Sunday 18 April 2021

Staycation

Our last holiday was to Cornwall in 2018. We usually have a summer holiday each year but when my mum died in 2019 I felt we couldn't leave my dad alone and so we went without a holiday that year. After then losing my dad in June last year I felt in desperate need of a holiday, I could have really done with getting away from it all after such a difficult couple of years but the coronavirus pandemic put paid to that. So here we are, three years on since our last holiday and not only have we not been away but we haven't had many day trips out either owing to lockdown and restrictions.

Mick hardly took any holiday from work last year, he was left with lots to take at the end the holiday period which runs from the 1st of April to the 31st of March, but he's been so busy at work over the last couple of months that he's ended up carrying some over into this year's entitlement. So he's now got forty three days holiday to take this year.

As you can see, he's decided to take all this coming week off work, and there's nothing else in the diary so we're hoping, now that restrictions have been eased and we're allowed to travel further, to have some nice days out.

I'm missing the sea. The last time we visited the coast was just before the first lockdown in March last year so it's been over a year. Archie loves a good run on the beach too, so we'll probably have a ride out to the seaside. Apart from that we'll just play it by ear. A mix of days out, relaxing at home and getting a few jobs crossed off the list sounds good to me.

As for a proper holiday, I'm not sure whether we're going to bother again this year or not. It will all depend on what happens with the virus. Even though we're allowed to do more things now, I'm still not comfortable being in crowded places. Why take risks if you don't have to? That's my way of thinking.

How about you? Are you thinking of going away this summer?

21 comments:

  1. Its sounds lovely. I think a change of scenery is what a lot of is need right now. It's been groundhog day long enough.

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  2. I think we'll take a few days here and there like you and see how it goes. I imagine the seaside might get busy and not everything will be open for a while in the cities. Mrs Tiggywinkle looks to have had a wonderful time in Anglesey though.

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  3. I think some well planned days out can be even more beneficial than a holiday. If I get away this summer, it will be an occasional night of camping. I do, however, have a short trip planned for the autumn and a city break just before Christmas -fingers crossed. X

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  4. It's good that they allow Mike to carry his holidays over, I remember we lost our holidays of we hadn't taken them by the end of the year. I was thinking I may book a holiday cottage in the lakes for a few days in June/July if there's any availability and the prices are right, I would also love to visit my son in Qatar at the end of the year of it's possible. I think most of us feel as if we're in need of a holiday but this virus is everywhere there's no escaping it so better to wait until it's safe I think. Enjoy your week Jo I hope you find some nice places to visit, what about Whitby? Fish & chips are a must of course. 😊 Xx

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  5. Enjoy your days out together, you deserve to have a relaxing time. We wouldn't have gone away last year even without the coronavirus restrictions as I had too many hospital appointments to attend. Not sure about this year either what with having a young pup now. I'm happy to stay at home and just have some days out here and there just like you are planning to do but never say never to a week away.

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  6. I've never really been one for holidays and always preferred days out, occasional long weekends or just staying at home.
    I'm sure that you'll enjoy whatever you end up doing, and hope that Archie gets to have a paddle or two in the sea. xx

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  7. I think you should get out there and enjoy yourself, there is very little chance of you catching anything at the moment, maybe in the autumn the flue will show its head again but in the meantime don't worry and make hay while the sun shines.
    Briony
    x

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  8. We've not had a proper holiday (which for us would be in a caravan in Cornwall) since 2019. We had a couple of day trips last year between the lockdowns to Whitby and Mablethorpe. I'm desperate to get to the beach, but like you, I'm not sure we'll go anywhere this year.

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  9. Go for it!We have booked a week in a self contained cottage in Norfolk for the end of June.We have both had our two jabs and if we follow the rules we will be fine.I am also looking to book a few nights in the Cotswolds in July .Lanzarote in January,also.
    Wear a face mask,keep your distance,hand sanitise and you will be fine.A break away will do you a world of good.
    I presume when you are having days out you will need a toilet.That is a risk in itself.You have had a rotten time over the last couple of years.Time to spoil yourself.
    Barbaraxx

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  10. I hope you enjoy some great days out this week, I think the weather should be ok.

    We haven't planned any breaks away yet.

    All the best Jan

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  11. I didn't have a camping holiday at all last year as the first one was cancelled and I didn't bother trying to book anything else, however I took a full two weeks of in September and went out for days, the weather was great and I enjoyed myself just as much as if I'd gone away properly. Last week I booked my first camping holiday for this year, in June/July, so fingers crossed it will go ahead :)

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  12. Enjoy your break together the best way you can & I'm still frightfully uncomfortable in places of crowds, unless it is a group we know & we split into even smaller groups to talk. Our car club has had a few meetings now & a picnic day which is of course out in the open air. Get your sea fix, as you know I need mine too and you aren't a great distance from the coast really. Take care & hugs.

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  13. I get 2 weeks (80 working hours) per year and Farmer is up to 4 weeks at his factory job. We have a new grandbaby coming right around the time our out-of-state family is visiting. So I know we'll be taking at least 1 week off to be with all of them. And then we have tentative plans with our good friends to travel to Mt. Rushmore for a long weekend visit. (Google it. It's the mountain with the 4 presidents' heads carved into it.) If I have any time left, I hope to take a day or two off for myself. My last "mental health" day coincided with Farmer's last day of recovery from a minor surgery, so you know it wasn't as relaxing as I would have hoped.

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  14. See if you can find some small villages with an air bnb and it'll be easier to stay away from the crowds? We're so lucky in New Zealand as we can travel anywhere around the country, plus, as of today, we've a travel bubble with Australia which is brilliant! I'll wait a few more months though before going there. Obviously if there is an outbreak in any country (we're both community covid free at the moment) , people are stuck in the other country for a bit.

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  15. We booked a midweek break with daughter in Devon last September, we go on 24th May, just 4 days away with the boys mum and dad, we have a caravan of our own, probably the only break we will have this year. I plan to take wipes and clean everywhere before we settle in.

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  16. Since we left work, we have preferred to have long weekends or over nighters when we feel like it rather than holidays as such. We seemed to feel the need more when we were working.

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  17. You will have some lovely trips out. Strolling on a beach sounds wonderful to me. I miss the sea, too, and hope we can take a day there this summer. Because of the pandemic, I had to cancel the trip to London and Paris with my grandson, Jon. We are considering going next year, 2002. Praying that it will be safe by then. I am still being very cautious. Happy staycation to you, Jo. P. x

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  18. Hope you get some good days out, like you were not booking a holiday but we do have the joy of Stan the van now so I think we will stick with that as we can be completly self contained..

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  19. Sometimes ah hoc days out end up being the best. We've had the Lakes booked and cancelled twice now, we're due to go in September so am hoping it's third time lucky, but as you say it will all depend on the numbers.xxx

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  20. We are going to be as careful as we possibly can and fly to see our son. IT has been too long. We are vaccinated. his own has a low rate. My head and his head need more than phones and text.s I am prepping for a fun low key trip with the travel day s being the worst. We live in such a pretty town that summer and fall are vacation every day. currently its is snowing......Im not happy

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  21. I hear you on taking a vacation, both missing it over the past year or so as well as the hesitancy to take one as things ease up. My husband has already booked us a holiday in August, but we do have the option to cancel up to a month ahead of time. I'm thinking that the odds favour us cancelling but we will see how things go. As you said it would be absolutely wonderful to get away after all this time.

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