Out of office is now officially on and I'm away from my desk. I will not be replying to any emails over the next 10 days (well, a reduced service at any rate).
I always have such good intentions to switch off completely from work. Yet, the thought of returning to an inbox of 400+ unread emails gives me holiday anxiety. Besides, this is often heightened by crazy dreams induced by the hotel’s blackout shutters.
Travelling with a toddler
Please don't misunderstand, I am always incredibly excited to be going away. However, with a toddler in tow, it has quickly become apparent that what I used to regard as a holiday, is now merely a change of scenery. The only difference for out little family is there is significantly more ice cream consumed and the bedtime routine abandoned! Don’t get me wrong, going away is well worth it and offers a well needed break, but a relaxing jaunt to recharge the batteries it certainly is not.
Praise be to Google
Packing was a blur! It was definitely more stressful thinking about what a little person would need, as well as myself. Thankfully, google was my friend for my packing list! I also googled some holiday hacks about travelling with a toddler. Truthfully, it came up with some very useful advice, especially for plane entertainment (stickers, colouring books and LOTS of snacks).
Wine
One thing that made me smile were memories of my mum packing Yorkshire tea bags in the suitcase when we used to go on holiday. This is something I have adopted and taken to the next level. How you might ask? I pack wine to drink during our getaways.
We do, of course, want to drink local wine and, often, try some unpronounceable grape varieties that we have not yet discovered. The reality remains, that we are more limited in how many nights out we can realistically have with a 2 year old in tow. Also, it’s quite nice to indulge in wines we have waited for a special occasion to open. Despite the fact the bottles may just be another thing to cram in the suitcase, we are always grateful to have made the effort to pack them. It works for us, especially when the out of office is on.