Ah, the great escape! A Friday in March, and we were setting off on another adventure in our beloved motorhome, ‘Happy Little Place.’ Jo and I had everything packed, including a mini roast meal that was supposed to be consumed before we left but had been rescheduled for our arrival. What could possibly go wrong? Well, for starters, I was under immense pressure to finish an AI plagiarism detection application by Monday. This meant our ‘relaxing’ getaway was going to be punctuated by frantic bursts of coding. But hey, a change of scenery is as good as a rest, right? Or so I told myself.
Setting Off: The Calm Before the Storm
We hit the road at 3 PM, heading towards the beautiful Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons)—only an hour away but full of winding roads designed to make me question my life choices. Naturally, a quick shopping stop extended our travel time, so by the time we pulled into the campsite, the sun was setting, and the motorhome was looking at us like, “Seriously, guys?”
Now, here’s the part where experience pays off. The art of motorhome setup is a sacred ritual, and this time, we nailed it. Electric on, gas on, Water filled, heater on, kettle boiled—all done with the precision of a NASA launch. By 7 PM, we were cozy with a coffee in hand, watching the world darken outside. At this point, my ‘break’ officially transitioned into a work marathon.
A Weekend of Challenges: The Plagiarism App vs. Sanity
As an IT Portfolio Manager and certified AI developer, my weekend was supposed to be a break. Instead, it turned into an extended episode of ‘Can Mike Finish His Code Before Monday?’ (Spoiler: barely). Jo, on the other hand, was thriving—organizing the motorhome, sipping her tea, and watching me spiral into a pit of algorithms and error messages.
And then came the sprouts. Oh, the sprouts. The Brussels sprouts that had once been innocent vegetables were now biological weapons lurking in our fridge. Every time we opened the door, a toxic cloud of despair rolled out, making us question every life decision that led to their inclusion in our food supply. After several failed attempts at containment, we executed a highly classified disposal operation, sealing them in multiple bags before banishing them from our sanctuary. The moral of the story? Never, under any circumstances, bring cooked Brussels sprouts into a motorhome. Ever.
Saturday: Family, Food, and Forgotten Sunshine
Saturday morning greeted us with bright sunlight, which quickly gave way to a chilly, overcast reality. Typical. However, the day was soon filled with warmth as two of our daughters arrived, one bringing her husband and two boys. Our middle daughter brought Jo a Mother’s Day gift along with a monstrous sponge, cream, and berry cake—because nothing says love like excessive amounts of sugar and cream.
Spending time with family is always a joy, and despite my looming deadline, I cherished every moment. The day ended in what has now become a sacred motorhome tradition—cheese, crackers, and cider. Because if you’re going to stress-code your way through a weekend, you might as well do it with good food.
Sunday: Sun, Clocks, and Another Surprise Visit
Sunday morning arrived with an absolutely perfect sky—no clouds, just sunshine beaming through the blinds. This, of course, was also the morning the clocks went forward, robbing us of an hour of much-needed sleep. At what was technically 5 AM, I was already back at my digital battlefield, wrestling with lines of code that refused to cooperate.
By 8 AM, I emerged from my coding cocoon, made coffee, and woke Jo with the promise of caffeine. We spent the morning preparing to head home, but just before we could roll out, our youngest daughter’s partner surprised Jo with more Mother’s Day gifts. It was a lovely, unexpected moment—though our departure was now officially running on ‘family time’ rather than ‘schedule time.’
By noon, we finally pulled away from the campsite, leaving behind the scent of banished sprouts and fond memories. An hour and a half later, Happy Little Place was parked, ready for its next adventure. But our family visits weren’t over yet! Later that day, our eldest daughter’s partner arrived with yet another Mother’s Day gift. It was a fitting end to a weekend that had been a whirlwind of work, family, and the ongoing battle against rogue vegetables.
Final Thoughts: The Joy of Controlled Chaos
Despite the coding stress, despite the betrayal of the Brussels sprouts, and despite the relentless ticking of Monday’s deadline, this weekend was everything it needed to be. It was a reminder that life is best lived in the little moments—sipping coffee in a cozy motorhome, laughing with family, and even engaging in epic battles against fridge-induced biological warfare.
So here’s to the next adventure with Happy Little Place—hopefully with less coding and absolutely no sprouts.