Autumn For A Moment in All Good Things

It is autumn here in London, and looking gorgeous as the leaves are still on the trees, just starting to turn. I fear that when I return in two and a half weeks' time, they'll be mostly gone. I hope not. Autumn is my favourite season.

Although I was born in the Southern Hemisphere in October, I've always been convinced that I was born in autumn and I love that it finally feels right now that I live in the Northern Hemisphere. It's strange how convinced of that I've always been, despite living the majority of my first 23 years in the south.

Today is my last day at home until the end of October. I've been home for exactly a week. This has been such an insane year my head is still spinning. On Facebook the other day I put up a bunch of photos from my summer - and they were taken in: England, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Scotland, Dubai, Singapore, France, Australia, Korea, Italy and Qatar. Really? THAT is my life now?

And tomorrow I'm returning to Paris for a couple of days (I keep finding myself in Paris on Fridays this year...) and then on Saturday it's on to new pastures in Lagos, Nigeria. The thought terrifies me, so I'm basically not thinking about it. Let it unfold as it comes.

Qatar and Dubai were lovely in September. Annette and I spent every evening by the pool, swimming and relaxing in the warm desert breezes and catching up on the past six months, and despite the fact we were there to work it felt like a wonderful holiday. I really needed that. I hadn't realised how hard it had been all summer away in the Far East with only superficial friendships with colleagues as my social life. I've missed my friends.

And my husband. Sort of. He's struggled badly with me gone, which makes me feel very claustrophobic. I don't want him to. I want him to be fine without me. The way I am without him, dare I say... But it's been nice to spend a few evenings together over the past week since, other than a couple of nights in mid-September, I hadn't seen him since the beginning of July.

I'm planning the next steps of my life. They excite me. At last.

But first I have to go to Paris and Lagos...