2022 is my year. I'm taking every opportunity I can and seizing and truly living in each moment. Which is why when I decided I wanted to go to Amsterdam I just booked it. I didn't know anyone who wanted to go and it didn't stop me.
Learning to be independent in a very dependent world is so hard to do. I started slowly, took myself for lunch, went to the cinema by myself, then decided to take a leap of faith and let me catch me. I've learnt so much in the past few months about how capable I am and I know that I can do and achieve anything I want to.
AMSTERDAM HERE I COME!
Travelling has never bothered me, I enjoy going on holidays and I don't find airports or flying scary. I'm nervous and a bit anxious but luckily my excitement for my holiday, my first solo adventure, has taken over.
Planning your holiday is normally just remembering to pack your passport and toothbrush because the travel agents have sorted the rest; or your mum. But this time around it's all been down to me. I booked the flights first, then the accommodation (I'm staying in a hostel), then I booked my transport to/from the airport in the UK and then worked out the transport to/from the airport in Amsterdam. I checked my luggage allowances and made sure I had the correct measurements for my suitcase. Then I spent an hour searching what forms I needed to get into the Netherlands and then back into the UK; a couple years ago it wouldn't have been much but thanks to 'Rona I need a plethora of documents to hand. Including paying for an LFT test, to do 24 hours before I fly out.
As I only booked my trip about 3/4 weeks before going I could have immediately checked into my flight. I didn't of course, because what fun is it being organised instead of pressuring yourself into a panic and doing everything at once?
Two days before I'm due to go and I googled (no word of a lie) 'what do I need to take on holiday with me?', it was surprisingly helpful although I still didn't organise myself.
People always say to make lists, and I do, I love a list but the issue is that my lists get so long and then I have another list with all my lists on and it gets very confusing and then I just sit down and procrastinate. Sometimes I watch Netflix, sometimes I go on social media and other times I write a blog post...
*Side note:
I've got to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of being an adult, it's overrated, I'd rather be eating turkey dinosaurs, playing with my barbies and bouncing in a bouncy castle. Instead I avoid all my problems (namely at the moment the sheer amount of emails piling up, dishes and washing) and nothing gets done. I think either I'm super organised or I have so much to do that I don't know where to start.*
I need an instruction manual, especially for going abroad. I had no idea how many euros I'd need for Amsterdam, so I took out loads and will probably have to go on another holiday just to use them up!
(That may have been the plan when I took them out be honest...but I have no idea how much things cost over there and despite having had several weeks to look things up, I haven't).
There is so much advice online for visiting different places but I think that's half the problem, I feel like I need to read everything and then I get overwhelmed and look at nothing. It's all just excuses really, I'm just lazy. I do work well under pressure though, thankfully, so I know I'll get everything done but that's mainly because I have no other option.
Being independent and going on holiday is hard enough to do, let alone when you've got to take a full time job with you, in this case, my CF (cystic fibrosis). It's not just my passport and covid forms I need, I also need a fit to fly test and a letter to take through security because of all the medicines I have. I buy my insurance separately because most regular insurances won't cover medical needs. (For anyone wondering I always go with 'insurance with'). When most people go away they leave their jobs behind them for a few days or a week or two, but for anyone with a lifelong illness we never get a break. Not at Christmas, not on our birthdays, never.
When I pack my medications it never seems like much but it's just that added stress, I can't go without my tablets or there will be dire consequences, so I have to pack more than I need and I have to make sure they're on me at all times.
For me my CF is just a part of me, I handle it well most of the time and I don't mind it. I'm nervous about doing my medicines whilst away this time because I'm staying in a hostel in a room with people I don't know. I don't anticipate anyone being rude or anything like that but taking medicines (inhalers, nebulisers, etc.) is a personal thing and it's scary doing it in front of people; I even used to make my own family leave the room when I did them.
I'm incredibly proud of myself and how much I have already achieved this year, even before booking my holiday. This is such a massive step for me and I'm excited to see what it'll show me and what more I can do because of it!
I shall try to write on here whilst I'm away or at least make notes, so anyone wanting to do a solo adventure or anyone who has an illness that never takes a break, can see any tips I pick up along the way. Or can simply read about my adventures, I'm certain I'll have some fun stories to tell!
For now, I have 1 day left before I fly out and about an hour to sort everything out, in between going to work and going to watch the rugby with some friends. Wish me luck xoxo
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