Category Archives: Blogging

How To Fold Button Up Shirts For Travel

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How To Fold Button Up Shirts For Travel

A well-folded shirt is not only neater, but it also takes up less space in your luggage. Follow these steps to fold a button-up shirt for travel:1. Lay the shirt out flat on a table.2. Fold the sleeves in towards the middle of the shirt.3. Fold the shirt in half, lengthwise.4. Fold the shirt in half again, this time width-wise.5. Place the shirt in a Ziploc bag or other type of baggie.Your shirt will now be neatly folded and taking up much less space in your luggage.

Importance of Properly Folding Button-Up Shirts for Travel

When traveling, it’s important to have your clothes organized and wrinkle-free. One way to do this is by folding your button-up shirts properly. This will save space in your suitcase and help keep your clothes looking crisp.There are a few ways to fold a button-up shirt. The following is one method:1. Start by laying your shirt flat on a surface.2. Fold the sleeves in towards the middle of the shirt.3. Fold the shirt in half, bringing the bottom up to the top.4. Fold the shirt in half again, this time bringing the left side to the right.5. Finally, fold the shirt in half one last time.Your shirt is now folded and ready to go in your suitcase!

Assessing the Number of Shirts Needed for the Trip

When traveling, it’s important to pack light. One way to do this is to fold your shirts so they take up less space in your luggage. Here’s how to do it:1. Lay the shirt out flat on a surface.2. Fold the sleeves in toward the middle of the shirt.3. Fold the shirt in half lengthwise.4. Fold the shirt in half again.5. Place the shirt in a Ziploc bag or packing cube.You should be able to fit at least two or three folded shirts in a Ziploc bag or packing cube.

Preparing Button-Up Shirts for Folding

There are a few things to remember when folding a button-up shirt for travel. First, always button the shirt all the way up before folding it. This will help keep the shirt’s shape. Next, lay the shirt flat on a surface and fold the sleeves in towards the body. Then, fold the shirt in half lengthwise. Finally, fold it in half again, and it’s ready to go in your suitcase!

Choosing the Right Folding Technique

There are multiple ways to fold a button-up shirt for travel. The way you choose to fold your shirt will depend on the type of shirt, the amount of wrinkles you are willing to accept, and the amount of space you have to store it.The simplest way to fold a shirt is to lay it out flat, fold the arms in, and then fold the shirt in half. This method is good for shirts that are not wrinkled and do not require a lot of space.Another way to fold a shirt is to lay it out flat, and then fold the arms in so that they overlap the shirt. Next, fold the shirt in half so that the arms are now in the middle. This method is good for shirts that are wrinkled or need to be folded small.A third way to fold a shirt is to lay it out flat, and then fold the arms in so that they overlap the shirt. Next, fold the bottom of the shirt up to the middle of the arms. Finally, fold the top of the shirt down to cover the bottom. This method is good for shirts that are wrinkled or need to be folded small.

Step-by-Step Guide: Folding Button-Up Shirts for Travel

If you’re like most people, you probably have at least a few button-up shirts that you wear on a regular basis. But have you ever stopped to think about how you fold them? Folding your shirts the wrong way can actually cause them to become misshapen and wrinkled, which is the last thing you want when you’re trying to look your best.The trick to folding a button-up shirt for travel is to keep the collar, cuffs, and buttons as smooth and wrinkle-free as possible. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:1. Start by laying the shirt out flat on a table or the floor.2. Fold the sleeves in towards the middle of the shirt.3. Next, fold the shirt in half lengthwise.4. Now, fold the shirt in half widthwise.5. Finally, fold the shirt in half one more time so that it’s in a long, thin rectangle.And that’s it! Your shirt is now neatly folded and ready to go in your suitcase or carry-on.

Packing Strategies: Storing Folded Shirts in Luggage

Button up shirts can be a pain to fold and pack, especially if you’re trying to conserve space in your luggage. Here are a few tips on how to fold them for travel:1. Lay the shirt out flat and smooth it out.2. Fold the sleeves in towards the center of the shirt.3. Fold the shirt in half length-wise.4. Fold the shirt in half again, width-wise.5. Place the folded shirt in your luggage and it’s ready to go!If you’re not going to wear the shirt for a while, you can also store it folded in your luggage like this. When you’re ready to wear it again, just unfold it and it’s ready to go.

Tips for Minimizing Wrinkles while Folding Shirts

If you’re like most people, you probably have a few button-up shirts that you like to wear on travel days. They’re comfortable, versatile, and can easily be dressed up or down. The only problem? They tend to wrinkle easily.Here are a few tips for minimizing wrinkles while folding shirts:1. Start with a clean, dry shirt.2. Fold the shirt in half, lengthwise.3. Fold the shirt in half again, width-wise.4. Fold the shirt once more, in half lengthwise.5. Fold the shirt in half again, width-wise.6. Fold the shirt into a small square.7. Tuck the shirt into a small bag or suitcase.If you follow these tips, you should be able to pack a few button-up shirts without worrying about them getting wrinkled.

Unpacking and Restoring the Shape of Folded Shirts After Travel

Restoring the Folded Shirt ShapeIf you have ever traveled with a button-up shirt, you know the struggle of trying to get the wrinkles out. Not to mention, trying to get the shirt to look like it was when you first folded it. Here is a guide on how to fold your button-up shirt for travel and how to restore the shape when you unpack it.How to Fold a Button-Up Shirt for Travel1. Lay the shirt out flat on a surface.2. Fold the shirt in half, lengthwise.3. Fold the shirt in half again, widthwise.4. Fold the shirt in half once more, making sure the collar is folded down.5. Place the folded shirt in a packing cube or in your luggage.How to Unfold a Button-Up Shirt1. Remove the shirt from your luggage or packing cube.2. Unfold the shirt and lay it out flat on a surface.3. Shake the shirt out and smooth out the wrinkles.4. Flip the shirt over so the back is facing up.5. Smooth out the wrinkles on the back of the shirt.6. Fold the shirt in half, widthwise.7. Fold the shirt in half again, lengthwise.8. Fold the shirt in half once more, making sure the collar is folded down.9. Place the folded shirt in a packing cube or in your luggage.

EMMA BENNET ON RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL AUTHORTUBE CHANNEL

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For anyone not familiar with it, Authortube is the little corner of YouTube with writers producing videos. Not only is Authortube full of writing advice, but there are author life vlogs and lots of opportunities to take part in live writing sprints, which definitely make the writing process less isolating.

I loved watching Authortube videos and felt I could add something to the community. I wanted to offer support to writers as well as tips and tricks which could help them in their writing careers. I also figured I would learn an awful lot myself while researching for my videos. Becoming a proper part of the Authortube community also really appealed, they all seemed very supportive of one another, sharing one another’s videos, co-hosting live streams, and shouting out about each other’s books. I discovered this to be true very early on, and it’s made such a difference to my writing to have this wonderful group of cheerleaders.

I mulled over starting my own channel for more than a year before I finally took the plunge in March 2022. The time commitment to running a channel being a major hurdle as well as my complete lack of equipment. I didn’t even have a lovely, quiet place to film: I share a house with five boys and two large dogs!

I began filming on an iPhone 5s one afternoon when all my family were out. I had to prop the phone up on a stack of books because I didn’t have a tripod. The lighting was dreadful, and the video quality wasn’t great. Oh, and I’d made the mistake of filming in portrait instead of landscape. I also didn’t make a thumbnail for it. But, I had officially had a video available. This is definitely how I would advise anyone interested in starting any sort of YouTube channel to start (although maybe get the camera the right way round!): use what you’ve got and try it out to see if it’s for you before committing to buying a load of equipment.

The first few months were a very steep learning curve! I’ve never been very interested in technology and suddenly I found myself on a crash course in filming and editing as well as graphic design for thumbnails. I watched numerous YouTube videos to teach me what to do and cannot recommend Canva enough for thumbnails and putting your videos together!

Almost a year on, I’m on track to be monetised this year, which would be amazing. I upload two videos and at least one short (a video less than a minute long, like a TikTok) a week, as well as hosting at least two live writing sessions a week. I’ve also been able to collaborate on videos and live streams with other authors, and will be taking part in the Authortube Writing Conference later this year.

Running a YouTube channel is definitely hard work and isn’t for the faint hearted, but I absolutely love it. I’ve learned so many new skills, not least becoming confident speaking to a camera, and I’ve made lots of new friends who all share my passion for writing and sharing our skills with others.

The resources available for writers on YouTube now, and all completely for free, are just astounding, and I would advise anyone who hasn’t yet to check it out, whether you’re very new to writing or a seasoned veteran.

 

Find Emma on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKJKt8kmDXrWQAGkTV1VHMQ

The author of seven romances, Emma’s YouTube channel is full of tips and tricks for writers, book recommendations, author life vlogs, and live writing sprints.

Brits need 78 sponsored posts on Instagram to make their average annual salary

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With the ability to earn millions, even as a nano influencer, it’s no wonder that many people are now turning to Instagram for a potential side hustle.

Interested in social media earnings, money.co.uk collected the average annual salary for each European country from Eurostat and used social salary calculator Lickd.co to find out how many sponsored posts* an average European worker would need a year to match their country’s average salary.

The European workers that would take the longest to make their average salary through sponsored posts

Money.co.uk can reveal that in the UK, aspiring influencers would need a minimum of 78 sponsored posts on Instagram to meet the average annual salary of £18,338.

European Countries Average annual income

(GBP – £)

 Required number of sponsored posts
1. Switzerland 35,250 151
2. Norway 34,380 147
3. Iceland 34,096 146
4. Luxembourg 32,320 138
5. Denmark 26,221 112
6. Austria 22,673 97
= 7. Belgium 21,940 94
= 7. Netherlands 21,921 94
= 9. Finland 21,770 93
= 9. Ireland 21,805 93
11. Sweden 21,098 90

*= symbol means joint in ranking

Source: money.co.uk

In first place is Switzerland. Residents would require a minimum of 151 sponsored posts on Instagram a year to earn their respective countries annual salary of £35,250 – the most of all countries analysed.

Following in second place is Norway, where an estimated 147 sponsored posts a year would earn aspiring influencers the country’s average annual income of £34,380.

Placing third is Iceland. Uploading a total of 146 sponsored posts per year on Instagram would earn the same as the average annual income of £34,096.

 

Table 2: Workers in these countries could make their average salary the quickest through sponsored posts

European Countries Average annual income

(GBP – £)

 Required number of sponsored posts
= 1. Albania 1,906 8
= 1. Kosovo 1,759 8
3. North Macedonia 2,330 10
4. Turkey 2,581 11
5. Serbia 2,799 12

*= symbol means joint in ranking

Source: money.co.uk

Requiring the fewest sponsored posts in Europe are Albania and Kosovo in joint first place. The residents in these countries would only need eight sponsored Instagram posts a year to earn their respective countries’ annual salaries (£1,906 in Albania and £1,759 in Kosovo).

James Andrews, personal finance expert at money.co.uk, commented on the findings:

“Social media platforms such as Instagram have continued to grow as a potential earning source for those looking for more flexibility over their creativity. Since you don’t need millions of followers to start earning, this has definitely sparked some interest, encouraging people of all ages and hobbies to look to see if they could join in.”

Money.co.uk’s tips on managing earnings and saving for the future:

    1. Maintain a steady income – Earnings as an influencer may not always be consistent. Ensure that you have a main stable income to support not only your daily expenses but also emergencies
    2. Tracking expenses – Keeping track of your daily expenses can help control your spending as well as cut down the need for any unnecessary outgoings. There are a number of apps available to download to assist your money tracking needs. Make sure to have a look around to find the best one that caters to you
    3. Budget for savings – Tracking your daily expenses can motivate you to organise your monthly income into a specific budget that works for you, encouraging a way to store any extra earnings into savings straight away
    4. Contribute to a pension pot – If you are thinking about saving for retirement, you will probably be enrolled in a workplace pension if you have a traditional job – which you can frequently top up, or ask to join if you’ve opted out or don’t meet the qualification criteria. But making the move to full time influencer or becoming self-employed will mean you need to take action yourself. Private pensions are simple to open and contribute to, but make sure you do your research or speak to a professional to help you get the most of the money you put away in the safest way possible.

Methodology:

  1. Money.co.uk wanted to find out how many sponsored posts European workers would need on Instagram to earn the same amount as their country’s average annual income.
  2. To do so, Eurostat data was utilised to collect the average annual income for European countries, accumulating the most recent data from 2020. Data for Ireland, Italy, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia and Turkey are from 2019, whereas Iceland, the United Kingdom and Kosovo are from 2018. The figures reflect the NET earnings across each European country.
  3. To input the average annual income into a social salary calculator Lickd.co, the currency was converted from EUR – €  to GBP – £ using XE.com.
  4. Once converted, the average salaries were then input into Lickd.co to give the estimated number of sponsored posts per year on Instagram to earn the same as each European country’s average annual salary**. The social salary calculator takes a general assumption of earning as a whole and is not specific to a particular location***.
  5. A final ranking for each country was determined based on the number of sponsored posts.
  6. Data and conversion rates were collected on 8th November 2021 and are correct as of then but subject to change.

*Lickd.co’s estimated required sponsored posts are based on a minimum of 5,000 followers for users to be able to start earning around $350/£250 per sponsored post, where the estimated earning value can increase as the following grows.

**Potential earnings from sponsored posts may also vary depending on the estimated values of the influencer’s brand sponsor deals.

***SevenSix’s influencer pricing report conducted in November and December 2020 illustrates a comprehensive study on influencer pricing standard as well as an insight into the industry based on survey responses from influencers, brands and agencies across the UK.

Joffe Books offer a great selection again this week

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Here we go with a COUPLE OF  NAIL-BITING DOMESTIC THRILLERS FROM BEST-SELLING AUTHOR  Patricia MacDonald

Missing Child for a bargain price. Only 99p / 99c (for launch).  

Meet Caitlin.  Devoted wife. Adoring stepmother. Liar?    One phone call will shatter her picture-perfect new life. She dropped him off at school that morning. But now she gets a call — he’s not there. Caitlin’s six-year-old stepson Geordie is missing . . .

What Happened That Night? by the same author-  launch price  99p/99c 

Lisa remembers the first part of the night: an evening in the pub with her best friend. Then nothing. She wakes up, days later. She’s in hospital. Her best friend is dead. Lisa holes up in a remote country cottage, plagued by guilt and flashbacks: how did their assailant know them? Why were they attacked? And what really happened that night?

“I found myself frantically turning the pages, desperate to uncover what happened on the night of the attack.” Tracy Buchanan, author of Wall of Silence

                                                 

Flirting with Murder, by Brian Battison 99P / 99C

Two pretty young married women are brutally murdered. Chief Inspector Jim Ashworth is brought in to investigate and notices distinct similarities between the cases.  Both were brutally beaten. Both were unemployed. Both were suspected adulterers.

The Music Box Murders by Roger Silverwood  99P / 99C

Is there a serial killer on the loose?   There’s no mistaking the handiwork of Bromersley’s newest serial killer.
He strikes at night. Leaving no prints, no sign of forced entry. The victims killed by a deadly snake bite.
No snake is found. But a music box is left at the scene, playing its infernal tune.
The Can Detective Angel find the killer before anyone else pays the ultimate price?
                                                

The Demon Killer by Frances Lloyd £1.99 / $2.99

Oh crikey… Two bodies turn up and the postmortem detects wounds that were inflicted after the deaths. With rumours of a demonic beast praying upon people, the team realise there’s something highly dark and dangerous afoot, but Detective Jack Dawes is certain this attacker is entirely human . . .

The Corpse by Jeanne M Dants of St James £1.99 /  $2.99

Dorothy Martin is beside herself when an invitation to Buckingham Palace arrives for her and her husband.  Quick, quick, buy the hat. .A dream come true turns into a nightmare when they stumble upon the body of a young girl strolling around St James’s Park ahead of the event.  Was this an invitation to die for?

Joffe does it again… Some novels to keep us reading for the next week or so.

Available on Amazon.

See Joffe’s range here. Joffebooks.com

 

Will you be covered by your travel insurance?

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We are in worrying times and faced with the ultimate decision would you choose health over money. Is it worth the risk?
Insurance is a necessary evil and an added expense designed to safeguard travellers. It could be a saviour if you are caught in a difficult situation once you are on your holiday. But will it cover you if you want to cancel your holiday and stay at home?  

Insurance rules for epidemics and pandemics

Unfortunately, everything comes down to the stuff we hardly ever read – the small print. Previous outbreaks of world-threatening viruses like SARS, Ebola and Zika, have influenced insurers to be cautious and include only the necessary coverage for such events. And epidemics and pandemics have become excluded from most insurance coverage. Leaving holidaymaker covered for what will happen to them, but not what might happen to them. The World Health Organization has declared the latest virus outbreak as an international health emergency. However, although the insurance companies agree, they aren’t surprised by the newest virus to reach epidemic proportions, and to them, it is an expected risk they have already factored into their policies

Despite the lockdown happening in Italy at the moment, Europe is not on code red yet. There has been no official warning from the FCO not to travel in Europe. Special care should be taken in areas of South Korea (Daegu & Cheongdo) and China is still a no go zone. An FCO warning is the deciding factor for the airlines, travel agents, holiday and insurance companies, to motivate them to cancel flights or holiday packages and issue refunds.

Should I take my family on holiday?

The general insurance small print on the matter of epidemics or pandemics states that most claims will be assessed based on individual cases. But this doesn’t give much assurance to an average family about to embark on an international flight. And it doesn’t provide enough information for anyone debating whether to put health & safety first and stay at home instead. At the moment The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)  and the government are asking travellers to reconsider their need to travel rather than giving a direct warning. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean much to the insurance companies and asking the public to contemplate whether it is wise to travel will not entitle them to a refund for their holiday. Deciding to travel without heeding the advice of the FCO may forfeit your right to claim back any of your medical expenses or costs of repatriation. However, if your destination was not on the ‘no go’ list when you travelled but has subsequently been upgraded, you will fall into an insurance grey area, and any settlement will be based on discretion when you make a claim. In some areas, the risk may be low, but that doesn’t mean that in the worst-case scenario, it won’t escalate or in the best-case, diminish to nothing. Cancelling a holiday you have promised your kids for months. Or have saved your pennies to make happen, is a tough choice. But there may be other factors to consider when making a final decision. Do you need to go? Is your health good? Is anyone you will be travelling with vulnerable (young, elderly, or has a suppressed immune system? The decision will be a real tug of war between your head and your heart.

Best and worst-case scenarios

If you’ve planned your trip a long way in advance. Hopefully, you booked your insurance before the latest epidemic scare started too. If so, it is likely you will be refunded if the FCO advises against travel to your destination, and your journey is cancelled, rescheduled or shortened by the providers. Unfortunately, if the FCO haven’t declared your destination a ‘no go’ zone, it is unlikely that you will be able to recoup any of your initial your costs unless you can change or defer your holiday. Hotels are usually more forgiving in these cases. And some airlines are more forgiving when changing flights than others. However, the budget airlines tend to be strict unless you have taken precautions in advance and booked a trip with extra adaptability. If you decide to take the risk and travel to a destination not banned by the FCO, you should be medically covered if something happens, as long as your insurance policy was booked in advance. However, the level of cover differs between companies and policies. And make sure you take appropriate precautions to reduce the risk of infection. Otherwise, it is unlikely you will receive any compensation at all.

Living with Alzheimers – The Christmas Market by Chris Suich

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chris-suich-christmas-heart-i-love-you

Ho ho ho!
We are going to Beverley Christmas Market today with our friend.
‘Hurray!’ Bob says.
We get picked up at 9 am with our friend and arrive at 10.15am near the race course and park near the common land.
It was a scenic journey and a crisp winter day. Bob enjoyed looking at the landscape and commented that he could see for miles. We took a risk and didn’t take the wheelchair which I’d bought about a month ago for longer walks. Bob has started leaning to one side and the more tired he gets, the more he leans.
We set off walking along the common.

Two minutes later and Bob has had enough.
‘How much longer?’
‘Just a little while longer‘ I answer.
He holds onto my hand like a vice, crushing my fingers.
It is scary when your spacial awareness and depth is compromised.
Constant reassurance and guidance as to where to walk and preparation for getting up and down uneven steps or paths is called for. I’m determined that we walk every day as I know once the movement goes I won’t be able to manage him at home.

It is very crowded, even this early. It is Christmassy and the brass bands are playing Christmas carols which Bob recognises and joins in with, singing the lyrics and choruses he remembers.
‘Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way,’ he sings. Sometimes he just la la’s the tunes, quite loudly. I’m so happy when he remembers something and it brings a big smile to my lips.
We manage a few stalls but Bob finds the crowds difficult and the stalls are very busy. My friend and I take a hand each and we walk together, the three amigos.

I look for benches where Bob can have a rest and see one near the Beverley Brass Band. I get some change and put it their tin and the gentleman moves his music sheets and we sit for a while. My friend and I take it in turns to have a look at the stalls whilst Bob sits happily listening to the music with the person that is left. I can’t leave him to stay on the bench himself because he would get up and walk around looking for me. He went missing once – for 6 hours.

We head back towards the car. Bob spots a stall selling small hearts to hang on the Xmas tree. They are made from felt and embroidered with messages. He picks a white one with red embroidery and wants to get it. He holds it and tells the lady at the stall he has no money.

‘It’s okay, darling. I’ve got my purse and you can buy it,’ I say.
It says ‘I love you’.
That’s the best gift I could have, I think, when he gives it to me. It’s now on our little tree.
Happy Christmas everyone.

Travel thoughts: Interior design for holiday homes

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Interior design

 

A property with the WOW factor doesn’t happen by magic. It takes imagination and skill. But if you haven’t got the money to employ a qualified interior designer, there are plenty of good tips on the web. A savvy hotelier or holiday homeowner with a good eye for design can easily use this free information to improve the look and feel of their property for a fraction of the cost. So why don’t they?

I travel a lot for my job, so I am in and out of spaces all the time: hotels, apartments and villas. I have rented them all. I’ve also used big and small agents: Airbnb, Booking.com, James Villas’s and independent owners. Depending on where I am and what suits my needs, I select a property on a mix of location, size, facilities and look Location and size can’t be changed, but the amenities and interior design can. Facilities are a blog post for the future, but for now, these are my top tips for achieving attractive holiday home spaces.

 

Space

Cramming the communal areas with too much furniture, especially in open plan living arrangements is one of the biggest mistakes to be made. In large properties, sofas and armchairs should be clustered together to create cosy areas. And the use of different colours, textures and patterns in specific areas such as sitting rooms and dining rooms can add appeal and intrigue.

 

Light it up

Lighting sets the mood and ambience of a room. Too little and the place is gloomy and depressing. Too much, and it feels sterile and unwelcoming. If you are going to invest time and money, to improve a room, lighting is an essential element to get right. When natural light is weak, use cleverly positioned mirrors within a space to highlight the colours, textures and patterns. When an interior space is too bright, soften the area with textural curtains or blinds.

 

Add Colour

Colour sets the tone and mood of property just as much as the lighting. So it’s worth researching the psychology of colour. However, bear in mind that not all the design tips for using colour will suit your property. For instance, in chalet interior design, where wood tones tend to dominate the palette, red may not be the best choice for a dining room. And green may not be ideal for a small bedroom.  

 

Fabric softener

Fabrics are perfect for adding interest, texture and colour to a room. They can be employed used to create character and style by either complimenting or contrasting depending on the feel you want to achieve. A classic interior design styling tip for integrating soft texture within a bedroom is the use of cushions and bedspreads. And rugs are ideal for adding depth and warmth in a living space. The overall number one interior design tip for creating harmony within a room is accessory repetition. And three is always the magic number.

 

Maintenance

Above all, remember there is no point creating unity of colour, texture and pattern if the windows are dirty or curtains are unevenly hung. A good cleaner is worth their weight in gold. And no one likes shabby furniture or broken appliances, so please owners – stay on top of the maintenance!

For a more in-depth knowledge of a chic home environment and other themes, here’s how to become an interior designer, so you won’t need to hire a pro if you need one.

Revised from a blog written for the OVO network

 

Sam stone is a freelance writer with an enviable job of being a travel and lifestyle blogger After working in the publishing industry for 15 years, she now travels the globe documenting her experiences for commissioned blogs and specialised web content. Based in Cornwall she unapologetically confesses to being a beach bum and obsessed foodie who is always on the lookout for her next big adventure!

Ditching the daily grind and taking off in a camper van was novelist Rosanna Ley’s fantasy. Then she and her husband actually tried it… 

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Who doesn’t fantasise about getting away from it all? Escaping the daily grind, travelling to somewhere warm and wonderful? Who doesn’t occasionally dream of cloudless blue skies, golden beaches and a sparkly Mediterranean sea – not just for a week or two on an annual holiday, but for longer… much longer?

Ten years ago, my husband Grey and I resolved to make this fantasy a reality. We were both in our frivolous 50s. We had both spent our adult lives working full-time. And we were both a little weary. Where had the excitement in life gone? We seemed to have reached some sort of turning point – a bit ‘do or die’. Now that the children had left home – almost – shouldn’t we be thinking about doing something we’d always dreamed of?

Need Text

‘If we weren’t working,’ Grey said mournfully one day, ‘we could just up sticks and leave.’

‘Leave?’ I echoed. It sounded so final. My younger daughter was still living at home, although she too had the travel bug and was planning to visit Australia for a year. How could we just leave? And what about all our… stuff?

‘We’ve got far too much,’ he declared dismissively. ‘We’ll do a car-boot sale, put the rest of our stuff in storage, rent out the house and go.’

Grey made it sound so easy. I thought of those clear blue skies, imagined the writing inspiration that might be had from such a trip.

But this shared dream was just a fantasy – wasn’t it? Couples talk like this all the time – well, we do. We go somewhere on holiday and by day two we’re looking in estate agents’ windows. It doesn’t mean we’ll be moving there anytime soon.

But a few days later, we spent our savings on a camper van. (Yes, the woman who dithers over cans of beans in the supermarket can spend £20,000 on a second-hand camper van in the blink of an eye.)

Should we have done this earlier, later, never? Were we too young or too old for a camper van? Who cared? We so fell in love with that van and were soon trundling off happily for weekends in Dorset. But it wasn’t enough. It was like a drug. We needed more of the open road. We needed to be living our dream.

So we took the plunge. I gave up my teaching job, Grey wound down his client diary. We cleared the house and begged the loan of friends’ garages for storage of all our worldly goods. We organised shelter for my younger daughter until she went to Australia and for my elder daughter who had moved back home to save up for a trip to South America. What was going on with this family?

We redecorated the house and advertised it for rent – this would be our income. We would go on a road trip – for six months or more. We would live close to nature. We would make our own entertainment – Scrabble and reading, no TV for us! We would be free to go wherever the wind blew us. It was a fantasy, yes. But we would make it come true.

Our day of departure dawned. We waved goodbye to my daughters and headed for Dover. We had done it. We were on the road and heading for Italy.

The first two weeks were wonderful. OK, there were some minor hiccups. We hadn’t taken into account the hilly terrain in Liguria – many a steep, narrow road proved too much for our van. Nor had we realised that campsites in Italy were so expensive. And we hadn’t dreamed it would be so hot. (I will never complain about air-conditioning in an apartment in the Med ever again.)

Getting stuck up a mountain on a tight bend, damaging the camper van’s back panel in a complex manoeuvre designed to get us to the beachfront then getting lost while scrambling down a hillside of olive trees… Such things are bound to make tempers fray – especially in that heat. And in our haste to be free of all our possessions we had forgotten a few vital pieces of equipment – such as the coffee maker and the duct tape. But that’s what it’s all about, we reminded ourselves, as we settled in for another interminable game of Scrabble. It’s about having exciting adventures, new experiences, being free. And there’s always another camper vanner around with an unfeasibly large toolkit to help out in times of trouble.

But, two weeks in, things were not going as smoothly as we’d hoped. Our van was small – with the table erected, the person trapped on the far side could barely breathe, let alone move – and we had to make up the bed from scratch (or should I say slats?) every night. Yes, every night. It’s surprising – even when you have little else to do all day – how very tedious this can become.

It turns out that – surprise, surprise – size matters. Claustrophobia set in. We tried to stay outdoors most of the time but, actually, it rains quite a bit in Italy. Still, we remained cheerful. This was our shared dream, remember. If this was what it took to make that dream come true…

By week three, like Napoleon once was, we were exiled on the island of Elba. And very nice it was too, we agreed, as we sampled the delicious gelato. But money was getting tight, which meant two things. One, we had to eat in – every day. And two, we couldn’t afford to stay in campsites. But, hey, weren’t we at one with nature? Heating up bottles of water on the dashboard for an outside shower after a day on the beach only went to show how resourceful we had become.

And, as all camper vanners know, there is an alternative to campsites – it’s called ‘wild camping’. In our fantasy, this meant finding deserted beauty spots in which to park the van and gaze out at an unspoilt landscape. In reality, it meant car parks (marginally safer and quieter than roadside parking, though I didn’t say this the night half a dozen youngsters practised their motorbiking skills around the car park at 2am).

How to keep the shared dream alive

  • Remember that sometimes a fantasy is more fun when it stays in your head
  • Check from time to time that you still want the same things
  • Value what you leave behind – you won’t know how much you miss it till it’s gone
  • Have a back-up plan
  • And don’t forget the Scrabble dictionary!

In one such car park we met some friendly Italian camper vanners, immune to the hordes of mosquitoes we fought to escape from at twilight every night, who showed us around their (much larger and homelier) van with pride. There was a language barrier, which may explain why they left the car park and we stayed – only to wake up at 5am with a raucous Italian market setting up around us and no way out. But, well, it’s all part of the fun.

Back at home, we had friends, family and colleagues to chat to; on the road we had each other. It was good to have so much time to talk. But… in small spaces, over time, conversations with your nearest and dearest can become a little, shall we say, intense. Past misdemeanours and misunderstandings that you may or may not have forgiven may once again rear their heads. But we could get through this – together.

It was lucky we were so close, we kept telling ourselves. But did we want to be quite that close? All the time? We had given up material things – but had we also lost sight of civilisation? When we eventually left Elba, Grey was following a camper van with GB plates at breakneck speed. I glanced across at him (by this point we didn’t need words).

‘They’re British! Why don’t they pull over and talk to us?’ he asked me through gritted teeth.

This, let me tell you, is what travelling in a camper van can do to a person.

And then autumn arrived, and it began to get cold. We realised with a feeling of mounting horror what this meant – more time in the van, together. More talking, more Scrabble, more opportunity to examine our relationship. Did we really want that? Could we survive?

We considered travelling further south in search of sunnier climes. But funnily enough, driving was beginning to feel monotonous, too. And finding places to sleep at night was also becoming a strain. It was still great to be on the road – but wouldn’t it be even better to stop in one place for a while?

‘Why not just dump the van and rent an apartment?’ Grey suggested.

I stared at him. Dump the van? Rent an apartment? What about our shared dream?

‘Somewhere hot,’ he continued. ‘The Canaries?’

Which is how we came to leave our van in Italy – to be collected in the spring – and book a flight to Fuerteventura. Sod the expense. We rented an apartment with entire rooms to be alone in. It had a bed that remained a bed, day and night, and a bathroom with proper drains – no chemical toilet to empty and clean. Pure bliss.

We started enjoying each other’s company again. We began looking forward to returning home. That’s right. Going back home became our new shared dream.

Rosanna’s latest novel The Lemon Tree Hotel is published by Quercus in hardback, priced £20.99.