It has been one year and eleven days since I last posted to this blog. I fell off the face of the blogging universe for one reason, twice over: I got a job and settled into a non-nomadic lifestyle. The first time around was on Koh Tao, where I was working up to 12 hours a day (sometimes 15), 6 days a week in a job that was immensely enjoyable, but physically and mentally draining.

There’s a very high burn-out rate on Koh Tao; difficulties obtaining visas and work permits, low pay, and high work load are the main causes. Eventually it got to me too- diving turned into a chore, and I began to resent the amount of work I did for the pitiful paycheck at the end of the month. The little rotten cherries on the cake of discontent were the horrendously corrupt police, and the unseasonably bad weather and poor diving conditions in the last few months of my stay.

Still, it was one of the happiest times of my life, and I miss the jungle and the insanity of every day life in Thailand. I also miss the friends I made on that island and the meditative calm of the underwater world.

I’m back in England now, living with my boyfriend, and working in a bakery while I save up money and figure out what is happening next in my life. All of my plans are fluid, and the only thing on my agenda is further travelling. Australia is the next planned destination.

Finally, my computer broke in January 2015, which meant I was unable to use my netbook for around 3 months. I fell behind on the blog at that point, and there is a serious backlog of posts to bring alive.

Be kind to your retail workers, and try not to stress out about the small things.

Lana x