It’s official!  I’m going on holidays in June: WHOOP WHOOP!

I’m off to the soft sunny sands of southern Portugal, the stunning Algarve coast.

And I can’t wait.

I realized my big problem was a terrible form of indecision.

I hate saying no to possibility, to opportunities.  Even now, as I see a documentary on Turkey or think about the cheap flights I could have got for Mallorca instead, I get a little “uh oh” in my stomach.  Did I choose right?  Have I wasted a golden opportunity?  Should I have gone to Greece instead?

And that’s why I hate making a decision and choosing, be it one of my passions (writing, music, languages, animals, travel……) or the destination on which to spend my hard-earned cash and precious holiday time.

Because saying yes to one of them ultimately means saying no to all the others.  And what if I choose wrong?!  I grant you this is a minor issue in the grand scheme of things, but it’s like a little light-bulb has gone off in my head since booking my holiday.

I know I’ll love visiting the Algarve again; since the first trip there in 2012 I’ve always wanted to go back.  I also realized I had a very specific goal in mind for this holiday: to relax.  To walk, swim in the sea, read books, write and relax.  Lagos will be perfect for that because I’m already familiar with the place.

If I were going with Alex or friends, then I probably would have gone for somewhere I hadn’t been before because it’s always more fun exploring a new place with someone.

But as it’s both high-season for the markets and Alex needs to stay in Ireland for his citizenship process – and as I desperately wanted to break up the Irish hayfever season – I’m flying solo on this trip.  Just like the last time I went.

Only this time, I will have my books and my writing and plenty of long walks to keep me company (where last time I had twenty-something hostel backpackers and rather too many G&T’s).

This Lizzie has grown up (kind of) and I’m looking forward to seeing the town and having a holiday with a different perspective.

I may well be crying on the phone to Alex that I’m bored and lonely by day three but feck it, we’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.  Probably with a few G&T’s.

Ciao darlings!

Lizzie