About Us

Updated 4 September 2017

At the time of beginning this blog in 2013 both Paul and I were 58. We had sold our house, and invested in a rig. Our plan was to live in the rig full time and indefinitely as we travelled around this great big country of ours. At the time we considered ourselves semi-retired. We planned on picking up some work occasionally as we travelled around. Our thoughts were that a little bit of work would enhance our travels with different experiences, as well as giving us a bit of extra pocket money to help our savings along.

At the time we were getting everything ready to leave Perth in 2013 our grandchildren were both in their late teens. Anyone with any head for maths will realise that to be 58 and have two grandsons well into their teens meant both early parenthood for both of us, and the parent of our grandchildren. Correct, both children are from a previous life before I meet Paul. Kelvin, my first-born came along shortly after my 17th birthday. I came from Christchurch NZ and at that time from 18. 21 wasn’t an uncommon age to start motherhood. So, 17 was only slightly younger than was common for most. Alice, number two child arrived when I was 20.

Paul and I met when we were both 25, married two years later, and at the time of writing this updated, ‘about us’ page we have been married for almost 35 years.

Alice is the only one of our children to have become a parent. Her first child, Tim, arrived when she too was 20 – Paul and I were both only 40.

Okay, so that’s a bit about our earlier lives and the starting point for this blog.

The purpose of the blog originally was to keep family and friends up to date with our travels. Tim, our oldest grandson, who is particularly Tech savvy, helped with setting up the blog, and has helped us many times since. I wish I could take him with me in my back pocket, and pull him out every time I’m in need of help. He’d have been out of my back pocket more often than he’d have been in it. As you may have guessed, I’m somewhat technically challenged when it comes to anything remotely connected to the internet.

Fast forward almost 4 years……..

It seems life had different plans for us, than the plans we’d made for ourselves. We bought ourselves another little house late last year, this time in Busselton. Busselton is a beach side town approximately 250kms south of Perth. With the purchase of the new house, our plans changed. We now consider ourselves to be only part time Grey Nomads. Busselton is a perfect place to spend summers, but it’s too cold for us in the winters. We spent last summer here in our little house, and we travelled up north for the winter. Our intentions are for this to continue for many years to come.

Along with our change of living plans, the original intentions of our blog also evolved. We hadn’t expected that ‘blogging’ would become important to us both. The blog, originally only set up to record how and where we were travelling, is now virtually a living, public, eclectic diary. We still record our travels, and that’s predominantly what most of the posts are still about. We also record things on the home front now, our family, recipes, our thoughts, just about anything…… I do the writing, and Paul does most of the photography.

When I first met Paul he had a keen interest in photography. Taking on a ready made family put an end to that. Through the blog, his interest has now been re-kindled. So, whilst our travel intentions have been toned down, our blogging has ramped up. A lot of our experiences are enhanced by the desire to record the events with photos and a written summary. Knowing we’re going to write about what we’re doing and seeing, not only enhances many of our experiences, it also drives us to, ‘get out there’, and experience more. Life is richer, because we blog.

And now wrapping up, ‘about us’, until life evolves and requires another update. We two, are about to become, ‘we three’. We’re adopting a little puppy, a Labradoodle, at the end of this week. No doubt little, Mr Tilly, as he’s to be named is going to add another dimension to both our lives, and our blog. So, there you have it – a little bit about Paul and I. Our travels from now on will include all that’s good, and all that’s not so good about travelling with a pet. I hope you’ll continue to follow us to see how we’re tracking…..

 

22 thoughts on “About Us”

  2. I am both fascinated and intrigued by people who permanently live on the road. I love travelling but can’t see myself having now fixed abode, so I live vicariously through those who live otherwise. Your plans may have changed for now, but it’s interesting that you lived on the road for a while.

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  4. Life, like blogging, has so many unexpected twists and turns. Keeps us on our toes so to speak.
    Its taken a while, but I have finally made it to your place to say thanks for the follow. I blame those twists and turns….
    We visited your neck of the woods many long years ago. Beautiful. Its a long, straight drive across the sands to get there!!
    I haven’t checked, but I trust your fur baby has created a whole new world for you. I know it’s always do. Love them to bits

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    1. Welcome, I hope I can provide you with a few good reads. Yes, our fur baby features well in our lives now. It’s a lot different having having a canine companion when you don’t have kids as well. Our Mr Tilly gets considered and spoilt way beyond what our previous fur baby coped with, with two children in the house as well. Yes the twists and turns of life’s path don’t always take us where we planned on going. Keeps us in our toes, those windy paths!

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    1. Gosh, it seems a long, long time ago that I started my blog with, ‘about us’. Our journey has taken lots of turns since then, some planned, others completely unplanned. Life has certainly evolved. Thank you for visiting my blog, and following the often erratic, but never mundane life of the Rileys on wheels (and sometimes not on wheels).

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  9. Nice to read this About page with some dates and details included. It gives viewers a good background to your blog. (I erased my About page, written 7 years ago when I had to take early retirement due to Chronic Ill-Health, as the details are now irrelevant) I’ve never really got around to writing it again 🙂 ).

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    1. Mines now in need of a bit of a revise too. Life evolves, and direction changes. Also good to see people do read it, so thanks for letting me know that Vicki. Hope You get around to updating your page too soon.

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  10. Hi Paul and Chris. Nice to see your on your way. It’s quite funny that your staying at Emu point in Albany. My Mum lives just around the corner in Medcalf parade.
    Keep enjoying and have a cold beer for me.
    Cheers

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  11. Oh boy this is different to what you told us a couple of weeks ago…. We are both happy for you and look forward to hearing all about your travels xoxoxxo

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