Four sleeps to go.

Holy sh*t! Excuse my French.

Casting my mind back to New Years I remember Sam and I ditching the comfort of our respective sofas for a bottle of fizz and a bit of a dance at the local bar. After a couple of drinks (and tough years) we made a pact. 2015 was going to be the year. We’ve all heard that before but surely there was little choice given both of us were embarking on this adventure. And what a year it has been. We also said we’d pool our friendships (to make ourselves look more popular) and have a leaving bash. That was Friday.

Precious friends from school, university, work, sailing and London all joined the fun to wish us on our way. Thank you it was a great night. The perfect way to top a special day with Danielle and her bump.

Four months isn’t a long time until you realise that you’ll miss significant moments. For me it will be the birth of my best friend’s first child. And any proposals anyone cares to make!

Back to Friday night. I think the below photo sums it up. My mum doing a tequila shot. Thanks Conrad! No mum, you’re not meant to sip it. As a former air stewardess I’m sure she could teach us all a few things about how to have a good party so don’t be fooled by the apparent innocence! “Darling, what do I do with this lemon?”. She was probably just checking to see if it was a tequila suicide (squeeze it in your eye).

Mum has been a huge help and I can now say I’M PACKED! That’s not to say that I’ll take bits out, I’m sure I will. But the bags and their contents have all be labelled.

Three waterproof bags each containing: one pair of wooly pants, a sports bra, thermal trousers, thermal top, a t-shirt and socks (two thick merino, one thin merino and a couple of pairs of trainer socks). For many that is excessive but I’ll make enemies if I don’t!!

the ‘warm bag’: fleece, spare extra thick merino top, 2 pairs of merino socks, spare pair wooly pants, 1 pair shorts, 1 pair trousers.

The ‘bits’ bag: 2 pairs polarised sunnies, merino beanie, beanie, head torch, knife (it’s a bad day if I have to use it), helming gloves, sailing gloves, fleece buff, hair band, balaclava and clear lens glasses (waves+night=salty eye balls!)

The essentials: dry suit, foulies, ocean boots, mid-layers (walking duvet), uniform, deck shoes, travel towel and waterproof sleeping bag

civi clothes for a week in port: sun dress, flip flops, bra, 2 pairs of knickers (and travel wash)

wash bag: basically all the real essentials with a special mention for mouth wash and stugeron, both a must for sea sickness, and sudocrem, the cure-all.

Luxury items: a letter my brother wrote me last year, my kindle, headphones and my iPhone in a bomb proof case (camera/journal/music) and the globe trotting Percy pigs Ben Nicklin gave me. Sorry mark, I ate the dairy milk!

And that’s it. Sounds a lot when you read it or see the dead-body-sized bag in the car but it’ll quickly smell delicious.

Get well soon Mel X