Dealing with the "Four Day Schedule"

So my husband is away for four days. This means I am alone for four days. Literally not a soul to speak to.

Here are my top ten activities to keep busy while he is away to avoid going insane:

1) Catch up on all emails, whatsapps, texts, face books, tweets etc. Write to friends or family you haven't heard from in a while and make sure you keep in touch.  Follow me on twitter @imupforlife

2) Go to the GYM! We've covered this already: gym = positive body, positive mind, positive attitude. Check out Pop Sugar Fitness Website or Pop Sugar Fitness YouTube Channel which are both amazing for motivation & have ten minute workouts you can do from Yoga, Treadmill, Weights, Cardio......

3) Go for a walk. Not related to "exercising" but simply related to clearing your mind, having some peace and embracing the alone-time

4) Put down your cellphone. Stop playing Bubble Witch/Candy Crush/Tetris or whatever your poison is. You're wasting your life and getting a headache

5) Cook. Google a recipe you're craving, go grocery shopping and cook up a storm. Cake? Pancake? Curry? Gnocchi? Find something on Pintrest and give it a go!

6) Sort out your computer. This sounds super duper dull but don't you have a load of crap on your laptop? I do. 5 photos of the same thing really aren't needed. De-clutter and organise your life starting with your tech.

7) Sort out your junk drawer. Again this sounds dull but this time its not the act that counts its the feeling it gives you. This is a tip from a book I read which deals with depression. The act of sorting out a stationery/junk/kitchen drawer, as small an act as it is empowers you to sort out the rest of your life. I dare you to try this 'crazy' idea. Worst that happens: you get an organised junk drawer

8) Do the laundry. Boooooringgggg, but it will keep you busy. And if all the washing & ironing is done before hubby comes back it means more Quality Time together coz the administration of life is done.

9) Change the bedsheets. Mmmmm... nothing like crisp fresh linen. This one is for you and your soul. Relish and enjoy laying in fresh bedsheets before the wild animal husband comes back and sweats/crinkles/'dirty's your blissful bed.

10) Lastly, to keep yourself busy, feel good and get ready for hubby's return; Shower, Shave, Pluck, Paint nails, Blowdry, Exfoliate, Tone skin, Fake tan, Moisturize, Whiten, Floss... you get the picture. Get yourself totally beautified. Not just for him, for you to feel good and worthwhile.

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Secret Diary of a Pilot's Wife

Welcome to my secret diary of my life as a Pilot's wife.  You will soon discover that I prefer my life not to be defined as "pilot's wife" but rather as my own worthwhile life, however my secret diary will cover all the inner truthful angst-y feelings involved in following my husband across the world and  feeling a loss of self.

About me; I'm in my early thirties, tall, blonde, fit and healthy a lacking a college degree. This means I have low self esteem about my abilities and I have no on paper career. I've been successful in all my jobs but I have nothing to show for it and no set job title. Great.  Therefore I am "XXX's wife, you know, the blonde one from New Zealand". [I'm not actually from NZ, but if I disclose where I am from I fear my secret diary will not be so secret, its kinda unique!]

About my husband: He's also in his early thirties and a First Officer for a low cost carrier in South-East Asia.  His reason for becoming a pilot: the prestige.  He loves taking photos, he loves his uniform, he loves the flight attendants in their uniforms, basically he loves feeling like king fucking ding-a-ling.

So now in this page of my blog I will go through chapter upon chapter of ups, downs, happiness, annoyances and irritations of: life as a trailing spouse: the pilots wife edition! 

Gym Time: Expats abroad, nothing to do, GO TO GYM!

Living abroad with not many, hardly any, very few friends can leave you little to do on a weekend while Hubby is away at work.

So, what to do... go to gym! 

The simple benefits of gym (in case you need reminding, we ALL need reminding) include:

• its uplifting / mood booster
• healthy
• keeps you occupied both mind & body
• its natural to keep active and I know in my usual sedentary lifestyle if I didn't go to gym I would be considered horrendously inactive.

I go to gym about 4 or 5 times a week usually. Having quit smoking this year I can now achieve this:

One Hour as Far / Fast as you can

CHALLENGE: If you don't feel like working out; just go to the gym. 

Once you arrive you can turn around and leave if you wish. Just Go There. 

(You'll probably stay...)

For my my latest motivation is the Runkeeper app on my phone. Previously I had it on my Android and now on my iPhone. You can set it to auto track steps it is AWESOME. Runkeeper 

My personal challenge for April is to run/walk/cover 100km. Like I said I have a very small/sedentary life so this is a real challenge. 

Off to the gym then! xxx

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Positives & Negatives of Life Abroad

Hello fellow Blog Lurkers,

I've been a "trailing spouse" for the past two years and our first adventures have brought us to South East Asia (SEA). I say "trailing spouse" in inverted commas because that makes it sound like I've been pulled along unwillingly, which is not true. I have my own career in South East Asia and am just as much up for the challenge of moving abroad as my husband (possibly more so!).

Having grown up in two different countries I am quite used to different cultures and customs and enjoy having a mixed "Identity".

Positives of having lived an extended time away from "home":

• Full, enriched life
• Open minded
• Understand different cultures
• Learn whats truly valuable and important in life
• Reinvent yourself

Negatives of living the expat life:

• How on earth do you answer the question "where do you come from?" Uuuuhh, I've lived equally across two countries and now live in SEA. I don't know "where I come from". My loyalties lie with two, not one place. 
• Putting up with embarrassing people from your "home country" ahh.... you don't want the locals generalising that all people from England are like that... etc. 
• Losing the ability to chat to old friends at home about current events: "Jordan who? Idols who? Radio host who? Which Restaurant?"   ---   Life at home moves on... without you!
• Loneliness. Its not easy to make friends. Its definitely not easy to make friends. 
• Pretending to love the food - yellow food anyone? 

Personally I LOVE living  "abroad" with no intentions to go home anytime soon. We may be contemplating our next move but its certainly not "home"... 

Inspiration from: HSBC Expat Explorer Blogs 

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