Say no to the group holiday
And what’s in my cart for summer vacation
I’m in the throes of planning our summer holiday and while many people will be aghast at how late I’ve left it, this is basically how I roll every year. I am commitment shy and the idea of booking something in January for late summer unnerves me (I’m a late summer vacationer, there’s too much going on in London in June and July to want to leave).
We are moving nurseries in September which gives us the opportunity to withdraw our son from the nursery one month early and save the fees (if you’re not familiar with how nurseries work, you have to pay in full when you take your child out for a holiday or you’ll lose your place - expensive stuff) and we’re going to put that extra cash towards a long vacation. I’m actually looking into house swaps at the moment - a few friends have done it recently and raved about their experience.
In this letter are some things I’ve got in my cart for the trip and then below the paywall is a piece about - whisper it - why I hate group holidays. Or, more specifically, why I think they’re a terrible idea from the age of 35 to 45.
So, what’s in my basket for hols?
Obviously I can wear this Pucci number as an actual sarong over swimwear but also as a skirt around whichever European coastal town/city I end up in.
Urgh this orange Hunza G swimsuit would look so fab with the Pucci sarong. Again, whether you’re by a pool or not. Also tempted by the lilac.
These Arket bikini top and briefs are simple and perfect. Add to basket.
I’ve been looking at various crochet and straw hats but I feel like this one from & Other Stories meets my needs.
A silk skirt is a must and this one is a treat (for evenings, once the toddler is in bed. He would destroy it in seconds). I’ll wear it with an old band t-shirt.
And, finally, I’ve been looking for some new sandals that are comfy enough to walk for miles in (and aren’t Birkenstocks) and these A.Emery ones are the ticket.
Now I just have to decide where to go. Right, onto group holidays….
I want to start this off by saying that I’ve had some wonderful, magical group holidays. My first, aged 15, was to Malaga with a group of school friends, two of whom came home with questionable tattoos. There was the time 12 of us rented a villa in Palm Springs where the hot tub looked like it had various waterborne diseases by the end of it. There have been a number of group outings to Mallorca, on one of which I met my husband. Twenty (!) of us once all stayed under one roof in Sicily and incredibly not one person fell out with another. Group holidays can be joyful, brilliant experiences. When I think of all these trips (any many more like them) I can’t help but smile. And, now, I’m done with them. At least for the time being. Because I firmly believe that at this stage in my life they just don’t work.