The difference between being grateful and being smug.

Travelling Makes Me Laugh was set up originally for two purposes. One to let our ever increasing family keep up to date with where we are, and to know we are safe on holidays. And two, for me to have some kind of electronic version of our travels in case ever the situation occurs that I need reminding..

It was never set up with the intention of flaunting my ability to travel, to 'rub it in' to those amongst us that cannot afford yet to travel much, and it saddens me to think that there have been murmurings of this here. 

For many reasons, I feel grateful for the life I have now. My kids are healthy and happy, my partner loves me to death, my life is my own, full of choices and opportunity. But on the other hand I feel I've worked bloody hard to get here. We are successful because of the choices I have had to make in the past. 

Yes, there are people who I have become recent friends with, who will never know the struggle, the hardship and disappointments that we, as a family have gone through. They will never understand the heartache and pain at seeing a child unconscious in ICU, and the rawness of wondering whether he will ever survive. In saying that, I don't feel like I should be made feel I should explain my hard times to justify my good times now.

I am sorry for those who feel that my blog is smug, but not for the reasons you think. I feel sorry for them as they have not yet had the opportunity for hardship to teach them the lessons of life. They have not yet had a teacher appear in their great time of need to light their way. They have not yet come to the realisation that the money they spend on alcohol, cigarettes and pokies is much much more than I would spend on two OS trips a year.  I feel sorry for them for they are yet to get that women are supposed to build each other up, not tear each other down. Support not criticise. Help not hinder.

But ultimately, this is my personal blog. I write to relax, I write because it's my job, But I write because I love it. I write to amuse myself and for my kids to know this stuff.  I am the keeper of my grandmothers diary of her travels to the UK, and one day I hope my grand kids will read this and become a dreamer as well, just as I did. 

I don't write with the intention of making you feel inadequate, and I don't write to make you jealous or angry. I write to make me happy, your reactions to that are your own business. 

Most importantly, I write to tell the world how grateful I am to have landed in this fabulous life, one where I can work my own hours, take responsibility for my own actions, set my own goals and live according to my rules.

So, to be brutally frank, nothing is keeping you here. If you are amongst the people happy to criticise me, my life and my family... Just head on back to the pub, and read the next chapter of my blog whilst waiting for change for the pokies.. Me, on the other hand, will be in Byron Bay, travelling, laughing and giving thanks for the opportunities I've been given.