April – June
We started April with a Skype chat after I’d cut my hair short and Dan let his beard go a bit wild. Less than two weeks later, the day before my birthday, he arrived and we dove straight into furniture stores and IKEA to get things for my bedroom (I’d accidentally broken my bedroom light not long before that and it needed replacing). We decided to try a bunch of other stores first, instead of going straight to IKEA, but after lots of walking in and out of stores we ended up at the Swedish giant and were in and out within a half hour. Of course. It’s funny how quickly you can fall into very homey habits, even when you don’t live together.
On my birthday we spent the whole day being couch potatoes and watching crappy TV before going out to dinner in town. We took the dogs out for some long walks and there was no rush to do anything. He brought me a ridiculous amount of charms for my bracelet (some from him and some from his mom and brother) and I felt very spoiled and loved. It was perfect.
As usual it was all over again far too soon. The next day I had to go to work and we only had a couple of hours together when I got home before he had to go to the airport again. He got put on standby because the flight was overbooked which was infuriating and unnecessary because there were plenty of seats available once he was finally allowed to board. I do not understand how airlines are allowed to do this. In the end he got home but the extra stress and worry did not help.
Thankfully, less than a month later I flew out to Liverpool with a friend’s son for a charity build for HPBC (Housing People, Building Communities). Dan drove up and joined us later on in the day and we checked into the hotel and then had a wander about looking for a place to have lunch. After that we had a look around the shops and a walk along the water at Albert Dock.
It wasn’t my first visit to Liverpool, I’ve been quite a few times and my reason for going there is usually to volunteer for HPBC. This would be my fourth time volunteering and, because their latest project is due to take at least a year and a half, I don’t think it was my last. I love it there, both in Liverpool and with HPBC.
Our second day there was our first day on the build site and we got a tour of the church that is going to be turned into homes and then spent the rest of the day tidying up the visitor’s parking lot. Since the church conversion hadn’t started yet all of our tasks were focused on helping the existing home owners and improving the area. I love weeding. It’s so cathartic and the parking lot looked so much better after we’d tackled it.
On our third day there and the second day of volunteering we were joined by my friend Yvie, who’s been on all of the previous builds with me and has even done an extra one with her husband. On our very first build the two of us got stuck doing the insulation in very hot and sweaty suits. I think that shared itchiness has bonded us to this project forever.
Day two on site saw us doing a variety of things. Yvie and I dug up some plants and a tree that needed salvaging from what would become the plot of a new home, a garden bench needed finishing and a gate needed mending. After the tree relocation I was assigned the task of making a sign for the entrance of the housing project. I love getting stuck in with paints and a ruler. There was glorious sunshine all day and I got a bit sunburnt. It didn’t really feel like work because Reverend Shannon and Liza are so lovely, as are all the home owners and we balanced the work with good conversation and food. Before we knew it the day had flown by and we were heading back to the hotel, a bit tired but generally very pleased with ourselves.
Sadly, Yvie had to catch a fairly early train home so she couldn’t join us all for dinner at Baltic Market. There was live music, street food and a Peaky Blinders themed bar all in a converted brewery. The little place that we found to sit and eat had flamenco dancers and live music as well. Was a really lovely place with a very fun atmosphere.
On our last day in Liverpool we went to the maritime museum and had lunch at Wagamama. Then we took my friend’s son, Simon, to the airport as he was flying back to Amsterdam. From there Dan and I had a three hour journey to his house where I would spend the rest of my stay in the UK.
That Monday was a bank holiday and we spent it going from one garden center to the next looking for stone slabs for the garden. Then Dan started fixing the fence in the garden and we watched some snooker before heading upstairs to watch more Lost. Slowly but surely we will get through all 6 seasons. I am determined. The next day Dan was at work and I went for a walk along the beach and did some crochet. That evening we ordered in and tried not to think too much about the fact I was going home the next day and it would be a nearly eight week wait until we saw each other again.
Luckily May and June are pretty busy months in a school year so I had plenty of things to distract me during my wait for the next visit. We had final exams, test weeks for the third years, meetings, planning for the end of year school trip, a trip to Newcastle (this year without a meetup with Dan, sadly) and the exam results. Personally, I had also started the procedure to apply for Dutch citizenship which was exciting but time consuming.
When I finally got off the plane at the end of June, after a long day of teaching and delays on my flight, I was exhausted. The next day we had a big family BBQ and I met most of the rest of Dan’s aunts and uncles and some cousins. It was another lovely, sunny day and I got a bit sunburnt (again).
Now, because the rest of my visit takes place in July, I’m afraid you’re all going to have to wait until September for Part Three to hear how that went. 😉
Here’s a little teaser, though: Eight weeks apart, with a heavy work load and lots of stress and not enough meaningful contact can be very, very hard on a long distance relationship. We had to find this out by going through it.
We’ve been together for nearly a year and a half now and while some things are becoming their own relationship shorthand (for better or worse) the time and distance are taking their toll. We are going to have to take special care not to take anything for granted and to make an effort to really communicate with each other.
We have some lovely plans for August so I am very optimistic about the future.
xJI
crafting witch 