Well hello! If you're reading this on the day it is posted and you're in the UK, you've probably enjoyed a nice lie in because it's the August Bank Holiday! I know I did. Who doesn't love a long weekend? It's hard to fit everything you want to do into one weekend. House work, life admin, social commitments, personal time, oh and that "accidental" series binge on Netflix. It all swallows up a lot of time. I know I've mentioned it before but this year I'm trying to have days off that other employed people would have. I'm trying to have bank holidays off and I'm trying to give myself holiday days throughout the year as well. So, today I have a day off. Tomorrow? I also have a day off. Why? Because I wanted to take a certain number of holiday days and I'm actually running out of time to take them before the busy season comes. Tonight I'm meeting up with some members of The Yes Tribe to go for a river swim and sleep under the stars in my bivvy bag. I wanted to be able to take my time getting back into the swing of things on Tuesday so I decided I wouldn't rush back to work, I would have the day off. So apart from the lie ins - what are Three Wonderful Things About Bank Holidays in my opinion?
1. There will pretty much always be a guaranteed rainy day to spend indoors.
Terrible news if you're headed somewhere for the weekend, but for those of us who spend the long weekend closer to home this is kind of a welcome thing. When it is super sunny outside I feel a lot of pressure to be outdoors enjoying the weather. When it is a rainy day I feel absolutely no qualms about curling up in comfy clothes with a good book, listening to the rain outside. Britain seems to be cursed with bank holiday bad weather. It's kind of a rule here. Oh, and there must be tea. Many cups of tea.
2. That extra day to spend however you want.
In my little world of weekends, I have a common routine. I like to wake up early on Saturday, eat some breakfast and then go run my local parkrun. What is it? It's a free weekly timed 5km run. People race it, people jog it, people walk it and there is probably one near you. You always get to meet new people and see the familiar faces from the weeks before. After I do parkrun, I like to have a coffee with my friend and then get on with my day. Saturdays for me are much more productive. Sunday I like to relax and I also usually get to see my niece. Sometimes I run to my brother's house for breakfast with him and my niece and then we'll spend the day together. So with those two days booked, I know how most of my weekends look. That third day that comes with a bank holiday? It's my wild card. I can do whatever I want with it. OK, so I do whatever I want with the other two days of my weekend as well. Today I'm using my bonus day to tidy my room and pack for tonight's campout.
3. Slow breakfasts.
I'm self employed and I work from home so really I never have to rush my breakfast. In fact, I'm a firm believer that no one actually has to rush their breakfasts, because everyone chooses what time they set their alarm for. I make sure I have time to prepare a nice breakfast for myself every morning because I am a BIG breakfast fan. That being said, I still eat it at my desk Monday - Friday, unless I've been for a morning run. On Saturdays, before parkrun, I'll take my breakfast back to bed with me and read my book while I wait til it's time to leave the house. On a bank holiday, or post morning run, or on a Sunday when I've not run up to see my brother, I'll make my breakfast - probably the same as usual - but I'll sit at the dining table and look out at the garden instead of my computer screen. It makes a difference and I spend more time enjoying my food instead of getting straight into work.
How are you spending your bank holiday? What is your favourite thing about a long weekend? I'd love to hear about it!
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