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| Me, E and Nanna at the Aquarium |
While getting away is a fantastic opportunity to explore new locations, relax from the 9 to 5 and generally escape reality; going home to spend time with your parents and in-laws isn't normally what springs to mind when you start planning a family holiday, but this time 'round, we couldn't comprehend an alternative.
Our initial motivation to venture north was to attend my brother in-laws nupitals. Knowing school holidays would be in full swing and Teach had time off, we decided to stay on to allow E to develop stronger relationships with his extended family and enjoy the down time ourselves, of course.
As both of mine and Teach's parents still live in the "Ville" going back to our homeland was just what we, the grandparents, cousins, auntys, uncles, godparents and, most importantly, E needed.
From play dates at The Strand, to watching big Sharks swim overhead at the Aquarium, to spending afternoons under the hose in the back yard (a traditional way to spend a hot NQ afternoon), our holiday was just that; a getaway with no stress, no accommodation hiccups at 3am or horrific travelling experiences (remember Darwin?!) with a crying baby.
We feasted on home cooked meals, caught up with friends, had a choice of babysitter if we wanted to go out (that in itself was worth the trip!) and E always had someone to take him to the park/pool/beach/shops if he was getting restless at home.
I've never been more relaxed in my life and I belive I can safely assume Teach feels the same way.
While venturing somewhere new for a family holiday is always an exiting option, sometimes the act of keeping it simple with a destination you know is truly the best case scenario for everyone.
Only problem is returning to reality to find your support network is gone but your child's expectation of park play dates remains the same... Eeek!
