A luxury break or the great outdoors?

We usually go away at Easter-time and more often than not the great British weather is good to us. Easter and Christmas are my favourite breaks because they are the only time of year I take holiday and my desk looks exactly as I left it when I return to the office. For this reason I find I switch off completely to enjoy the break I have embarked on with my family.

This year we took our caravan to a site just a short fifteen minute drive away. Having packed wellies, jumpers, shorts, sandals and sunscreen we prepared for all the elements the great British weather might have in store for us. The fridge was replenished with some delightful treats, we stocked up on loo roll and we filled every nook of the caravan with the things we might need whilst away. I took a look at our blossom tree as we pulled away from the house and thought what a late bloomer we have.

Now, I wouldn’t like to labour under any misapprehensions here – I am a lady who likes her creature comforts and when we first bought the caravan last summer, I wasn’t quite sure it would be for me. The thought of me, my husband and the three kids in such a confined space can sometimes fill me with dread – after all we have one child on the cusp of adolescence and another having just exited toddler stages. However, several caravan trips down the line, it is safe to say I rather enjoy our breaks away in it.

Being a relative newbie to caravan and camping life some things do still surprise me. For example, our first morning on site, 9.00am on Good Friday, our middle child decided she needed to grace the toilet block. A rule in our caravan is that there are no ‘number twos’ in the caravan toilet (emergencies are permitted and having a three year old it is sometimes hard to enforce this rule as things can often happen without forewarning). I took daughter number two over to the large block which vaguely resembled a cattle shed (although it is quite a luxurious block with lots of home comforts) and as we walked back across the site to the caravan, the mildew from the grass invading the sliders on our feet and the birds chattering in the spring morning sunshine, the first mental note I made was how many of the sites inhabitants still appeared to be sleeping. This is a good reflection of how relaxed our trip was to be. Everyone seems to run to their own order in their own time which makes the holiday less hectic. With three children, although being on holiday is mostly wonderful it can also be exhausting, particularly when said children want to do and see everything within the first nineteen minutes of arriving at any holiday destination.

Drinking my first cup of tea of the day and looking out over the site I noticed many of our fellow campers wondering to and from the toilet block in their pyjamas, dressing gowns and other bedtime attire. Admittedly when we made our visit earlier that morning, daughter number two and I had our pyjamas and a jumper on. I did feel a little self conscious walking across a field without my daytime clothes on and I did find I had wrapped my arms around myself subconsciously to contain parts of me that usually require restraining by my clothes. However, I soon realised that this was part of caravan and camping life and no matter what site you go to, it will always be acceptable to walk around in your nightwear. Furthermore, it can be a source of mild amusement whilst observing others over your first cup of tea of the day.

I made sure that I packed a couple of reading books, my notepad and sketching pencils for the break. I did find myself once or twice with time to sit in the sunshine, as the weather was kind to us on this occasion, so I took the rare opportunity to do some reading, writing and drawing in the peaceful warmth of the sun. I looked over from time to time to the pool nearby where my husband was teaching the children how to fish. I felt a kind of ease and contentment I haven’t felt for a while. That was until it was disturbed by a scream from my eldest. My gut somersaulted as I pictured her falling into the pool, something which wouldn’t have at all surprised me her being the clumsiest nut I know. I was afraid to look up to where the scream had emanated from but having remembered I hadn’t heard a ‘splash’ I was relieved to see that her scream was induced by her fear of the live maggots her dad was trying to teach her to put on the fishing hook. My hammering heart having resumed a more natural beat, I turned back to my task.

One of the main reasons I love being away in the caravan is because the children seem to have a freedom like they have nowhere else. During our break they would ride their scooters and bikes, they made new friends and they were happy in the outdoors. Our mealtimes were often obscure but it fit in with our temporary routine and although bedtime was often later, so was waking up time. There was ice cream and milkshakes galore and a visit from the Easter Bunny meant that we had copious amounts of chocolate to devour. The children even managed to coerce their dad into joining in an Easter Egg Hunt which ended in a debate amongst the parents about a typographical error on the trail making the final puzzle difficult to decipher. I think the physical and mental stimulation did everyone some good.

Looking around me one of the afternoons, content after a meal and a glass of wine, the sun was shining. I noticed the trees had now fully regrown their leaves after the winter, the grass seemed greener and daisies dotted around me. I realised then that I enjoy being away in the caravan so much because it’s such a simple life away from the complexities of the everyday. No matter whether we have travelled near or far, each time I have reached a contentment I rarely get when I am at home. As we returned home I looked up at our blossom tree and it was in full bloom, beautiful and vibrant and as though it was fully awake after a long autumn/winter. It was reflective of how I felt after our break away – recharged, bright and energetic. Who needs to go to a tropical destination when you can feel so rejuvenated having visited all corners of our country in your own home from home? So a luxury break or the great outdoors – I will take both because the great outdoors can be just the luxury break you need.

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