The Question on Everyone’s Mind

It seems that no matter who I talk to across Europe, there is one burning question, one topic of conversation, one import thing everyone wants to know. “What are your summer holiday plans?” Taking a vacation isn’t a privilege, it’s a right. Everyone does it. No matter what’s going on at work or how busy things may be, everyone takes at least a week, usually two, and sometimes four off.

I had no plans to take a holiday over the summer until I started hearing this question on a near-daily basis. Taking long weekends seemed like it would be enough, but it’s not. We really do need time off to rest, relax, and recharge so I started thinking about where I’d want to go and what I’d want to do for a week or two. I thought about an all inclusive resort by the beach doing nothing but laying in the sun, reading books, and drinking fruity cocktails. I thought about renting a car and driving wherever the mood would strike in order to see more of the countryside and small villages. The options would be endless as there’s so much to explore in Europe but the thing that held me back the most was wondering if I’d be able to do a week or two somewhere alone and how much I’d enjoy it. Two or three days is fine, but seven or ten alone?

Well, I now have a summer holiday booked and it’s none of the things I thought of. In fact, it’s something I never would have come up with and probably never could have dreamed of doing. In September I’m taking two weeks off. To start, some friends from the US are spending time in Italy at the end of September. I’ll be meeting them in Florence for three days to sightsee. It will be great to see friendly faces and catch up.

As if a few days in Italy weren’t enough, this other thing (the one I wouldn’t have imagined) cropped up and I just couldn’t say no. Two of my expat friends are doing a sailing course and were looking to complete their Skipper certification before the end of summer. At the same time, their instructor has to move a boat from Mallorca to Alicante and had the brilliant idea to combine the two events. To make it even better, the instructor offered that a couple extra people could come along for a small fee to fill the boat. And guess who one of those extra people is. Yep, this girl! My summer holiday itinerary has been confirmed:

• Three days in Italy
• Two days in Mallorca
• Five days sailing (Mallorca – Ibiza – Alicante)
• Two days near Alicante