Holidays: not all about the destination
Every year students return to school in September with sun-glazed skin and fantastic stories about their journeys in Italy, the Caribbean islands or whatever exotic place they have just returned from. But, just because a student doesn’t go away on holiday, this doesn’t mean they had any less fun or excitement in those six free weeks and for some reason there is an expectation that if you didn’t spend an extravagant amount of money on a flight and hotel resort that your holiday isn’t a ‘real’ holiday. I suppose this leads to the question that I have been asking myself for years. What exactly counts as a holiday? Is it the searing temperatures or the blazing sun? Is it the mad surfing waves or the soft white sand? Is it the mere fact that you must take an aeroplane to get there? Every person will define a holiday as something different, so is there a definitive answer as to what a holiday is?
1. The destination
Everyone has a different opinion when it comes to choosing where to holiday, especially when you’re going on holiday with your family; one of you might want to go to Italy for the ice cream and another will want to got to Australia for the gnarly surf waves. For me personally, I think of one place when thinking of ice cream and surfing and that’s Cornwall. This quaint little county offers some of England’s most beautiful beaches and most creamy ice cream and it’s far easier to get to than Italy or Australia…cheaper too!
2. The travel
I think that for many people if they are simply driving for a few hours they don’t feel like they’ve really gone anywhere, and therefore getting on a plane or a ferry feels much more exotic. I think that travel is one of the most significant things that factor into what makes a holiday a holiday because when you fly over a country or sail across an ocean you truly feel like you’ve escaped your reality and stepped into another more relaxing one, away from the chaos of your own life. Personally, flying makes me feel care-free because of the idea that I am miles above any problems that I may have in and around my life. Perhaps this is the reason that many people believe a holiday must be overseas.
3. The activities
Again, every person is different, and some people will want to go windsurfing, rock climbing, sailing and various other activities when they’re on holiday, whereas others will want to merely relax and sunbathe. But regardless of their own needs a lot of people would rather go to a resort run by a big company because it means they have the option to do one of these activities if they would like to. So, is it the idea of being given many options that makes a holiday? And, are there not resorts in England?
I believe that everyone should be able to say that they’ve been on holiday, whether it’s abroad or half an hour away. It shouldn't be about who you can impress on Instagram or about what the rest of the world thinks of how you've spent your time off. Realistically it doesn't actually matter where you are. A holiday is very much down to the level of fun that people have and how much they can relax and escape from the struggles of their everyday lives; that escape can happen just as effectively in your back garden. Even in another country your problems can still reach you in the form of social media or work emails. So let’s stop this prejudice against holidays at home and allow everyone to share their holiday stories, no matter how far away or expensive they are.
By Amelia Lorrimore, Year 11
1. The destination
Everyone has a different opinion when it comes to choosing where to holiday, especially when you’re going on holiday with your family; one of you might want to go to Italy for the ice cream and another will want to got to Australia for the gnarly surf waves. For me personally, I think of one place when thinking of ice cream and surfing and that’s Cornwall. This quaint little county offers some of England’s most beautiful beaches and most creamy ice cream and it’s far easier to get to than Italy or Australia…cheaper too!
2. The travel
I think that for many people if they are simply driving for a few hours they don’t feel like they’ve really gone anywhere, and therefore getting on a plane or a ferry feels much more exotic. I think that travel is one of the most significant things that factor into what makes a holiday a holiday because when you fly over a country or sail across an ocean you truly feel like you’ve escaped your reality and stepped into another more relaxing one, away from the chaos of your own life. Personally, flying makes me feel care-free because of the idea that I am miles above any problems that I may have in and around my life. Perhaps this is the reason that many people believe a holiday must be overseas.
3. The activities
Again, every person is different, and some people will want to go windsurfing, rock climbing, sailing and various other activities when they’re on holiday, whereas others will want to merely relax and sunbathe. But regardless of their own needs a lot of people would rather go to a resort run by a big company because it means they have the option to do one of these activities if they would like to. So, is it the idea of being given many options that makes a holiday? And, are there not resorts in England?
I believe that everyone should be able to say that they’ve been on holiday, whether it’s abroad or half an hour away. It shouldn't be about who you can impress on Instagram or about what the rest of the world thinks of how you've spent your time off. Realistically it doesn't actually matter where you are. A holiday is very much down to the level of fun that people have and how much they can relax and escape from the struggles of their everyday lives; that escape can happen just as effectively in your back garden. Even in another country your problems can still reach you in the form of social media or work emails. So let’s stop this prejudice against holidays at home and allow everyone to share their holiday stories, no matter how far away or expensive they are.
By Amelia Lorrimore, Year 11