Welcome to my first blog of 2013!

With the turkey digested, the new year hangover behind me and a much needed rest executed; it’s time to get back to changing the world!

I won’t repeat my reflection of 2012 or my 2013 hopes and aims. You can check them out in my last post.

The past week has been a combination of catching up on some work, getting ahead with work and preparing for my next adventure! I’m off to Spain in one week, for 10 weeks.

You’ll remember I was in Aviles, Asturias for 2 months under the European Voluntary Service. I’m staying in the same hostel, doing similar work and with the same organisation. The only difference is I’m on a Grundtvig funded program for EU partnership work.

If you’ve ever wanted to go abroad for longer, I strongly suggest checking these out. If you’re disabled feel free to ask me for advice.

I may therefore be a bit off the radar next week. I’m driving down through France to Spain, between Tuesday 15th and Friday 18th. Quite an adventure in its own right. Kasia and I will see 1000 miles of changing landscape, and in some ways I am completing the part of the roadtrip I lost along with that bloody motorhome.

Once settled, it’s business as usual. Alongside teaching English and running my weekly radio show; I’ll still be blogging, supporting Disability Horizons to grow, consulting for my clients on marketing and all my other beautiful bits I call work.

I’m really going to miss being with family and living with them as I have been. However, we will Skype and stay in touch. I’ve realised with my health, family love/support, good people around, wheelchairs/care support etc all in order, and a dose of confidence with a leap of faith; all works out in the end. I am then back to my London pad in April, and who knows where afterwards…

I’ve debated whether I’m getting too tired of adventure; as the researching, planning, executing and reflecting can tire. Then, I realised without new experiences, of any kind and in any way, what do we have?!

Gandalf said a couple of things in the Hobbit, which I saw on Sunday, that resonated. When we go on an adventure, we may not return, or come back the same person, but it gives us a story to tell. He also said that despite this, its still the little things people do that make life great.

I am aware of the recent political decisions on disability policy. I have my personal concerns, as we all do, but I just want to take a different stance for once. Yes, lets campaign, lets prove society wrong about us, but most of all – do not let the bastards get you down!

So whether you are preparing for, or off on a new adventure, or indeed experiencing challenges closer to home; when possible, enjoy the journey every minute, and note those acts of kindness of others, whilst putting some of your own out there too.

Hasta luego amigos!