Lettie Goes Travelling

I’m heading to Italy in about three weeks.

It was booked over nine months ago — yes, I’m a planner!

But a lot has changed in those nine months.

The main one being my mum’s health.

Mum only has me now, and as she’s got older she’s naturally become more dependent.

But a diagnosis in December has meant she now relies on me even more.

So when I’m not there… there’s a gap.

She’s always encouraged my travelling — she knows how much I love it.

But now she worries when I’m away.

And after my last long weekend trip, it became clear that the light-touch plans I had in place just weren’t enough.

Thank goodness for good friends.

So alongside getting ready for my trip…

I’m also getting her ready

and making sure the right support is in place while I’m away.

I know this isn’t unique.

There are so many people balancing the same thing.

But this is the first time I’ve really had to navigate it…

and it feels different.

And this is where hindsight comes in.

If something happens that impacts my trip — before I go, or while I’m away —

I have one point of contact.

One phone call to make.

That’s because I changed how I book my travel last year.

Instead of organising everything myself, I chose to have it all in one place.

Sitting here now, thinking about how many people I’d need to contact if I’d booked it all separately…

that feels overwhelming.

Because when life feels complicated,

you want the things around you to be simple.