What does 2009 hold for me?

I've had a very pleasant start to the year - my Dad come to stay with us for a week over the new year period and since he went home I've been taking it easy. It was nice to be able to spend some time with my Dad, and because Bob hired a mobility scooter for him we were able to get out and about a bit..........Bob and I walked miles, trotting along beside that scooter!! On the last night Dad was here we went for a really nice Indian meal - we went to the Bombay Bay in Southsea Marina - I'd recommend it!!

I'm really enjoying living in the city and it's nice to have so much within walking distance. There are some local shops just down the road, but even the town centre is only about a 30 minute walk away.

We have quite a bit of work still to do on the house in Herts, but we're hoping to get it on the market and hopefully sold this year. I really don't enjoy house anymore and just want to be rid of it now.

I'm planning on going back to Sierra Leone in March as part of the in-country staff team with Mission Direct helping to run the teams of short term volunteers again. I'll be there for 12 weeks or so this time. I'll be there from March until June and Brian who I was there with in November will be there for the first couple of months. I'm waiting to hear who else will be on the staff team with us. There are 4 teams scheduled for the time that I'll be there - I know a quite a few of the people who will be coming on the teams, so it'll be great to spend time with them again and to get to know the people I don't know yet.

Until I go away I'm going to be taking it easy at home, enjoying the flat and taking my time to get ready for my trip.

I really don't know what I'll do when I get back to England in June - I don't know whether I'll be planning another trip overseas or if I'll spend some time in the UK and go back to work for a while here.....it's hard to make plans as I just don't know how I'll feel when I get back from Sierra Leone. With the kids over there that I take care of it'll be hard for me to spend too much time away from Freetown......and I'm still hopeful of getting Bob there one day.

So.....I have the first half of 2009 planned, but have no idea yet where the second half will take me - but I am looking forward to finding out!

Also posted at minklemar.com