Simple pleasures at Longleat Forest.

This weekend just gone, Grant and I escaped to Centre Parcs at Longleat Forest with my parents and siblings. It's becoming somewhat of a tradition, this being our third late winter/early spring trip in so many years, and I've welcomed it with open arms. We've never been the type of family who expect a big annual holiday to warmer climes and exotic beaches - instead we'd holiday to Cornwall, camping and staying in cosy log cabins. Eventually my parents fulfilled their dream of relocating to Cornwall when I was twelve, meaning we had some of the countries most stunning beaches and stretches of coastline on our doorstep - who needs a holiday in that situation, right?
Now that I've left home, the dynamic has shifted somewhat, and whilst we're not jetting off anywhere overseas, it's nice to escape the real world and spend some time in a family bubble - especially with my dad working in London during the week and my little brother and sister growing up scarily fast. 2014 has been a quite emotionally demanding thus far, so this year's escape was highly anticipated. Originally I'd set out to video blog the weekend, but that intention petered out somewhere into our first day when I realised how much I needed some downtime with my family. We had no internet in our cabin, and I only logged on to the wifi in restaurants a couple of times to check Facebook. Pushing my laptop aside for a few whole days was extremely refreshing, and an unexpected relief.

We weren't as active as we perhaps could have been given our location, however there was plenty of swimming, bike riding and fresh air over the course of the weekend, truly blowing away the cobwebs of winter. We walked around the lake, drank crushed ice drinks by the pool, enjoyed some lighthearted games of pool and table tennis, and generally had a lot of fun. One of my fondest memories of the weekend may well be one of the simplest; a lazy Saturday evening spent drinking toffee apple cider, toasting marshmallows, playing cards and singing countless Disney songs with my sister. I simply love family nights like that, especially now I don't see my family so often.
Of course, the other big highlight was food, our most notable meals being at Huck's American Bar and Grill, and The Pancake House. At the former we tucked into massive plates of ribs, chilli dogs and barbecue wings whilst sipping colourful cocktails. We visited the latter for lunch, sat outside on a sunny afternoon, wrapped in our coats and overlooking the forest and lake. They serve the most deliciously creamy hot chocolate, and my 'Cookie Monster' pancake was definitely a treat too!
Despite leaving our cabin very early this morning, I've come home feeling more chilled than I've felt in quite some time, a handbag full of sweets and a pretty new tea tray in tow! I'm already missing my family a little, but I know that seeing them less makes the time we now have together is all the better. It's also helped me rediscover the importance of slipping off the radar every now and again. I adore blogging, and have a very healthy relationship with my laptop and iPad, but it's lovely to step back and take life at a slower pace.