I did something I’d been putting off for 20 years at the weekend. I changed a tyre!!

Going such a long way, so far from civilisation means having to be able to change a tyre. This isn’t something I normally do. I usually take pride on the fact I can do any garage job, but tyres I always contact out.

Flat tyre? New tyre? Just ride to the nearest tyre shop and have a man do it. Easy. It’s just not with £10 to do it yourself. Never has been.

So with some trepidation I set to with the tyre levers, talc, soapy water and a beer. The new tyre is still on and the air is still in, so I’m calling it a success!!!

OK, so I used a car jack and all of my tools. Not quite and emergency repair, but I know I can do it which is a huge step forward. Do I get the rosy glow of self pride I usually get from my garage exploits?

Nope. It’s still a shit job, it was always a shit job and it’ll always be a shit job. I’ll do it only when absolutely necessary.

So on Wednesday I went to my first Russian Language lesson. Quite intimidating as it’s like nothing I’ve done before, very strange as there’s no frame of reference. About 20 people on the course so it’s a big group, but I suspect some won’t last the distance. I don’t think I’m a natural, but I’ll give it a shot and see what happens. I overheard a fellow student talking to her friend on the phone as we left….

“It’s like leaning a whole ‘nother language”

Well, er, yes!

Those who remember the Cockburns Port adverts will get that.

Anyway, I’m living without a Passport at the moment while mine gets renewed. It’ll take around 4-6 weeks if all goes to plan, when I’ll have a brand new passport valid for 10 years. For some visas and entry to some countries, they like you to have more than 6 months left on your passport before it expires. For the big trip I’ll have… exactly 6 months left, so I thought it was worth renewing.

For some strange reason, the original goes to the British Consul in Sydney. It’s then shipped to the UK for renewal before being returned via New Zealand. (I asked why, but didn’t get an answer!). The original is returned first, the new valid passport then arrives a few weeks later. Let’s hope that goes to plan, as I need to get it stamped almost immediately when it arrives so I can prove I’ve been a resident of Australia for 6 months. (Part of the Russian Visa requirements).

When you think about it, it’s not that far away from a planning perspective. Some things need to happen now…..

So I can “come from Moscock!”