It seems crazy, but today we've been back from our amazing adventure for a whole year. That's two months longer than we were away for! The time has well and truly flown by!
The last year has been packed full of stuff we've been getting on with, so here's a brief update to fill you in.
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| This was on the South Downs on our last 'day off' |
We returned to the U.K. with two overwhelming feelings. Firstly, gutted to be leaving behind so many family and friends, sad that our experiences were just becoming memories, and finally unwillingness at having to accept that our adventure had come to an end. Secondly though, a sense of excitement and anticipation at seeing our families and close friends again, and returning home to our 'normal' lives had us eager to board the plane.
Much had changed during our time away, both in our own lives, our characters being shaped by the experiences we'd had and the people we'd shared them with, but also what we were used to at home was not necessarily the same as before.
Ben's nephew Oliver was not 10 days old anymore, as he was when we left the U.K. but nearly a year and close to walking.
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| Uncle Ben holding baby Oliver 7 days before we left for our travels |
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| Oliver's 1st birthday |
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| Uncle Ben & Oliver at the beach, April 2017 |
Melissa, who whilst away heard of news that Doug and Rhiannon were expecting a baby girl, was only weeks away from meeting little Delilah.
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| Auntie Melissa welcoming Delilah - born 2 weeks after we landed back in the UK |
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| Daddy Doug with Delilah, Easter 2017 |
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| Doug, Delilah and Auntie Melissa at a family wedding, April 2017 |
Our best friend Sean was almost unrecognisable after an incredible health transformation following a nasty health scare whilst we were gone. It was great to see him again after so long away and give him the hugs that we had desperately wanted to give when we heard his news.
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| Sean, Melissa & Ben - Camber beach, Autumn 2016 |
Both sets of parents had missed us in their own ways, Ben's Mum and Dad were honestly surprised to see him again after being convinced he wouldn't return alive from Africa. Melissa's parents were glad for the company after youngest child Ali was packing and ready to leave home for the first year of uni.
So the obvious question for us both was now, what next? Our return date was only fixed due to Ben being an usher at his good friend Seb's wedding a couple of weeks later. Aside from that, we had no commitments, no plans, and no real ideas of what we were going to end up doing. The next few months proved testing as we both battled to adjust to being back at home as well as wondered what the future would hold.
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| Seb & Claire's wedding, July 2016 |
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| Seb & Claire's wedding, July 2016 |
After the novelty of 'being back from travelling' started to wear off, it became quite apparent that neither of us were particularly happy or prepared for life as it currently was. The immediate concern was of course, we need to start earning money again, 10 months on the road, despite being amazingly fun, can be quite damaging on the bank balance!
Ben had the seemingly easier task of finding employment, having had plenty of work experience from before we left, however with part of the reason for leaving being his will to leave that area of work, it was quite difficult to know what exactly to look for. For Melissa it was the start of something brand new. A first 'proper job', the start of a career, what would she choose? How would she know what to do?
With nothing obvious coming up, Ben looked to a short term solution and managed to secure a fixed term contract in London starting in September '16. Despite not being the type of work he was after, it was finally some money coming into the bank! Melissa was continuing to search whilst temping at odd jobs, working hard on the job searches, preparing her CV and getting a feel for what was out there.
Shortly before Ben's contract started we went to Brighton as a new work suit was needed, and it seemed fitting to spend one final weekend enjoying ourselves before getting back into work. Little did Melissa know that Ben had a surprise in store and, on a glorious sunny afternoon, after 5 1/2 years together, he finally dropped to one knee and asked Melissa to marry him.
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| Brighton - 11th September 2016 |
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| Brighton - 11th September 2016, moments before Ben got on one knee |
Despite the many amazing locations we had been during our time away, and the countless opportunities to do it before, he knew Melissa wasn't prepared to get engaged away from home, and so now seemed a fitting time, at one of our favourite date locations.
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| Brighton - 11th September 2016 |
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| 'She said yes' Brighton - 11th September 2016 |
We had both known for a long time that we were going to spend the rest of our lives together, and our time away helped prove this. Sharing so many wonderful experiences together, but also seeing each other through the low times had helped our relationship go from strength to strength.
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| Brighton - 11th September 2016 |
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| Perfect finish to a perfect day. Brighton - 11th September 2016 |
With Ben not really much of a planner, the engagement wasn't necessarily that well thought out, but it was the reason behind it that was the important part. A recognition of wanting to share the rest of our lives with each other, and a desire to grow and learn with one another, all within the special place of marriage. Despite feeling like marriage is quite a grown up decision (and wondering if we are adult enough!), we were both ready and have grown closer still throughout our engagement.
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| Brighton - 11th September 2016 |
So, now we not only had our lives to get on with, full time employment to find, we also had a wedding to plan and a search for somewhere to live. We managed to find a venue within two weeks of being engaged which was amazing, and once we'd booked the church and the photographer the ball was well and truly rolling. On the 23rd September 2017 we will become Husband & Wife, which gave us just over 12 months to save for, plan and put on a wedding, as well as trying to buy a house and set up a home together.
As of today, with just over two months 'til the big day, we are close to owning our own home (if solicitors weren't frustratingly slow) and wedding plans are well underway, with RSVP's coming in thick and fast.
The last 10 months have been pretty full on, with any spare time being spent either planning the house/wedding or at least thinking about it. However, it hasn't just been all work, and there have been a few other things we've done.
We were privileged to be invited as guest speakers at Creating Better Future's 'Out of Africa' charity ball last November. This was a wonderful evening, raising a lot of money and the profile of the charity, highlighting the amazing work Dorothy, Mike and the team of volunteers do. We were honoured to be invited and, where time has permitted, have kept close contact with the CBF team.
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| With Dorothy & Mike - the UK faces of CBF |
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| At the CBF charity ball - quite a change to the attire we were used to when travelling |
We helped out our Church youth camp at Soul Survivor, an opportunity for us to get back into things at our Church, and a special time for us both personally. We eventually both started 'real' full time jobs. Ben, a literal stones throw from his parents house, and at a firm of accountants that despite not being exactly what he was looking for, has ended up being a really good fit. Melissa is really enjoying her job as a civil servant, working for the Scotland Office, a governmental department based in Edinburgh, but also, thankfully for us, on Whitehall.
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| Melissa outside the office |
In May this year we flew back to South Africa for another very mini adventure. We were fortunate enough to take Ben's mum with us to see her brother and family and celebrated Ben's cousins wedding.
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| So good to be back! - SA, 2017 |
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| Ruth catching up with a bridesmaid of hers who she hadn't seen in over 30 years! - SA, 2017 |
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| Swimming in the Drakensberg mountain pools - SA, 2017 |
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| Ben's delight at returning to the best bakery in South Africa!! - SA, 2017 |
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| The stunning Drakensberg Mountains - SA, 2017 |
This was a really lovely two weeks of seeing friends and family again, and a chance to show Ben's mum so many of the places that become so special to us.
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| Ruth, Ben, Melissa, Mark & Kate - SA, 2017 |
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| Ruth & Melissa (& cheetah) - SA, 2017 |
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| Jono, Dylan, Kristy, little Abigail, Ruth, Melissa & Ben - SA, 2017 |
Although we were aware how lucky we were to be going back to South Africa 10 months after we left, it was bittersweet to only have a limited time with family.
So, there you have it, a very brief whistle-stop tour of our last year. A year of change for us both, and one that has allowed us time to think about and plan for the future. We're certainly not done yet with exploring the world, and hope for more 'Magnetic Migrations' in the years to come.
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| Rhiannon, Doug, Melissa & Ben (+ little Delilah tucked away) - Edinburgh for New Years '17 |
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| Melissa & Ben's 6 year anniversary, 11th Feb 2017 - Shaka Zulu, London |
Until then, we remain trusting that God will continue to show us to the right people at the right time in the right place, as we look to follow his path for our lives - this time as newly weds Mr and Mrs Spring..!!!!
