Lovely night with Liz

So, we went to Liz's house last night and had a lovely night listening to her stories of travelling and getting lots of great tips (and presents, but more about that in a minute).

I love Liz - she's such a free spirit who loves travelling, and the more we plan this trip, the more I understand where she's coming from and how difficult it must have been for her to adjust each time she came back to Amsterdam after a trip. Wish I'd known at the time, because I don't feel like we supported her enough at the time.

Although she's travelled for years, and has tons of experience, she doesn't go in for fancy clothing or super stingy packing - she just packs a load of cheap clothes which she says are always fine, and she replaces on the way if she needs to. This is a big relief for me, because I *hate* all the clothes I've seen so far in the outdoor shops, and I was worried that the stuff I've bought (a little pair of khaki shorts, a little khaki skirt and a nice dress from Zara) isn't robust enough. So, I'm going to concentrate on buying good trousers and shoes, then just get some vests, a couple of t-shirts, and a pair of thin trousers and a long sleeved top for the evenings to keep off the mozzies.

Liz also bought me some great travelling gifts for my birthday - a first aid kit, a journal, and an inflatable pillow. I've already had a good rummage in the first aid kit, and put some more stuff in it: I really like it...!

Debs