10 Year Anniversary

Today I celebrate my 10 year anniversary in the UK. It is a normal day like all the other days I've spent in the UK. Most days the first words I speak in the morning is: "Can you please move down the carriage?" Is that the start of a bad day or is that just a normal day?
Sad to say this but if you do things long enough it becomes normal, today is just another normal day in London.

I was saying to my friends this week, I see living in London as a relationship. Like any relationship London has been good and it has been bad at stages.

1.  Friends vs Friends leaving
2.  Summer vs Winter
3.  Independence vs Family far away
4.  Public Transport vs Sharing small spaces with strangers

In 2012 I sent out an e-mail to my friends, listing highlights of the past 8 years, today I have updated a few more to highlight 10 years of living in London.

2012	2014
The last 8 Years in Bullet points	Added highlights for the last 2 year
Became a Christian
Stayed in 5 different houses	Stayed in 8 different houses
Lived with 38 (+-) people
Shared a room with 7 different roommates
Worked at 5 different jobs
Gained about 18kg and managed to lose only 12kg.... :)	Gained about 18kg and managed to lose only 12kg and gain another 2kg since :(
Made many great friends
Paid off my study loan
Applied for Indefinite Leave to Remain	Dual Citizen to South Africa & Great Britain
Been to 9 different countries not including Wales	Been to 10 different countries excluding Wales
Been in Wales 7 times	Been to Wales 10 times and the annual 11th trip is being planned right now.
What have I not been doing...	What I've started doing
Not looked for my dream events mgt job	Started Tango Cycling
Saved a nestegg	Started saving for this!
Still not eating baked beans (Anel de Jager has still not given up trying)
Lost my accent
Things I've done that I never thought I would!
Learnt to manage a budget/my own budget	Did my first stage race, 3 day Black Mountains in Wales Got attacked by a cat - true story I can swim now, thanks to Stephné van Niekerk
Dived in the Red Sea (those that knows me, I don't like swimming & cringe for sand)	I've done a Triathlon
Started running	Started road riding and even bought a road bike
Ski	Pay with a wireless bank card - Wow!
Started mountain biking (now my only true love)	Volunteered at the Absa Cape Epic - it was a blast!
Went coaststeering (again I can't hold my breath under water)
Speak to Transvalers let alone speak to Souties or Zimbo's
Run a 1/2 marathon
Eat Chinese & Indian food
3 Things that would be hard to change
My love for people
My tendency to suffer under peer pressure :-)
My love for chocolate milk

My mom asked me this morning, "Do you regret your decision to come over?" Without hesitation my answer was, "No."

The thing I've been saying the most this year is, "Life is about choices, every choice has an outcome, good or bad and you have to carry the consequence." I chose to live in London, I carry the consequences gladly and are looking forward to the future!

My first ride ever - what an amateur?

First Road ride EVER!



First Triathlon ever!



The beginning of something I love!