It's that time of year....

This is how is how I SHOULD feel on my big day....

However,

the picture below does a better job of illustrating

how I REALLY feel today.

Hah.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes...I love having 

TWO DAYS

to celebrate my birthday!

Tee-hee.

Oh stop, don't be jealous Rhiannon!

Life Changed, In the Blink of an Eye

This was me a few days before the Search Job fair in London...

To sum up?

I felt overwhelmed,

scared,

worried,

anxious,

stressed,

excited,

panicked,

tired,

doubtful and of course

scared sh*tless.

But what the heck can you do?

(other than run for hours when you haven't run in months)

You can't control anything but yourself, right?

Right.

(Yeah, right. 

Try and tell someone like ME not to worry and 

well, that is virtually impossible since I eat

that for breakfast every morning and wash it down with a 

double- size Superman mug of coffee - hah!)

But it all worked out.

The United Nations International School of Hanoi

(UNIS they call it for short)

decided to take a chance with me and well, 

heck YA!

I will be moving to Vietnam at the end of July and 

calling it "home" for the next two years.

 I like the green...

...and all the buildings.

Hanoi as a city?

But for now, WAKE UP LAUREN!

(Ouch - just pinched myself)

And take a moment to realize, you as a person needed

A LOT OF HELP FROM PEOPLE AROUND

YOU TO GET WHERE YOU ARE...

So?

So, I need to

 THANK YOU!!!

You know who you are. 

Could not and would not be the person going to Hanoi 

had it not been for you.

p.s.

Yes, I am over the moon.

xox

Lozza

The Update on Life

This is how I currently feel...

Not sure what that means but its how I feel.

Big news.

Big changes.

OMG.

But first, let's have a drink.

News to follow.

Hyde Park Time Red Carpet Style

What the heck is happening here?

Are those men on horse chanting my name and practicing my favourite song?

(Tiny Dancer, Elton John)

Ohhh my word, they ARE!!!!!

I hate when they DO THIS!!!!

Uggggh, I told them RED is so not the "in"colour this time of year!

And I said WHITE horsies, NOT BLACK!

At least the man in uniform was okay looking...

Thumbs up from this hot chick.

Pony lessons in the park!?!

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!

Why can't I just stay here forever?

Happiness.

It is just a TAD to cold for me.

Nothing I couldn't get use to though...sigh*

Littlefield Manor - Where All Lauren's Dreams Will Come True

 This post starts with a horse....clearly.

(Dreams that come true always start with horses)

This is Sam.

He is what they call a stallion.

Good boy.

Quite a delightful, friendly, apple-loving stallion...how do I know this you ask?

I got's meeee some video evidence to prove it... 

...although Sam ate his two apples and MINE, I still love him.

Cough - jerk - cough.

Just some pics of the surroundings....

A little bit of heaven...in freezing cold English country air.

JL I took this photo for you...BOOM!

Was an absolutely beautiful day...I am a lucky woman, I know!

Too much sunshine to dance in...

...one of the quaintest houses I have ever stayed in! 

Sunglasses was NOT something I packed.

Clearly.

I thought London was suppose to be grey, dark and cloudy all winter long?

Best sunshine smile ever!

Alright, time to go back inside for a bit...I swear I have been living

more outside than inside these past few days!

Ahhhhh - country life.

(smiling hard)

Being Outdoors Makes Me SOOO Happy...

First run in English countryside since April 2014... 

I. Am. So. Excited.

Lions, tiger, bears....?

Nope, just ponies people!

PONIES !!!

(and maybe a few horses)

I'm in heaven...

If the road to life looked this good, I would be 

one happy lady

(probably a professional runner too!)

You can just feel the excitement, right?

Life is good.

I am grateful.

Now let's go for another run...?

Please?

Ohhh the people you will meet...

Sometimes the generosity of people astounds me.

During the break, I spent Christmas in la Dhaka and therefore, didn't

get to experience the whole "with family for Christmas time"...

...really, it wasn't soooo bad.

Regardless, 

this week when I went back to school,

a student delivered a package to me.

It was a present from two teachers who used to be here, 

now away in Luxembourg.

THEY THOUGHT OF ME AND PASSED ALONG A GIFT!

Here is the proof!

Its moments like this where I feel so lucky.

I was so shocked and overwhelmed that it took everything in me not to,

BAWL in front of this poor student.

(He was just the messenger for goodness sakes)

I could have had received a letter, a card, or even a sticker and I would have been happy.

The thought was all that mattered.

How on earth did two people

remember to think of me during their holiday in NEW YORK

(of all places)

was beyond me...

BEN and HELEN you are too dang thoughtful

and

my heart cannot take it.

Thank you.

So much.

Luv

Lozza 

Life Is Good...I Hope

Leaving for my first big job fair....

...it all feels like a blurrrrr.

Just gotta keep my eyes and ears open.

OPEN LAUREN! Eyes, open! Jeeeeez.

Nervous? 

YES!

Why? 

Not sure.

1) Do I love being a teacher? 

Yup-Yup-YUP!

2) Do I have room for improvements?

OHHHH yeah!

3) Am I excited about those improvements? Excited about learning more and getting better?

HOLY COW YESSS!

So why are you so worried Lauren?

I don't know - I just am.

It feels like I am standing above this dazzling sky of stars.

I can't close my eyes because its so beautiful.

But I also want to look away.

I am anxious because I know at any moment a star

will start falling, coming towards me with the new plan...

Not like a gun shot or shooting start that will blow my brains out.

A wonderful shooting star that will appear suddenly but magically bring 

my new future, right to my feet. 

Boom.

That star is the new adventure, the new land, and new life

that I will be leading for the next few years.

(Gulp)

Change is a little scary sometimes... even if its a dazzling shooting star.

Will keep you posted.

(smiling)*