This weekend I went on the trip I’d been ever so excited for for a long time now. I went to visit some family and someone special down in London and rather enjoyed myself.

Following on from work on Saturday afternoon I was able to dash off to Manchester Piccadilly for my train southwards. Embarking to enjoy the cheap (or not so) thrills of first class and free wifi, I was surprised at how quickly the train took. To think one can now cover >206miles in 2 hours in relative comfort is mindblowing, especially when prior to that your longest train journey had been 1 hour on a steam train from Port Erin to Douglas whilst being thrown about the carriage.

Arriving in London I was whisked off to catch a train Hertsfordshire way to meet my aunt and uncle for dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant. It’d been such a long time since I’d seen any of my maternal family, who happen to be the family members I relate to closest, other than a fleeting hug back in November from my aunt when I was at the student protests. The meal was delightful, chicken ravioli om nom nom, and my aunt forcefed me dessert… It was rather passive forcefeeding in hindsight, more ‘Shall we get dessert? Yeah, let’s get dessert. Cally’s a student, we need to feed him up before he goes back to misery.’ So we got dessert and I actively put it in my mouth and swallowed… After that we walked back home and had a lovely long catch up until quite late, and considering we had to be up in the morning afterwards we parted. Me for the sofa-bed, because their spare room was currently taken up by an old school-friend of my aunt’s before she sets off for her new 2-year contract in Houston, Texas, and them for their bedroom… But not after my uncle showed me his newest toy…  One of those tv bed things… 😛 The sole reason I don’t have cousins on my mother’s side of the family is because my uncle is such a big kid, he was so excited to show me so I feigned awe and amazement 😛

Sunday morning I was awoken by purring, to find Ozzie and Ringo had decided my face was a lovely paw rest, and their tails wrapped around my head. I looked like a cat-creature myself from all the fur… My aunt and I had a good natter before being dropped off at the station to head into London where I would spend the next 7 and a half hours walking around, enjoying the sights, the hustle, the bustle, and, I’ll willingly admit, the company.

Monday, despite having planned to go in to London early for breakfast with my aunt, I stayed at my aunt’s and uncle’s house in quiet contemplation. I felt awful, as until that morning I’d forgotten how meaningful that day was. It was a day of poor news stacked with mourning and depression… Ending with reassessment of my situation. I’d cried most of the day for a multitude of things, and felt the need to be close to the Lord, and then when I found his house was closed to me I cried more and more. Feeling abandoned, unloved, and abused was not the highest point to my weekend, but it’s got better.

We all face adversity in life. For some it’s a case of luck, other’s karma. For me, it’s a test of faith and constitution. I came so close to failing on Monday, but I persevered. I trusted. I grew as a person. I’m thankful.