Finally.
The sun is shining, the temperature is up and if you haven’t booked already, we’re all thinking about holidays. Sun and sand, cities and exploration and food adventures.
This summer looks like a a staycation for us. Weekends jaunting about the British isles – we’ve a wedding in Wales, distillery tours to plan, Rugby World Cup training and visits to family long overdue.
Bon Marche are currently running a competition over on their website, offering the winner a £3000 holiday, not bad huh? As part of their promotion for it, they asked me about my holidays – my dream holiday, and the one thing holidays have in common – no matter how short, or whether they’re at home or abroad. Packing.
I’d like to claim I’m brilliant at it, but my husband will tell you that even if I’m going overnight, I will forget something. Always, without fail. If I’m lucky, it’s something easily replaceable, like my toothbrush. On rarer occasions it’s been everything from underwear to shoes.
But I have learned some things, some rules that I stick to, that mean I don’t pack everything but the kitchen sink. I try to be as organised as possible, so that it is just one thing I leave behind.
Lists. Lists of what I’ll need, how many pairs of knickers, will one swimsuit do, or should I take two. A separate list of my toiletries, so I don’t end up hitting the first pharmacy I can find when I get to my destination for shower gel, shampoo or sun lotion.
Colour coordinating. This saves so much hassle. Coordinate your outfits so that if it does get a little chilly, the one cardigan you take with you will work with all your choices.
Accessories. Sometimes the tiniest thing – a scarf, or a necklace – will liven up your outfit, taking it from day time wandering around the shops, to an evening in the local taverna. And as a bonus, they don’t take up much space in your bags.
Pack the ‘must haves’ first. I’ve started to put them in the case as soon as I think of them. I can move them about, shuffle them into pockets, but not take them out of the case once they’re in.
And remember, unless it is a must have like medication, and so long as you’re not off to the wilds of Timbuktu, you can usually buy things you need while you’re there.
So where would I go if I could pack my bikini today and head off anywhere in the world? Our favourite destination is Santorini. Go in October, when it’s quiet, just before the season ends. We switch off our phones, ignore our emails, and spend a week lazing on the beach, reading, eating, chatting.
But I’d love to go back to Hawaii. I was lucky enough to visit in my late teens, and it’s an incredible place. I really don’t think I saw as much of it as I would like to, I’d like to island hop, take in the other islands, and revisit Wakiki Beach and Waimea. I’d like to see it again, as a grown up.
But enough about me. This is about you. Get yourselves over the Bon Marche website and enter already.
I’d really love one of you to win it.
With thanks to Bon Marche for the little beach bag of goodies, that I plan to make use of over the summer!