#TheReturn

After Vietnam I had a few lazy days back in Hong Kong, I was still feeling a bit tired and poorly so I didn't spend much time exploring, that and I was now p*ss poor. There was a nice young Indian guy in my hostel room that I hung out with a little. He was intrigued to discover that in England we are allowed to study subjects like Drama as degrees and aren't forced to be doctors or engineers.

I was a bit like a moody teen for my last few days, it rained most of the time, the people in my room irritated me with their smugness and there weren't many people to talk to in the common areas when I was feeling more social. Now fed up of constant tummy problems, I surrendered and mainly ate at pizza hut. It's safe to say, I was ready for home.

Awaiting my plane, which was at midnight, I sat almost all day in the common room's massage chair when finally a lovely girl called Deniz began a conversation with me. She was Canadian and about to embark on her journey around Asia. I must have used all the unspoken words I had collected over the last few silent days just chatting to her. She also had a flight so we caught the bus together to the airport and I was genuinely disappointed to have met her in the last few hours of my trip. Sometimes you just click with people straight away. We said our goodbyes as we had separate terminals and then it was operation "GET ME HOME!"

The flight, unlike my spacious flight there, was packed. I squashed myself into my middle row, middle seat and closed my eyes hoping to awaken once the wheels had touched down in England. First I was woken up for dinner, despite having already eaten at the airport I wasn't about to turn down free food so munched it down anyway. Then I slept. Time ticked by slowly, my excitement and anxiety to return home made me jittery. I watched a film or two and then we were less than an hour from touch down.

Before long I felt that familiar bump of the wheels touching the ground and I raced through the airport. I knew I would have my mum waiting for me on the other side but being six in the morning, I didn't expect anyone else would be up that early on a Sunday.

Nothing to declare. This was it! I was going to see my mum for the first time in a year. Home!
I rounded the corner, ahead of me I saw a mop of blonde wavy hair hanging on the skinny frame of my little Paggy. Tears streamed down my cheeks as we ran to each other, I picked her up and squeezed her little body with all my might. Behind her stood Sean, Katy and Yogi and of course my mum, they were holding a welcome home banner covered in pictures from my trip. I was later told that Yogi wanted to add, "Welcome home..from rehab" but the others wouldn't allow it.

I hugged everyone as time fell away and the year felt like a mere few weeks, Yogi filmed the

whole thing so one day, we could all look back and remember that moment, nothing could spoil it, no one could possibly take the joy...
"What are you wearing?" ..oh.
Clearly unimpressed, Paige had taken in my 'I'm traveling Asia outfit' and did not approve.
I'm home!

We headed off for breakfast and then home to Rugby. Loren and Ivy came over. Two confused blue eyes stared at me. Nine months I had envisioned this moment, the moment when an aunty meets her niece for the first time and they instantly bond, knowing that they are family and forever bound together by the love and strength that that brings. I reached out to grab her.
Horror flooded the baby's face. She immediately reached out for Loren in rejection of me... RUDE!
Dylan the dog will surly be happy to see me, after all, we used to be best buds.

Ayden came in with the two dogs, I stood at the top of the stairs and called them to me. "Dylsibob, Tubs!" I shouted. They came bounding to the bottom of the stairs and Dylan looked at me.
"BOB!" I called romantically.
"BARK BARK BARK!" Dylan furiously barked up the stairs at me, no idea of who the hell I was or why I was in his Nanny's house.
"Dylan! It's me!" More furious barking, I went downstairs to him, he

barked more and more, clearly frustrated that I hadn't got the message.

Light bulb! Suddenly, a light switch went on in his little memory and his barking turned to what can only be described as the most extreme excitement you can expect from a canine companion. He jumped on my face unable to contain his joy, I pet him and fussed him but he couldn't get close enough, it was only when he had climbed up me to be practically on my head that he began to calm down.
Unfortunately with Ivy, I was going to have to put in a lot more ground work. This was not going to be accomplished with the Vietnamese

rice hat I had gotten for her to wear, she pulled it off her head clearly unimpressed. It was worth it though, she looked adorable!

I spent the rest of the day like this; enjoying being back with my family. It already started to feel like months since I had been away and I knew very soon all that would be left of the most incredible year of my life would be the memories it has printed on my mind and the photos I have stored on my Google drive. For this, I am so grateful that I have written these diaries, just to lose myself in the adventure again and re-meet the people that made my journey so special.
But now it's time to close this chapter and see what life has planned next for this freckled, sunburnt, ginger chick. #WishMeLuck