Happy Birthday Blog!

First ever post: The Masterplan http://stephendcook.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/november-2011.html


It's one year since I began Life Begins @ 40, which was designed to tell the story of Laura and my journey from employment in UK to travelling and working overseas. My story started in 2010 by leaving teaching and resigning from a senior leadership position in a secondary school to reclaim my life back and it is fair to say that it the last year has been one of the best I have ever had.

In addition to my story, I have blogged (sometimes ranted) about education in England but have also blogged regularly about travel and the amazing places I have visited on this stunning planet of ours.   
In one year this blog has had over 17,500 page views which averages out at 48 per day. I am so delighted that people like it. The most popular blogs are:

Leaving teaching:What next;
http://stephendcook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/leaving-teaching-what-next.html
Leaving teaching: 
http://stephendcook.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/leaving-teaching.html
Measure THAT Gove
http://stephendcook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/measure-that-gove.html
My Story of the London 2012 Olympics:
http://stephendcook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/my-story-london-2012-olympic-opening.html
  
I'm still not 40 - that happens in August 2013 but we are much clearer with what is going to happen in approximately 9 months time. 

Laura and I have been accepted to work for the Craig Bellamy Foundation in Sierra Leone (http://www.craigbellamyfoundation.org/about-us/) - which comprises of two main projects, firstly the school where the best young football players in Sierra Leone live and attend and secondly the male and female youth leagues that have been set up in the country. The youth leagues have had a significant impact on increasing attendance at school for boys and girls. We are so excited to be involved in a education/development project where we will be able to utilise both our sets of skills and do work in what we believe in.   

But there is much still to do. In the first blog I wrote:  

"With 21 months to go, there is a lot to do. Sell the house, sell our stuff, for me it means gaining another qualification (in addition to my degree, PGCE and M.A.) where I intend to do the CELTA (tefl) qualification to further improve my chances of employment overseas. The plan is to do this in London during August 2012"

Today I can confirm:

• We still want to sell the house but things have been a bit slow in that department. Realistically we have until July until we reach plan 'B' which will be to rent it out. If this happens we won't be able to utilise some of the sale money for an amazing trip before our 'work' starts.   
• We thought about selling some of our 'stuff' but currently most has gone to local charity shops. 
• Regarding my plans of doing the CELTA qualification, the reason I looked at it was to increase employment opportunities overseas. Thankfully the opportunities that have presented themselves to us are in development & education which is exactly what we wanted to get involved with. I was also quite busy this summer with the Olympics. 

As this is a celebratory blog I am going to celebrate my favourite moments in the last year in line with the blog tagline 'Education, Travel & Happiness'. 


1. Being Invited to Every Nigerian Child Matters Summit - Abuja, Nigeria.

I was delighted to have been invited and learned an enormous amount about the current situation in Nigerian education. I hope that I will be able to contribute further in the coming years.

http://stephendcook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/encp-education-summit-abuja-nigeria.html

 2. Inspiring Students with 'Countdown's' Rachel Riley. 

In February Rachel Riley agreed to come into a local school with me to inspire gifted and talented maths students at a school I do some work in. Her story of 'success through taking opportunities' inspired these students who were pretty shocked at seeing her as I'd kept it a big secret. 
http://stephendcook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/measure-that-gove.html

3. London Olympics - as a performer & as a spectator

Even now I find it difficult to find words to describe my Olympic life from May 24th 2012 when we started rehearsals until August 13th, the day I got home from the Olympics...at 7.30am after a night at the pub. We rehearsed A LOT, made new friends, met Danny Boyle and Rick Smith (from Underworld), were in the stadium from mid-June and then performed before a worldwide audience. In between the opening and closing ceremonies I went as a spectator to Wembley for Team GB's women's football team (we beat Brazil 1-0) and then at the 200m mens final night which also included the 800m men's world record being broken.

Rehearsing in the rain...again

My sister Debbie and I at the Olympic Stadium 9th August

At the end of the closing ceremony with a Kiwi gold medalist

http://www.stephendcook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/my-story-london-2012-olympic-opening.html

http://www.stephendcook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/destination-london-watching-history.html

http://www.stephendcook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/my-story-london-2012-olympics-closing.html

4. South Africa: Travelling & Safari with Laura

Two weeks after the Olympics we drove from Cape Town to the Wild Coast before jumping on 2 planes and heading to Ngala Safari Lodge which was Laura's prize for winning the Guardian 'Been There' travel photography competition. A really amazing trip.

At the top of Table Mountain

http://www.stephendcook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/travelling-cape-town-city-in-winter.html

http://www.stephendcook.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/the-safari-diaries-part-1.html

5. Family holiday to Dalyan, Turkey.

Dalyan is a wonderful town in the south east of Turkey perched on the Dalyan river but very near the coast. With Roman remains, ancient tombs, mud baths and excellent boat trips, there was plenty to do and explore and a great chance to spend some quality time with the family...and especially my nephew.

Happy Birthday Blog! 

Iceland: A land of Ice (2)

Jökulsárlón is an amazing lake in Vatnajökull National Park, S E Iceland. In 2002 it was the scene for the James Bond car chase in 'Die Another Day' and has appeared in other films such as 'A View to a Kill', and 'Batman Begins'.

We visited the lake on the last day of our 2 weeks in Iceland and after seeing so many glaciers etc we were quite blase about it. Nothing really prepared us for the incredible site that greeted us. This was the view from the coach as we headed over the bridge.

A seal in the foreground at Jökulsárlón

As we were there in summer, the lake contained hundreds of icebergs broken off from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier. In winter the lake freezes over. 

Laura and I holding ice that is thousands of years old

Trips are available on amphibious vehicles which take you even closer to the 'bergs.

All in all, it was another stunning day out and even more reason to recommend Iceland to everyone. On the coach trip back to our lodge I was even able to take this photo of a rainbow from inside the coach. 

Awesome Iceland! 

Iceland: A Land of Ice (1)

Even in summer, you can find plenty of ice in Iceland by finding some glaciers. You won't have far to look. 

Where as some look brilliant white, many look dirty, darkened by the volcanic rock they sit on and gouge as they move.

On one of our days we did a brilliant 4 x 4 safari which toward the end took us across the Maelifellsandur desert to the Myrdallsjokull glacier which stretched right across the horizon. 

      

On the Myrdallsjokull 'black' Glacier. Notice vehicles in the distance.

Sometimes it's possible to get under the glacier!

Next up in part 2 - The ice lake made famous by James Bond.

Iceland: What Goes Down Must Come Up.

I nearly called this blog "Iceland: Where Water Falls" but realised that as well as the amazing waterfalls in Iceland, I also wanted to include geysers from this remarkable country.

Skógafoss

Skógafoss is what you thought waterfalls should look like when you were taught about them at school. It is the most perfect example of a simple single drop waterfall I have ever seen, enhanced by the beautiful green surroundings.

Seljalandsfoss

Although not as initially visually stunning as Skógafoss, Seljalandsfoss is equally as impressive once you get close up. In fact you can get even closer to the action by walking behind it.
   

Gullfoss

Gullfoss is Iceland's most popular and visited waterfall and it is easy to see why.

The picture below shows the different strata of rock, the overhanging one evidently more resistant to erosion and goes some way to explain the number of drops of the waterfall.  

Geysir
And as promised, what goes down must come up. As Iceland finds itself on top of two tectonic plate boundaries, there are many geysers and none more famous than 'Great Geysir' which can be found in Geysir Park. It's neighbour, 'Strokkur' (pictured) is less impressive but does spout every five minutes.

Awesome Iceland!