Have You Made Any Holiday Plans?

February is coming to a close and if I point my nose into the air à la  Moominmama (Love Tove Jansson’s books) I can sniff holiday thoughts flying through the air. Three people independently over the last week have all said the same thing to me “Have you made any holiday plans?” Well, you are talking to the person who never makes holiday plans until the very last minute but yes, I am thinking about them. This annoying late booking habit is due to the face that for over 30 years, I’ve been a freelance paranoid media type who never quite knows, where their next job is coming from. This results in being scared to death of booking a trip because if the job of my dreams comes in I’ll have to deal with the dilemma of a) Cancelling, which obviously involves letting others down or b) Going and not fully embracing the rest relaxation and gorgeousness of the trip because my work ethic is high and I suffer badly from Catholic guilt which is a holiday killer. What I did find interesting thought post the eye of the Covid storm is when answering the holiday question, my mind didn’t go straight to a Piña Colada, Factor 30, sun hat and flipflops, no, the words that actually came out of my mouth went like this “I really want to go to The Orkney Islands and then possibly St Davids, Wales” The look on Marks face was a picture. Now this doesn’t mean that twinkling Greek Islands won’t get a look in but don’t you think as a nation we have started to view our own country and what it has to offer in a different light? Or is it age that has renewed my vigour and genuine enthusiasm? Something which has inspired me is watching Michael Portillo’s Great Costal Railway series I’m obsessed, enthralled, mesmerised, and totally inspired to follow every journey our wandering Ex Government Minister has been on. Together with Julia Bradbury and every other walking programme I’ve watched they make me realise that I really ought to see more of the country I call home not because of the pandemic but because I want to. The other upside of this type of break is, you can do lots of short trips so if you have commitments, you can pop back keep the wheels turning then off out again. Or maybe the solution for me is to get the job of Mr Portillo’s chief suitcase carrier looking after his vast array of brightly coloured clothes as my packing and sprucing up for camera credentials are A Star.

Love,

Anthea X

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