I created this blog back in 2014 when I was living with my Grandma, at this time Ma was no longer the independent women she used to be and sadly she started losing her eyesight. This meant she could no longer take her self to the shops, church ect. I was in the transitional period between coming back from the USA & saving to move to the UK, and although I was busy working two jobs, I would always find time to hang out with Ma. My family and I knew that sadly Ma was in her final years. Her health was deteriorating rapidly.  Growing up in Australia, thankfully my family had a lot to do with Ma & I was very close to her, Ma was our baby sitter for most of my up bringing. Although I had always enjoyed Ma’s company it wasn’t until I developed an interest in travelling that I really got inspired by this extraordinary women. Ma used to share her travel stories with me, my favourite topic! Her story of how she ended up in Australia was one of my favourites. Ma told me in the lead up to her passing that one of her biggest regrets in life was not travelling more & that although she had seen a lot of the world, she wished she had seen more. Ma travelled a lot in her 20’s and 30’s. She told me how she lied about her finances to customs in Canada in order to get into the country. She told me the story of how she was lost in Paddington station in London and asked a stranger for directions and ended up becoming life long best friends with her. Ma told me how she had just come to Australia to attend her sisters wedding whom had met an Australian while travelling and fell in love. She then met my grandpa who was an Australian & had 4 children with him. She never returned to her home of Edinburgh, Scotland to live again.

These sort of stories really fascinated me as a traveller. I knew too that anything is possible and you really can end up anywhere if you are open to it. I’m now coming up to 3 years living in Bristol England, I city I had never even heard of before arriving. If it wasn’t for my brave grandma exploring the world, I wouldn’t be able to live and work in beautiful England. Im dedicating this blog to Ma. I still take her expired passport with me whenever I travel.

I sometimes wonder how my life would have been if I had not been eligible for the UK Ancestry visa. I am forever grateful.