The Long Weekend

Photo by Anna Bratiychuk on Unsplash

One of my favourite weekends of the year is upon us: the Easter bank holiday weekend. The glorious four days that, if you work an office job in the UK, you hopefully have off. Four days to do whatever I want with. It’s a particular luxury for me because for many years working as a travel agent I was expected to work part or all of it.

Working bank holidays, Sundays, the days that most people have off, was something I got used to. Any retail worker - of which the travel agent can be counted - will be. And for a long time I didn’t mind it. Weekends were often lucrative, a time when a couple or even an entire family could come in and spend a couple of hours planning a big trip and hopefully put down a deposit. The upside was always a day off in the week. A day when I could go to the cinema or a matinee of a play when it was quiet. Or get an appointment at the hairdressers when it was less crowded. For the two years that I studied for my Masters in Creative Writing I agreed to work every Saturday during term time so that I could have a day off in the week to go to class but also to focus on writing. Even though I was still working full-time, that day felt like gifted time.

The opposite of that was the five or so years when I could afford to write full-time. Then my time was purely my own. I could take time off whenever I wanted. Weekends and bank holidays didn’t have the same meaning, other than remembering that the shops were open reduced hours, or that transport might be busier or quieter than normal. It was a real luxury but, in the same way that I would miss Britain’s four seasons (even winter!) if I ever moved away, I missed that appreciation that I’d had for the humble day off.

But now I have a four day weekend. It’s been a tough time at the day job recently, with much change taking place and more to come. Combined with trying to finish writing a novel that I know could be amazing, if only I can stick the landing. I have four days ahead of peace. No plans but to write, which to some may sound like I’m working all weekend but honestly, I’m thrilled to have the time. I have tickets for the cinema booked (to see Project Hail Mary, if you’re interested) but other than that, a glaring self-imposed deadline and a manuscript that’s calling out for a thrilling denouement, I have nothing to do. As if to help me out, my ancient Sky HD box seems to have given up the ghost so there’ll be less TV related distractions… Ah, well.

Happy Easter to anyone celebrating and a fantastic weekend to you all.