"No Place Like Home"

Day 11 of our trip and we are currently 6111.1 km away from home. It is hard to admit that only after 11 days gone my heart aches for home. This is the longest I will go without seeing family and I already miss them all so much. It is the true measure of the kind of people I have left behind me that I could miss them all so much. My family and friends are good, kind and warm people that going any length of time without having a serious conversation makes this adventure especially hard. My travel partner is always quick to remind me that he is my family and with him around it shouldn't be that bad.

The one side of travel that is rarely discussed amongst the stories of adventure and new experiences is the longing desire to have some kind of home with you. For us we have struggled with the constant eating out and then the chance to cook a home cooked meal is hard due to finding ingredients that we know how to cook with. Anyone who has had the luxury of cooking for or watching me cook for my travel partner knows the true struggles in making anything for this man who is picky and particular. It seems like a lot of complaining considering I am able to even go on this trip at all and to complain almost feels like I am taking away from it somehow. 

My two favourite little people. 

I write this because I am hoping that overtime it will be easier for me to not miss home so much. All it takes is for me to hear from my sister about her kids in school to make me miss home. My eldest nephew killing a spelling bee (4/5), my only niece on her journey through full day junior kindergarten and knowing I am missing out on what I guarantee is so much excitement in their eyes. My niece and nephew have a the ability to make any long miserable day and completely turn it around with their huge hugs and big kisses. I think of my mom and step dad surely making fun of each other and my mom's inability to tell good stories, my sister who has just accepted a new job she expresses love for every chance she gets and I think of my dad who is steady and consistent. He fails to awknowledge we are besties but I miss our small conversations/texts that occur multiple times daily full of advice, reassurance and his great ability to listen to me bitch for long periods of times (usually about my travel partner). The true test of this trip will not be a test of my relationship with my travel partner but my ability to step away for the first time alone (ish) and see what I make of it. 

We are currently in Liverpool where we did a three hour walking tour of the city, the birth place of the Beatles. These Liverpooleans sure love their Beatles, you see it in everything. They also love their football, with a waging war between two clubs within their city. It is the first time we are in a multibed dorm with our room housing 12 other beds. The hostel has terrible costumer service resulting in  my travel partner and I in seperate bunks. That itself isn't too bad minus the man who was hovering around the room in the early hours (hopefully in a confused daze) going and inspecting everyone in their bunks sleeping. Creeeeepy. 

The night life of Liverpool seems to be hopping and exciting. I don't understand how they do it but the Brits manage to go and drink their faces off on a nightly basis. I am currently trying to encourage my travel partner to venture out of his bubble and indulge and relax a bit (we are on vacation) but I can easily persuaded into an early bedtime with my ereader. With 84 days left I am hoping at some point we can venture beyond  our comfort zones but after 8 hours on our feet a good book and a somewhat comfy bed (creepy guy free) could be just what the doctor ordered.