Rhodes: In Pictures

I took most of my holiday snaps with the camera on my phone as I nearly always have that with me. I did that my Canon with me as well and took it out with us a few days (my family would have soon got fed up with me if I took out with us all the time). Although, the island was very quiet, I am unsure whether this is due to the time of year or the economic climate, or both, but I also found it quite beautiful. The different towns and sides of the island varied considerably, I loved the contrast.

Here are a few of my favourite photos from our holiday, some have been taken with my phone and others the Canon.

I would love to hear your thoughts, have you ever been to Rhodes or a Greek Island?

Please do not copy any of my photos without asking first

Reflection

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I think being on holiday is a great time to reflect. You have time to think, time to gather your thoughts away from the never ending to do lists and everyday responsibilities.

I was listening to a Good Life Project (GLP) podcast and a question stood out for me that I haven't yet been able to give much thought, 'what does living a good life mean to you?'

Well now I have the time. One of my favourite parts of the day, I have come to realise, is being the first one up, making myself a coffee and drinking it out by the pool. I love having this bit of time to myself to think and/or write in my journal. I love the warmth as the suns heat grows with the day, the birds chirping, the light breeze rustling the leaves on the trees. I don't even mind the sound of aeroplanes heading towards the airport as it reminds me I'm away from home in this beautiful place.

So, what does living a good life mean to me? I thought about what is important to me; my values, relationships and my work. I also thought about financial security, travel (exploring the world) and some material things such as a nice home and car. I thought about my aspirations and my basic, core desire, to make a difference, to influence change and to be happy.

I think, most importantly, for me at the moment is having a good, healthy home and work balance, to be happy and healthy and to continue trying to have a more positive outlook. I want to write that in an ideal world I would earn enough money to work part time (but then what would I do with the spare time?) but another part of me wants to find a job that I enjoy enough to not mind, or even want to, work full time.

I would like to help change the way our society views elderly people (older adults), the value that's placed on their quality of life and the care provided to support them. I would also like to support the continuing understanding, acceptance and value of individuals with disabilities (physical, cognitive and learning disabilities) within our society and communities.

As I have spent time thinking about what this all means to me, I have also thought about changes I can make in my life to help me achieve some of these things. I have a home and car that I love, I have a few little projects in mind for the house and garden that I hope to complete this year. As I have mentioned a number of times before, my job has always been for 12 months so I am currently looking for a new one. I have an idea about a project I would like to do to raise awareness of some of the needs of older adults and family carers but have decided that I would like to attend a photography course of some kind first. I also want to learn more and improve my photography skills as a hobby. I really regret not taking it in school (I'm sure it was an option for GCSE or A level). I am lucky and grateful for the life I have, it's a good one but it can always be a little better (the need for self development both a positive and negative trait of mine).

What does living a good life mean to you?

My A-Z

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I've seen a few similar posts recently, posts that share a little more about the people behind the blog. I am quite nosey and love these posts! I also liked the challenge of thinking about words starting with each letter of the alphabet - so here goes;

Adoption and fostering; I want a family some day but as it stands I don't have the urge to experience pregnancy or giving birth. I also truly believe that I can love a child who does not share my dna as if they were. I also really want to visit, travel and do some volunteering in Africa.

Bread; is a big weakness of mine, give me a basket of mixed breads, olive oil and balsamic vinegar any day of the week.

Coffee and cats; I have recently made an effort to cut down and have about two cups of coffee a day. A real treat is a caramel or cinnamon latte. I have to say Costa is a favourite. I couldn't not mention my two fur babies, Alfie and Ollie.

Dessert; when eating out, I always check out the dessert menu first if possible. I then plan my whole meal around my dessert choice.

Eating and exercise; as I've mentioned in a few posts I've been trying to eat well and exercise more to fulfil my New Year intention to be happier and healthier.

Flowers; I love a bunch of fresh, pretty flowers. Sometimes when I do my food shop I pick up a bunch of reasonably priced beauties from my local supermarket.

Grandparents; I value the time I spend with them and make the effort to do this regularly as at their ages I am not sure how much longer they will be in my life. I also sponsor a little girl who lives in Ghana.

Hot showers; I can stand under a hot shower for almost as long as I could lay in a bath. I would have to say that I am more of a shower person.

Jogging; I am really trying to make more of an effort to get back into this. I really enjoy jogs that feel relatively easy (this is a very rare occurrence). I have spent more time on my cross trainer lately though so need to get back out there!

Kicking back and relaxing; although I often talk about wanting to do this I struggle do actually do it. I hate feeling as though I have wasted the day (feeling un-productive).

Lists and lie-ins; I am not a morning person and do not like having to get out of bed before 9 or 9.30am. I also love a list, it helps me organise what needs to get done.

Marc Jacobs; the bag my parents bought me for my 18th birthday is still the only designer item that I own. Mondays, I dislike.

Nervousness; I would say I am quite a nervous person, I fear change rather than embrace it. This is possibly due to my ability to overthink everything.

Organised; I like to be organised, actually, if I'm being honest it's more of a need. I also need others around me to be just as I organised, if not it throws me completely and I have a mini meltdown (usually in my head). I would love to be more spontaneous.

Photography; I love snapping moments that I can keep, to look back at and remember. I also like taking more artistic photos of buildings, peeling paint and the like.

Reading; most evenings I climb into bed and reach for my book. I can read for 10 minutes to an hour or more depending on how tired I am, what other thoughts I have in my head and how good my book is. I have three books on my Kindle to get through during my holiday.

Sunshine; even if it's still cold outside, seeing the sun shine never fails to make me smile.

Travel; although I haven't holidayed in Europe (I have yet to get a stamp in my passport), there are so many places I want to visit. I want to see the world!

Unknown; I hate the anxious feeling this creates.

Virgo; my star sign.

Walking; something I really enjoy with family, friends and on my own. I love being outside in the fresh air. Completing a walk also makes me feel as though I have achieved something.

Yoga; this ties in with a few others. I really enjoy my time on the mat, if I concentrate hard enough I can create a calm, peaceful place for me to practice, quieting my mind of other thoughts and focusing on the present.

I didn't manage to do every letter of the alphabet but don't think I've done too badly.

I'd love to read yours, send me links

Holiday Preparation

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How do you get ready for a holiday?

 

Are you someone that counts down the days or sleeps about a month before you leave? Or someone that leaves things to the last minute?

 

I am usually someone who likes to be planned and organised. However when it comes to preparing for a holiday I often leave a lot until the last minute. I fly to Rhodes next week and it's only this weekend that I have started to feel excited about it. Work has been crazy busy, not unusual, although the short week due to the Easter bank holiday hasn't helped me get on top of things before I go on leave. I spent the day with my Mum a few weeks ago as I had some annual leave to use before April and we did end up doing a little holiday shopping, picking up a few items; a new pair of black denim shorts, a few tops and pairs of sandals. I was fully aware that my Sister will have at least two outfits for each day so felt I too had to make a bit of an effort.

 

We are going away as a family to celebrate my Sister's 21st birthday. When I go away I enjoy spending time relaxing, reading a book by the pool and wandering around traditional towns and quaint coves and stretches of beach with turquoise coloured sea and actual sand underfoot instead of stones. Some people may not like the idea of going on holiday with their family but I'm quite looking forward to it, we usually have a good time when we're together. We have agreed that we can go and do our own thing at times so there isn't the pressure of spending all our time together which might help keep the peace.

 

Things I've already done:

• bought new clothes & sandals
• stocked up on sun lotion and after sun
• downloaded books for the Kindle
• started to clean the house
• bought my Sister's gift
• done a few loads of washing
• ordered my European health card

Things left to do:

• pack!
• get holiday insurance
• finish cleaning the house
• paint my toe nails so they are sandal and beach ready
• stock up on cat food as my lovely friend will be looking after my boys
• make sure my cameras memory card is empty and the battery is charged