First stop - San Francisco

Hey bloggers,

Well, I've made it out of Europe - this is the first posting created on foreign soils. I was escorted to Manchester airport by my Dad, Mum, Sister and Step-Dad. Some of them were a little teary looking at the point at which I left them. I was fine and was dying to get on the plane and get this trip started ............but then a few minutes after leaving them I turned around in the duty free shop to show one of them something and realised that I was alone - and would be for some time!
I had the usual transatlantic experience involving a missed connection and a sprint through a very large airport (Chicago in this case). Not the easiest thing to do these days when there is so much tight security - I had to run to make the flight to San Fran. Managed to do it and not get gunned down.

I am currently staying at my friend Jo's Mum's house in La Honda, CA. There are about 12 others also staying here and I'd say on average another 6 pass through each day - so, there's a constant party. The majority of us here are Yorkshire folk so its all very familiar! Today is actually an official party, a pyjama party no less! I was given some pyjamas for Xmas which have the union jack on the top. All the girls staying in the house have them - we look a bit like the pink ladies (only British). There are lots of people expected to come to the house today, mainly ex-pats but some local "dudes" too.

Jo's Mum has recently got in to tap dancing and she has not had the tap shoes off for about the last three days. She has been tapping from dawn until dusk all around the kitchen. Very entertaining. As was Jo's five hour dancing session in the kitchen the other night. She did a good job of forcing every passing male to dance with her for at least two songs each.

Its beautiful here. The house is in the middle of nowhere and its just like being a fairy at the bottom of some super sized garden. Everything is oversized - redwood trees just make everything else look pathetic. We took the dogs and kids down the beach for a walk the other morning. It was so beautiful - miles and miles of fantastic beach with massive surf waves crashing down. Puts Whitby Bay in its place anyway!

No doubt I will collapse into bed sometime in the early hours (again) and then get woken up at about 8am (again) by either a child screaming out that its xmas or by Jo's Mum tap dancing in the kitchen (she can even manage to tap in tune to Eminem!). I am not complaining though - none stop fun is what I signed up for the next six months and I am glad to be starting as I mean to go on!

I hope you all had a good Christmas and that you all ate and drank too much. I wish you all a Happy New Year.

Lots of love

Sarah xx

You can take the girl out of Yorkshire but you can't take the Yorkshire out of the girl!

I know that some of you will be worrying about little old me out there with all those hot blooded latino lovers. I am slightly worried myself because everyone keeps telling me that my height, blue eyes and blonde hair will attract mucho attenion! I'm actually thinking of "going brunette" whilst over there - so that might help (always nice to be matching!). However, I will be ready to cut down any persistent Don Juans with the kind of lines set out below..... and don't worry - I will practice them in Spanish!

You just know you will hear the same old lines the world over (men are so predictable) so I am sure I will get a chance to dazzle some Dons with my quit wittted Yorkshire charm!

HIM: Can I buy you a drink? ME: Actually I'd rather have the money.

HIM: I'm a photographer. I've been looking for a face like yours.
ME: I'm a plastic surgeon. I've been looking for a face like yours.

HIM: How did you get to be so beautiful? ME: I must've been given your share.

HIM: Will you go out with me this Saturday? ME: Sorry. I'm having a headache this weekend.

HIM: Your face must turn a few heads. ME: And your face must turn a few stomachs.

HIM: Go on, don't be shy. Ask me out. ME: Okay, get out.

HIM: I think I could make you very happy. ME: why, are you leaving?

HIM: What would you say if I asked you to marry me? ME: Nothing. I can't talk and laugh at the same time.

HIM: Can I have your name? ME: Why? Don't you already have one?

HIM: Where have you been all my life? ME: Hiding from you!

HIM: Haven't I seen you some place before? ME: Yes. That's why I don't go there anymore.

HIM: Hey baby, what's your sign? ME: Do not enter.

HIM: Your body is like a temple. ME: Sorry, there are no services today.

HIM: If I could see you naked, I'd die happy. ME: If I saw you naked, I'd probably die laughing.


Don't let the above put you off from chatting me up - at least we'll have a laugh if nothing else!

Muchos Besos
xxxxxxxxxx

The Master Plan

When you hear people discussing what age they would like to retire at - you always hear numbers upwards of 45. Most people are realistic and say 55 or 60, some are optimistic and say 45 or 50 ............but I have always considered 30 to be a decent age to retire.

I always thought that one way or another I would have managed to quit the City by 30. There is a range of ways in which I thought that I could achieve this. Maybe I would have made my first million by then, or at completely the other end of the scale - maybe I would be at home with the kids by 30. Well, I'm 30 now. At the date of writing I am 30 years and 12 days old. So, have I retired?

YES !!! (well kind of)

I have resigned from my job as an IT lawyer in London and I have booked myself a ticket to South America. Its not quite the same as retiring because I recognise that I don't exactly have enough funds to maintain my current lifestyle for the rest of my years. Or have I ? Maybe I could live somewhere where my assets would be sufficient to provide a lavish lifestyle for evermore or maybe if I carry on partying at the rate that I have over the last 12 years then I won't have many more years to come anyway and so I needn't worry. Just in case I can't find that special place and just in case I end up living on and on and on ................I have managed to negotiate a return to my place of work which is conditional upon my return being no later than end of June 2005. "Boring!" I hear you say. Yeah yeah yeah - well I don't have to come back - I just can if I want to. Options open and all that.

So, the master plan is as set out below. I am making a note of it now so that you can track my progress and see how it all goes/changes/evolves etc.

11 December 2004 - leaving party in London (parties are always at the top of my list!)
14 December 2004 - last day in the office
23 December 2004 - Depart Manchester for San Francisco (via chicago)
3 January 2005 - Depart San Francisco for Rio de Janiero (via bloody chicago and Miami - how long a flight! only way of doing it for less than 83 million pounds!)
3 -8 February 2005 - Carnival in Salvador
10 February 2005 - depart Salvador for Buenos Aires, Argentina
14 February 2005 - start language school in Buenos Aires to perfect my dodgy Spanish
mid march 2005 - Bolivia
mid April - Cuenca, Ecuador to join another language school for a week (to know show of my perfect Spanish) and then spend four weeks volunteering in some capacity (preferably helping underprivilleged / orphaned / street residing children)
June 2005 - Peru
27 June 2005 - Lima to London via JFK.

Lets see what happens ...........que sera, sera!

S x