Solstice

A Druid friend of mine told me last night that it was indeed most auspicious to be in the air of the day of Solstice and I have no reason to disagree with him, it most certainly feels auspicious as I write this peering out from my 12cm cubic square space down at hundreds of miles of Canadian expanse as my plane is hitting the coastline at Labradore looking down on thousands and thousands of tiny icebergs sprinkled across the sea like white glitter.

I had a simply perfect last day in the UK yesterday. After showing up to work to find out I'd booked it off (happy chuffing days), I was promptly stolen away for a mad mission with my partner in lunacy and "ex husband" Mr Austen. We ended up in Blackpool and naturally ragged around the Pleasure Beach with me dressed (ever appropriately dah-ling) in a floor trailing white cotton and lace maxi dress and wooden flipflops. I dined most magnificently on England's finest dish - fish and chips (award winning no less) before being deposited on my doorstep to spend an evening sat in our bit of "stolen-council-land-masquering-as-a-garden" with my beloved neighbours enjoying the long hours of daylight as the Solstice hit.

I have been increasingly restless in the run up to this trip, at time checking the minutes off just desperate to get the hell away from home, to see my Mummy after being separated from her for the longest period of my life and generally just find time for myself - selfish as that may be. I find it difficult to believe actually that it has now been an entire year since I made this trip with my favourite girlfriends. It's been such a year of events! Since I last saw my mother I have; moved out of home, moved house again, had my 21st birthday, acquired two tattoos, shown my own styling collection at a fashion show, become a fully fledged fashion design student (of sorts), been discharged from therapy, developed a talent for cider drinking and going out up to five nights a week without dying, coloured my hair approximately 15 different times (and lost a considerable amount of it), had a stint in "rehab", walked around the streets of Preston wearing little more than a corset, knickers and a set of ostrich feathers on my head (on more than one occasion), grown enough balls to sing infront of a live audience at an open mic night, set up my own fashion blog, been enlisted as an official curator of a big nationwide museum exhibition project, been on a digital journalism course, been and visited countless art galleries the list goes on and on - actually just writing that I've just widened my eyes even more - it's incredible what can be done in just 12 short months!

I think though what has struck me more than anything though looking back over those months and going away from it all for three weeks is the level and quality of new friends I have had the blessing of meeting. Those things are just that - things, they may be achievements and landmarks in my life but these people have become landmarks on my soul. I feel almost like I have been reborn through acquiring these friends and been taught vast amounts about life and actually about myself. As much as I am relieved to have some space away I know where my home lies still, my heart lives and thrives with these people and I'm feeling a little guilty for saying I wanted to go away so much - but now I'm looking upon this time for me to find some stronger level of spiritual equalibrium, heal and rejuvenate so I can back with more to give and in turn hope to teach them something back.