The Masterplan - Update 2

This follows blogposts:
http://stephendcook.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/november-2011.html
http://stephendcook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/masterplan-update-1-olympic-special.html

Four months have passed since I started Life Begins @ 40 and while Laura and I still have 16 months until we are officially 'off', our plans have developed a little bit further since November. 


What is concrete is that leaving teaching (full time in a school) was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. Through a number of educational companies that I now freelance for, I am still getting the 'buzz' of teaching and working with young people but with none of the crap that goes with it. I have also experienced a record breaking month this March, earning more than a normal month when I was in a leadership role in a school but money was never a motivation for my resignation, far from it in fact. Instead I craved a change in lifestyle and an escape from the claustrophobic bureaucracy and bullshit delivered by people who don't understand what education is really all about. Thankfully I have achieved my goal of a stress free life while still doing the job I adore.    


In two months I start rehearsals for the opening and closing Olympic ceremonies and have to admit I'm getting more and more excited with each passing day. Below is a nice piece that our  local paper did on me. 

Laura also had a nice article done on her in the same paper. See below.

  
So back to August 2013. 


Our house will be going up for sale in July this year and when sold Laura and I will rent until we leave. We anticipate that the rent and additional bills will be significantly less than we currently pay with our mortgage and hope to be able to save some additional monies for our travels.


We also have a new idea about what we might do when travelling. We might look at travelling between August 2013 and February 2014 and returning home for March, April and May where I would be able to earn well (while staying with friends and parents and paying very little in rent) and head off again in June 2014 until the following March. The thought of being able to reply to the question "what do you do?" with "I work for three months a year and travel the rest of the time" fills me with immense excitement.


Of course much depends on what happens with Laura and her travel photography business. We both hope that she will be able to secure some contacts and work before we head off. Again, the unknown is exciting. 


As far as destinations go, it looks unlikely that Bhutan will be a destination initially although we might look at it in the future. We are at least in correspondence with the project and they have our cv's. 
Spending a good few months in South East Asia is looking like the most likely first port of call in August 2013 and I'm trying to convince Laura to do the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Beijing and then visit Hong Kong on the way down to Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia. Laura has also found some exciting voluntary eco-tourism projects that we could get involved with which would satisfy both our desires to get positively involved in communities and do some worthwhile work.


There may be some other possibilities too. As I blogged in http://stephendcook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/encp-education-summit-abuja-nigeria.html I was invited to the ENCP education summit in Nigeria in February where I met some very influential educationalists and feel excited about the possible opportunities that may come from that. 


I am very aware how often I have used various forms of the word 'excited' but I offer no apology for that. It was an enormous decision to give up a career but the truth is that I've never been  happier.     


It's mine and Laura's fourth wedding anniversary tomorrow and I'm so pleased to say that it still feels like it's our first year. Long may that continue. 

Vesuvius, Herculaneum & Pompeii

When visiting Italy it is well worth heading south from Rome and visiting the surrounding area of Mt Vesuvius. Although Naples is the major city of the area, the city itself has mixed reviews from travellers. I stayed in Piano di Sorrento, near to the larger town of Sorrento.

The imposing volcanic cone of Mt. Vesuvius dominates the landscape (below) and it is possible to walk around the crater. This offers superb views of Naples and the surrounding coastline.

The famous eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD also provides two fantastic historic sites to visit, Pompeii and its less popular neighbour Herculaneum (Ercolano). I recommend visiting both.

Herulaneum

Herculaneum is much smaller in scale than Pompeii but has some of the best preserved artefacts including buildings, tiled floors and painted murals. 

Pompeii

The size of Pompeii and the realisation that it was covered by ash for over a thousand years gives an idea of the scale of the eruption in 79 AD.

Also see Woderful Wonderful Venice:
http://stephendcook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/wonderful-wonderful-venice.html

Travelling Australia's East Coast - Queensland (I) (MLoT Part 6)

My Love of  Travelling Part 6  - Queensland Part 1

Southport/Surfers Paradise 

Byron Bay had been an amazing place and our next destination was another great opportunity to sample the delights of a proper home as we had arranged to stay in Southport, a stone's throw away from Surfers Paradise with Vicky, a friend of Richard's. 

Vicky and her flat mate were doctors and had a fantastic apartment right on the sea front looking straight out at the ocean (right). In addition they had a swimming pool, hot tub and a tennis court. We used all three.We were well looked after by the girls and even had a couple of days out with their friends. We visited South Stradbroke Island and Binna Burra in Lamington National Park (below). Surfers Paradise was a mile walk along the beach so we spent a day or so investigating it. With a misspent youth watching 'Neighbours' and 'Home & Away' I was quite excited about visiting this 'mythical' town. The reality was sadly not quite as exciting. I found Surfers Paradise to be little more than a concrete paradise.

On the way to Lamington National Park.

Brisbane

Our next stop up the coast was Brisbane where we had arranged to meet up again up with Georgina, Helen and Nathan. We were a little unfortunate with the weather for the next week or so and Brisbane was a bit of a wash out. We did have one particularly funny day in rainy Brisbane provided by the herbal cookies we bought from Nimbin a week earlier. 


Unbeknownst to us the cookies had special powers which turned us into giggling morons (more than usual) for the day. Richard for example decided to ride a lion statue (left).

I on the other hand was invited to sing the fourth harmony part with some buskers in the city centre. This is what happened. Nathan needed some new trousers because his were too long in the leg. We identified a shop and outside was an excellent group busking. They were singing 'I Feel Fine' by The Beatles and as we walked past I realised they were missing the fourth harmony part. I brazenly sung it as we walked past. The lead singer seemed a little agitated at first but I think he then realised what I'd done. 

We entered the shop and giggled a lot particularly at our hilarious joke where we asked the shop assistant that if they didn't have shorter legged trousers then maybe they could sell Nathan some longer legs. I know, but remember, we were more moronic than normal and I was with a guy that had just ridden a lion statue. I wandered out to the door and whilst standing there sung the harmony line again at which point they signalled for me to join them and we entertained the large crowd that had assembled. We got a massive cheer before I wandered off with the others, giggling. 

Our next stop was Noosa but again  the weather was very poor and this coupled with poor accommodation made the whole experience totally forgettable. I do not have one photo of our stay in Noosa.

Hervey Bay for FRASER ISLAND  

Visiting Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world is one of the top 'must do' activities on Australia's east coast. We had bought the 4x4 camping package back in Byron Bay with Georgina and Helen and the deal was that you would have 11 people in one 4x4 Land Rover which would be self driven and you would be provided with maps and camping equipment. The night before we left we met the rest of our group which included Giles, Henry and Bea, who had just left Harrow public school and Abi whose dad Fred Housego was the black cabbie who famously won Mastermind in 1980. 

Campsite Night 1 

Soon after meeting we needed to pool money and buy supplies at the local supermarket in Hervey Bay and we were ready to set off the next morning.      

Once on the island one of the first stops was Lake McKenzie 

Most of the time on day two was spent driving up 75 mile beach to Indian Head which meant we passed the Maheno shipwreck, many dingos and enjoyed the warm waters of Eli Creek. As the pictures show, the clouds were starting to move in. 

   

As we reached Indian Head the weather worsened and a big storm started. Although we attempted to put tents up, the weather meant it was impossible and the only safe and dry place was the Land Rover. So 10 of us spent the night in the vehicle. It wasn't particularly pleasant but we got through it and actually felt a sense of achievement the next day that we had got through it. The picture below shows the Land River driving through a lake that wasn't there the day before. When we got back to Hervey Bay we discovered we had been hit by the worst storm in seven years.

On our last day we visited Lake Wabby (below) and had a great time running down the sand dune into the fresh water. It was a little weird that the fish came and nibbled you if you stayed still and floated! 

Back at Hervey Bay, it was time to catch up on some sleep and do some washing. It was also sadly time to say goodbye to Georgina and Helen as they were heading off to Bundaberg while Richard and I were off to Airlie Beach for our next awesome backpacker experience, the Whitsunday Island Cruise.   

Final Picture, Richard, Georgina, me, Nathan and Helen.