all about Gill

About me… I’m a 40-something year old girl, going on 70 or 20 depending on the day. I either don’t want to leave the comfort of my surroundings, or I never, ever want to return after being on another “best adventure.”

I was born & grew up in Berkshire, with my mum & dad and I had what felt to me, a typical upbringing in the 80s & 90s, and always felt very lucky.

Term time for me (& my dad, who was a devoted teacher at a school which I wasn’t quite clever enough to go to), was all about studies and extra-curricular activities including piano, flute and swimming lessons. Half terms and holidays were all about exploring. They mostly involved National Trust houses & gardens all around England (including the stamp-book, cream teas, collecting rainbow coloured pencils & erasers and completing the children’s quiz). And a timeshare in Fuerteventura, which was my second home for my teenage years, which my parents also swapped on occasion, for a week or two elsewhere from the catalogue of options, from Wales to New Hampshire, USA (which is absolutely stunning in the Autumn by the way).

My parents’ joy about finding a hidden beach or waterfall, driving along a scary mountain pass in a hire car, climbing up an historic aqueduct or whiling the hours away in a beautiful flower garden – come rain or shine, normally after we all slept in my dads car (a red Vauxhall Cavalier) or spending a night in an extremely reasonable roadside motel (a Days Inn), enjoying life to the fullest while spending minimal pounds, has definitely put my travel experiences into perspective.

It wasn’t until I met Luke, when we went on our first family holiday with our beautiful girls in 2013 to Egypt at the ripe age of 34, that I experienced my first all-inclusive holiday.

Several years of adventures later, I am now torn between lording it up and slumming it. I love both. Equally (ish).

I love road trips in the car (where you can pack everything AND the kitchen sink), either a staycation or taking the ferry or channel tunnel to mainland Europe. Whether it’s moving my life to Spain in the back of my Vauxhall Corsa in 2003 or navigating a European tour with my dad, Luke, and daughter Amy in 2016. A road trip is my all-time favourite.

I enjoy a city break (much to Luke’s dismay). But I am still keen to tick off my bucket list of places to visit as an adult, including Paris, Amsterdam, Prague, Rome, & Venice.

…. flying long haul, short haul, economy, business or first (a once in a lifetime experience!) including trips to Canada, Cape Verde, Turkey, Iceland, Mauritius, Cuba, Mexico, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, the Ukraine, Goa, Greece, Porto Santo, Norway, Sweden, the Azores, the Maldives & Thailand.

I love the structure of an all-inclusive, and dressing up for dinner at the buffet or one of the “fancy” restaurants (if you manage to get a table at a decent time during your stay).

Equally, I love the simplicity of self-catering… cooking a one pot wonder of ingredients you picked up from the local supermarket (made slightly more palatable by the salt and pepper you packed in your suitcase), listening to your favourite tunes, surrounded by your favourite people.

I have a holiday packing list for every eventuality.

There are occasions where you may need to just relax and not move from your resort, and I totally get that. I’ve definitely had a lot of fun, especially in my younger years, enjoying time staying put on resort. You get to know other holiday-makers and staff, and you actually make use of what you’re paying for.

I’ve never been shy about hiring a car (or moped, or quad bike) to explore. You never know if you will ever go back again, so try to leave no stone unturned. Find that amazing viewpoint, and seek out that delicious cantina in the village where the locals go…

Buy the guidebook, do your research, speak to friends or colleagues who have been there before… but don’t be upset to complete your own story.

Since I can remember; Luke and I take turns choosing our holiday destinations. We’ve been lucky to travel where we have so far, and we still have so many places we dream of exploring.

I hope that you enjoy reading through our archives, journeying with us on our current adventure, and inspiring us to complete our next.

Gill xx