First post back!

So, I am back in the UK! I've been here over a month now and it's gone like this:

STAGE 1 - I just got back, everyone has missed me, loves me, wants to see me and I lunch out everyday with various family members. Wahooo!

STAGE 2 - The 'everyone has missed me' stage wears off, it rains a lot, my travel buddies are posting photos of SE Asia/Syd and I get major depressed. 

STAGE 3 - This is the current stage. The frosty English mornings are slowly growing on me again, I feel a bit more back on track and I've stopped moaning to everyone who will listen about life. 

Maperly Reservoir sunrise the other morning - Aflie and I went for a jog

I'm was away with Mum last weekend watching various Lockwood's race and compete at stuff. We called at Manchester to watch Jennie race x-country for Leeds Uni:

These are our matching coats

And then at Wigan Race Course watching Jason go-kart. Pretty scary stuff. 

So what has happened since I've been back? Umm.. I moved into Brum. Living with Molly, Ahmed and Sheila.. this crazy cute pooch:

Sheila 

I had my hair done because I've neglcted it on my travels. Not only was it shabby uncut and sunbleached, but the hairdresser said it still had half a beach in it.  I showed her my iphone and asked her to make it look exactly like this:

She did her best but unfortunately she works in Selly Oak and not Hollywood, so the end product didn't quite match the piccy of Jen.To say that beforehand it looked a lot - 'Like you've been dragged through a bush backwards' [Rob Lockwood, 2014] - I don't think she did too badly. 

I'm also back into Triathlon (kind of). After offending them in an Austrlian blog post by taking the mic out of their 'valentines spin session', I didn't know if they'd want me back. They seem to have forgiven me and I'm the women's club captain this year. This was the first race of the season, Broxtowe Duathlon:

I am NOT on the scholarship squad because I've gotten too slow. 

Uni has changed a bit. We've got block module deadline weeks and then 'nothing' (dissertaion) weeks. These are my terrible CAD drawings for the last project week..

Not that this will make sense to anyone

And.. I also went to Paris for the weekend! Because I can't keep still.

No caption needed. 

Le Louvre

I'll leave you with this. The most terrible pumpkin I have ever seen. I found it in a restaurant in Harbourne called The New Inn. Yes, I will name and shame!

Ridiculous Pumpkin.

EVEREST! - heaps of photos from Base Camp!

Firstly. That's my Everest selfie. 

I don't think it's possible to put into words what I've experienced over the past 2 weeks.. So I'm gonna put a heck of a lot of pictures in this post. 

To set the scene, I'm sat in a cafe eating what tastes like the most incredible breakfast I've ever eaten. In reality it's just eggs on toast and coffee. But the eggs are a normal colour, the toast is toast and not Tibetan 'bread', and the coffee isn't made with yak milk and powder. All of which seem like luxuries right now. 

I'm still unshowered, as I have been for 14 days, as I can't check into the hotel room until 12. It's going to be the best shower of my life. I almost have dreadlocks.. Look:

Anyway!!! About Everest!! 

This is the very excited 12 man team in the tiny airplane on the way to Lukla, Himalayas - ranked the No.1 most dangerous airport on the planet. I forgot to mention that bit in my trip plan mum.. 

The trek from Lukla to EBC (base camp) is about 70k long and took us 8 days to get there. 70k in 8 days? Easy right? That's what I thought.. 

But when you're at 5000m altitude it's actually difficult to breathe, let alone trek up a mountain. We had to have a few acclimatisation days here and there, but I'm proud to say I was the only one to make it all of the way without taking altitude sickness prevention pills! 

Anyway, here are a few highlights of the journey there.. 

This is where we stayed the first night. We're still fairly low, so there's lots of trees etc and the river is big. 

These are two very cute Sherpa kids we met at a lunch stop. I considered marrying a Sherpa man to have kids that look like these, and so that he could take me trekking and carry my bag everywhere (they are SO strong, they carry all the food up to the lodges, 80+ kilos at a time.. I'll write about it later). 

But I thought dad might have been adverse to the idea so I decided not to risk it.

This is a Sherpa carrying some kind of building materials. Altitudes got nothing on him. 

They do have yaks to help out sometimes though! 

Yaks on a bridge! 

Yak selfie. Basically everyone loved yaks. 

The second day got a bit foggy.. And the view looked like this:

We slept in a nice ridge top lodge, but hadn't seen any of the view. However, when we woke up at 6am, we were met with this:  !!!!!

Everest (centre) and Ama Dablem (right).. Right outside our lodge! 

Me hand standing under Everest. 

Over the next couple of days we trekked higher and higher and the mountains got closer and closer. Here are some incredible photos.. 

From left to right: Malcolm, our three Sherpa guides; PT, Padam and Gelu, and me! With Mt. Nupsty in the background. 

Me being extremely cool under Mt. Nupsty with Everest just tucked behind. 

No words for this pic.

-5 mountain selfie. 

A glacial lake! Amazing? 

An Ama Dablem selfie. (Look back centre).

The last day trekking to base camp was pretty tough (even I thought so and I'm friggin hardcore). 

But getting there was incredible. Here's a few pics..

On the way!

Above the clouds! 

Base camp itself!

The day after base camp we woke up at 4am and climbed Kala Pathar, a 5550m peak. Here are some views from the top:

Sunrise over Everest:

A glowing mountain:

Reaching Kala Pathar and EBC was the most incredible thing I think I've done so far in my 21 years and I advise everyone who wants to do something outrageous/adventurous/off of the beaten path, do do it. (You can buy the offer on groupon haha!) 

I'm flying home in less than two days and I am SO so excited to see the Lockwood clan. If you're reading, I cried after you all FaceTimed me today I was that excited/emotional. Mum, here's a brocolli plant I found on the mountain at 4000m just for you. I know you love broccoli.

Peace out guys, see everyone so soon!!!! 

Xxxxx

The land of the Thai!

Hello Thailand! 

Luckily, I arrived here as planned on the 14th, after the nearly missed flight incident.

Chrissy T was supposed to be waiting for me at Phuket airport, but in true Chris fashion he changed his plans last minute and went straight to a hostel. Without telling me. So I sat in Phuket airport for a while before realising that I should probably connect to some wifif to get hold of him and find out where he was. Anyway I found him and everything turned out ok.

Josie and Chrissy T reunited. 

Phuket is gross, if you're planning on going.. Don't. After seeing the rest (or at least a bit more) of Thailand.. I've no idea why we flew into there. We did however experience (Chris's idea) probably one of the craziest thing I've ever seen in my life.  Ping pong show? 

Nevertheless here's a couple pics.. 

Doesn't look that gross I know but you havent seen the rest of Thailand..

We got a bit stuck up a hill. 

And I eventually did my laundry after 4 weeks of back to front, in side out, none at all, etc 

After Phuket we caught a boat to koh phi phi. Very gorgeous island but also great for partying which we accidentally did a bit too much of. Chris kept attracting loads of random bearded men friends with his new beard which he's very proud of.. 

This is a party fire dancing show. 

More Koh Phi Phi pics: 

After Koh Phi Phi Chris flew home (to be best man at a wedding..) and I took a boat to Krabi. 

Not sure if this giant crab is because of the name Krabi or not. 

After Krabi came Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. Two idyllic, beautiful, honeymoon-material islands. Where's the French man gone when I need him! 

And this is Anthrong National Park (close by Koh Phangan): 

So proud of this photo. 

And this one. 

I made some moped friends on Tao because I didn't want to moped alone (the roads are death traps.. I fell off the side of the road once and got stuck in a hole another time. (Don't worry mum, I'm ok) ). Anyway.. This is where we drove to:

Wow? 

After the islands and the park, I unfortunately had to fly up to Bangkok, which Is where I am now. So far so good I guess! 

One last pic.. 

I have super bad Thailand tummy (as in not kept anything in my stomach for about 4 days.. It comes straight out the other end). So the doctor said ''take this antibiotics (hands me purple packets) and not eat any dairy. Drink coca.''

I took the antibiotics, but I have also just eaten this ice cream sundae. 🙊✈️❤️