thought 'sod it,' why not, I'll give it a go; rather that than tossing and turning in bed until it was time to leave. Melatonin is apparently good for jet lag too, so I will certainly be taking another one when I return. I must have been soundo within the hour. It felt great to have a wonderful few hours sleep and no swirling head when I got up!

Catching the National Express Coach from The Hard in Portsmouth couldn't have been easier. It was a cold and misty morning as I waved goodbye to HMS Warrior, just round the corner from the Coach Station, taking a photo of the ship as I went. I felt a little apprehensive about my time away, Portsmouth was now my home and the ship represented my life today...Tomorrow I would be in a foreign country waiting for my husband to arrive!

It took three hours to reach Heathrow, stopping at five or six stops along the way, which is a long time by anyone's standards, but the ride was comfortable, giving me time to reflect on the holiday ahead and chat with my Aunt about our expectations while travelling through four culturally different countries that few people seem to visit.

On arrival we made our way to the Thai Airways Self Service Check in, the first airline to start us on our way. The cheerful young lad had a laugh and  joke at our inability to use the automated system, probably something to do with our advancing years....Personally I would rather someone did it for us, but we are in the modern age and this probably wont be the last time check in procedures cause us hassle along the way.

Luggage deposited, it was time for breakfast at 'Eat' in the Heathrow Airport Food Court. If I am honest the food was diabolical and the service even worse. We had to wait over half an hour to be served, by an assistant who clearly had no people skills at all; how they keep their jobs is beyond me. Had we been rushing to catch a flight, we would have missed it, we were just lucky to have time on our hands. These places make my blood boil, they have a monopoly over catering in airports so don't care about the standards of service they deliver...My view, avoid if you can!

After a brief wonder around some very expensive shops, we settled down at La Sailles Restaurant for refreshments and to charge our phones, this time the service was much better, though like everywhere at Heathrow overpriced.

Now as readers to my blog are aware I really do suffer with anxiety, so getting onto a plane is an absolute nightmare for me....We are actually in the air now, flying at 30000 feet and I am feeling OK, just OK, a little bit tired granted, but just over under an hour ago and I was in panic mode - heavy, shallow breathing, pensive and sweaty, I nearly walked away from the departure lounge at gate B44, the fear inside of me is real. Just before I fly, I always seem to read about how to survive a plane crash, where the best place is to sit and what are my chances of dying? Winding myself us before every holiday seems to me somewhat of a tradition and today was no different.

In the end I took a very beep breath, gulped rather deeply and shook dark thoughts from my mind and thank God I did. The service, food and facilities on board this double decker A380 are second to none. This is turning out to be the best international flight I have ever been on, even though the sheer size of the plane and how the hell it stays up in the air bothers me...Maybe I think too much?

I'm on my second bottle of 'Chang' Lager and ploughing my way through a low fat meal that my Aunt ordered by mistake, when she booked the flights. Equally she accidentally ordered low sodium meals for herself, which landed her with a dinner of poached salmon, which she hates...Not a problem for me, so we just swapped and it was rather nice. In her frustration, she also removed all trace of vegetables from her meal, something else she doesn't eat, mistakenly putting them in her coffee cup...Without the black stuff she has finally hit the alcohol and it wont be long before she passes out.

As for me, well I'm watching Bohemian Rhapsody a film I haven't seen yet and I'm enjoying it as much as I can, between those bouts of anxiety about being thousands of feet in the air in a flying elephant.

17.12 Britain or 23.12 Thailand

We have been flying nearly five hours now and I just can't get to sleep, it's impossible. Don't get me wrong, I am tired but I just refuse to sleep...JUST IN CASE! Christ knows what I would do if something bad did happen, but the fact I am awake helps...Maybe I could batter my way out of a burning plane while everyone slept, or notice a hijacker while everyone else is snoring...I don't know...It's just a false sense of security, so stay awake I do! As soon as I start to drift off I jump back into life, it's that 'anxiety' thing again...I just need to learn to relax more.

Watching Mary Poppins

Helps with my anxiety...How do I actually stop it? Driving me insane...The signing is marvellous and taking my thoughts off the current turbulence...Got to love Mary, great childhood memories, if I die now, I'll be happy!

18.45 Britain or 12.45 Thailand

Low fat and low sodium sandwiches brought around. Tomato in white bread with no butter....THAT'S IT...(Bloody Aunty T!)

Aunty T and I have three seats to ourselves, it really does feel like we have moved in for the duration. We have just had a laughing fit as she tries to get past me, her junk and my rubbish to go to the toilet, which is just at the back of us. I actually don't mind that too much....There's lots of fit men on this flight...backpackers and travellers, my guess! It was good to have some laughter, a welcome break from all the stress of flying

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