dancingthroughchaos

‘Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly.’ – Van Morrison

It’s been a long time coming, but clear on the horizon I see the glimmer of a two-week holiday. 

I’m not complaining – trust me – I’m fully aware that we get to do great things, see fabulous places and hang out with amazing people because we do what we do; it involves some wonderful travel opportunities (see Lesotho: https://jennysanderswriter.co.uk/2024/03/27/lesotho/) and I am forever thankful. Nevertheless to have fourteen whole days set aside for leisure and pleasure is a treat I don’t take lightly.

The last time such an event occurred was pre-Covid and involved having someone else with us.  Again, not complaining.  It was great fun, but full of activities; all good and highly invigorating, but not entirely restful.  

There’s nothing like having your own space for an entire fortnight to read, snooze swim, enjoy some treats in the eating and drinking department and generally kick the infernal, relentless clock into a dusty corner.

I’m looking forward to walking away from some noisy lists this weekend, disconnecting from social media and deliberately putting a bunch of other tasks to one side.  Considering I have a new book being published next month, that’s actually quite a challenge, but I’m looking on it as an investment of my time.

Sure as the sun will shine, I won’t be doing nothing.  Taking a holiday is more than simply being lazy, although some definite lazing is planned. This sort of break provides a space for reflection but also for your brain to be allowed to wander on it’s own for a bit without having to be reigned in to complete the next task, or consider a list of pressing priorities. In a world where we’ve eschewed boredom for the sake of screens, we seldom have the opportunity to let our sub-conscious tick along under its own steam, quietly untangling problems, discovering solutions and coming up with fresh ideas.

I hope my brain will get to do all of those things.

This is a particularly special break to celebrate a significant birthday several months in advance – one of those ones which ends with a zero. My resourceful husband sorted out this glorious treat right after the last birthday, for which I am enormously grateful.

Right now it all seems rather surreal but it turns out I can live with that.  I’ve just got time to dig out the sun lotion and check I have a sufficient number of books loaded on my Kindle, and I’m off, ready to listen to the waves and make pictures out of any stray clouds.

See you on the other side. I’ll be back later this month.

[Images from Unsplash]