The power of anticipation

Having something to look forward to has so many benefits.  It can be energising and helps relieve stress.  In its simplest form, having a bad week at the office but having fun plans for the weekend keeps you going and helps you focus on doing what you need to do knowing that you have a reward at the end.

Simple things that we can anticipate include things like looking forward to taking a lunch break during the day, watching your favourite TV show, indulging in a piece of cake after a week of dieting, planning holidays and other ways to treat yourself.

Over the last 18 months we have had little to look forward to with not being able to see family and friends, some people haven’t been able to work whilst others have been overworked. My 50^th birthday plans didn’t happened as travel was out of the question.  We didn’t get to see our daughter for several months and even when we could, only at a distance, outside.

So, as we crawl carefully out of lockdown and can see people again, we are starting to plan activities that are fun and where we can spend time together.

C and I have booked a week away in late September down to the south coast.  We will make use of our National Trust and English Heritage memberships and visit lots of castles and houses in the area.  I did a google search of other things in the area and came across a vineyard not long from where we are staying.  I mentioned it to C and that they did tours and tastings and they had some vacancies for the time that we are there.  He didn’t take much persuading to book it.  So we have one definite activity booked to look forward to.  Something that’s very grown up and elegant too.

R lives near to Hampton Court Palace and often walks through the parks to view it from the outside.  We have been there before but she doesn’t remember visiting the house, only the time we took her to the flower festival for her birthday one year.  She often spots activities they host but generally they are quite expensive.  I spotted something in my socials time line of a food festival there over the August bank holiday weekend.  I mentioned it to her and she was keen, so I mentioned it to C and he’s booked it.  What’s not to like with all sorts of fab food and drink in a Tudor palace?

So I now have two exciting things to look forward to that are both quite refined events and very grown up, but appeal to some of my favourite things to do: spending time with C and Rand eating and drinking fabulous things.