Hello Devon - (Backdated)

Hello Devon!

For once, we didn’t get lost! At all! Stoked. Still took us around 4-5 hours to get to Devon.
Before we left Dan was telling us about a rest stop with lots of organic food which was really good, but for the life of us we couldn’t find it. Every stop was full of KFC or Macca’s or something greasy. We ended up getting some sandwiches & juices, then for second lunch Nathan got some KFC.

It was such a nice feeling driving into Croyde & seeing things I remembered. Soon as we hit Braunton I saw one of Dad’s old friend walking down the street, I didn’t shout out incase he didn’t recognize me & I looked like a total idiot. Then we saw a friend who came out to Australia a year or so ago. Although I consider Australia home now, Croyde will always be a home to me too, there’s nothing to hate about either places!

We arrived around 7pm at my Auntie Rachel & Uncle Richard’s. We welcomed by beer & crisps, & just in time for dinner. Which was incredible, a beautiful spread of chicken skewers, salads, salmon, potato, pasta, it was great to have more healthy foods! As delicious as a good English pub feed is, nothing beats a healthy home cooked meal.
Their dog, a 3 & 1/2 year old, still a puppy at heart, large dog, was so playful. It was great to be around a dog again, I feel that they make a house a home, he was so cute and just wanted to play!

We sat up late talking, had a few drinks & had some great British TV on in the background.

Thursday we got up early ready to spend a day at my cousins work. She’s been a tattoo apprentice for about 6 months & I wanted her to add to my sleeve. I follower her Instagram almost religiously, her work is amazing. She designed me two adorable koalas sitting together with a bouquet of flowers & redraw a sunflower with the quote ‘Art is the solution to chaos’ which I’d been wanting to get for some time now.
Before starting Nathan & I went to go grab some food whilst Gem draw up the designs. We ended up down an ally way looking for a cafe with a toilet, the owner of a cute little cafe called Poppy’s showed us the toilet & put in the pin code for us. (Security so all the school kids don’t use them!) We felt obligued to stay so we ordered some food & drinks, I asked for a flat white & even explained what it was when the waiter looked confused. (Like a latte with less froth) Yet it still came out as a long black with milk on the side, coffee seems all backwards here! That’s happened a few times with Nathan’s flat white.

I sat for in the tattoo room for around 5 hours in total, the first one was ok, It only took two hours & was fairly small, luckily though I was lying down with my arm hanging over the edge which allowed my arm to go numb, so didn’t feel most of it. Unfortunately, I didn’t expect the bottom half of my arm to hurt to much, and it was bloody painful. Although she got the outline done in half an hour.
Such a relief when the day was over.

Nathan went back & forth to the barber hoping to get a beard trim but they were so busy all day, he ended up sitting down & waiting the hour & half! They were great though, 8 pounds for beard & hair cut, along with a complementary beer upon arrival & the guy just seemed to have a great sense of customer service. Which is rare in England, you walk into a shop & no one will acknowledge you, whereas in Australia everyone will say hi, ask how you are, & if they can help you - it’s almost a bit overbearing sometimes.

Driving back Nathan was telling me about the circular signs with red crosses through them & that they meant there was no speed limit but to drive carefully. He said whilst flying round the back roads of Devon. Very odd, all roads in Australia are 50 if not displayed, but they are displayed quite frequently. In England you have to search for speed signs, they’re few and far apart we found!

Got home & I was in absolute agony, not from a day of tattooing, but my back felt like it was going to explode. After dinner I spent the night on the floor trying to stretch but my muscles had become so tense from being on crutches it was almost unbearable. I had to get Nathan to help me sit up. Luckily, Rich & Rach messaged a physio friend of theirs to see if she could help out. Bit touch & go with a fractured pelvis. She had a cancellation so I got in to see her the next day.
With codine, panadol & deep heat I finally got to sleep/passed out.