Trips always sound adventurous and exciting. We’ve all read a blog that made us dream, heard friends who’d just come back sharing travel stories and thought “oh, that would be nice…”
But the truth is that’s it’s not always the easiest thing to make up your mind to leave. Especially if you haven’t done it before, or if it’s been too long or if you’ve made a family in the meantime and you have yet to plan a trip for all of you together. And though planning may be easy (you search, you find, you negotiate, you book tickets/rooms), what happens when the day comes when you have to pack everything up and lock the door behind you?
Κάνε κλικ για να διαβάσεις αυτό το άρθρο στα ελληνικά!
For many, even frequent travellers, the day of departure is a special day and involves a lot of pressure, practical as well as psychological. As a practical matter, leaving involves a large part of preparation. Lists to make sure you remember everything, calls and emails to organise activities that may need pre-booking, paperwork, if you need to issue passports or visas. And of course, the eternal struggle between that part of you that knows you don’t need the fourth pair of trousers and the other part of you that always retorts “what if I need it and I haven’t packed it”?
But there is also a subconscious, dark part inside many of us which holds a fear that we don’t usually confess. It is the fear of the moment of separation from the safety of our routine. When the car’s been loaded, the shutters secured, the water main turned off and you catch yourself feverishly going through the last minute list to find what you have forgotten. While you’re taking the rubbish to the bin, you feel like everyone knows you’re going on a trip and they’re giving you dark, accusing looks. Where are you going? How can you leave us? Are you sure this will all be here when you return? Where will you buy milk tomorrow morning? Will you be able to sleep in a strange bed? WHY ARE YOU LEAVING?
But you know what? You’ll go and come back and your routine will still be there. Your parking spot will probably be empty. Your corner shop will have fresh milk. Your neighbours will greet you, your home will light up and be just like before. The only thing different will be you.
You will have travelled.
Family Travel Adventures 