Brought to you in partnership with American Express.
“So… what do people actually do without internet or TVs?” Lulu asked, with an air of curiosity in her voice.
We’d taken a weekend away to a farm close to home, to live a few days off the grid. We had big travel plans this year. It was Lacey’s last year at primary school, and our last chance to jam-pack more adventures into our lives before the seriousness of high school kicked in… but like everyone, COVID put a full stop to any life plans we had for 2020. Instead, I’ve been trying to think more local, and at the same time support local businesses as well. So, a little stay close to home felt like the perfect idea.
“Well, back when I was a kid… we did talent shows. We could do a talent show?” I hesitated slightly, wondering what talent I’d have to bring out of my bag of tricks. FYI; I brought out my dance skills, and I got three ‘no’ votes from the judges of Crabbes Creek got talent {i.e. Lacey, Lulu and my mum} but I definitely deserved a gold star for effort.
While family talent shows, no TV and zero internet probably sounds like the stuff nightmares are made of for most people, it was actually one of the best weekends we’ve ever had. Lacey and Lulu love animals, and exploring, so being able to wake with the sun, open the doors and have cows, chickens and ducks at our doorstep was the perfect way to break away from the routine of life.
One night, a few weeks ago, I started looking for farm stays online. I wanted one where we’d be by ourselves, without other guests with the ability to social distance, and to let the kids explore safely. I found one on Airbnb, a little animal sanctuary that homed a variety of animals and saved them from not-so-nice lives. I was able to pay off the trip using American Express’ new Credit Card feature, Plan It™ Instalments. It gives me flexibility and control, by letting me choose how long I want to take to pay off the trip, with 3, 6, 9 and 12 month plans available. The way it works is that you choose how much of your Credit Card balance you want to pay off in equal monthly repayments, all at a fixed monthly fee and 0% p.a. interest.
We packed our bags and took the loooooooong {30 minutes, ha!} drive to the farm, arriving to an array of birds and a grazing platter waiting for us so we didn’t have to cook dinner. We got to cuddle chickens, well the girls did, I’m still afraid of things with wings but it was quite good immersion therapy. The chickens on the farm were saved from living in cages, and it feels like they’re so happy and grateful to be free and roaming around on the farm. There are also horses re-homed when the fires earlier this year ruined their homes down south. There was also the cutest calves that celebrated their first birthday during our stay.
We held the finale night for the talent show on our last night and to be honest, I can’t remember who won. We were in fits of laughter over my mum’s singing and the girls performing. It was so nice to go back to a simpler life. One where we played outside until the sun went down, and then headed inside and sung, dance, did drawings and slowed down until we fell asleep.
I don’t know what the future holds, and if we’re headed for another lock down in the near future… but I know that this little getaway was a welcome break filled with memories. And all monies paid for our accomodation go straight back into feeding the animals and helping them live a better life, which is a beautiful thing. Don’t you think?
To read more about American Express Plan It™ Instalments, click here.
