To think that holidays are non essential?

[Silliantro]

The amount of whinging about missing out on holidays here and elsewhere has been shockingly irritating. Will missing out on a couple of trips to Megaluf/bland med cruises REALLY be the end of the world? It's such a shocking tone-deaf and privileged way to live your life.

Will staying at home and talking to your DC/learning a language/read a few books really be the end of the world? It's pretty grim absolutely NEED trips abroad or the seaside to to distract yourself from your own life.

I've been outside my village six times in 12 months.
I cannot wait to have some different experiences and see something new.
Agree with all the posters re. holidays and enriching your life and mental health.

I'm actually quite baffled that talking to your DC/reading books, learning a new language and wanting to go on a holiday are being discussed as though they're mutually exclusive. IME they tend to go together.

Also though Spain wouldn't be my first choice there's just no need for the barely disguised sneery tone about 'Megaluf' (sic).

If we want to do away with the need for them we'd have to significantly restructure society. So yes, right now, in our current society, they are essential. Not having them for a long while could lead to very poor MH outcomes and lead to an undercurrent of discontent.

I love holidays but I think they are a privilege & a lot of people who need one whether it's for physical or metal health can't go on them unfortunately.

@saffire

*Will staying at home and talking to your DC/learning a language/read a few books really be the end of the world? * For some people the only chance they get to do those things is when they are on holiday.

Also, best way to learn a language is to be immersed in it, so travel abroad is best.

More importantly I've stayed at home for A WHOLE BLOODY YEAR! I've watched my mum deteriorate and die in front of me in my lounge. I need a change of scene, for my mental health. Everyday I'm reminded of my mum stopping breathing and the lounge being full of paramedics trying to save her. A break, a few days away from that will help. To visit places that my mum loved and places she never got to see. Because her life was cut short, I've realised that you can't sit around and wait.

So while a holiday isn't important to you OP, you need to consider that others have had different experiences to you. Other people have different priorities. And that's fine.

@saffire your post totally resonates with me. I am sorry to hear about your Mum.

I've just lost my Dad after seeing him fading away, and then being unable to say a proper goodbye because he was in hospital and when we were finally called his end just came too quickly and we couldn't make it. 😥

I've had no holidays or any other breaks for a couple of years now. Yes, I've had to travel and spend a number of weeks looking after my elderly, frail and vulnerable parents when one or the other was in hospital. I've had to drive for several hours each time to do that and stayed with them for weeks at a time.

It was no holiday. I would love to have a holiday soon, just to give my mental health a boost and get away from the utter shit that has been going on in my life and isn't over yet.

OP, of course holidays could be deemed not essential. How joyless though. I'm currently feeling rather trapped by the shit going on around me and the travel ban which prevents me from trying to get a break from it.

@gallbladderpain

I can also assure you my children much prefer the life and experiences we have together than going on an all inclusive holiday where they end up in the kids club so mum and dad can spend the day sipping cocktails

You almost nailed the supercilious judgemental tone but blew it with ‘sipping’. These type of shocking parents would ‘guzzling’ cocktails while their children are neglected, surely?

They’re very essential to the 80% of my closest friends who work for airlines, tour operators and travel agencies.

Personally I'm always underwhelmed by foreign holidays and can't wait to get home so i don't feel I'm missing out.

Nice miseryplop OP and then you do a runner as well. Go you

So many things are not 'necessary' - soft toilet paper and lipstick being just two. Oh yes - and miserable goady posts on MN. They too are not necessary. Go eat some lemons or something.

OP, you sound like a bitter snob! Holidays aren't essential to life, but not much is! Holidays are are about spending time with family, exploring new places and cultures, getting a break from the daily monotony of work, making time for yourself, building memories with loved ones etc. I don't see how going on holiday and talking to your children and reading a book are mutually exclusive! It's such a silly thing to say!

gosh you're miserable.

Most things in life aren't 'essential'
Kids
getting married
seeing parents
eating nice food
drinking wine
having friends

But I hope you realise many would be sad to not have any of those?

Same applies to a holiday, I have had so many cancelled now due to covid and the second we are able to travel we will be!

Such snobbery. Every time holidays are talked about in this context it's always the OP looking down on people and assuming that everyone does Brits abroad type holidays.

I have two booked this year and I very much hope I get on them. I'm fed up of having my life restricted like this.

I haven't had a holiday for 6 years due to being disabled, my ds makes do with the odd school trip to Europe, his last one was to Italy just as Covid was kicking off. He finishes school next year & then it will be up to him to sort his holidays as I can't go.

@saltinesandcoffeecups

“And we have today’s first contender in “Misery Olympic Games”. Coming strong out of the gate in 100 word condemnation event is Silliantro.

Now obviously they high horse is essential in this event and extra points are awarded for a strong sneer, but you’ll notice that she lost an opportunity to play the ECO card, that may cost her in the long run. We’ll check back to see how she does, right after the curtain twitching semi-finals.

Over to you Kent”

😂😂

@pointythings

You have an amazingly joyless outlook on life, OP. No, holidays and trips aren't essential. But they make life more fun. They broaden our horizons. They give us that mental break from the daily grind. It's particularly shocking that you seem to begrudge people trips to the seaside - that's just sad. Learning a language or reading a book at home is not the same experience as feeling the sea on your skin, making sandcastles, collecting shells - all those little joys. So very sad. I hope you don't actually live like this with any children you may have.

I don't know how you read into the OP's 1st post that they have an "amazing joyless outlook on life"?

We can all love going on holiday but accept for now that holidays have to be off the agenda whilst we have this thing, you know, Covid going on (except holidays in the UK perhaps). I would not even entertain going to Europe as they're fighting in the thick of it, and I don't want to go abroad and risk coming home and bringing a new variant into this country. Is is really so hard just to wait? In the meantime save some money so we can all have a really good holiday next year, and think about all the little joys we can have from being at home instead - personally learning languages and reading are wonderful things; especially if you can look forward to practicing your newly acquired language skills on holiday.

@maddiemookins16mum

They’re very essential to the 80% of my closest friends who work for airlines, tour operators and travel agencies.

Now, now, you know they don't need those jobs. People are dying! All supermarkets and warehouses are falling over themselves to hire everyone and don't forget, 'they' and 'just' go work in a care home.

Lots of things aren't essential. Six figure salaries, sex, meeting friends, eating out. So don't agree with your reasoning.

The amount of whinging about other people talking about things they miss is shockingly irritating.

Not essential or a need I agree OP.

Certainly one of the easiest things to give up and swap for other things whilst in a pandemic. So much loss has occurred for many of family members, health, jobs etc that moaning over the lack of a holiday seem bizarre. Travel will always be there, other things won’t.

We can all love going on holiday but accept for now that holidays have to be off the agenda whilst we have this thing, you know, Covid going on (except holidays in the UK perhaps). I would not even entertain going to Europe as they're fighting in the thick of it, and I don't want to go abroad and risk coming home and bringing a new variant into this country. Is is really so hard just to wait?

Speak for yourself, no 'we' here. I've had two doses of the vaccine. My family abroad have all had two doses. My father died of Covid. I'm going back to see my family. Not going to bloody wait as my mother's 80 already.

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

Not essential or a need I agree OP.

Certainly one of the easiest things to give up and swap for other things whilst in a pandemic. So much loss has occurred for many of family members, health, jobs etc that moaning over the lack of a holiday seem bizarre. Travel will always be there, other things won’t.

Swap for what, exactly?

Travel won't always be there if all the companies collapse, will it?

So much isn’t essential though is it? As mammals we need the basics, food, water and shelter/means to stay warm or cool depending on weather.
As humans we’ve come to expect and want so much more than that.

I wonder if you do/have anything non essential Op? Car maybe? More than one pair of shoes/coat? If you really think about so very little of what we have is essential in the truest sense.

@Viviennemary

Lots of things aren't essential. Six figure salaries, sex, meeting friends, eating out. So don't agree with your reasoning.

Yes, remember how the government tried to ban sex . That always works so well. Can't believe how many are still letting Matt Hancock rule their lives.

To some people they are essential. Depends which way you look at life.
Unfortunately we’ve had to cancel ours because DS 13 is struggling with this whole COVID thing, we then found out from butlins that they had not doing b-line passes anymore which means we can’t ever go back there because DS can’t do crowds or waiting and they prevent that.

Obviously it's not strictly essential but it's part of what makes life worth living for lots of people. I love a holiday but I'm happy not to go abroad every year and I do think forgoing your summer holiday for one year isn't a big problem.

The thing that the pandemic has done for me is to bring into sharp relief the very very essential need to tell many many people to fuck right off.
Obviously to do so would be a direct attack and so against mumsnet rules, do i shan't.

But i want to.