Aaahhhh.
That is simply how I’m feeling right now after nearly a month away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. It was a VERY relaxing holiday with less time running around and more time dedicated to enjoying a slower pace of things.
That said, it wasn’t a month without some interesting things happening! There’s so much to go through that I’ll try and break it up into chunks.
Week 1
This is the first time I’ve travelled in Business Class just for a personal trip. After such an exhausting period before hand, I wanted to maximise every bit of my time off. It was a pretty early start given that the flight was at 0530, which meant getting to the airport around 3am!
I fell asleep almost immediately after take off and relaxed the entire way to Dubai. A quick stop and shower was just the bit of refreshment I needed along with some decent sushi and it was on the flight to the UK.
I met up with my brother who moved to the UK about a year ago and basically was shown some of the less touristy areas when he wasn’t at work. Lots of visits to Brick Lane and long walks around town. One day I even did something like 65000 steps!
In week 1, I realised I was still tense: I’d wake up at 0530-0600 London time and not be able to get back to sleep. I was also constantly expecting emails or messages from work even though I didn’t have roaming enabled
After a few days it was off to Greenland. The beginning of the adventurous part of the trip.
Nuuk wasn’t anything like I expected. It’s a tiny city next to the most amazing mountains and landscapes with glaciers not too far off. For a city with such a tiny population (less than 18 000), there was a LOT of high rises and lots and lots of construction around town. It was still a quaint place, but it felt like it was under a transition. If I happen to come back in a few years, I imagine it will be vastly different from now.
Ilullisat is a short local flight away and was the highlight of Greenland. Situated at the foot of a glacier, it was a town where you had icebergs just floating by outside your window!
At the end of the week, it felt like I had left civilisation and I finally started to wake at 6am but then at least fall back asleep and start to relax.
Week 2
The next week began back in UK with my wife arriving to join me for a leg of the trip. She arrived with the news that the Queen had passed away and Britian went into a period of mourning just as we left. We went to Paris and Belgium as a sort of honeymoon since Covid-19 had mangled our plans.
It was my first time on the Eurostar and I still find the fact that you can board a train and end up at another country, simply amazing! It’s just not something I’m used to being in Australia. Heck, you can’t even go to another state quickly via train here!
Now I didn’t expect much from Paris since I thought it was all about fashion and snobby people but I really enjoyed my time. The architecture was beautiful through the whole city. We stayed in a lovely apartment with a balcony called Le Beau Marais (affiliate) and had a wonderful host. Oh, and the pastries: they were delicious!
I will say that overall, while the baked goods were much better, I feel like I’m spoilt in Melbourne with the quality of food and restaurant dining here. The Melbourne coffee is something I’ve missed this entire trip. Apart from one cafe in King’s Cross called Half Cup, the rest have not really been memorable (not in a good way at least).
Week 3
This week began back in the UK as it became our “base” between all our travels. A few more dinners and walks with my brother were had. This time, we stayed at a lovely hotel called The Clermont (affiliate). The problem was, it was only a short distance away from the Palace and given the funeral proceedings, it was just so busy in the area! I’m told I was lucky in that my booking wasn’t cancelled last minute to accommodate visiting dignitaries who often stay at said hotel.
By week 3, I was finally in holiday mode. I could go to bed and sleep in without random wake ups from noises and light. I’ve had short holidays for the last 6 or 7 years and a part of me had forgotten just how long it takes to ease into a more relaxed pace.
After a few days in London, we made our way to Stockholm where my wife was attending a conference. I tagged along since I had never explored much of Scandinavia.
It was also this week that I received from Samsung. Months ago, I completed some random challenges and filled in this form. They responded that month confirming I was going to be part of the Samsung Makers for the next year. In essence, I received a contract saying I was an actual #influencer. 😅I actually have to add #sponsored to certain posts in the near future!
Week 4
This week was the first not to start in the UK, but still in Stockholm. Well, we really got there at the end of Week 3, so it was more a continuation of that. This was the laziest week of the holiday involving very slow sightseeing and lots of naps.
It was the first week where I actually wanted to get back into doing things. I really wanted to sit and edit photos and write the newsletter etc. I started receiving emails about work and wasn’t just annoyed by them.
I suppose that’s how you know you’ve had a long enough break?
And now…
I’m back in the UK just for a couple of nights since my original return flights are from Heathrow. I’ve actually been hunkered in my room at a cozy hotel called The Hoxton (affiliate). It’s got a bit of a steam punk flair and I love it!
Overall
It’s been a while since I took an extended break and this one reminded me that I probably should take one more regularly than I have in the past. It also seems like 3 weeks is the magic number. It takes a while for me to unwind (or maybe that’s just been the result of the whole covid thing?) and the third week is the one that felt restful.
The other imperative part is that the holiday is where I’m not going to get calls or have work related things pop up. It really slows down the ability to unwind.
Lessons learnt for next time!
For now, it’s time to enjoy the last 24 hours of Europe and then head home in style.