Learning To Be A Beach Bum

So you remember all those posts i've made lately whinging about the weather and how it better get its act together and co-operate when we took Flynn down to the beach? Well, we went away this past weekend and i am happy to say that we had glorious sunshine both days - good job Mother Nature!

Mick and I were both kind of excited to see how Flynn would react the first time he saw the ocean. Good news is we got a great " Oh wow Mum! Dats da beach! " and a very excited little smile. Bad news is he wasnt exactly fond of the water until the fourth and last visit to the beach, and by that time Daddy had already headed back to Dubbo ( Flynn and i stayed on an extra day, as i dont work Mondays, and drove home with my parents ). He loved the sand - he kept saying " i playing in the big sand pit! " and had a ball chasing the seagulls and looking for shells, and he was very interested in all the little hermit crabs that Poppy and I found in the shallows - he just wasnt too keen on getting his toes wet. I think it was a combination of just being completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of water ( as a kid from the country the most water he sees on a regular basis is in the bathtub... ) and the fact that though the air temperature was lovely, the water temperature was still a bit cool.

I'll admit that though we had fun all four times we went down to the beach, i was a little bit upset that Mick had to miss out on Flynn finally taking to the water. We went down to a small bay not far from our holiday house late Sunday afternoon and, with a bit of patience and a bit of coaxing from Poppy, Flynn not only came in for a swim being carried by an adult but he was eventually running into the shallows all by himself. Once he figured out that he could splash and kick and that the little waves werent going to knock him over, he got into the whole beach experience. And though i was disappointed that Mick missed it, I'm glad that Flynn did eventually take to the beach - its an Australian rite of passage to have summer holidays to the beach, and i want him to enjoy them and look forward to them, the same way I did as a kid.

So after the success of the weekend ( which just wasnt long enough ) we are hoping to be able to go back down in the Christmas break, as long as we can jag some accommodation at the right price. By that time of course we will have a 4 month old aswell as Flynn so 3 or 4 days will be more than enough!

Trusting Yourself - Travel

This another blog in the #Trust30 initiatve series - cant believe i'm up to prompt #5 already...

( From Chris Guillebeau ) Not everyone wants to travel the world, but most people can identify at least one place in the world they’d like to visit before they die. Where is that place for you, and what will you do to make sure you get there?

As a teenager - and especially one who suffered from depression - i constantly had my head in the clouds, dreaming of the future ( which, in my mind, would no doubt be much better than my present... ). And these future adventures quite often occurred in exotic locations, foreign destinations as far from my rural town existence as i could get. I did a lot of day-dreaming, so choosing just one place that i'd like to visit before i die hasnt been easy.

I've been fortunate enough to be able to have travelled a little. I lived and worked in suburban New Jersey, USA, which allowed me to spend a lot of time in New York City ( and doesnt every film loving teenager dream of going there? ); i did a four day trek through the Andes to Machu Picchu and experienced not just the majesty of Mother Nature but the spiritual beliefs of a culture much, much different from my own ( its a long story ); and i've done the SE Asia thing, spending a few weeks traipsing through Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. At one point, my short term life goal was to have visited at least one country on every continent before i turn 30 - with only 2 and half years to go i am only 2 continents shy of that goal but, unfortunately, a lack of finances has made achieving that goal impossible. So where do i go from here?

Morrocco

I move the goal posts from " ...before i turn 30 " to " ...before i die " and to achieve that goal i'd take my updated dream trip - a few weeks travelling from Morrocco , through Portugal, into Spain, and then across to France and finally Italy. So rather than the " place " referred to in the prompt question, i've gone with the one trip i want to do before i die. This trip crosses everything off my list - two continents, fantastic food, different cultures and languages and a broad range of experiences.

Spain

 Its a trip i could do with my husband ( who is still currently my fiance ) when our children ( currently only one but we'll work on that towards the end of this year ) are grown; something we can aspire to do when we retire, or earlier if circumstances allow. It will mean dedicating small savings to a specific account, sacrificing frivolous things would could have in the here and now, knowing how amazing the end goal will be. It means cheaper, smaller, domestic holidays as a family, quality family time spent in our own backyard, saving that big overseas trip for us as a couple - a reward for a job well done in raising a family. ( Presumably ).

Italy

And it means that i keep dreaming of the colours; the aromas; the rushes of excitment - and live my life as if that dream is only a day or two away...

* All images from http://www.weheartit.com/  - and i hope the bullfighting picture doesnt offend anyone, i just wanted something that was quintessentially Spanish...