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| Smiles of freedom & cocktails |
The week leading up to our girlie holiday was a WhatsApp frenzy. Blink and you were 30 messages back and completely lost as conversations erratically jumped back and forth reflecting our pre holiday hysteria. Photos of potential outfits, gifs of sun bathing dogs, weather predictions and general statements of excitement were on a constant loop. The last topic before our departure was especially special. The plastic liquid bag.... Photos of ones full. Photos of ones empty. Screen shots of government websites. Suggestions of what to leave in and what to take out. I think by this point it was fair to say we'd exhausted the pre holiday chit chat.
On Thursday 7th September, after eleven months of preparation and build up only a nights sleep separated me from three days and nights of child free, self indulgence girlie time in the sun. Unnervingly the excitable butterflies which had been present for the last 7 days (at least) had flown away and in their place was an unwelcome mixture of nerves and uncertainty churning over and over. Images of relaxing in the sun and drinking cocktails were now replaced by thoughts of forgotten passports, crashing planes and a snoring room mate. This combined with the rush of getting work, kids, the house and my lady garden in order left me feeling a little apprehensive and wondering is all this effort really worth it...
Below, in case you're undecided are 10 reasons (14 really) why it most definitely is.
1/ You get to be the one with no kids
Those child free people you enviously gaze, or secretly glare at, you have now become. Lets be honest this alone is enough and pretty much is the enabler for everything else that follows.
1a/....in the airport
With children, here and the plane are definitely the most stressful, anti child environments I've ever found myself in. Alone, they are a breeze as apposed to 'I'd rather gauge my eyeballs out with a plastic fork' painful. Duty free can be browsed without constant fear of the precarious alcohol displays been destroyed and ridiculously overpriced sweets spotted.
1b/....on the plane
Your personal space is left totally intact. You can order a hot drink. The only thing on your knee is a magazine. You get to smile sympathetically at people with kids then smugly get back to reading your book (yes I know, a book!!!)
1c/....by the beach
Even though on family holidays my hubbie does most of the sandcastle digging / inflatable sea bobbing activities I never relax. Apologies to all those with children who saw me indulging in not one but two body massages. I know it probably felt like I was taking the piss.
1d/.... at the restaurant
There's no need to chose your meal based on if the kids don't like theirs could they eat yours or can you eat the dish with one hand and if need be shovel it down in 30 seconds? You're free to have whatever you want and without Bob the Builder DVD playing in the background.
2/ You get your handbag back
Once the baby wipes, spare clothes, snacks, satches of capol, toys, books, water bottles and more snacks have been emptied out you realise that you don't actually have anything of your own in there. TBH I reckon I could easily get by with a bum bag.
3/ You get to feel physically free
As I usually have someone or thing hanging off me I never realised how light I actually am. With your empty handbag you'll be gliding along like Mr Soft.
4/ You get to do whatever YOU want
An opportunity to be purely selfish. Eat what you want, drink what you want, go where you want, stay where you want, do what you want, get up when you want. You get the idea.
5/ You get to not share
Whatever you desire, it's all yours. No need for secret scoffing before anyone gets back, turns around or wakes up. The chocolate, the chips, the sweets, the crisps, the dessert, yours, yours, yours.
6/ You get to have hours and hours of uninterrupted girlie chat
A fantastic opportunity to be fully engaged with your besties without interruption. You have time for each other. Time to listen and time to talk properly rather than snatched, inattentive moments in between supervising soft play antics. Most of it was frivolous, fun silliness that left us crying with laughter and feeling 18 again but it was great to also be there for each other in mind rather than just body.
7/ You get to get ready
Without compromise or interruption I got to straighten my hair, apply lipgloss and actually check myself out in the mirror before heading out, with a tiny bag and wearing a white top. (Apart from the first night when fuelled with a body full of afternoon San Miguel I didn't even shower)
8/ You get to drink Shakira style (whenever, wherever)
My favourite drinking moment was leaving our sunbeds around 3.30pm when the sun had been taken over by clouds in search of a recommended beach bar for a couple of drinks. 4 & 1/2 hours, 30 G&T's, 1 Malfoy lookalike discovery, 3 million tears of laughter and 12 alcohol stained red cheeks later we headed back to our sunbeds to find the sunbed man gone as were all our left belongings. After this we glammed up, hit the town and partied till 4.30am. How, I have know idea. #proud
9/ You get to have a child free hangover
Nothing more to say on this one!
10/ You get to miss them
