Leaving on a jet plane....

Hey all....So here it is...the blog we've been saying we'd start

We wanted to write this blog as a memory for us both of our travels but also to keep everyone updated with our adventures along the way. I know it's been requested by many of you so we hope it makes you feel like you're having fun right here with us! We'll also include some photos (probably loads if Carol has anything to do with it). We'll also put some up on Facebook.

As many of you know we started thinking seriously about this trip last summer. After a few tough times we've had our views on life changed and that's when we decided to apply for our working holiday visas for both New Zealand and Australia (before we got too old - we only just made it!)

After getting engaged last August and thinking more about our long term future together one thing has led to another and we finally went ahead and booked our flights as New Year gifts to each other. 

Since making that decision our lives have been turned upside down, a little crazy even with all the planning as well as booking a wedding. Carol's been amazing completing the huge task of her Physio registration, then combine this with moving out of our home earlier than expected and moving in with Ants Mum and Dad, packing up all our belongings into storage, and leaving our jobs and all whilst trying to plan the trip of a lifetime....Crazy times! 

We've quite probably changed everything we possibly could in our lives right now! Exciting but scary times. It's been a bit of a whirlwind these last few months and we really don't know where time has gone....and it's mad to think that we're now sat on a plane leaving everything and everyone we know and love behind us.....

While we write this we're currently sitting on our first flight to Dubai from London Gatwick with a glass of champagne, red wine, fruit juice and just finished our in-flight meal with a cup of tea! :) Carol's listening to a bit of Rudimentals 'waiting all night' at the moment (found it on some music playlists on the inflight entertainment) and Antoni is watching....you've guessed it...Football! (I'm sure Ants a secret plane enthusiast as he's firing stats across at me about this A380-800 plane we're travelling on!)

We had an amazing leaving and engagement party a couple of weekends ago at Blackdog ballroom NWS. Thank you to everyone who could make it - it was a great party. Those of you who were there to help us celebrate and those who have seen the pictures will be able to tell how much fun was had! It was so nice to know everyone made such an effort to be there for us both to help us celebrate in style. It made us both realise how lucky we are to have such a great group of friends. It has been so hard saying goodbye to the people we love but we know we've got so much to look forward to and some very exciting times ahead. If you couldn't / didn't make it I'm sure from the pictures you've seen you know you missed out and we still love you all too.

We've also had some great family times with firstly and more recently Carol's mum spending a week in Manchester and then this weekend was spent with Antoni's family at Antoni's younger brother Marek's Wedding to the lovely Taryn. It was such a lovely weekend and wedding in the Cotswolds and great to see all the family but again unfortunately at the end there were more sad goodbyes ..........and tears.

We've got some really exciting things ahead of us in Dubai to start with....with a trip up the Burj with dinner in the Atmosphere restaurant on the 122nd floor of the tallest building in the world! Also one of us is doing a skydive this Thursday over the palm in Dubai (it's not Antoni) -crazy! We're also planning a trip to the water park at the Atlantis which is supposed to be amazing. 

We're going to try and get some sleep now before arriving in dubai-  only 2 hours left on the flight before arriving at 7am Dubai time (4am at home in the UK).

So we'll say goodbye for now and will write again after our few exciting days in Dubai....next stop after that is to Singapore to stay with friends Rach and Mo and also see our friend Pyn! 

Until then...