2015, the year I fell in love......

... with: 

1. Sushi

I have always loved sushi but Mr. San Francisco had finally got me to understand the alchemy that is using chopsticks. It's not pretty but as long as I can get those raw fish, ricey nuggets into my gut, it's all good!

2. Girls

Sometimes when you're on the road or have decided to set up shop in some far flung corner of the globe, don't you wish you had your girl crew with you? Well now you can! www.girlgoneinternational.com (GGI) is groups of fierce, beautiful, intrepid explorer women who have found themselves wherever you happen to be. Search the GGI web page, Facebook or Meetup for where you are and you will find us having brunch, trekking, barbecuing, beach volley balling, clothes swapping, wine tasting - the list goes on! You sign up and you're free to go along to any of the activities you fancy (or you can organise your own, mine was craft beer tasting). There you will meet like minded
women from around the world and make new friends. I love it!



3. The Beard

Happy Birthday to Me!!!!!

Post birthday 2015 (which was spent at a GGI brunch, by the way!), I had given up on finding any romantic sparkle dust via the internet and decided to let nature take its course. I was happy as I was and didn't see the point in trying to force things.

Then, I met a bearded, seafaring, Scotsman. Our first encounter, which neither of us recall in its entirety as we were both mullered to say the least, he found reason to ask me about myself, "who the f*ck do you think you are?!". No sparkle dust that night.

My sister and shopping, serious ting!

The next time our paths crossed was late March. My sister had come to visit and after a day spent cava brunching and shopping, we needed cocktails. Firmly ensconced on the terrace of Weyler, one of my favourite cocktail bars here in Palma, we were joined by my Ms. Pepper (I met her through GGI and that is her real name!). She in turn, was joined by more mates, including the Beard. We chatted, my sister scowled at him, with hindsight this was a sign. Again, no sparkle dust, he's just an amusing Scottish dude with a beard, right?


Amusing is an understatement, an avalanche of sparkle dust landed on us when we bumped into each other at (the bar of) Es Baluard, our local modern art museum.

Flamenco party at Es Baluard.

I had been drinking with some GGIs and they were peeling off. I wanted to continue drinking and as we were leaving I spied the Beard. "Is Ms. Pepper here?" I asked, "She's on her way" he replied. She never did turn up, however I got to know the Beard a whole lot better and howled with laughter at his jokes and tales.

We proceeded to spend the summer together, sailing, drinking and joking, the winter skiing (at least I attempted to), laughing and drinking, and now in 2016 nearly a year after the avalanche we're planning a 6 month jaunt around South East Asia.

We live together and he still makes me laugh.