So, I am on Day 2 of my Kidney Detox and already feeling rubbish, it's going to be a long month if it continues in this way. I will not be defeated though, I washed my hair and dried and straightened it this morning which is always a task as I have really thick long hair so it takes a while. I then did some work followed by my Bed Build programme and one of the BGB programmes within The MS Gym and then if that's not enough I went and collect my beauty products from my lovely beauty therapist and then filled my car up with diesel. It's now 2pm and I am exhausted lol!! Hence, I thought I would sit down and write a post as it has been a few days.
We haven't really done much lately, it definitely feels like Groundhog Day over and over and over.... it's getting a little repetitive. What is also getting repetitive is the fact that my son keeps beating me at Chess. We typically have a few games every day which is really lovely - except he is always mean to me and says I am rubbish and that even when I think I am doing well he tells me that I've lost... I think I've beaten him may be three times out of about fifty games so yep not going great for me! However, whether I win or lose is not important to me, it's actually about spending time with him and I am already feeling the dread looming for when he goes off to Uni in September. Not sure how I am going to cope, but it's really important for him to gain real independence and as someone who went to Uni I am really glad he wants to take that path. I don't believe you need a degree to do well in life but the experiences and friends you gain at Uni will stay with you for life. I definitely had the best days there and I am still really close to my two best friends from that time, we will be best friends forever no matter how often we see each other (sadly it's been a while thanks to covid) or chat to each other. He will have some of the best days of his life before he enters the adult world of working and paying bills! I imagine, given his age group have missed out on almost their entire College experience it's going to be one hell of a party at Uni for the next few years :-)
Holidays
I really miss going away, even if it's just for a weekend - so yesterday I made the decision to just book something and fingers crossed we will be able to go. It's not until later in the year but I've booked a cottage that we were meant to stay in last July - sadly it was just as they were allowing people to stay overnight in places but the people who own the place weren't ready so our visit sadly got cancelled. Even though it's ages away just the thought of having something in the diary gives me something to look forward to. We are staying near the sea and taking the dog with us, it will be lovely and chilled out. We are also tempted to book somewhere with the boys but we need to work out who wants to come with us and who doesn't. Not sure if you saw the appalling Ryan Air advert that said 'jab and fly' - honestly, yes we would all love to jet off somewhere but now is the not time. I know holiday companies need to recoup some money and making bookings but perhaps a more diplomatic approach would be 'where would you rather be right now' or 'where would your next dream holiday be' - I would love to go to Greece, the Maldives and Oz - although Oz won't happen until the boys are not reliant on us and we can go for a few weeks. I love flying and getting away, we've been lucky to have so many lovely holidays that not being able to go abroad for a year or two is hardly the end of the world. We have our whole lives ahead of us to travel the world.
One of my favourite holiday destinations would be San Francisco - we were lucky enough to visit there for a few days as part of our honeymoon. We fell in love with the city, except be warned it was cold even in August - they have a very cold windchill so make sure you take a hoodie and some jeans with you. We did a helicopter ride over and under the Golden Gate Bridge which was truly amazing and then we visited Alcatraz which was quite the experience. It was a fascinating tour and one that everyone visiting should do. You take a boat out to the island and then if memory serves me correct the guided tour (headsets) took about an hour or so. We ate in some amazing places including seafood at Pier 39, saw the Sea Lions, rode the cable car around the city and even saw a Magic Show. I would definitely recommend a city break there if you ever get the chance.
Another favourite destination is Massachusetts - when I was 18 I spent a year as a nanny just outside Boston in a place called Natick. I looked after twins aged 18 months and a new born baby - looking back I can't believe I had that much responsibility! I had a fantastic year there and have kept in touch with the family. I decided it was time for Stu to meet them so in 2019 we spent ten days out there. Most of our time was spent staying with my 'host family' in their beautiful home and then we spend a few days on our own in Newport. It was great being back and it felt like home still. The kids are now all grown up and make me look very small (I am only 4ft 11). They made Stu feel really welcome and we had a great time showing him the city, enjoying amazing food and just hanging out. I was really surprised when they showed me the original artwork I had painted in the playroom back in 1996 - they had recently been redecorating and when they removed the wallpaper they discovered it was all intact underneath. They knew I was coming to visit so they decided to keep it on display so I could see it and here I am with Mikey (left), Ali (next to me) and Sean (right). Mikey and Ali (twins) we very mischievous and Sean was the baby I spent hours rocking to sleep because every time I put him down he would cry!
Anyway back to our trip, I took Stu to the Cheers Bar, we did the Duck Tour around the city (in the pouring rain), we took a cruise out to see the Skyline at night, we ate in amazing restaurants, spent time on the lake next to their home, went to beach in Falmouth and had a really relaxing time spending time with Donna, Michael and the three grown up kids. I would go back again in a heartbeat, it's such a beautiful part of the world. If you haven't been then add it to your to do list - you won't regret it.
Now I'm feeling very nostalgic and want to go away - haha perhaps reminiscing wasn't the smartest idea when we are stuck at home! But it has reminded me of some really amazing holidays and gets me excited about doing many more adventures in the future.
If you are looking for a holiday and you have younger children then I always recommend Turkey. It's always been a go to holiday destination as its always been reasonably priced with amazing accommodation and food, plus you can always guarantee the weather will be lovely and hot. If you haven't been I highly recommend it especially if you are going with children - the hotels cater really well for all ages and there are always tons of activities like football, table tennis, waterslides and more. We normally fly into Belek and stay in a resort around that area, there are so many amazing hotels to choose from. The staff are always top notch and really care about their guests. It's a shame that some of these places won't survive the pandemic but hopefully in time other companies will take them over and the hotels will thrive again.
Hope you've enjoyed my holiday chat, it's taken my mind off feeling a bit yucky which is good and I'm going to sign off the computer and go watch another episode of Chasing Life on Amazon Prime - it's a series set in Boston (it's lovely seeing film shots of where we've been) about a young reporter who is diagnosed with Leukemia. Even though I know it's fictional, stories like that make me realise how lucky I am and that however hard MS can be it is not as bad as going through something like that.
Enjoy your day, no matter how hard it might have today because there is always someone worse off and life is what we make it, so be positive and try and find ways to be thankful even when you do feel like shite!
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