There are two more official days of cricket left on this Ashes tour but as I'm starting to pack our bags for the journey home to Australia next week so too am I going to pack away my computer and hence, conclude this tour blog.
Despite the unfavourable result, this entire Ashes tour has been an incredible experience - a rollercoaster ride of excitement and emotion. There have been plenty of highs and our individual and collective fair share of lows. We've enjoyed times that were outrageously fun, educational, relaxed and delightfully adventurous.. but we've also endured deep moments of frustration, disappointment, sickness and plenty of mixed emotions.
As one does on an international adventure, I've learnt many things not just about myself and the world around me but valuable life lessons and critical information about my tour friends and family. On a lighter note, can you imagine my embarrassment when I found out that my tour buddy and friend of a few years, Alyssa Healy, actually pronounces her name "A-leesa" rather than "A-lissa" which is how I've always said it?
I've learnt that nobody on this tour is immune from a scathing media story and/or the way press stories can sometimes impact on one's psyche. Like the rest of us, each individual within the Australian Cricket Team is a regular, emotive human being (albeit an uber-talented bunch - the best in the world at their chosen profession!) but they too have families and a soul that needs to be protected.. they have things they may be embarrassed about.. worries, stress, hurt and anxiety - they are 'normal' guys and admirably, all very generous, kind-hearted people. As ambassadors of our nation, I'm here to assure you that we can all be incredibly proud of them.
This blog for me has been an outlet of sorts and I'd like to thank everyone who read along. Thank you also to all of the lovely folk (most of whom I've never met) who took the time to track down my contact details and send me thoughtful comments and feedback about it. As I mentioned in various media interviews along the way, I never in my wildest dreams imagined there'd be so many people who would have any interest in what I've written let alone some who would continue to come back and keep reading the updates.
As I bring this 'diary' to it's conclusion, it is most important that I acknowledge the people who contributed a blog piece to this website and thank my tour buddies for allowing me to write about our collective journey. Without their permission to write about them I wouldn't have had a story to tell. It's a very fine line to tread when you are detailing events in a public forum that relate to the private lives of other people, but they've all been encouraging and spirited and I'm truly appreciative for their unwavering support and friendship.
Finally, I promised to give away whatever is left in Ed's tour bag before we leave the UK, although quite generously he's already distributed most of his gear to numerous kids at the recent match venues. Of what's left I'm going to take a few bags containing cricket whites, Cricket Australia training shirts and tracksuit pants, a Grey Nicholls bat and some shoes to The Oval this weekend. Those who might be interested in taking ownership of any of these items (I apologise that I'm unable to send anything) should check the 'Free Stuff' link on this website tomorrow night for the exact meeting point/distribution location on Sunday.
Thanks again for your support and I hope you've enjoyed reading about the 'Girls On Tour'. Perhaps it wasn't quite the existence you imagined we lived but as they say, nobody ever really knows what goes on behind closed doors. Only now you do.
Despite the unfavourable result, this entire Ashes tour has been an incredible experience - a rollercoaster ride of excitement and emotion. There have been plenty of highs and our individual and collective fair share of lows. We've enjoyed times that were outrageously fun, educational, relaxed and delightfully adventurous.. but we've also endured deep moments of frustration, disappointment, sickness and plenty of mixed emotions.
As one does on an international adventure, I've learnt many things not just about myself and the world around me but valuable life lessons and critical information about my tour friends and family. On a lighter note, can you imagine my embarrassment when I found out that my tour buddy and friend of a few years, Alyssa Healy, actually pronounces her name "A-leesa" rather than "A-lissa" which is how I've always said it?
I've learnt that nobody on this tour is immune from a scathing media story and/or the way press stories can sometimes impact on one's psyche. Like the rest of us, each individual within the Australian Cricket Team is a regular, emotive human being (albeit an uber-talented bunch - the best in the world at their chosen profession!) but they too have families and a soul that needs to be protected.. they have things they may be embarrassed about.. worries, stress, hurt and anxiety - they are 'normal' guys and admirably, all very generous, kind-hearted people. As ambassadors of our nation, I'm here to assure you that we can all be incredibly proud of them.
This blog for me has been an outlet of sorts and I'd like to thank everyone who read along. Thank you also to all of the lovely folk (most of whom I've never met) who took the time to track down my contact details and send me thoughtful comments and feedback about it. As I mentioned in various media interviews along the way, I never in my wildest dreams imagined there'd be so many people who would have any interest in what I've written let alone some who would continue to come back and keep reading the updates.
As I bring this 'diary' to it's conclusion, it is most important that I acknowledge the people who contributed a blog piece to this website and thank my tour buddies for allowing me to write about our collective journey. Without their permission to write about them I wouldn't have had a story to tell. It's a very fine line to tread when you are detailing events in a public forum that relate to the private lives of other people, but they've all been encouraging and spirited and I'm truly appreciative for their unwavering support and friendship.
Finally, I promised to give away whatever is left in Ed's tour bag before we leave the UK, although quite generously he's already distributed most of his gear to numerous kids at the recent match venues. Of what's left I'm going to take a few bags containing cricket whites, Cricket Australia training shirts and tracksuit pants, a Grey Nicholls bat and some shoes to The Oval this weekend. Those who might be interested in taking ownership of any of these items (I apologise that I'm unable to send anything) should check the 'Free Stuff' link on this website tomorrow night for the exact meeting point/distribution location on Sunday.
Thanks again for your support and I hope you've enjoyed reading about the 'Girls On Tour'. Perhaps it wasn't quite the existence you imagined we lived but as they say, nobody ever really knows what goes on behind closed doors. Only now you do.
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| Time to go home: Romy Cowan |
