When my mum moved to Cornwall in March last year (2013), the three children she was leaving before (although we're all adults now), was understandably upset. Spud and Littlest Big Man was also shocked to wave off their nanny, where as Baby Boo was too young to understand. We was not only waving off our mum/nanny to a place over four hours away from us, but we was also waving off our little sister/auntie and my mum's partner of over 15 years.
Tear's flowed during the moving day, the days leading to the moving day and also the days after the moving day, four hour's away is a lot longer then the 20 minutes at the road where my mum use to live, and four hours can be even longer if you hit traffic and/or delays. My mum tried to get us to see the brighter side of the picture, a holiday for free! Of course at the time, my little brother, myself and our eldest sister didn't care about the free holidays, the beaches, the place or the scenery.
Now, ask anyone of us today and I'm sure you'll hear the same from all of us, if we could, and if it was simple, we'd all move to where our mum lives tomorrow, in a split second, I would not change my mind. My mum, little sister and step father live in West Cornwall, and it is just one of the most beautiful-est places I've ever seen! It beats the countries I've been abroad too, and is by far one of my most favourite places in the UK.
Sadly though, with everything and like everything, even the promise of a free holiday isn't really free is it? First we have to think of petrol and train cost, the place where my mum lives isn't like the city town we are so use too! Reading is basically a city, and I think it will only be a matter of time before we get that status, we are just 25 minutes down the road from London via train, and about 35 minutes via car! We have a fabulous public transport network with buses running as frequently as every 6 minutes!
Step into the town where my mum lives though and you won't see a bus stop in miles, there's no direct buses to my mum's, or anywhere near for that matter and the nearest shop either way is five miles away! The beach is five miles away, the supermarket is five miles away, the garage is five miles away, everything is at least five miles away! Whilst the driving scenery is beautiful and unforgettable, it does however cost a small fortune in petrol.
Then there's the cost of food, I couldn't expect my mum to feed me and Spud for nothing, so I chip in with the cost of shopping, it's only fair, I have to buy shopping for us back home, and we'd still need to eat and drink no matter where we was! Then there's attractions, spending money for Spud etc, the cost of petrol driving to these attractions, the non stop ice creams also add up too!
So even though we don't have to pay for accommodation, we still have to have a small fortune to hand to be used on various things! That's why I'm entering the competition on UKbreakaways to win £250 worth of cash as the first prize! It would be great to win the first prize, or even the second or third place because they all will help with a holiday!
Fingers crossed for you and me! I can just dream of the fun we'd be having with my mum and family right now if I was to win!
Kind regards,
Jade :)