Just Allie

This is my first blog. I want to share my journey and adventures with my friends and family as I move into the unknown. Being free and travelling lighter through life can happen at any age, so why not 58?! This is just me, just my ramblings and reflections, just for anyone who is interested….let’s go!

It has been a difficult couple of months to get here, and some of you know why. Change always causes ripples and stress. When you make a decision to change something in your life, it is impossible to know what each step of the path you have started on will bring. This was so for me. Many steps have been straightforward or interesting in positive ways, but many have been difficult, scary and even unpleasant enough to make me doubt my ‘wisdom’ in making my original choice to leave the familiar behind and head to St Lucia to work as a volunteer Speech and Language Therapist (hereafter, SALT). However, I ploughed on regardless and tried to be brave and put on my ‘big girl pants’.

Life threw a few curved balls to see what I was made of, and one in particular was almost too sad to bear. Despite all this, the love and friendship of everyone in my life, in saying those hard ‘goodbyes’, has humbled me. The kindest words and sincerest hugs, cards and support of all kinds, has meant the world to me and made me feel truly special, thank you to you all…..you all mean the world to me. And therein lies the dichotomy. Being in St Lucia will give me the time of my life in so many ways, and bring a fresh perspective to my life, but it is the love and friendship of those around you that matters most….and I have now left you all behind!

I do hope you will all try and come to visit me. The sofa bed is comfy and new (it still has the label on it), the ‘little house’ is roomy enough for guests, although a little rustic (part of it’s Caribbean charm), and the warm seas are but a stone’s throw away. Elaine, one of my new colleagues, has a 2 bed Air BnB down the road if you want more space (she will do me a deal on prices) and there are some great hotels nearby too. If you can’t get here, I can’t wait to catch up again in 6 months….or so. In the meantime, I will keep you posted on here. xx