We didn’t holiday as kids.
I know, I know. Get out the violins and play me a tune. Poor deprived children. My parents had us young, and had four happy accidents. If they didn’t plan their offspring, I’m pretty sure they didn’t plan holidays either.
So holidays are, like, the biggest novelty to me now. I get excited about all the things. From the plane food, to the new beds, to checking out the mini-bar. Oh, and all the culture and sight-seeing. But that comes after the mini-bar.
Anywho.
I realised something on our recent trip to Hawaii; I am indeed two people. I am Everyday Me at home, and Holiday Me while away.
This deep, mind-blowing revelation came to me while I was laying on a table, IN THE NUDE. While a man rubbed lotion on me. I was like, WHO EVEN AM I RIGHT NOW?
Let me get to that earth-shattering moment by going backwards a bit. I had an appointment at the spa of the resort we were staying at. I was reminded at least 3 times that I had to turn up an hour beforehand, and I had to wear swimming costumes {bathers, cossies, togs, call them what you will}. It seemed excessive but I’ll do what I’m told when it means pampering and time alone. Generally I don’t follow rules when it comes to wearing bathers, but I was on holidays and coming straight from the pool, so a good girl I was.
This spa experience wasn’t like anything I’ve experienced before. I walked in. Checked in and sat and waited. A man with an ear-piece in came to collect me {everyone in Hawaii seems to wear those ear pieces; waitresses, cleaners, shop assistants, secret agents}. He spoke in hushed tones, and gave me direct eye contact, ushering me through the spa. Our first stop was at a wooden bowl filled with rocks. “What I’m going to get you to do now, is to close your eyes, connect within and select a stone. Upon it will be a word. The word will represent your experience with us today, and what you’ll take with you on your journey with you for the rest of your life.”
I looked inside the bowl, and could see stones with words like dream, love and beauty, and I secretly hoped I’d get dream because fun! I closed my eyes and pulled out strength. I felt like I’d lost the lotto, but held it tightly nonetheless.
The stone I really wanted to pick. Dang.
We walked down a corridor and again the man whispered, “Now, I’m going to get you to hold your stone to your heart, feel it, connect with it, and make an intention within you, and then place the stone into the pond.”
I’m ever so graceful, so I tossed the stone into the pond, making a banging nose, and finishing with a splash.
The pond.
I was then escorted down another corridor, through a few doors and handed over to a lady to be given a tour of the garden. It was at this point that I was sure that I would never, ever find my way out.
At the back of the spa was a garden, which I was discouraged to go nude in, as the garden was co-ed, but I was welcome to go crazy in the women’s section. The garden had private spa baths, plunge pools, hot tubs {at varying temperatures depending on what you like}. There was also a outdoor shower section, where the water fell automatically at a warm temperature, with different strengths. “You have to try this!” the spa lady enthused. So I did.
The spas. One was a little warmer than the other.
It was moments before my appointment, that I realised I now had no underwear to wear for my massage and that I would have to go in the nude. Normal for many, so abnormal for me. They didn’t even offer that uncomfortable paper underwear. So nude it was.
That would be fine if it was a normal massage, but it wasn’t. It was a Lomi Lomi massage which I think translates to ALL THE WEIRD POSITIONS. At one point I had my feet up around my eyes. I lie. But I was in some weird positions.
Want to know what the really weird bit is? I didn’t even care. It was mid-massage, while Duke was bending my body in ways I didn’t know it could go, that I just let it all go. My body relaxed and I didn’t care anymore. Duke obviously felt the change too, because moments later he muttered, “Thank you for trusting me.”
The quote inside my locker. Not quite sure what it means either.
Holiday Me was in full force. Holiday Me is someone, now I realise looking back, that does things that Everyday Me doesn’t. She wears the dresses that Everyday Me is not brave enough to wear at home. She dons bright lipstick and doesn’t even think twice. She doesn’t check her email. She lets the kids eat ice cream at a time that should probably only be reserved for weet-bix and toast, and doesn’t quite care if they don’t wash their hair for 4 days and it ends up looking like a birds nest. Holiday Me is clearly WILD.
That night at a concert I lost my phone. My brand new iPhone. Lacey looked at me, extremely concerned, “Mum, are you going to cry?”
I wasn’t and I didn’t. Holiday Me was being actioned. She was all cool and calm. I friended a couple named Will and Jill {cute, right?} who weaved his magic on his phone, and tracked my phone down with a GPS system. I don’t know how either, but for a moment there I was thinking of changing my name to Lill and marrying him.
I quite like Holiday Me. I think I need to bring her home with me more often.
I like “holiday me” more too.. I think in Holiday mode we let our guards down. Less responsibilities.. no or very little dinner duties, kitchen duties, kids bath and bed routines become ‘easier’ I know for me personally.. I let go of “home” and step into “hello newness”
In Rarotonga, I wore a sarong over my suitsuit (never had before) but I figured it was almost like a national costume there, the humble Sarong, so I wanted to fit in, my son and I learnt some of their language and practiced on the locals every chance we got the bus driver and one of the shop assistance thanked us for making the effort to learn and told us to stay and go to school there!
I get braver on holidays too I have this attitude that “I might never come back here so I need to do it all NOW” so I tried every cocktail at least once on the Cocktail list, we snorkeled with coral eating fish that were SO loud under the water, ate foreign sounding and looking things and danced tropical style.. who cares they will never see me again we said… for once I didn’t care about the few extra kilos or the untanned legs, we spoke to everyone and had a great time. “Holiday Me” is way more fun than Me at home.
“who cares they will never see me again we said” my thoughts exactly! Bring it on!
I love this! Yup. Holiday Me is good too. More relaxed, more spontaneous and very Frozen, you know “let it go!” Your holiday sounds totes amazing. I hope it was everything you dreamed of and more. xx
That’s the holiday anthem! Let it gooooooo!
Oh TOTALLY! I can go days without showering (as long as it is a resort scenario). I have a beer with lunch and ALL OF THE THINGS. Bali in 3 weeks, can you tell I am excited?
Have the best time ever! And you can even do beer with breakfast. I won’t tell a soul.
You make me laugh! xx
Mission accomplished! đŸ˜›
Oh that just made me smile with absolute delight for you…thats what hols are all about… đŸ™‚
I’m still smiling. Was so nice to step outside myself for a bit. x
Definitely!!! Holiday me is a lovely person. So chilled and open-minded and generally cool about a lot of things. I just had ten days in Port DOuglas with my family and I loved every minute of it! I threw all rules out the window. The kids ate what they wanted and the biggest decision i had to make every day was do I have champagne with lunch or beer. I think hubby fell in love with me all over again. But then we came home….and chilled out me has kind of vanished again!!!
It’s sad how quickly she disappears, isn’t it? I had my first mini-tantrum as we unpacked our bags the next morning… fueled b jetlag and cranky baby, but still. Holiday Me was so zen!
oh Yeah!! Port Douglas is very good for “Holiday me” I love the swim up bars in some of the resorts there.
OMG I was soooo worried when you said “that I just let it all go”. I thought you must have farted…. haha. That whole thing (minus the fart) sounds amazing! Good on you baby for relaxing and letting Holiday Me take over. Hopefully we shall see her again real soon đŸ™‚ xxx
Ha ha ha. STOP IT!
Holiday me even had a different name in Bali, I don’t know why but when a local asked my name I told them it was Julie. Holidays are a way to escape the rules and the routine of everyday life and they must be embraced at every opportunity.
I love the way you work, Julie!
We have taken up where your parents left off. We are the Holiday Family!! We seems to do a few different types – all with the kids in tow. There’s the trip back to England which is a full on thing, nothing like the tropical relax you’ve just described, which often has a tropical relax tacked on to the end. Then the week up the coast, of which we are having another in 10 days time – holiday house, beach, taking it slow. We seemed to have added the total Tropical Relax to the repertoire – by the husband’s request. Jetting off to a south pacific destination for a week or two is lovely. I want to go to your resort and have one of those spa treatments!
Oh that sounds like brilliant holiday! I suppose when you’re on holidays, there’s the sense that ‘nobody’s watching’ – so you’re free to do as you please, no judgement from others and no judgement from yourself. I think it’s time to bring more of your holiday you into the everyday you! Bright lipstick included.
I think so too! Bring it!
Great post. After the line “I dont normally folllow the rules about bathers” all I could picture was you frolicking in the nuddy between the flags on the beaches here in Oz đŸ˜‰
Ha, I’m not quite ready for that yet. đŸ˜›
Hi Chantelle – I am in Hawaii as we speak with my husband and 19 month old. We have been here over a week now and I feel a tiny revelation much like the one you have had. At home I’m all about routine and structure and it gets stressful! Here – we have let our toddler tell us when she’s ready for sleep, let her try a whole range of new things and literally just go with the flow. I’m racking my brain trying to work out how I apply all of this learning to my “real life” when we return home in a few days. My husband thinks its impossible and this is just the beauty of holiday mode – but I’m sure I can make some small changes to incorporate some of holiday me into everyday me! Wish me luck….. Ps how INCREDIBLE is Hawaii!!!!
I was the same, trying to figure out how to bring some of that holiday me back! Hawaii is crazy good. I’m so jealous that you’re still there and I’m here. Take me with you. x
I can so relate to this! Holiday me is so much more better than boring everyday me!
Long live Holiday Us! x
Holiday You sounds just as awesome as Everyday You. I can’t wait to go on holiday for 7-days in the Sunshine Coast over Xmas/New Year – it will be our first proper family holiday away in like nearly 7 years.. Can’t wait to read and hear more about your trip x
Holiday Me got up and danced with the lead singer of a band on the footpath in front of a restaurant in Byron Bay. And didn’t care. And had fun. I love Holiday Me. She’s ace. I reckon Holiday Us would be a hoot! x
I hope you let holiday you hang out at home sometimes because then it’ll be like having a holiday at home!
Holiday me is soo irresponsible…but fun. Riding scooters with no helmet, smoking cloves cigarettes, drinking bintangs for breakfast!! And I have a whole section in my wardrobe of holiday dresses that never see the light of day at home!
So glad to see it’s not just me! Holiday Me is relaxed, chilled out, happy, friendly, accommodating. Holiday Me is a better mum and wife and friend. Normal Me is cranky, stressed, defensive and did I mention cranky? Fortunately for everyone I’m on holiday right now. Watch out when I go back to work :-\
I know what you mean đŸ™‚ And omg lomi lomi massages – you have to be naked for those, it’s compulsory. I love them.
Oh hon i loved this post so much- might be my favourite of yours. I could feel myself exhale with you as you relaxed into the naked massage. I cannot even handle a male masseuse so yay for you. I think you got the strength stone to remind you how strong you already are and that you already have your dream stone inside you xx. You are such a special chick xx
Sharing this one in my newsletter as i know many of my readers struggle with letting go – much love xx
Holidays are like going from being a caged hen to free-range! I have difficulties relaxing with massages though overseas – possibly because I have squashed a small Thai woman as she tried to bend my back over her knees and due to my terminal inflexibility I collapsed on top of her, closely followed by an experience with an old indian woman who smacked my (naked) bottom before showering me with herbs and saying “I mumma, you baby”. My breasts and stomach are also quite relaxed enough to cope without the treatment that often seems mandatory! I love being away from home and the pressures of phones and email and the thought that I am thousands of kilometres away from the unsorted laundry pile though! Keep that vibe and do something nice for yourself this week