Andrea goes exploring again!

So today I decided to check out storage options. Having previously looked up my storage costs I had an idea of what they would be, but following a chat with the storage companies, I now know the hidden extras! All I can say is that I think it's going to mean a few quiet days while I'm away. Boy is storage expensive! It's worked out to be almost twice what I thought. Thank heavens for contingency... Having been a bit disappointed by this, I then (you may say foolishly) decided to check out travel insurance. Well on the whole the quotes weren't awful, the ones I could get that was. The others I couldn't get quotes online because I'm too old! They don't do them if you're over 39! I remember when I was in New Zealand on my last trip, when I was 33, someone in a hostel thought I was too old to be travelling, turns out 10 years on, so do insurance companies! I had planned to do something fun and book my European flights but I decided not to do that until I kno...

Over the last year, I have been acting up into my Line Manager's job whilst she's been on maternity leave. For one reason and another it's not been the easiest of years but there's a silver lining to every cloud. In this case it was the fact that I have been receiving an acting up allowance! Now given that I'm in my early 40s and still renting, for most (including me for a while) this injection of funds would enable the saving of a deposit for a house. The  problem is, I'm not a settler. I struggle with commitment to the point that I find getting an annual travel card a challenge and so when my landlord told me he was thinking of selling my house, having this chunk of cash in the bank, made me yearn to spend it visiting parts of the world I've never seen, but have always longed to visit. Work agreeing to me having a year career break enabled me to realise these ambitions and so I gave up all thoughts of buying a pile of bricks and mortar and headed to the tr...