We’re all going on a summer holiday…..

…… and I feel completely worried and apprehensive about it. A week ‘glamping’, save for the first night in a hotel in York.

The kids have been so excited. They wrote their lists of things to take – marshmallows for s’mores, head torches for the forest – and even helped with the packing.  (I’ve had to remind Alex a couple of times that it is glamping, so there will be no Wi-Fi for his tablet!)

Unlike two years ago, going on holiday now means taking both crutches and a wheelchair.  I, perhaps stupidly, have not informed the campsite owners that I have a mobility difficulty – I am assuming that I will be able to get around and I know we have a toilet and bath in our tent, so that will help.

But the biggest reason why I feel apprehensive is because I worry about not getting the rest I need to be able to manage my multiple sclerosis. Don’t get me wrong, the idea of ‘getting back to nature’ is amazing – sitting around campfires, outdoor cooking, star-gazing – but it also means den building, exploring, bug- hunting. All the things I would love to do with the kids but now find difficult to due to my MS symptoms. Throw in some potentially changeable weather, including fatigue-inducing hot days, and the worry of ‘will I find it easy to stick to OMS?’, and that is why I am nervous.

Will I be able to nap?

Will I miss out on holiday fun due to not being able to join in?

Will Hubs end up doing all the child care because I struggle (leading me to feel guilty)?

Will I come back more shattered than before I went?

And, believe me, I am completely exhausted, the last few weeks have taken their toll.  Work, school holidays, hot weather and personal stress have left me broken and needing a break.

I am really hoping that getting out of the house and away from mundane, every day tasks will provide me with the break that I desperately need and my husband and kids with the holiday that they want and deserve.  Fingers crossed! I will be reporting back in a week or so (probably full of toasted marshmallows).