And so it begins – Lions 2013

The story behind how I have managed to end up travelling to Australia for the Lions Tour does, in reality, sound almost too unreal. I was booked & initial deposit paid to travel out having been saving since I returned from South Africa. For reasons I’m not going to go into, I had to pull out. I needed the stupidly large sum of money that I’d been building up for other sudden pressing needs. I had to pull out of going, I had no choice. Devastated did not even come close to how I felt. Having built up to it for so long, the realisation I was not going on top of everything else that I was struggling to cope with was almost too much.

Fast forward to the beginning of May and a random throwaway reply to a post on twitter and I am now officially back on and booked on a flight out to Australia on the 18th of June. Now the tickets are not definite, but to be honest the mere fact that I am actually going to Australia is enough. (But then ref RWC2007 final, we all know damned well that’s not strictly true!) Getting into the matches would be a DREAM. Thanks to a glowing reference from my awesome boss and the quick response to the post on twitter, I am now officially going as a tour co-ordinatior for VU Ltd. I have managed somehow convince Victor & Fliss that I’d be IDEAL for the job! I hope I didn’t come across as too desperate when I was being ‘interviewed’?! All in the past now though, I must have said the right sort of things as I’M GOING!!

The excitement has been building over recent weeks & sharing with friends who live overseas has been great. It transpires that the flight home in July is the same as friends who I initially met through ERE (now ComeOnMyLovers) back in the day (Tim & Sue Parsons) who are now based in Singapore and have baby Jenson with them too. Of course Phil, former neighbour, has been in communication. Now living in Hong Kong with his wife Laura, he has greatly enjoyed sharing his photos of meeting some of the Barbarians squad (what IS with those hats?!!)

as well as some photos from before the match today with a photo of his local out there which was heaving & some of the boys arriving at the stadium.

I in return shared my view for the match!! Having to take the car in for its MOT I combined with a trip back to my parents and so watched the match there, on my own as they went out to lunch for The Derby with some friends. This time in 3 weeks I will (hopefully) be watching the first test in Brisbane!! Quite a scary thought really!