I have always wanted to travel. I visited Thailand when I was 18 and loved it. During one amazing day snorkeling at An Thong National Marine Park, which is without a doubt one of, if not the most beautiful place on Earth, I decided I needed to see more of the World. It was one of the reasons I trained as a teacher after finishing my Psychology degree. The plan was to teach in different parts of the World and travel at the same time. I’m happiest in the sun, bare feet or flip flops and by the ocean, the sea breeze on my face. Northampton just wasn’t doing it for me. I started my teacher training and even booked a ticket to the teaching abroad show when life threw me a curve ball. One that I wouldn’t change for the world now, but one that never the less made me have to put my travelling plans on hold. 8 years later and I have another two of the little curve balls making my travelling plans seem like another lifetime.
I still dream of travelling and introducing my children to different places, different cultures and different experiences. We have been as far as Europe with them unless you count a business trip I sneaked on to America, LA and Laguna with James when I was pregnant with Ava. I find it hard to plan for a holiday now with the varying ages of 8, 5 and 15 months. As those of you with children know, it’s not really a holiday unless the children are happy. So here are 5 things that would now make up my perfect holiday.
- Happy kids. As I said above happy kids mean happy parents which ultimately means a good holiday. Somewhere that has enough activities to keep the 5 and 8 year old happy. Then things we could do with the toddler or the toddler could do without us. It would have to be somewhere we were happy leaving her with well qualified staff. The ability to have a few hours off Mummy and Daddy duty would be amazing. Babysitters in the evening meaning we could go for a meal and not have to quietly shuffle around the hotel room would be an added bonus. Having child and toddler items provided for us and kid friendly accommodation is also pretty high up our list.
- Culture. Part of a holiday for me is going somewhere different. I like to be able to explore where I am, see new sights and experience new things. I also think it’s really important for children to experience these things too so they learn to be tolerant and enjoy differences.
- Adventure. As much as I love relaxing (more on that in a minute) I also love being able to do things that I wouldn’t normally be able to do. I’ve recently decided to learn to Snowboard as James already does and its something I’ve always wanted to do. The boys love the snow and so does Ava.
A video posted by MummyandMonkeys (@mummyandmonkeys) on
When we took the boys sledging they loved it!
I’ve been known to para-glide and I would love some more surfing lessons. The boys including James would enjoy any sporting activities that were on offer. James is a Pro Golfer so a golf course would be popular. For Ava watching her experience new things with her natural sense of adventure is a must.
Kyle hanging from a branch very high up after climbing to the top of the tree! #treeclimbing #nofear #bluestoneblogger #bluestonewales #bluestonebloggers A photo posted by MummyandMonkeys (@mummyandmonkeys) on
- Relaxation. An important part of a holiday for me is some time to recharge. To spend quality time together without the stresses of everyday life. Playing games, swimming together and having the time to just watch and be with your children.
- Food. When I’m on holiday I spend time every day thinking about and planning our evening meal. I like to be able to put on a nice outfit and sit somewhere nice, glass of wine in hand watching the sunset and enjoying food that I haven’t cooked. I also like to be able to try out new dishes and meals that I wouldn’t usually have at home. We don’t eat out that often so it’s a real treat for us all. Somewhere that can cater for Ava’s allergies without us having to worry would be amazing.
Mark Warner are looking for ambassador families to be part of #MarkWarnerMum and #MarkWarnerDad. Their amazing holiday resorts would definitely tick off all 5 things on my dream holiday list. I want travelling to become a bigger part of my life again. It would be a dream to do this with my children, to be able to have new experiences and explore the World with them.
****This is my entry to become a #MarkWarnerMum for 2016. Wish us luck****