Rest & relaxation
I suddenly realised that I hadn’t had a holiday this year. Well big deal, I suppose lots of people would say, ‘cos not everyone can afford such a luxury, and I remember in my younger days going years without one because with two young children funds simply didn’t allow. But the question that arises is; what is a holiday? Well different things to different people no doubt, but if you look in the Oxford Dictionary it simply says, ‘an extended period of leisure or recreation usually spent away from home.’
So have I had a holiday? Well I went away with my little granddaughter for 2 weeks during the school vacation, had an amazing time but pose the question, was that a holiday? An extended period of leisure or recreation, I suppose so. But anyone who spends two weeks 24/7 away from home with an eight year old will know that in actual fact it is hard work. A rewarding and precious experience but I came home needing a holiday not feeling I’d just had one. That said, of course I will do it over and over again, children are such a blessing.
In actual fact I am always travelling and people seem to think that it’s all fun and often make those irritating comments like have a ‘nice holiday.’ How many people travel for business purposes as I do, whilst the folk back home live under the illusion that they are holidaying, having fun and sight-seeing. Often the most they see are meeting, hotel rooms and airport lounges.
Now I’m blessed because I have a home in Spain and go quite often but again that in itself is not a holiday, with bills to pay, jobs to do and, those tedious domesticated chores which all home owners face. Rural Spain away from the coast with only the sound of a cockerel and the farmer’s dog to wake me in the morning, sounds like a great retreat for a tired and weary body or is it? The reality is I work harder there than ever,- researching planning and writing.
Since I started writing – and I have lots of material in various stages of development, a long way to go before publication – I have realised that writing is hard work, especially if you are producing fiction based on fact. Such a huge amount of time is spent on research before the real task of writing can begin.
So what’s a holiday to me? Doing something completely different I suppose. Complete rest and relaxation, reading a book, lazing around all day and sipping cocktails. Uhm! sounds delightful don’t you think? Most of all being able to empty my head, not having to think or watch the time. To just be!
So I’ve gone to Spain, left someone to house sit my little dogs in Yorkshire and I’m not coming back until I’ve completed at least one of my unfinished pieces of writing and had a few days rest and relaxation. So will I be doing some chavosing while here? Of course I will, I never stop. But I think my next blog should be entitled; My Favourite Cocktail.
Stay safe, have fun and don’t work too hard.
Anna
