Part 1 e-mail

Good Evening!!

Well I survived the day!! Only just! I am pretty tired but so tired I can't sleep, if that at all makes sense. Not only that, Ruth keeps ducking in and out to sort things out with her girls so I went down and got the laptop so I could write you from up here should she come back. No bathrobe this time though, sorry. I can't even do that in the morning, I have to return the laptop where I got it because no one actually knows I have it right now. Oh wells.

So the Westminster Abbey Service. Its huge. It's like 'the' thing to go to for Thinking Day. The Abbey alone has 1000 people there and there are always thousands more who miss out. Internationally you have to apply months in advance to get the tickets or at least be considered for tickets. Its like a once in a lifetime thing. Its huge. The fact I got to go was purely amazing and almost life changing. Okay perhaps not that dramatic, but it will be one of the greatest things I'll do in life. Seriously, that's how big it is. Understandably, I was probably emotional to begin with, but I cried several times!!

The first was before we even got in there. Coming out of the tube station I started to well up and told myself to stop being stupid. We got into the grounds of the Abbey and Ruth was there, only I didn't know she was going to be there and she came up to me and I like hugged her and that was it, I just burst into tears. Just like that, it was just all a bit too much for the emotions to take!

So sorted myself out. The line was huge, massively long, like hundreds of people and the ones at the start of the line would have been queing for like, 2 hours easy. We had VIP tickets so we just walked straight in. We ended up being seated in the VIP section which was the chior stalls right in front of the main area, it was incredible. As we were walking in, again it was all too overwhelming and I started to well up again! I did three times during the service, the most at the part where they lay the wreaths down on thememorial as everyone in the Abbey is holding hands and the Circle of Life if playing. Yeah, everyone laughed at me and you know what. I don't care. Doing this and being a part of this was such a huge thing for me. Screw them.

From there it was right back on the tube and back to Pax for a crazy afternoon. Only about 150 people came through the doors and by the sounds of it we aren't expecting a lot tomorrow. But this arvo was okay, worked straight from 1pm till 8pm and then all the senior staff plus Maria, Shanna and I sat in the dining room and talked and laughed and ate chocolate. Then I got up to leave to go hang out with Ruth and her girls and I walked into the door. It hurt a bit. My body is kind of tired right now. It has been a really long day. Everyone is wiped out yet all the HAs minus Tricia who is sleeping and Shanna have gone to the Walk About.

Doreen and Maria Mararo were having an argument this morning. In the Dining room and kitchen, Doreen didn't even take her into the office, they just yelled at each other there and then. Doreen is like under major stress at the moment, it's weird. All the senior staff are up tight about stuff, who knows what it is. It's not like I am ever going to know! Its just really weird here at the moment. Doreen was telling Heather to stop touching her! That was kinda funny.

But moving on. I can't think of much else to say about today but then I've probably put most of it to rest and will let it sink in another time or I'll randomly remember things.

I don't remember much of my first night here, only that it was fish night and Marie and Breanne took me to the George. You know I can't remember much about you or meeting you for the first time. I don't remember meeting anyone for the first time.

Hey I'll be back in a minute!!

Rachael