The next adventure has already started...

I appreciate I haven't updated this for a while - apologies for that. To cut a long story short, I had an absolute ball visiting my old friend in Italy. We hadn't seen each other for 14 years but once we got over our initial meeting we just picked up where we left off and it was great! I felt like I was in a film as I cruised along the windy (not the blowy kind of windy; more the twisty turny sort) roads of the Riviera on a scooter; popping to the market, out for a standing-up coffee, to the beach... I lunched in Monaco (over-rated), did Fete de la Musique in Marseille, and had the best surprise reunion with another Italian friend I hadn't seen for 14 years who drove all the way from Genoa to have dinner with us. I was a very very happy bunny! I also learnt how to make pesto and the best carbonara, as well as panzanela. I tried the most delicious burrata - an exceptionally creamy mozzarella (in fact, I think it's got added cream) - with the freshest figs and salami. And I ate Nutella semifreddo, which was as divine as it sounds. I need to go back to sample an Aperol and ginger ale. There's worse reasons to go back somewhere.

After a week in Italy, I flew to Toulouse where my parents and I had hired a gite for a week. It was wonderful! It was an old stone conversion in the middle of nowhere; the only noise was from the birds, cows and insects. And me jumping in the pool to cool down. We lazed around, visited beautiful Medieval villages, drank delicious wine, ate delicious food (and cherries!), lazed around some more, went running, read our books, drank coffee, ate pastries and cakes, went to markets and castles, watched sunsets and generally just relaxed. Bliss.

We got back a week ago today. On Monday I spoke to my mate Sal. Moaned and groaned about how nice it would be to spend the summer in the south of France but how I couldn't think of a way to make that happen. Woke up on Tuesday and, on a complete and utter whim, googled Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) courses in Nice, applied the same day, got accepted onto a course on Wednesday (when I also booked a flight), spent a lovely night with Pam and Mick who were over from Singapore, got absolutely wasted at a supplier lunch on Friday, somehow managed to catch a train to Newcastle and had one night there visiting my family, came back to London yesterday, packed and flew out of Gatwick this evening. The course starts at 9.30 tomorrow morning. Phew!

The good thing is I've not had time to over-analyse the decision or stress too much about it. The stress has more been around getting my act together in the short space of time I had. I was really sorry not to be able to catch up with more friends and not to have been able to spend longer with my family up north, but I simply couldn't do everything. It's really strange how it has all worked out. It feels like it was meant to be. I got an email from my stepmother-in law (it's complicated!) today saying she felt good karma about this one. I do too. But we'll have to wait and see. I know English is for me (I'm a bit anal with my red pen where spelling and grammar are concerned), just not sure about the teaching part. The course is going to be pretty intense, but I love learning and meeting new people and challenging myself in a controlled environment. I'm ready for this and who knows, it may be the answer to some of my longer-term plans. The course lasts for a month and I haven't had time to think what I'll do after that. Time will tell. But as well as possible job hunting, I'm also going to have to find time for a bit of a social life as my lovely Italian friend has already been getting things in the diary!

Anyway, I need to try and get some sleep before school starts bright and early tomorrow morning! I'm staying in the tiniest but cutest room in a lovely little hotel that I found online. I love it! Check out the bathroom - it's even got it's own balcony! Only here for two nights though, then on to a homestay; hope I love that as much...