Originally Posted by WhoFan63

You will really need to make a trip up here. It truly is God's Own Country ! I cross the border literally every day to get to work and I can feel a difference immediately. I get to that certain point in my journey and I can feel my body relax as it sighs 'we're home'

Originally Posted by morayeel

Just in from work and thought I would look on BE and catch up.. So very glad I did and so happy you are well and thriving.. I always searched for you on here and makes me so happy it has all worked out.. I am still in the U.S!! I am off to bed soon as I am in from work late but it warms my heart to know things have turned out well for you..thanks for the fab update.

Originally Posted by windsong

What a wonderful update and I am ever so glad you have a lovely friend in your life. I don't think you are far from me so we ought to meet up.

Originally Posted by Cardienscarf

Lovely to read your update and so glad you are doing so well. I have often thought of you and wondered how life was treating you. Congratulations on all your achievements.

I remember that you, Miss Betty and I all moved back within a few weeks if each other. Time for me to write an update!

Originally Posted by quoll

Good to hear your update and that things are turning out well for you after your rocky start! Isn't it wonderful when your body knows it is "home" (and I hear you on the weight loss too!). Onwards and upwards and all the best for the relationship too!

Originally Posted by WhoFan63

I bet nobody expected to hear from me again huh? LOL Sorry everyone, just been sooooooo busy what with one thing or another (which I'll go into shortly) that I just haven't had the time to sit down and actually write an update. I also apologise to those who sent me PM's last year which I obviously didn't see until now, so forgive me - I wasn't being rude and ignoring you I promise.

Well, where to start?? For those who don't know me or don't recognise the name, I came back to the UK in April of 2013 and I'm still loving it. I moved from Arizona and it's still the best decision I ever made. I'm so much at home here that it doesn't feel like I've lived anywhere else, apart from of course missing the odd food group from the US lol.

I did go through a rough patch to start with, health wise, but I'm pleased to report that everything is so much better now, and I resumed my long distance hikes (averaging about 25 miles every weekend). I've lost 2 stone since February alone so that is a bonus

I'm still living at the B&B unfortunately, or fortunately. Depends on which way you want to look at it. Because of my health I wasn't able to work for over a year, so I wasn't able to save up and get a place of my own at the time. The price was good here and it covered everything that I could possibly need apart from my mobile phone. Apart from one little glitch where they said that i was 12 weeks behind in my rent when I know for a fact I'd paid regularly every single fortnight but I had no proof, because we 'trusted' each other and I'd either hand over the money in person or just leave it on their office desk in an envelope with my name on it and the amount (stupid me). Sufficed to say that was a nightmare to pay back and not to want to kill someone at the same time.

My priority of course was getting my health back to normal, which I did. It was a long road, sort of learning to walk again and getting everything to work the way it was supposed to, but finally I was back to my old self again and raring to get back to work to earn some money. It took a while to get a job that I felt I was going to be capable of doing. Warehouse work was definitely out ! Plus I'd worked in the medical field for so long that I was looking for that kind of job, and it wasn't easy to find something easy enough for me to get to without a car. Public transport is pretty damn good here, but I didn't relish having to travel a couple of hours to get to work in the morning. But still I tried.

Thankfully in March this year I was offered a Medical Receptionist job in Ashton, which although it wasn't in an area I was familiar with, I figured out that I could get there without any hassles. I technically live in West Yorkshire, so cross the border into Lancashire to go to work lol. I just LOVE my job, the girls I work with are terrific and it's very long days and I still have to travel a bit to get there. I leave home at 6.30am and walk back in the door at 7.30pm that night. Two buses which is okay, but if I am running a bit late I miss the bus in Ashton which means I miss the last bus heading home and I have to walk 45 minutes. But you know me - I love my walking so it's no hardship. The only hardship part is if I walk home I get home at 8.30pm instead of 7.30pm, but I still wouldn't move closer to work. There's a certain point in my journey when I see those beautiful Pennine's and I know I'm home. I can feel my entire body relax. Wouldn't change that feeling for the world, so I'm more than happy to make the trek each day

Another bit of news is I have a wonderful man in my life. <3 I love him so very much and can't imagine life without him. I keep my private life, private, so don't and won't post anything about him on Facebook. Let's just say our relationship is a little complicated, but what can you do when you love someone? lol. I just have to see his smiling face and those twinkling eyes and my heart skips a beat and I can't help but smile back.

Another joy of being back is being so close to Europe. The air fares are ridiculously cheap and I've been enjoying heading over on holidays. Just this past month I spent some time in Estonia and next month I'm spending my birthday in Norway Not only do I get to see some beautiful country and meet lovely people, but I get to hear my favourite band play at the same time, so it's a win-win situation

So all in all, disregarding the crappy start I had, I just love being home. Even being so very ill didn't dampen my enthusiasm for being here. Naturally there is good and bad everywhere you go and no country is perfect, but I'm HOME and I can't imagine being anywhere else. I can't wait to go through and read up on everyone's posts and see what has been happening to everyone else who's made that intrepid journey back.

There you go, just a brief (even if it does look like I've written a new War & Peace lol) summary of what's been happening to me lately. Promise to come back more often and visit with friends and catch up with you all. Take care everyone - wishing you all the very best weekend xxx

Originally Posted by sallysimmons

Hi Whofan, and welcome to God's country. I always was a bit worried about you, over there in Lancashire, so it's nice to know you made it to the right side of the Pennines ;-)

What happened to the gay couple you were living with?

Anyway, if that's too nosey a question, never mind. Just nice to hear from you.

Originally Posted by WhoFan63

Thank you to everyone who's sent me such lovely messages in response to my posting Always nice to know I haven't been forgotten lol

Originally Posted by fulwood

Lancashire lass speaking... Pray tell what is wrong with Lancashire Miss Sallysimmons