**Hero Post**

Highlight of our summer trip. Many years ago my sister and my hero showed me a photo of her in a similar pose. I’ve always been in awe of her and particularly her travels.

Around Europe solo at 19 (around 1986), then through Africa for 6 months. All this before the internet, back when you relied on postcards or those blue airmail letters that you folded into thirds. Back when the phone rang and you’d run for it, drop everything and answer it it like your life depended on it. There was no voicemail, no answering machines and I can remember the tears if I got home from school (or a weekend away) and Mum told me I’d missed a call from her. Back when it was ‘do you accept these charges’ (of course we bloody do!).

I still have all the postcards she sent from amazing and (at that time) exotic places. I can still remember how much I missed her that year. The whole class knew what adventures she was up to. Her adventures were a years supply of ‘show and tell’.

I was never as brave as her, by the time I did my ‘gap year’, there was internet and mobile phones and I’m sure, a lot more English speaking people.  I take my hat off to Annette.