An overdue update

Life got pretty hectic for a while in the last few years in Taiwan. I stopped blogging as work became a bit overwhelming, and finding time to document the fun stuff just didn't happen. We got married in 2017! James became Head of Department for Computing and Media, and my team grew from 2 to 4 people. I started learning German as well as Mandarin, and my friendship circle grew. 

But things change and life moves on. In August 2020, 8 months into the world wide pandemic, James was offered a job at his old school in St. Helena. We had been waiting for several years for the chance to come up, and as if by a miracle, it came at exactly the right time for us and them. With the offer made (and accepted!), We began to plan our new adventure. I quit my job in October 2020 (for a few reasons I won't go into here), and began to sort shipping, packing, health checks etc. Taiwan had remained a relatively safe place to be but by May 2021, just one day after the movers came to take all our belongings away, Taiwan went into Level 3 lockdown. COVID cases skyrocketed and we were all told to stay home unless we had to go out for groceries. My plans to travel, see friends, and visit places I'd not seen yet were put on permanent hold. James began teaching online, and I only left the apartment for groceries or to pick up takeaway. It was a rather sad end to our time in Taiwan, and I'm not gonna lie that I really struggled. We couldn't see friends to say goodbye or enjoy last meals at our favourite restaurants. It sucked. In our 8 years there, Taiwan had become home, and I felt deeply sad to leave it behind. I still think of it as home, and while I am excited about what's to come, I look forward to the day when we can go back.

We arrived back in the UK on July 9th and underwent 6 days of quarantine at home with James's mum Joanne and step dad Geoff. We were both a bit worried about coming back to the UK because of the rising number of Delta variant cases. Thankfully we've both been vaccinated with AZ, and masking up when out to reduce the risk of catching it. 

Time spent with our families has been precious and enjoyable. With only one month to see everyone and get anything else we wanted to take with us, it's been a bit of a whirlwind. I'm enjoying some quality time with my mum and nephews now, while James finishes seeing all his family and friends up North. We'll be back together tomorrow with just three days left before our flight to St Helena. 

I honestly don't know what to expect. You can do lots of research about a place but still have no idea what it will really be like. With flights currently only going once every 6 weeks from the UK to the island, it's unlikely we will be back until next summer. Mum already has plans to visit when she finishes work in June 2022. 

That's about it really. A rather overdue update on what's been happening of late. I'll update again once we get there.