The job of updating my own websites always falls to the bottom of the list but as I was limited to working in front of a wood burner (because it was freezing cold everywhere else) I thought it was an ideal time to do what was long overdue. As I found myself reading through the pages and updating them, I realised that some time ago I mentioned Monty on my About me page and promised to blog about him... but then never followed through on that so I thought this was a good time to do so.   In 2008, when...

There is this notion that that at this time of year there is a thinning of the separation between the world as we know it and the spirit world.  Whether this is true or not I cannot say but I do think that it is a noble thing to spend two days of each year thinking of the loved ones who have contributed to our lives and passed before us, as well as our ancestors who have paved this path for us to be where we are in the world today. So this All Saints and All Souls day I...

After finishing BlueBelle and starting to take her out on some test drives I started to realise how hot it was becoming.  Not too much of a problem when you're parked up somewhere and can open doors and windows wide but it was getting too hot for comfort.  So what was next?  I wasn't planning to leave for Africa until the fall when the worst of the heat had passed ... not certain I wanted to face Morocco or Mauritania and the edge of the Sahara in the midst of Northern Hemisphere summer.  So finding a place to hide out...

September arrived and the days were slightly cooler and less crowded than they had been and I started to take early morning walks around to see some of the sites and visit markets (ever seeking bargains). It was also time to buy the panels for the sides and walls that we had been waiting for before getting on with building and then the panels of pine to build the structure framework. My nephew’s business had not ceased or let up during the summer months and he was soon to depart for South Africa so knowing it was pointless waiting for...

I had come to Barcelona to stay with my nephew who is a multi-talented man in the construction business. He has a workshop in the city where he has lived for 15+ years. I had come to build out the inside of BlueBelle into a home, my home on wheels that would make me independent and take me home to Zimbabwe on my drive through Africa. My nephew’s workshop was the ideal place to do this. Note that, like many in Barcelona, my nephew has made a living space in his workshop and there wasn’t really room for one more,...

Returning to Luxembourg was necessary to settle personal matters and put into play the registration for the non-profit I wanted to start for girl’s education as well as picking up the 35 boxes, chair, table and carpet I had left in storage in my friend’s garage. My intention to return to Africa is a one-way direction and without a location or destination at present in Zimbabwe it means that I have to either pay storage for my goods while I am away for an indeterminate period of time or reduce to a size where I can impose my things on...

Leaving the UK after living in a friend’s loft during a cold and wet winter (two of my favourite things ... not!) left me with dual feelings. Firstly I was glad to get out of the UK, one of the reasons I left 9 years previously is that there are so many people then there is the big brother controls which are everywhere (leaving you feeling safer but at the same time without any privacy), additionally now (with Brexit fever) ever more than before an unsettling feeling within the country of rising intolerance and strife and of course the weather....

In planning this journey, it can be overwhelming and there are days when I wonder where or why I thought of it and then I sit quitely and it usually passes and my enthusiams is renewed by a message, kind word, post share, it can be anything at all.  The past few months have been challenging, there is no easy way to pass from one life into another without sadness and reflection.  Add to this the grey days (a whole new 50 shades of grey!) in UK, while I'm waiting for some things to resolve and looking for a vehicle...

Any of you following me thus far will have noted my several and many promises to blog about vehicles and today I've decided to put all the confusing, conflicting and helpful information together into a blog.  It should be easy right, just get a camper and head out.  If ONLY!  It is one of the most difficult things thus far.  I guess it is only difficult because I'm doing this on a tight budget and if I had tens of thousands of € or £ the entire thing would be over and done with.  But as the saying goes "beggars...

Two months since I last blogged ... what on earth have I been doing?? I have been doing a lot to move my life in a new direction but there is a cost that isn't just monetary when we make changes.  It is often said that moving house is one of the top stressors but I think that moving life from one stage to another may top that.  It is never easy to say goodbye to the people, places and even my lovely dog (who left at 17.5 years old). I've also realised that when you're moving on you need...

It has been great to meet so many people who are interested in my trip and have offered ideas and suggestions, given advise and sage wisdom, all of this has been appreciated.  However, the one question that I do get asked the most is "when are you going".  Some people believe that it's a bit like deciding to drive to Greece and all I need to do is get in my car and go. Regrettably the reality is that in order to do this trip well there are not only a lot of things that I need but many things...

In a previous post I discussed the route that I am planning but I've been getting more questions so here is a visual Google Earth image with an approximation of the route. This route is not the final route but it gives everyone a better idea of what I have in mind.  There is much about the route that may change as I need visas for almost every country so if I am denied any of these I will obviously have to adjust accordingly.

Apart from the people suggesting that I should fly like everyone else, I've also had a number of recommendations on the route I should take, from taking Eastern or Western routes and cutting through the Sahara desert. In addition I've also read a number of books of people who have taken trips from North to South and the challenges and benefits of each. I've had to take several factors into account when making my decision; Firstly I'm a woman, travelling on my own, I hate sand (you'll seldom find me on a beach never mind in the middle of a...

When I started to speak to people about my idea to drive through Africa to reach home I have to confess I did so reluctantly as there are those people who are dream stealers and while I have thought through all (well probably not ALL, but many) of the pros and cons I still want to do it and I didn't want to be drowning in alarming stories or warnings.  However, I was surprised and delighted by the response and support I've received by most people.  Of course there have been many comments, like you're very brave, which somehow I've...

I'm regularly asked how I came up with the idea to drive home.  After all I've lived outside my country of birth for 35 years and have not returned for the past 25 years, why would I conceivably want to return now? Like the best ideas, it came about as a convergence of times, experience and circumstance.  So there isn't a clear one line answer to this, but I'll try to not only put my thoughts into writing but also to share them with you. Firstly, although I've been outside my country (for those who don't know, it is Zimbabwe)...