In an effort to distract myself from waiting for an operation date, I am writing my first blog for quite a while!  I have just enjoyed a weekend visit from some old friends from Bournemouth which got me thinking about the roads not taken.

I left Bournemouth fourteen years ago having been there with my boyfriend-now-husband for six years.  It was a lovely place to live and I still miss it.  But my friends were all having babies and I was not, despite our best efforts.  So, I decided a proper job was what was needed and moved to the bright lights of London.  So far so good.  A demanding but fulfilling career followed but left me little time for making new friends.  A significant advantage, however, was being closer to my parents and brother, which proved heartbreakingly important when my dad died of leukaemia.  

I decided to buy a horse – an imported purebred Spanish stallion no less – instead of waiting for that elusive baby.  Six weeks after his arrival I finally fell pregnant.  Suddenly, all my priorities were upended.  I stopped teaching, moved out of London and stayed in close proximity to my mum.  

Seeing my friends again after a long hiatus, due in part to the pandemic and my cancer treatment, has brought everything into sharp focus.  I worried that I would feel jealousy and uncertainty about my decisions.  Instead, I came to some realisations: I have an amazing family; I live in a wonderful town; I have purpose; I still enjoy pretty much the same things: coffee, cake, horses and books.  I’m busy planning nights out with new friends.  But I am also beyond delighted to have rekindled my relationship with the fantastic ladies of Bournemouth and am longing for the next time we meet.  It seems I have finally made peace with my choices.  So far so good! 

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