Who cares if it's not quite holiday yet? Who cares if there is never enough time to slow down? We all need hope! We all need sugar (I don't care what they say)! And we all need to stop, relax, and have something sweet to go with a glass of milk before bed.

When I was a little girl no holiday would ever happen without a phase of feverish cooking-baking to fill the tins. We used to go into the tropical forests of the North Coast, far away from any shops and supermarkets, and had to stock up on essential resources like fishing equipment, bug repellent and cookies, more or less in that order of importance. No shop-bought cookie could of course be quite meet the standards. Home-baked oats crunchies would be chewier and shortbread more decadent, and no shop could ever match that homely aroma...there's just no comparison to freshly-baked treats! 

When my kids were young we continued the holiday baking tradition, even if we stayed home. What, indeed would one DO if friends came over unexpectedly and there were no cookies in the house to serve with coffee?  And what would one feed the troop of kids that played together every long summer afternoon and scavenged for treats from house to house? Cookies of course. And krispie treats and other simple, home-made treasures of homeliness and comfort.

So when times are rough and there's little time for recovery in between the demands of pre-holiday life, we'll just trick ourselves into getting a little bit of that holiday atmosphere...relaxing a bit, remembering that it's all not so serious after all...and whip up a few trays of domestic bliss.

I always think that the greatest privilege in life is to have options. And there`s a lot of options if one needs a bit of down-time. I like cooking interesting things, I can enjoy the occasional shopping spree, especially if it is for art materials or books or exotic spices. I love reading and writing and going for hikes and taking good photos. But I keep thinking that there's probably nothing that energises me more than a good old road trip. My favourite music playing loudly, wind in my hair...the ultimate freedom!

I have always dreamed of travel, exploring and discovery. A road trip is a mini version of all of these, satisfying the need for adventure without spending a small fortune and without any serious disruption in normal routine. It is a blast of fresh air after (or occasinally even during) a busy week, and I believe that seeing new things keeps our minds and attitudes fresh and open. It builds new neural pathways, the clever people say. It helps us be adaptable and empathic, because we notice that there are other worlds outside of our own little realms, places and things we don`t know.

Back in Cape Town we once took the day off on my birthday, while I was stydying foran intense yoga instructor course and taking a bit of strain, and just went for a drive, discovering new roads and places we have somehow failed to notice before. It was like a mini holiday, making new tracks amongst the vineyards and towering mountains of the Western Cape. It gives me a profound sense of satisfaction to drive a new road, and leave imaginary footprints in previously unknown locations, so as an example of what I regard as exceptionally energising, this was one of the best treats ever.

Road trips can also take the shape of more significant journeys of course, and it feels good to know that I have made footprints in many different countries, in palaces and cathedrals, in villages and slums, in deserts and rain forests, and into some of the biggest mountain ranges of the world. I treasure that on those journeys many people have touched my life, and made it so much more than a bit of travel.

But on an everyday life basis, there`s something recklessly exhilarating about changing the routine and driving a new route to the same place- the school, the shops...getting on the first reandom bus and waiting a bit nervously to see where it takes you...taking your packed lunch out to make an impromptu picnic next to a pond...getting the wheels on a bit of dirt road...these are the small choices that magically make an ordinary day one to remember, and a stessful day into an adventure.