THEY MAKE YOU MORE BRAVE/ ADVENTUROUS

I’ve always considered myself relatively brave, traipsing cross-country solo and putting myself in deeply uncomfortable (and sometimes sliiiightly unsafe, oops) situations all for the sake of a little adventure. But faced with a plate of fish, un-filleted, I almost blanched at the idea of decapitating a floppy fish corpse myself. However, Frankie took one look at my reaction and stated “I can rip the head off for you if you can’t do it yourself.” I found myself not only prising off the head, but also peeling off the tail, scales, spine, and tiny bones myself, just because I am the adult and I should be able to fillet a fish myself. Frankie was proud, I was proud, and the waiter was glad that he didn’t have to de-bone a fish for the millionth time that day.

THEY GET YOU INTO SITUATIONS YOU WOULD RATHER AVOID

The reason I would have never found myself blackmailed into getting my fortune told by a rabbit by a rotten-toothed cad was because I believe myself to have an ounce of sense. However, kids seem to lack this quality, and dive head-first into mega awkward situations just so that they can pet the rabbit and wear the free bracelet. By the time the guy had attached rope around both of our wrists and egged his magic rabbits into telling us that we were both going to be exceedingly rich very soon, he tried blackmailing us into throwing our money at him. Luckily, Frankie is more adapt at being exceedingly rude, so we got out of that situation pretty easily. However, I personally don’t like having to yell at a guy to free us from a curse. Love being held captive against my will.

THEY PUT A SPIN ON YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS (FROM ABOUT FOUR FEET OFF THE GROUND)

On the third day of our sojourn to Turkey, we found ourself in the heart of an ancient market. It was insanely beautiful, so of course I wanted photographs of myself standing in front of the ruins. Doubting Frankie’s photographer skills – because she is literally ten years old – I double-tie the strap around her and leave her with my Nikon. I should never have been apprehensive, because she’s actually pretty darn good, and I’ve never had photos taken from such a refreshingly low angle before. I’d hire her in a flash. Downside – she wanted photographs in return, and is not camera shy at all (half an hour in front of one wall so she could pose? Alrighty then).

EASIER TO ASK RANDOM RUSSIAN BOXERS FOR A PHOTOGRAPH

When you’re travelling with a kid, you find yourself more enthusiastically confident when you find a massive Russian boxer and want pics to show your gym-addicted friends. There’s always the excuse of, “pardon me, but my niece here would love a photo of you” when you bump into someone interesting. Never again will you have to take the blame for being a fangirl again.

THEY MAKE YOU A MILLION TIMES MORE EXCITED

Especially to the seasoned traveller, I found myself slightly bored of the humdrum of travel prior to the trip. Boarding the plane, I had the attitude of “let’s get this part over with then.” Frankie, on the other hand, was inconsolable with excitement. “I’M SO EXCITED I COULD DIE,” she yelled as we passed the air stewards. Everything is regenerated and you see the world through their eyes, where everything is shiny and new and the world is full of possibilities. Whilst you may not get excited about pancakes for breakfast for the sixth day in a row, it’s impossible that a kid won’t still be insanely enthusiastic to arise to twenty pancakes day after day.

YOU CAN DO KID THINGS AND NOT LOOK LIKE A DERANGED ADULT

There’s a kids play zone, with incredible twisty slides? There’s a disco that looks cheesy and hilarious? Bam, now you’re travelling with a tiny human you’re suddenly allowed to fling yourself into a ball pool and not look like you’re off your anti-insanity meds. Somehow, travelling with a kid means that you are also capable of doing kid things, even if you will end up getting stuck on the waterslide. Also, people are a lot less judge-y if you’re holding three ice-creams whilst stood with a kid, even if they are all inevitably going to be consumed by you.

YOU NOTICE EVERYTHING

Obviously you have to be aware of your surroundings in pretty much all scenarios anyway, but when you’re travelling with a smaller, less wary human, you have to be extra vigilant. It keeps you on your toes, and doubles your independence – if something goes wrong, both you and the child are screwed. You notice things you wouldn’t, and with a kid at your heels, things you otherwise wouldn’t clock are pointed out. A boring old adult wouldn’t notice the insane candy store 80 feet away, but you can bet your ass that a ten year old will. Also, you suddenly know everything and are a bask of all wisdom – travelling with someone who believes you know everything in the universe is also both refreshing and likely to result in a god complex.

And so, I found myself regenerated and raring to go on new adventures again. My niece may have just saved my relationship with travel, and made me feverish with excitement for exploring every inch of the planet.

Could you guys ever see yourselves travelling with a family member that won’t understand at least half of your jokes, because you’re too boring and adult-y? Let me know in the comments below!

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THE ACCOMMODATION

After reading out the wrong directions so that we accidentally ended up driving the whole course of the resort and glimpsing other lodges, chalets, and little houses that hyped me for the week to come, we found it. Our gorgeous wooden chalet greeted us, featuring an open plan kitchen, living room and dining room, all adorned with high Tudor oak ceilings. We had enough bedrooms to accommodate a whole family – but considering there were just the two of us, the wide open space was perfect.

After unpacking, we believed it too late to try and cram in some activities, so we decided to spend some time relaxing. We sat back on the veranda in the dwindling sunset, chatting excitedly about potential plans as we sipped our fruit teas from the kitchen. We ended up spending several evenings like this, at the little table of our lodge between the trees.

Throughout our stay, returning back to the lodge almost became like a return to the safehaven, away from the havoc and constant flow of activities outside. In the evening, we would return from dinner and just lounge back in the living room, comfy and warm and exhausted. We also had a wetroom, which was perfect for when we would come back from a swim and wanted to indulge in our luxe mini-spa.

The kitchen was fully equipped, which meant that we could cook up some eggs in the morning or throw a salmon in the oven if we couldn’t summon the energy to go out for a meal at night. It was like a little kitsch temporary home, and it was pretty divine. Honestly, I felt just like a proper chalet girl.

THE SURROUNDINGS

As you walk out of the lodge, you’re immediately confronted by the wildness of Wales – overlooking a lake, or a forest, or distant mountains. With local excursions such as many famed beaches, wildlife, and historical places like cathedrals and castles, there’s a lot to do both on the park grounds and beyond.

Within Bluestone, there’s a really cute provincial “village,” which houses cafes and souvenir shops. You can stop for a hot coco by the park, or just wander around the pastel-coloured houses. It’s got an old English vibe to it, which completely contrasts the strong Welsh patriotism evident in the dishes, the first-language of staff, and characters in the shows which the resort puts on.

My favourite parts about the surroundings of Bluestone were the trails – the endless routes of forestry of which you could explore. Wandering amongst the wildlife, there are two main walking routes that you could take – both of which leading to wild rabbits and remote streams and just limitless greenery. It’s such a gorgeous national park, I’m lucky to have remotely been based right in the middle of it.

There are plenty of little restaurants and food places at Bluestone which you can dine at, each with their own quirks. The best by far is Smokey’s, a little old lumberjack shack hidden behind a heavy canopy of trees. They offer plenty of vegetarian options (perfect for my restrictive Crohn’s diet), and they serve the most insanely gorgeous home-made lemonade. They also have an open woodland fire protected by a grill where you can roast marshmallows – a highlight for sure.

THE ACTIVITIES

The most appealing aspect of Bluestone is the fact that you’re able to choose exactly what sort of holiday you want. Fancy a relaxing retreat? Spend your time getting a manicure, basking in the sauna, sitting back in the hydrotherapy room, or visiting the sea salt cave or candle lit sanctuary. Or do you want an action-packed week filled with endless activities? If so, there’s a massive bundle of options to choose from – from zip wiring to axe throwing, rock climbing to kayaking.

Another one of the best parts of my time at Bluestone included a full day lounging about Blue Lagoon – the Bluestone water park. The outdoor slides were the most incredible, due to the fact that they attach to intermediate pools with heavy currents that throw you about until you land in a warm tub of water, high up in the trees with the backdrop of forest life.

I feel like at Bluestone you’re able to discover the type of traveller you are and what sort of holidays work for you. Are you an explorer, always craving hidden woodlands and adrenaline-filled adventures? Or are you a more of a sit back and read a book by an open fire sort of person? I for one found out that my dream itinerary is that of a six-year-old, swinging from trees and spoiling my appetite by snacking on smores all day.

I had a wonderful time at Bluestone, and am honoured that I was given the opportunity to be a #BluestoneBlogger and spend such a perfect week in the best part of the UK. I only live an hour from the resort, but found that other guests had travelled from the other side of the world just for a cosy little retreat in the heart of Wales. I have to say that I completely understand why – I’ve never fallen in love with a home-away-from-home this deeply.

Have any of you guys ever visited the area, or even stayed at Bluestone itself? Let me know in the comments below!

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