Part way through Carpe Diem we decided that we had no intention of resuming our former lives. The world recession clearly has lots of losers but, fortunately, there are some winners like us. With The Bank of England slashing interest rates we suddenly had an income from our properties which we hadn’t anticipated.

When Carpe Diem came to an end on our return to the UK in April 2009 we had just one dilemma – where to live? Neil’s son Paul and girlfriend Miranda had built a nice little nest in the house and we didn’t feel it was right to evict him. We didn’t need a base as we were not going to work so we moved into the caravan that we purchased just over a year ago.

The new plan was to use the caravan to travel the UK, see some old sights, visit some new ones and catch up with family and friends. We had a great summer despite some grotty weather, lots of walking, National Trust, BBQ’s and generally appreciating our own country. S E Asia is amazing but then so is the UK and don’t forget it!

We realised that around October the weather would begin to be a tad chilly, and Cheryl doesn’t do chilly, so part of the time during the summer was spent planning “It Can Be Done!”.

The picture shows our “little luxury condo on wheels” (actually not that little, fixed double bed, shower, microwave and all mod cons) which was home for the summer. It is amazing how, having stayed in some pretty small guesthouse rooms, you get the feeling of space in our caravan. Yes, you might say that 13 sqm is small but double that with your immediate outside area under the sun canopy, then add the several acres of caravan site and you have masses!

A funny story about Mike Richman. On a camp site in Somerset Neil noticed a guy in a caravan a few pitches away and said “I know you”. After an exchange of work locations it transpired that Neil used to play cricket with him for Southern Electric Head Office team in a local business league when he first started work in 1974! Well done Neil, not a bad memory since it’s around 35 years since you last saw him!!

Think about this…spend £100k on a condo and see the same view every day.  With a £11k “condo on wheels”, when you get bored with the view you just move on and find another one!

Our sojourn begins and the full meaning of Carpe Diem begins to dawn upon us. The loss of Steve and Rosemary this year really made us realise that life can be cruelly cut short when the future looks so bright. You can run out of time when you least expect it so all those things that you put off until tomorrow may never happen. 

Today we “seize the day”…….Yeeeehaaaa!!!

It’s just 2 days before we leave and I think we’re on target to get everything done we had planned. Every now and again we get that panic moment when we realise that’s it’s really happening….., you know, that “ooooo s**t” moment!!

We’ve both said goodbye to Zurich and RAC. Fireworks party tomorrow night when we say our final goodbye to family plus a more long term “so long” to Neil’s niece and her family who are emigrating to Oz the day after we fly.

We’ve been over indulging the last week or two in all those things we know we can’t get in S E Asia. A Christmas Dinner with Leanne (hats, crackers, pud and , of course, the cat’s traditional Christmas Day tin of Value tuna), seriously mega pizza with Alex, a posh fish supper cooked by Paul, pork pies, a major cheese fest with Port, fillet steak, local chippie fish & chips, chocolate cake & cream, mmmm, and good old warm British Beer!

We won’t miss the cold, grey dreary weather we’re having at the moment knowing full well it’s 30 something in Thailand, and raining – but at least it’s warm rain!!.