My darlings, it's been too long! I'm still here and beginning to live my best life again after a long period in the wilderness. A lot has happened over the past few months. Frustratingly, I am not in a position to comment on a lot of these recent events but things have truly got a lot better.
One thing I am permitted to share is that after the best part of two decades of living in London, we have moved: pastures new for the family. We have waved goodbye to Penge and moved to the East Coast of Kent. The atmosphere and environment couldn't be more different; and just what we needed.
The children miss their friends but have been enjoying their new schools and are settling in happily. They are making many new friends and love living by the sea in a far less busy environment.
We're missing a lot of friends too, but people have already been down and dates are in the diary for more visits.
Anxiety is still present but not overarching; the positives are far outweighing the negatives: the move and new location has really helped me get back into running properly again. I’m preparing for the Paris Marathon in April, and trying to raise a bit of money for Amnesty International. If you fancy making a donation, the link is here. Thanks to those who've already pitched in. The coastal runs have been idyllic. And I’m slowly regaining some of my past form.
I am soon going to be going back into the world of teaching after my unplanned, lengthy and traumatic break. I’ll start off doing some supply to test the waters round the area.
My mental health is on the up. I already feel a lot more present for my family, and involved. I have a lot to catch up on and I intend to make it happen. They've been there the whole time.
I don’t want to tempt fate, but I think moving out of London has been the right choice for all of us.
