2017 the year of FIRSTS:

Back in January 2017 in Sri in Lanka I wrote this in my travel Diary. “As Lisa pointed out this should be the year of firsts according to numerology and literally for us!! 2016 was a 9 for endings and completions while 2017 is a 1 and a year of new beginnings. Positive new outlooks and beginnings and doing it our way will keep us happy and focused. "The year of firsts" is the new mantra for me.”

Not being one for doing things in half measures I also kept a record of the FIRSTS as the year progressed. So here they are – all 48 of them. Posting this almost a year to the day since the first ‘first’ was entered.

8-1-2017

First time to fly with excess luggage and pay but only a minimum

11-1-2017

First trip to Sri Lanka

15-1-17 First swim in the Indian Ocean's warm and clear water instead of freezing water from Antarctica.

17-1-2017

First sighting of these beautiful flowers and the tree they grow in on the beach in Mirissa

Barringtonia Asiaitica

2-2-2017

First time to try to sell possessions on the Internet and conduct a garage sale

8-2-2017

My first Airbnb booking albeit with a couple of errors.  I will get better at this

23-2-2017

First time since I qualified that a year has started without me thinking about the school I'm going to teach in and I only just realized it today

25-2-2017

First time someone has thrown a surprise birthday party for me (in Melbourne and attended by people I hardly know and in some cases don't know)

2-3-2017

First time to fly over the Arctic ice cap and see the huge cracks in the ice, the pale pink glow of sunrise and an orange rising moon from the plane

8-3 -2017

First time to go out hiking in America

8-3-2017

 First time since I've known about International Women's Day NOT to celebrate with women friends and colleagues, just Ian and Anthony

22-3-2017

 First time to view Manhattan from the New Trade Centre Towers

22-3-2017

First time for Ian and I to go out to a cocktail bar alone and not just any cocktail bar at that - Flatiron Lounge

28-3-2017

 First time to get a Seniors Priced ticket at the American Museum of Natural History. Thanks guys saved five dollars and love the dioramas

2-4-2017

 First time to complete a self guided walking tour with an app

7-4-2017

 First time to ride a Greyhound bus

8-4 -2017

First time in Toronto and Canada

8-4 -2017

First time to stay in Air BnB (Hosted)

10-4-2017

 First time to see both the American and Canadian Niagara Falls

15-4-2017

 First time to enter the US by land

21-4 -2017

First time to pay for a professional shoeshine in a street stall.

28-4-2017

 First visit to Machu Picchu

2-5-2017

 First sighting of Lake Titicaca the world's highest navigable lake at 3,8000 meters

7-5-2017

 First trip to Bolivia

17-5-2017

 First time to see Flamingoes in the wild wading at alpine lakes

19-5-2017

 First sightings of condors in the wild at Colca Canyon

27-5-2017

 First time to stay at someone's home when they weren't there. Thanks McKenny!

30-5-2017

 First time to fly Qatar Airlines

16-6-2017

 First visit to Kep

27-6-2017

 First time to get a long-term Visa (retirement/ volunteers/ business) issued

3-7-2017

 First time swimming in Masion de Yaya's private pool in opulent garden surroundings

13-7-2017

 First supply-run to Kampot from Kep on the local bus

23-7-2017

 First one year renewal of our E-Business visa via an agent in Kep

10-8-2017

 First purchase of jaggery

11-9-2017

First parcel delivery to us from Australia. Nice

15-9-2017

First time to move house by bicycle

20-9-2017

First time to celebrate Pchum Ben (like festival of the hungry ghosts) in Cambodia. We visited a monastery and agreed to volunteer teach the monks and village children there starting in Nov

15-10-2017

 First time to enter Cambodia as a resident

16-10-2017

 First time to have a dentist appointment in a foreign country

18-10-2017

First time to return to Kep thinking we were coming home

19-10-2017

First time to make eda mame from fresh green soy beans since leaving Japan

31-10 -2017

First time to ride pillion on a motor cycle with anyone except Ian riding and it was at night

2-11-2017

 First time teaching monks and with no common language

19-11-2017

 First time to eat Khmer crepes - egg crepes filled with bean sprouts and served with lettuce, herbs and cucumber and a vinegar sauce

23-11-2017

 First visit to a Cambodian hospital - Sonja Kill Memorial Hospital is a quality place and the diagnosis wasn’t even as bad as I feared. Unfortunate name for a hospital however

18-12-2017

 First visitor from abroad to come and stay with us in Kep. Welcome Becky Story

19-12-2017

 First visit to a pepper plantation in Cambodia.  La Plantation was fabulous with an informative introduction and excellent walk through the fruit trees and pepper vines

22-12-17. First Hike through Kep National Park

 Maybe 2018 is not the year of firsts but I hope the adventures and challenges continue to enrich our lives