The Outback Expat

10 things I am grateful for this year – Blogmas Day 22

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This year has been insane world wise and I find myself shaking my head in disbelief about what is happening.

I have had such an amazing 2018 and so I wanted to reflect back on the 5 things I am grateful for this year (in no particular order!).

  1. My health and how much it has improved and how far I have come. I have lost about 30kg this year (50kg in total since I started) and this year I have improved my strength, stamina and most importantly diet because you cannot out train a bad diet! This is in no small part thanks to my Trainer/Coach Felicity Neale who has helped me so much and guided me through this year so that I can say I have lost 30kg in total. I am looking forward to the New Year and what it will bring.
  2. My family who may not be close to me in terms of distance but are so very important and supportive of me. I appreciate everything that they do for me and I am so happy that I will be spending Christmas with them and the Aussie this year.
  3. The Aussie who listens to me and supports me in everything which I do every day. I am sure I am not always the easiest to live with, knowing me as I do, but he takes it all in his stride and never waivers in his support.
  4. My friends both near and far who are always there for me when I need them and I hope they feel it is reciprocated when they need me and even when they don’t. I’ve learnt a few things about friendships this year and I have had to accept some realities like what I will and won’t be prepared to put up with and when it might be time to let go and that is ok.
  5. Feeling settled in Brisbane. We now have a lovely house which is big enough that we can comfortably have family and friends visit to share our life in Brisbane. We have started to explore the area which is stunning and we have future adventures which we will look forward to in the next year to come. Next year I can apply for Citizenship and will hopefully become a dual citizen next year which will give a little bit more security for me as well.

Things to do in Singapore Airport – Blogmas Day 21

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By the time you read this we may well be in Singapore Airport on our stop over! We have just over 7 hours to fill in Singapore Airport and although I have been through the airport quite a few times I still love getting out and about and exploring what is on offer.

The first thing I plan for us to do is to collect our Changi dollars vouchers. As we are flying with Singapore Airlines (I am not sure if other airlines get the same deal) we will be each gifted $40 Singapore dollars to spend in the airport. This is perfect for stocking up on the duty free essentials and I think you can use it towards food and other bits as well. When I get to the terminal where we are leaving from I will find the desk to collect my vouchers.

The next thing I will do is obtain the wifi code from one of the Information desks. This is good because it means we can let people know we have landed safely. I will also try and swap my sim card over to my UK card so we are ready to go when we land in the UK.

After those bits have been taken care of I hope we can take a walk around and find the Christmas tree / displays which are usually beautiful. I am excited to see what they have planned for this Christmas.

Once the “essentials” have been taken care of it is time to get exploring. There are lots of attractions on offer in addition to dining and shopping opportunities, depending which Terminal you are transiting through or flying from.

Gardens

Singapore Airport has lots of beautiful floral displays which are worth checking out. In Terminal 1 there are the piazza, cactus and water lily gardens. In terminal 2 there are the orchid, sunflower and enchanted gardens and in Terminal 3 there is a butterfly garden. You always find they are surrounded by people taking or having their photos in front of the displays.

There is also a koi fish pond in Terminal 3 which is nice to sit beside and watch the world pass by.

Relaxation

If you have time and fancy a swim you can visit the swimming pool and jacuzzi in Terminal 1 which would be lovely for rejuvenating you before your next flight.

Entertainment

In Terminal 2 you will find a movie theatre which is open 24 hours a day and shows movies for free which is great for killing some time. There is also an entertainment centre which has gaming consoles as well as a movie theatre for entertainment purposes.

Terminal 4 also has an Entertainment Corner which is full of games which you can play and fill those transit hours.

Art

If you want to check out some art then you can visit Birds in Flight, Coming Home, Daisy and Floral Inspiration amongst others at Terminal 3. Terminal 2 houses A Million Times Changi, Terminal 1 has Kinetic Rain which looks like it will be lovely to spend time and you can find Les Oiseaux in Terminal 4.

Accomodation

I/we have also stayed in one of the transit hotels at the airport when we have had a longer stopover. This has actually been perfect because you can have a sleep if needed, a shower so you are fresh for the next flight, charge your phone and devices and also just use it as a base so you can leave your bags, wander around without lugging around the hand luggage.

City Tour

Also if you have enough time, the Airport offers a free city tour around Singapore. Once day we will manage to get out on the tour but I don’t think it will be this year!

HARRY POTTER

You might have seen that Singapore Airport has been transformed into Harry Potter world so as you read this I will be dragging the Aussie around the magical world of Harry Potter

So whilst it seems like 7 hours is a long time to spend in transit at the airport, I think we will be able to fill our time and be ready for the flight to London Heathrow. To plan your trip you can always check out the Things to Do page.

What I am taking in my hand luggage to the UK – Blogmas Day 19

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Planning what I am going to take with me to the UK has been tricky. I have bought some presents which will be in my case but I also need some winter appropriate clothes so I don’t freeze my butt off! We each have 35kg weight allowance for our check in luggage so I think we might be ok overall and have to to bring things back!

I have been trying to estimate what clothes size I will be so I can buy bits as and when I find them and I think I might just about have it sorted so I will be cosey and warm.

I do however know what I will have in my hand luggage so I have what I need at the airport, on the plane, at Singapore and when we land in London. I usually take a rucksack /wheelie suit case and a small cross body bag where the things I will need frequently like my passport, purse, boarding pass etc are on hand.

1) Passport! I will probably have mine and the Aussies in my hand luggage

2) A printout with our ticket information and also the email confirming the arrangements for my meal which will exclude shellfish due to allergies

3) iPhone and charger cable as we can charge our phones on the plane and at the airport if needed. I will also take a charging dock which I will charge up before we leave just in case I can’t find somewhere to charge my phone

4) iPad just in case I can’t find a tv show or movie to watch (which does seem unlikely from the list on the Singapore Airline website!)

5) Headphones, including a set which will work with my iPhone and the iPad. I think the airline will give us headphones to use on the plane

6) Neck pillow, I have one of the U shaped ones and find it a god send when I am trying to sleep on the plane. It saves your neck and you don’t keep waking yourself up as your head drops

7) Books downloaded on my iPhone so I have something to read, again in case I can’t find a tv show or movie to watch

8) Some sweets or gum to have during take off and landing to help the ear pressure

9) Some protein bars / snacks as I eat every 3 hours or so now and I don’t want to get sucked in to eating the plane snacks

10) An empty water bottle to fill up when we get through immigration at both airports and to keep myself hydrated

11) Comfy clothes, including some fluffy socks, a jumper, long sleeved top, trousers and a scarf so I can get warm or take off layers if I get a bit over heated

12) Some mini bottles of deodorant, moisturiser, some face wipes and some hand santiser to freshen up mid flight

13) UK sim card so I can swap my sim card over ready to use in the UK when we land

14) Booking details for the place where our car will be stored whilst we are away. The company will look after the car and also drop us off and pick us up from the Terminal

15) My purse but I will remove the Aussie cards which I won’t need in the UK and also find my UK change which I had left over from the last trip so I have some when we land

16) Tea bags because I can just ask for some hot water and enjoy a cup of peppermint tea instead of their usual tea and coffee which doesn’t taste that amazing

Staying On Track Over Christmas – Blogmas Day 18

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During this Blogmas I have talked about the Christmas food I love but which also is not always the healthiest option, even though it tastes amazing.

Food is and always has been a big part of Christmas and I have loved it. We are inundated with photos of the latest offerings from the various supermarkets for the festive season and so it could be easy to slip and slide into a food coma.

I do plan on enjoying Christmas and the food offerings BUT it is not going to define my Christmas because the time with my family and catching up with friends is what my Christmas is about. I intend to stay on track with my diet and exercise so I do not undo all of the hard work I have done and also so I can slip back into my normal routine after Christmas without a lot of work being required to be on track.

First on my list is that I fully intend to keep exercising and working out. I have found a gym to go to in the village where my parents live or to the gym at the school I used to go to which I just a bit further down the road. Subject to opening hours and the public holidays I intend to go Monday to Friday and do my weights work out and cardio or Park Run on Saturdays. If I cannot get to the gym for any reason the Aussie and I should be able to get and walk with the dogs.

On Boxing Day we also plan to climb Glastonbury Tor which has an elevation of 518 feet and a few steps to climb! When the Aussie visited the UK for Christmas last he walked up the Tor but I declined because I was not fit enough to do it (I had also had surgery on my calf muscle in the October beforehand which was still healing). As things have changed dramatically for me health and fitness wise this is high on my agenda for things to do! You can also read a post about Glastonbury Tor and the surrounding areas here.

We also have a walk planned with my friend and her husband which will be great as we are all keen on being active and fit and now I might be able to keep up!

Food wise, my Mum has asked me for a list of foods which I can use to meal prep and be on plan which is fantastic and makes things easier.

I do intend to relax the food plan for Christmas Day and possibly Boxing Day and then New Years Eve so I can enjoy the foodie aspect of Christmas within a defined period. I don’t plan on drinking much if any alcohol because I am not really a drinker anyway but also I would rather eat the calories!

So with all this in mind it should be a lovely and healthy Christmas so that I can hit the ground running on my fitness goals in the New Year.

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