Well who knew Anglesey was so nice? Everyone except me, right?
I'm just back from a few days away and it blew my mind. Aren't the beaches lovely? It's a stone's throw from my Merseyside home but I'd never visited. Madness.
The reason I was there was because of a significant birthday in my partner's family; that was why I lost my Anglesey virginity. But now? I've got the route, I know the best beach carpark, and I can visit whenever I have a free day. Win!
The Leeza McAuliffe is Branching Out digital book tour starts today! Wooohoooo! For the next ten days, I'm going to be permanently online, scrolling and refreshing, to see what people think of my baby. Obviously it's not that high stakes. If my book were an actual baby, I'd ignore what anyone else thought and be proud and contented at the marvel I'd willed into being. That's parenting, right? Yeah, I thought so.
Maybe I should take that view with my book. It's fine if no one likes it. As long as I'm happy, that's all that matters, yeah? Sigh. I'm not sure it's that simple. I write books to be read and I care what people think. That means I'll be scrolling and refreshing for the next ten days, crossing my fingers that Leeza McAuliffe finds new readers. Oh, the anxiety of it all? Parents, you have it so much easier. (Lolz. Sarcasm. Natch.)
Five days in Anglesey meant five days with no television, very little Internet, and not much music (apart from my phone blaring The Wasia Project whilst I did my hair each morning.) The good news in this cultural dearth was that I had a book. The Fathers by John Niven was perfect. A page turner from the start, full of humour and implicit social commentary. Two very different men become fathers on the same day, and a connection is made that twists and turns. All the swears, lots of Glaswegian dialect, and an emotional gut punch that truly winds. I filled a happy beach day lost in its pages.
The gastro-pub I ate in, was properly nice; the menu filled with the classics done well. Take a look at my cheese pie. I did worry it'd look like I'd ordered from the children's menu when I substituted the peas for beans, but what could I do? Peas are gross. The whole thing was utterly fit. Cheese pie, beans, chips, and gravy. Like I was carbing up for a marathon. Mmmmmmm.
Because I was with my partner's family, I didn't have much control over the places we visited. I didn't want to pitch and putt, nor play beach games en masse with Very Competitive People but I was part of the visit regardless. Luckily I had my book. As well as reading on the beach, I spent a happy couple of hours in the coffee shop near the golf place, whilst I earwigged on the patrons nearby. Leeza McAuliffe Book 4 will have some great dialogue stolen from there.
So now I'm home. It was nice to have a break from the routine for a short burst but I'm desperate to be back amongst it. One of the things I've learnt is how much I don't need holidays from my life anymore. I still want to visit new places, of course. I like nothing more than planning a break and researching where to go. The difference is, I have nothing to escape from. When I was teaching, knee-deep in assessments, marking and stress, it was all I could think about. How lucky am I? Yes, very. Very is the correct answer. Well done to everyone that shouted it at me just then. I hear you.
Have a lovely week, folks.
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