It’s nearly 3 and a half years since we returned from our last overseas trip. We have (perhaps under false pretences) re-activated the travel blog twice since then (Tasmania 2021, Central Australia 2022) but we are pretty excited to say we’re heading to Phuket next Monday for a little winter getaway.

Let’s start with a family update. As with everyone, our lives are a busy mix of work, school, parenting, paying bills and trying to live full and healthy lives (insert chocolate, chippies and wine to balance out our intentions). Read on for our good and not so good updates.

The Good

After being separated for 18 months, Rod and I are back together. We’ve worked particularly hard over the past 6 months with the help of a couple’s counsellor to iron out our points of difference and boy, that wasn’t easy! Plenty of tears, lots of talking and just plain old perseverance has really made a difference. We are like the old Rod and Belinda circa 2018; with a bit more wisdom, patience and understanding. Rod is still teaching (the hard) Maths at Cathedral and I am the Grad Nurse Coordinator at the Hospital.

Hamish is in Year 7 – he turns 13 this October. He continues to grow and grow – he is hungry all the time and is 166cm tall! He is funny, fun and has recently expanded his geographical knowledge through online quizzes. I now get statements like: “Mum, that looks nothing like Egypt…” or “Which colours are least used on flags?” – I feel we have created this inquisitive monster and we love it.  

Jess is 26 and is a Secondary Teacher at Ringwood SC in Melbourne. She is completely living her best life in Melbourne, but isn’t travelling with us to Thailand. We did offer, but the dates didn’t match up

The Bad (and the Ugly)

There’s no easy way to say this, but Rod has cancer. The technicalities: Stage 4, Grade 2, Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumour. He’s had a very long history of abdo pain, nausea and vomiting which we think started when we were in Oxford in the UK so many years ago! He’s had various episodes which have put him in hospital or just put him out of action for a day or so. The last couple of years these ‘episodes’ have increased in frequency and he started losing weight, which on a man with a slight build was quite noticeable. It’s not an uncommon form of cancer, but unfortunately is rarely caught before Stage 4.

Rod received the diagnosis in December, when we were in Noosa, just before Christmas. We had a bit of an idea bad news was to be delivered, but to hear it for real gave us a bit of a jolt. His treatment (one subcut injection each month – lanreotide) started early in the New Year and this has made a huge difference in his overall health. He hasn’t had an ‘episode’ since, he’s put back on all the weight he lost and is feeling very well.

Whilst this news will be new to most of you (and a shock), please rest assured he is well. It is a slow growing form of cancer and we are just getting on with our lives as best we can. Hamish and Jess have been great and they get all the updates as we get them.

Now, for Thailand.

We found an all-inclusive offer for 10 days in Phuket; we hummed and harred about it for a week or so as it seemed too good to be true – fingers crossed it’s not. This is not our usual type of travel. I am usually the one who books flights and accommodation – it’s never done through a third party, so I’m a bit nervous. However, I have looked at our booking with Singapore Airlines and it’s definitely confirmed…so at least we will arrive in Phuket!

Our package includes return airfares, breakfast and dinner daily, a daily cocktail, a massage, a boat trip to islands, airport transfers and a family room in a Novotel branded hotel with a very large swimming pool in Kata Beach. This trip cost less than our week in Noosaville in December. With a week to go, we are not close to being ready! There’s a couple of bags on our bedroom floor that are empty except for Hamish’s swimmers, a box of rapid tests, sunscreen and a pretty decent first aid kit.

Will update later in the week as we start to get organised.