Flying helps dreams come true

I shared recently about our first family holiday.  Unfortunately we didn’t fly, and N hasn’t yet flown anywhere.  I think the OH would be a bit scared of taking a young child abroad, but I think there’s so many other people managing it then why couldn’t we.

I have to admit that I didn’t fly as a child as most of our holidays were in the UK and then later via ferry or coach (the latter tended to be choir tours).  My first flight was post university, when 3 of us went to Gran Canaria and had the time of our lives.  Ok so we might have been aged 18-30, but we didn’t get drunk, we didn’t stay out massively late, and we were happy to spend evenings enjoying good food and then entertainment at the apartment complex.  Karaoke specials and winning the pub quiz!

Since then I’ve flown a bit although not maybe as much as I’d have wanted to.  I love the freedom that it provides, the opportunities, the education; it’s a means to absorb and experience all those places you’ve dreamt of since reading about them as a child.

Most places have been close to home…

A fabulous prize of a weekend in Barcelona which was a girly weekend taking in the culture, beach, sangria and entertainment on Las Ramblas. Well, I say girly weekend.  It was actually a football competition to win tickets to watch Barcelona play at Nou Camp, but the timings of flights didn’t get us in until too late to watch the match (major muck up by the pr team organising it), so there was no football involved. Just food, sangria, beach, harbour, artist, architecture, a boutique hotel and shopping.

Honeymoon in Florence and on the Tuscan coast.  Wonderful food, relaxing time, lots of walking along the beach, amazing hotels and culture in Florence.

Then a couple further afield…

Experiencing my first long haul flight to New Zealand with the OH to tour round and stay with friends.  We had a wonderful 3 weeks in a trusty rented Hyandai car, touring the South Island, and discovering our friends’ homeland.  Nothing like traumatising before departure, trying to locate somewhere suitable to do my first ever fragmin injections due to previously having had a DVT.  Of course the medical centre in the airport was before security, but I had to inject an hour before take off, so we had to find family toilets so the OH could come in with me in case I fainted doing it.  Then trying to dispose safely of a needle.  Hmm, not the easiest thing.  Luckily I enjoy flying so once we’d sorted that out I could relax (before having to go through the same at the other end).

And not forgetting a 5 day trip with a friend to New York.  It was a magical time in the early run up to Christmas so perfect for experiencing the Christmas lights turn on and the store displays.  Definitely a city I’d love to return to and explore the rest, especially to see a show on Broadway, as when we visited before there was a Broadway strike and no shows on.

The OH isn’t keen on flying – or more the hanging around waiting once you’re checked in, whereas I find the whole process really exciting and interesting.  Maybe I’ve just not flown enough to lose that excitement.

There’s a few places I’d love to visit apart from a return to New York…Boston in fall, Canada to see the sights  in the city, plus see the spectacular Niagara Falls, and do some kayaking in the wilderness.  Further in the other direction, Jordan would be top of my list.  I’d love to see the city of Petra, and as my mum lived in Jordan for a bit as a child (my Grandma set up the first Brownie pack there), I’d love to see the country she lived in.  I’m also planning to go on a joint 40^th weekend away with my best friend in a couple of years.  She suggested London, but if we’re having a special occasion treat, I want to go further afield…maybe Marrakech or Tunisia.

I can’t wait to take N on his first holiday abroad and his first flight.  With air traffic control in my blood (both my parents were in air traffic) and my dad having been an avid aircraft spotter, I’m hoping N will be as excited as me for his future holidays.

Where’s been your favourite place to fly to and where is your dream destination?

This post is an entry for the #Flying100 Family Holiday Challenge, celebrating how flying allows us to make memories and ‘be there’, in association with #Flying100. Find out more at Flying 100 Years website.