Merry Christmas And I Will See You On The Other Side

It’s nearly the end of the year and I am taking that as my cue to take some time off. The ex-teacher in me still sees Christmas as the one time of the year where you can afford to down tools and just make the most of the family time.

Family

However, in a break with tradition it will just be the four of us this year. The extended family have now arrived and that means we will have quality time/trying not to argue before we abandon them to look after/trash our house, whilst we fly out for a holiday. We are so excited about our holiday. We booked it over 2 years ago and I still can’t quite believe that the time is here now. In fact, we are woefully unprepared for it due to recent events.

A Hard Slog?

2017 on the one hand has gone so fast but on the other hand it has felt like such a hard slog. In some ways I feel like I have achieved so much. It was the year that we did the Moonwalk marathon and The Island Walk. However, it was also the year that I felt I didn’t see family and friends enough, but the flip side is that I probably feel more settled on Jersey. It was also the year that I landed regular freelance work and I now have a monthly wage again. Hurray! I can’t tell you how excited I am about that. It was also the year that Youngest started school and took to it like a duck takes to water.

Gazundering

Unfortunately, it was also the year that I learnt a new term “gazundering”. Fun times, not. Yep, it has been a rollercoaster of a year but that’s life. One minute it feels like everything is amazing and then the next you feel like you are plummeting down the rabbit hole and wondering if it will ever stop. It really has been a year that has been amazing in so many ways but equally it has been really challenging at times. There has been no constant. 2017 has felt like a crazy see-saw threatening to throw us all off.

How I feel About Jersey

Still, I feel very lucky to be here. At times living on Jersey can feel isolating but the decision to come here allowed us a better family life. Back in the UK we were both working long hours and we still had no spare cash. Taking a leap into the unknown has enabled me to forge a flexible career that I can fit in around the family and Mr C no longer has a hellish commute after a really long day. So yes, ultimately moving to Jersey probably was the right decision for us as a family. I still miss home though; I probably always will. Also, at the back of the mind are my worries about my parents. Mr C lost a family member this year and every time we lose someone we love it brings back into sharp focus how we are now living apart from our loved ones. We might not be that far from our family but it isn’t that easy to get back home. Flights can be expensive and when you have to drop everything for a funeral you remember that one of the downsides of living on this island is the fact that it can be difficult to get off the rock.

My Parents

I constantly worry about my parents, even though they would be very cross at me for worrying, and I’m sure that Mr C feels the same about his parents. However, at least he knows that they have family close by. My parents decided to move into the middle of nowhere and they don’t have any family close by. My brother lives in Norway and I obviously live on Jersey. I wonder if it is my duty as the eldest to move closer to my parents. I lay awake at night and worry about something happening to them. What if they become ill? What if there is no-one around to help them? This year saw them getting burgled and it reminded me of how vulnerable we all are.

2018

I end 2017 a little more jaded but I am still full of optimism. I hope that 2018 is a better year for all of us and the world in general! It’s a crazy world out there! Let’s hope that 2018 is a happy and healthy year :- ).

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I will still be on social media and I will be posting again after the New Year.

Have a good one everyone.