Perhaps a little planning is in order..

It's only next week that Hugo and I head off on our latest travel saga round Ireland and the UK.

Ummm, should we start to think a little about where and what we're gonna do whilst there? Hmmm, probably.

And so it is, we are holed up in a local coffee shop, web searching our options. As usual, my Gemini brain is everywhere except where it should be, and I'm sitting across the table from Hugo, wondering if the internet is really a help or just a hindrance in terms of independent travel, these days. 

Yes, it's fabulous to be able to book train tickets and ferry crossings and castles, windmills, lighthouses and glamping accommodation before you leave the comfort of your lounge room, but has it taken the element of surprise and wonder out of it all?

Gone are the days where you walked into a travel agent and paid for flights, boarded a plane with a backpack and a sturdy pair of shoes, and just went with the wind.

I now find myself having to make 1000 choices on accommodation, checking for any negative feedback on Trip advisor before I make any final commitment. I check weatherzone for the weather report, ticket tek to see if there are any shows in town, BYOJet for travel specials. Our choices have widened so much that every BnB listed in AirBNB begins to look the same.. Free WIFI, off street parking, power shower, what ever the hell that is.. 

I find myself longing for the day that I can kiss my kids goodbye for 12 months, pack my bag, a few photos and start walking.. Whether across Spain, across Europe, or around the world. I long to just 'go'. Simply. Lightly. No planning, no preparation, just throw in some knickers and a spare t shirt. And head on out.

That's my plan for the future, some people long for financial security, bigger cars and apartments and toys. Me? I want to sell everything and wander away. Learn to live without. Is it the years of having to be both Mum and Dad to my kids, having to be responsible for their health, stability and having to live with the threat of homelessness or poverty over my head that makes me feel like this? Probably. 27 years of being a sole provider coupled with the sudden realisation that my last baby is almost an adult. I can finally exhale. We made it. 

The kids are all now at that age where their Mum doesn't know anything, she's outdated, her ideas are ridiculous and they all know much better.  I have successfully raised 5 fiercely independent young people, capable of carving their own paths in the world and succeeding at their chosen fields. So, I'm gonna make a break for it.. Before they start having kids and realise that maybe I might just be useful after all. And by then I'll probably be in Bolivia or Peru looking after an orphan or two. Or volunteering in some women's shelter somewhere. Travelling the world, laughing and getting into mischief.... 

But until that time comes, I'll go back to planning our journey to the UK... Now, where was I? That's right, checking reviews on The Merchant House in Dublin.