It's June (and I'm a snob...)

Yep- that's right, it's June and the month in which I set off for trip numero uno (wow- I really sound like a snobby rich kid...)

Actually, that's the point I want to make. Even though I may be the only one to read this, and in that way it is sort of like my diary, a travel diary type, I want to make it clear that I am not a snobby rich kid. I'm not snobby. I'm not rich. I am fortunate. I'm fortunate to have a mum that has saved up to treat me by taking me to Venice. I am fortunate to have friends that are perhaps well-off, but more importantly kind-hearted, down-to-earth, lovely people who have offered to take me and my friends to Palma to stay on their yacht. And then whether you call having a dad that lives on another continent fortunate or not, well, that's up to you. I, personally, think that we make the most of the situations we find ourselves in. What else can we really do? I am fortunate that I get to spend 5 weeks with my dad in sunny Florida, I am fortunate that I get to see him at Christmas and at various other points in the year. But then again, the flip-side of that, there are perhaps 30 or so weeks in a year where I don't see my dad. In my family we recognise that perhaps things could be different, but we also recognise each and every opportunity we have, I think one of the most important lessons I've learnt from my dad is that these circumstances make the time we have together that much more valuable. He once told me that I shouldn't ask the 'what if' question, I should just make the most of what I have at the moment and the good that came out of a less-than-desirable situation. (Thank you for that advice, Daddy, I try to live by it.)

There are plenty of kids out there who don't see their dad's at all, so even though mine lives thousands of miles away, I count myself lucky. You can always find a positive in what seems like the darkest, murkiest of situations.

As for the one person who asked 'are you rich?' when they asked me what I was doing this summer, I gave you my long, slightly irritated answer, a shorter version of this you'll be glad to hear(!), and I hope you think twice next time before calling someone out. You may not have called me 'snobby', but that's what it felt like. When all I said was 'yes' when you asked if I had plans, it was because I knew I would get that sort of reaction, but equally, if you ask me what I'm doing, I'll tell you. I'm looking forward to the summer and my plans and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. I recognise that I may not be super-rich, but I recognise I'm probably far luckier than some and for that I am eternally grateful. I am always grateful for what I have and to take it for granted or make somebody think I'm stuck-up and snobby is one of the last things I want to do. I hope you understand.

I'm not a snob and I never want to be. (And neither am I rich, although one day that would be nice!) . If at all I've come across like a snobby, stuck-up brat in my previous posts, it was unintentional. Completely unintentional. I'm just very excited about my summer, my biggest most exciting one yet and I just can't wait for these exams to be over so I can enjoy my time off. 9 down, 12 to go...

I hope you all have something to look forward to as well.

L
XXX