From the countryside to the coast, a break is as much of a necessity as food and a home.
Having two days away in a completely different setting can make you feel much, much happier with your daily round once you return.
Sometimes you can feel like a hamster on a wheel, doing the same things over and over again. Getting up at the same time, going to the same shops, the same desk at work and the same faces around you all the time. It can make you forget that you’re here to explore and enjoy life rather than wear down the pavement into a rut. One of the best ways of countering this is to pick a place that is the direct opposite of your usual abode. If you live in the country, book a couple of days in a bustling city. Choose to visit during the week rather the weekend as restaurants and exhibitions are less busy and there’s simply nothing more relaxing than walking about at a leisurely pace while all the busy-bee workers are frenetically going about their weekday lives.
If, like me, you’re a city girl then head for the country or the coast. The change of pace can be startling and sometimes people suffer from a ‘communication neurosis’ whereby they feel the need to have their laptops and mobiles on to feel connected with world. Here’s an idea: make the only blackberries you see on your break the kind you put in jams. Or head to somewhere like the Brecon Beacons where mobile reception is usually pretty bad.
I regularly housesit for a friend of mine in Sussex. The days that I am off house-sitting near the seafront in Newhaven are heavenly. Early morning walks to the beach, lunch at a dockside pub, a stroll through flea markets and then back home to cook the fish I got first thing in the morning at the market off the harbour. As an urban-dweller, I find it amazing that I can go down to the dock and pick up a fish caught that day to cook in the evening. It seems almost unreal to see the catch all lined up on ice instead of covered in cellophane at the supermarket.
One of the big mistakes that people make is to save their money and time up and then blow a substantial amount of money on two weeks somewhere exotic. That’s all fine and good, but imagine how much pressure you’re putting on yourself to have a great holiday. You’ve saved up your days and your money for a big break and you expect the pay-off to be a great time, great weather and to come back feeling very rested. However, if the hotel isn’t what you expected or the weather turns bad or you have a row with your boyfriend, you could well return stressed, cheated and miserable because it will be a whole year before you can afford another break.
A better idea is to spend little and often. The weekend break can be fantastic with a little planning. Spend a couple of weekends doing extra chores like washing or cleaning out the fridge so that on your weekend away, you’re not thinking about housework or what you’ll have to do before work on Monday. Before you leave for your break on the Friday, lay out and plan what you’ll wear to work on the Monday. Turn off your mobile and give the number of the hotel you’re staying in to a family member in case of emergencies. Don’t even think about bringing your laptop. Let the office know that you are away for the weekend and so can’t be contacted. Then enjoy exploring a completely new place with no worries beyond which restaurant to have dinner in.
Here’s an idea for you…
House sit or house swap with a friend. As the holiday season comes upon us many of our friends who live by the coast or in the city (if we’re coastal dwellers) are off on holiday, leaving their homes empty. Ask if they want a house sitter and enjoy an almost free holiday. You’ll be shopping for groceries in a new town, discovering new walks and maybe even looking after a dog (a pleasant experience if you’re not allowed them in your city flat).
Defining idea…
‘Live and see, move around and see more.’
Arab proverb
How did it go?
Q I had a break at the coast and I loved it so much, I want to move there. How can I make my dream a reality?
A Me too! I love the coast and would love to live there. My plan for making my dream come true is to save, plot and scheme. I know that working in London for the next five years will give me enough in savings and contacts to be able to start a satellite career more or less anywhere in the world. So that’s what I’ll do. I am plotting my escape route and so should you, and then, whenever you feel disheartened and tired with your game plan, take another short trip to the coast to remind yourself of what it is you’re working towards.
Q I’m much too busy to take a break right now. How can I possibly go off to the country or seaside when I have a million deadlines on my head?
A They say nobody ever says on their death bed, ‘I wish I’d worked more’. Deadlines will always be there, work will always be there. This was brought home to me one time when I suddenly and inexplicably got very, very sick right on deadline for the magazine I worked for. The editor I worked for was brilliant and had had plan Bs for every feature I’d been working on. He simply replaced what was going in and told me to get better. I was partly upset that the world didn’t fall apart when I wasn’t able to be there but mostly I was relieved that I could concentrate on getting better. Take a break, the world won’t end.