Halfway house: how *are* we doing?!

So, 19th May was our halfway house for the trip – can’t quite believe we still have the same time to go! It has gone both super fast and slowly at the same time! Really happy we still have 3 months to go, that’s cool.

So how are we doing…in no particular order!

• We are truly having the most fabulous time – there is nothing we regret doing, we are seeing amazing things, experiencing amazing things. All the things we are doing are wonderful
• Don’t be fooled by the family pics – usually it’s met with a no, no pics Mum /Dad!
• Home school is still a sh*t show – EVERY SINGLE TIME it’s met with resistance. I get it, they are having more fun not doing home school. But don’t be under any illusion – we are doing home school, I’d say 90% of the time. Even if it’s reading a Kindle, that still counts. Travel days are big home school days for us – it’s dead time that we are using to our advantage! I’m in charge of English, T is in charge of Maths. Plays to our strong suits. Will they be fully up-to-date? I hope so and believe so – we run home school every day, with no holiday’s or breaks (it’s an hour or so a day, not exactly taxing!). The one-to-one coaching does them the world of good.
• A word on our ‘kit’ – I’m slapping myself on the back for kitting us out with some great clothes & kit – it was a total pain in the ass organising, but we have used everything. And we are still travelling at around 35 kilos between us (if you remove the water weight!) which is pretty cool. Everything we’ve bought on the road clothes-wise has been rubbish (to be expected!).
• We’ve picked up boat loads of things on the road – suncream (muuuuch harder to find than you’d think – in anything more than 100mls anyway!), mosquito repellent (DEET also veeeery hard to come by!), toiletries etc.
• SO much stuff has broken- our multiport charger died early on in India, we are on our 2nd Steripen, our ‘bite valve’ for the backpack water broke, vegetable peeler was lost at Cairo airport, Henry’s car seat holder…in the first Cairo taxi so now we have to schlep this big thing around
• We have picked up a LOT – kids trinkets, so many trinkets. In Japan alone, I think they each bought 5 or 6 capsule toys with plastic tat inside. But it brings them so much joy! Whatever they buy they need to carry so they are aware of that. I’ve bought nothing apart from a bracelet in each country. Easy to carry and a nice memento
• How is our relationship? – like all things, we ebb and flow. There have been times when we need space and separation – but it’s hard as we need to have an adult with the kids at all times.
• It is also hard adulting ALL the time – down time is few and far between. Of course we give each other a break. But when you are sharing a family room, bedtime becomes lights out with the kids at 8pm!
• When we are in apartments it’s so much better as T and I get to spend some time together. Small ears mean they pick up on everything, so there isn’t even any talking in code!
• But generally we really are rolling along together and it’s really fab. I have the foresight to know that this is laying down special bonds between us all that will keep us closer together throughout our lives
• I do think the kids love having this special time with us – and each other. You can tell they feel comfortable with us. It’ll be MUCH harder when we get back – we know that, but the kids don’t. We’ll navigate that bridge when we get there, I’m not worried. Saying that, Henry LOVES T to the moon and back and doesn’t give me a look in! And vice versa with C! But that’s to be expected. Apparently boys age 7 pull away from their mum. Something to do with wanting to be with the Dad to learn about catching food 🤷 I think it was Maggie Dent
• The kids definitely miss their friends, family and the house – it comes and goes. We all do. But 6 months does steam by so I know when we get home, we’ll all pick up where we left off
• This blog really gets on my nerves sometimes – I’m not even sure why I’m doing it! I know it’ll be a nice memory in the future but will we really bother reading it?! That’s why my grammar is terrible and there are probs unfinished sentences, cos I don’t have time to check it. And sometimes I have to write it in a diary note on my phone and upload it from there (access to our computer can be few and far between what with home school and kids watching You Tube!)
• Don’t think we are all living a charmed TV free life either – we literally bribe the kids with YouTube at the end of it. And C wakes up asking for TV and goes to bed asking for TV (still!). Our card game playing has recently gone out the window in Japan!
• I miss baking and making big slabs of cake – I actually dream about it!
• A note on bog roll – obviously you have to hoarde it when you are travelling in some countries as there isn’t any anywhere. What is hilarious is we have been hoarding this stockpile since I think Nepal, some possibly even from India. I’ve been telling T to dump it and it’s become a running joke. Of course you don’t need spare loo roll in Japan, I mean their toilets sing to you and have heated seats so loo roll not an issue!

• Current condiments list we are travelling with…honey (that leaks!), slightly broken tupperware, Lipton tea (Ali – it isn’t Yorkshire, that’s for sure!), biscuits of varying flavours, something porridge to add to this list (a v useful filling breakkie for the kids, and a taste of home)
• Everything is not all dandy, had to take H for a 10pm Tokyo hospital dash to look at a tick (or insect) bite and get some antibiotics. £250 later…! (we have good travel insurance – World Nomads)