Soca Valley, Slovenia - A mountainous paradise

Well, I am ashamed to admit that it has been a horribly long time since we revisited our previous travels and shared them with you all. The distance between our last blog post has made the distance of the vast seas between us and our friends and family all the more evident. It would be an understatement to say that we miss you all.

Thus, with this travel tale I also present to you a brief (at least I’ll do my best to be brief) update of our London lives. Shockingly, it has now been over 12 months since we arrived at the chilly but inviting city of London… 12 MONTHS!!! I remember it oh so well… the multiple layers of clothing necessary to combat the piercing wind, and then the race to rip of the mummifying layers to combat the heating in every indoor space. It has now become the everyday norm and the brisk walk to the station every morning is actually enjoyable; with the beanie covering the top of my ears, I dig my fingers to the deepest corners of my coat and feel the reddening of my nose, but the speed needed to keep warm means my calves and butt gets “well fit” (well: a colloquial term used in the place of really, very, a lot etc. – it’s the rage at the moment). As much as we have become used to the winter weather, the idea of a warmer spring brings so much hope and happiness. It’s been long enough now winter, go away!

Tim and I both jumped straight back into work after our epic Christmas break. However, there have been a few changes with my work, which is really another testimony to God’s faithfulness. The school that I had started at in September last year was a full-on full-time role with a whole lot of extra hours after work and on the weekend. I worked incredibly hard, and I endured it probably longer than I should have, but only because I actually did enjoy the workplace and I fell in love with the kids, as difficult and challenging as they were. As well as this, my health has been a constant roller-coaster ride and it became obvious that the stress of work was perpetually affecting my health. Having to place a whole lot of trust in God, I decided that I would leave the job, despite that I was going to really miss the kids, the staff and (being honest) the consistent pay.

Taking a bit of time over the break to relax Tim and I joined the wonderful Hawkins for a trip to a favourite: Paris. On returning my agency was able to set me up with a job at a school closer to home, 5 days a week but only timetabled for 3 days, the other days I do cover when needed. And it’s on the same pay rate! I realise that when trying to get someone to join a school the agency will always talk it up to sell it to you, so I didn’t go in thinking it was going to be a dream job. Ha! It really is a dream job!! The classes that I do teach are small intervention classes with Year 11 only, and it ranges from 1 to 9 students per class. The kids are well behaved and I have planning and marking time in school hours! Gee whiz, it feels good getting home at 4pm, just in time for our daylight savings.

So, I’m living my travelling dream, working in a great job, with my dreamy hubby! Timothy has been working very hard, but thankfully has booked in more weddings and events, which gets him extremely excited and passionate about what he does. He brings a lightness and happiness to my world, which gives me perspective to see the important things in life. Watching him meet new people, connect with them and genuinely care and love people really amazes me. He is so gifted and blessed!

So. There is my not-so-brief update! I still have to give you a run-down of our next destination from our summer travels. Bear in mind, our blogging is way behind, so these adventures that we share are still from our July/August trip!!

The Soca Valley. It was incredible. It was not only the place itself that uncovered distinguished, stunning natural beauty, but the whole journey to this place was just unforgettable. The road that took us all the way to this wonder was a trip that frequently gets replayed in our memories… poor Tim who was driving kept having to take mental pictures, as he was desperate to stop and get the camera out. But the winding, narrow road forbade him to stop. But when to opportunity arose, I was only too glad to stop on the side of the road for him to capture the scenery that was tugging on our hearts and only feeding our hunger to see more of the world.

Once we did get to Soca Valley, we set up at the campsite and enjoyed the serenity of the place. We walked down the boulders and rocks to plant ourselves by the florescent blue water streaming through the valley. With a good book and a towel, I curled up on the cool rock surface and was refreshed from the breeze coming from the icy water.

The amazing colour of the water lead us to do more exploring as we just wanted to soak up the incredible beauty. We jumped in the car and found a 2-hour hike, which only added to the wonderment of the valley. There is not much I can say to explain the peaceful, refreshing and aweing sites of this beautiful country.

On our last day, before leaving we drove out to another walk, where we battled the extremely steep pathways that were poorly signed and camouflaged with the wilderness. However, we managed to get to our desired location, a large pool area with a famous waterfall. The water flow was quite light and therefore the waterfall did not proudly show off it’s capabilities, but it did not stop us from enjoying feeling accomplished and at peace with what we had achieved and all that we saw. It was yet again another broadening and life changing experience in which we learnt so much more about this vast, eclectic and wonderful world!