Feelin' hot, hot, hot!

Today, I’m off to the sun (in fact, by the time you read this, I’m probably there).  

You’ve probably got used to these blogs being a little erratic over the past few weeks due to busyness, laziness, whatever, but they will now be missing entirely for a period of about 10 days whilst I laze in the sun on my Cretan balcony.

I have been accused of being profligate about my holidays, chiefly because I have so many (“What, you’re going on holiday again?” people cry), but I would like to point out that I book my flights on the first day they are released and so get them dirt cheap. I have four holidays booked this year and for the two of us, the flights have cost less than £1,000 all in. We have very little in the way of living expenses when we are away because we eat cheaply and pretty much self cater about half the time with the usual housekeeping plus a little extra, and we don’t spend a fortune on ‘extras’ or excursions.

All in all, we spend about as much on four holidays probably as a family will spend on a fortnight’s package tour each year costing around £800 quid a head half board at the height of summer.

This year, I have booked one flight to Crete, connecting via Thessaloniki, for less than £60. My return ticket in September flying direct was under £100. I phobically check the Easyjet web site when I know the release date is imminent to get in right at the start for the best deal. The Hubby says I am obsessed, and he’s right. But I live for and love my holidays in the sun in the same way that some people can’t go without a skiing holiday or trekking through some insect infested, dangerous forest somewhere, and so I do anything I can to make it affordable.

I can see why many people would think we are lucky and spoiled with our apartment, and that we must be rich. But we’re not; we have chosen to step off the UK property ladder and be content with a low value house on an ex local authority estate and put our money into a place we love and which will serve for our retirement. I don’t see what’s wrong with that. We have chosen to have two mortgages now, when we are earning, to fund a dream for when we are older and in the meantime we have determined to take maximum advantage of or capital asset by using it as much as possible. We may be different or unusual in that respect, but we’re not rich and we’re certainly not spoiled – we’ve worked hard for what we’ve got, so why shouldn’t we enjoy it?

Holidays spread throughout the year are also a chance for some down time together. I’ve always believed that you have to work at a relationship if it is to have any chance of success, and that you have to make time and energy for each other too. During a standard working week we simply don’t have that; in between work, chores, pet care and running after the rest of the family almost every waking minute is taken up and we are exhausted. Going away means we can concentrate on each other, do things we both enjoy with enough time to do them properly and go back to having fun together, which is so important for a couple.

This time we are going to do some DIY (See? Not rich so doing it ourselves!) but even that will be an adventure in a small way, going together to the Greek version of Homebase and then working in the sun with a nice lunch as a reward. That’ll be done in three or four days and then we’ll have a nice relax before coming home, and it won’t be too long until the next time.

Can’t wait. See you all soon!