The Boy and The Coconut Tree

After a very interesting final few days in Barcelona I am finally home. I have spent some time with my parents and some of my other family and despite having a broken computer and no phone I feel so much calmer than I did 48 hours ago. A few things I have learned over the past 14 months: Your family may not always be on your wavelength but they should always be the most important people in your life; The grass is always greener; Friends and money do not mix; When some people offer to help you and you feel unsure, don't accept it, go with your instincts. Some people only help you so they can then punish you over it at a later stage; When some people tell you to grow up, ignore them, growing up is over-rated, how we deal with things is an individual thing. A sense of fun does not mean immaturity; Some things go wrong in life and it isn't always your fault. I am now going to spend the day with one of my sisters, give my mum some computer lessons and visit my uncle who h...

One of the great things about living less than 3 hours away from home in a major city is the ease at which I can head home if I feel the need (finances willing). There were no direct flights from Madrid to Newcastle and Vietnam to Newcastle would have involved 14 hours of flying and at least 2 changes of plane. No thank you. Having originally planned a 5 day trip to Menorca and realising it would be beautiful but lonely I chose to visit my family instead so rather than not seeing them for  8 months, I would see them twice in 8 months. My niece is now walking and as she has just started to walk I wanted to see her toddle around rather than wait until December when she was walking normally and we all took it for granted.  So I will have a summer holiday in Tyne & Wear rather than Menorca but it is the people you surround yourself with, not the place, that are the most important? Don't you agree.  This song has been playing in my head for a while, long b...