Back to England, Back to Reality

So it has been a long time since I've posted anything! A lot has happened in the last 5 months. In my last post I told you about how I was learning how to knit and I kept up with it and also learnt how to crochet. My favourite thing I knitted was my hat in the photo below. I love the colour and I was pretty impressed with how it turned out as I made it up as I went along. Now that it's spring I am going to crochet some baskets and cushion covers rather than scarves and hats.

In one of my posts last year, I mentioned passing my theory test and wanting to do an intensive course. Well I did this, aaaaaaand I PASSED!! It took me so many attempts but I finally got there and it was the best feeling ever! 

This was taken straight after I heard the news as you can tell by the cheesy grin on my face! I had an excellent instructor who was so friendly and funny and just made me a lot more confident in my driving. Last week I actually bought my first car, a Renault Clio, So that's very exciting and I can't wait to go on lots of adventures!

But passing my driving test wasn't even the biggest thing that happened to me. In January I left for Sydney, Australia with my good friend from university. We made our way up the east coast to Cairns and saw some incredible places. We then flew to Alice Springs and went into the outback to see the Uluru which was my favourite part of Australia. 

We were lucky enough to see the Uluru during the day, at sunset and at sunrise. It was so beautiful and it really did change quite a lot in colour!

We then flew down to Melbourne and flew to Auckland, New Zealand from there. New Zealand was just amazing, everywhere you looked there were the most beautiful sceneries! I did some really exciting things like white water rafting, swimming with dolphins, walking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, climbing a glacier, visiting a maori village and visiting Hobbiton!  

 

Hobbiton

   

Tongariro Alpine Crossing (the best walk I have ever been on!)

I then flew to Bangkok, Thailand and we spent a few crazy days there buying lots of stuff from the markets! We then went up to Chiang Mai to volunteer at the Elephant Nature Park which is a great animal shelter for rescued and injured elephants that have been made to work for humans. It was a very special experience to be able to work so closely to such wonderful giants and it really made us think about how animals are treated. 

After an amazing but tiring week at the shelter, we then went down to the islands and had a relaxing last week sunbathing by the pool. I got back to England at the beginning of May. The whole experience was brilliant and feel like I have grown as a person and I am now ready for the real world! I am currently applying for jobs and will hopefully get something soon so I can start saving up money to move out. 

If you're thinking about going travelling then just do it!! You will not regret it and there is just so much you can see and do! 

I have put my macro photos back up for sale so check them out at www.etsy.com/uk/shop/KatherinePowellPhoto

I am also now on twitter so follow me @kpowellphotos