Friday 8 April 2011

Wishin' and hopin' and thinkin'...........

There are few greater pleasures in life than sitting upstairs, at the front of the bus on a beautiful sun-beaming-down-bright-blue-day; St. Pancras illuminated in a golden Gothic glow, budding trees skimming past, blossom blowing a blur in the breeze.....well perhaps a few.....but not so many when your head, too, is filled with thoughts of holiday, as mine is.

A couple of weeks ago I began to complain bitterly that I would never again go on holiday because I didn’t have a boyfriend. And I didn’t want to go away on my own to walk up a mountain, or learn salsa, or do yoga, or go kayaking with other enthusiastically single-Billy—no-mates, or billet myself with good-friends-who-live-abroad and have to sing for my free-supper by bouncing their children on my knee while balancing my glass of rose on the corner of the table-full-of-couples.......and that boyfriends really only are for Christmas and holidays and that what I wanted to do was go to Argentina because I’d always wanted to go to South America and soon I’d be too old to travel anywhere and I’d never see Patagonia and I’d always wanted to go to Patagonia because it’s one of my favourite words and Buenos Aires always sounded so romantic and......then someone I was working with randomly mentioned she was going to Argentina for a week over Easter to visit a friend....

“How wonderful”, I said, “I wish I was going to Argentina.”

“Why don’t you come,” she said, “I’ll change my flight, stay for two weeks, we can go to Patagonia.”

“Because..... how much is it?”

“Here’s the number, call them and just book it, it’ll be great....”

So I did.

My travelling companion, an energetic 35 year old, built like Barbie but eats like a horse, with a possible thyroid-condition, is the bi-polar opposite of me in pretty much everyway: petite, blond and not so much glass-half-full as cup-runneth-over, everything is extended: hair, eye-lashes and heels......she was once engaged to a Tottenham Hotspur’s player and so is a qualified, if non-practising, WAG. But she has too, backpacked across India and knows her way around any bargain-basement-budget- flight website. She parties hard but is always first in work and has informed me, in her fluent Yorkshire, that she has scored a rake of Temazepam for the flight.... In short, a perfect travelling companion.

And so we’re off to tango; the snap of Gaucho in the air, the tang of pampas on the tongue. We fly to BA...as I believe it is known...on Good Friday, renamed Spectacular Friday for the purposes of the trip. When, many years ago, I went to Mexico I married my ex-husband, after a similar rant: ‘we shall find our husbands, I want to marry a writer, an American....’ And I did. However, I married the wrong American. There are loads of them, it was an easy mistake. This time, I’d like to marry the right American. I shall eat steak...the travelling companion’s and mine, she’s also a vegetarian....and drink Malbec and Mate and watch the world tango by......and see what happens.....

Top tip: be careful what you wish.......but if you do want it then think it, say it and don’t give up on it.

24 comments:

  1. Oh how utterly FABULOUS!!!! I am so happy for you! You must keep some sort of diary so that you can blog about it when you come back.

    Well done you on having the bottle to say YES to life! Say it more often!

    love you!

    Ali x

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  2. If you ever do want to come this way, I won't hold you to the bouncing the baby bit, but will hold you to helping us drink our wine.
    Have a wonderful trip.

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  3. Brilliant - a proper adventure. I hope you enjoy every minute of it, and as Ali says up there, make sure you write about it! I look forward to reading it.

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  4. You lucky girl, that is brilliant! You'll have a marvellous time, fingers crossed for an American stud-muffin for you x

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  5. Yo Jo, fabulous!! I'm so envious! have a wonderful time x

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  6. GO! Just fecking well GO!!!!!:o))))))
    (and send a postcard!)

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  7. We havent met yet but love what you write and being nearly 50 your blog is right up my alley.Had a great chuckle at todays post and cant wait to see what adventures you get into.

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  8. Good for you - how wonderful, you must be so excited!

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  9. Hooray! You are going to have such an amazing time - and we all want to hear about it afterwards! ps if you bag an american, steer clear of Charlie Sheen. And Dubya. There are lots of others to choose from ;)

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  10. Argentina is on my list too! Your friend does indeed sound like the perfect travelling companion, I bet you're going to have a blast. I can't wait to read all about it x

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  11. What wonderful spontaneity! And of course, your readers will eventually be treated to pictures?

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  12. I love that! Enjoy your freedom! xxx

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  13. Hello:
    Having come across your blog by chance, we were immediately enthralled by your writing. What fun you are going to have! Even now, we imagine that you are packing your suitcase in readiness for Good Friday's take off. Throw all caution to the wind and go for it. We are signing up as Followers in eager anticipation of the next instalment.

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  14. Lovely Jo, thankyou for your comment, the boxes are in the window of Cecilia C now, I'm so happy! I'll take some pics of it tomorrow and stick it on the blog. And the dresses will be in Bloomsbury in July, yay. Happy packing! xx

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  15. HOW FANTASTIC Have a great trip:)

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  16. Wow, sounds like a fantastic trip. Have a good time.

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  17. I am so happy for you! I love Malbec, by the way. Good stuff.

    And there are LOADS of wrong Americans, sans doubt. I married one myself.

    Love you tons,

    SB

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  18. Oh! I'm glad to read that news ... and dying of envy, of course. I will be following your blog for knowing your adventures soon.

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  19. Excellent decision - you go girl! I'm very envious. Always fancied Patagonia myself. Don't get hung up on the husband route - relish your independance! Husbands can be a lot of hassle!! Abby x

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  20. Dear Jo, your holiday will be brilliant and I love the sound of the girl you're going with. How fabulous!

    I can't wait to hear all about it! We must have a drink before you go xx

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  21. How cool, its sounds like your going to have a fabulous time! Thanks for stopping by my blog and I hope you find some fabulous shoes to take with you. xx

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