In at the deep end: the blog virgin

I've never written a blog. In fact, if I'm honest, I've not even read many. I do, however, regularly bore all my Facebook friends with detailed updates of whatever's going on in my life - although none as long and detailed as my mum's (sorry, Mum!). There's a strong chance that whatever's going on in my life has something to do with holidays - one I'm on, one I've just been on, one I'm about to go on or (too often) one I'd like to go on. As an ex-teacher, with a still-teacher husband and two young children at school, we've always been limited as to when we can go away; we do, however, get six lovely holiday periods a year, and we like to go away during as many of these as possible (apart from Christmas - I do like a little family time at home at Christmas, not to mention time to recover from the stress of it all!). The summer holiday is, of course, the most exciting time - five to six weeks off work, and we usually take advantage of this and go away for as long as possible. The last three years we've gone camping around France (and Spain, Andorra, Monaco, Luxembourg and Belgium) for four weeks, and next year we're planning to see as much of Australia as possible. I like to write daily Facebook updates when I'm away - partly so my family and friends can see what we're up to (especially those who like to holiday vicariously through us), partly so I can make people laugh with our inevitable holiday disasters (of which there are many) and partly just because I'm enjoying myself and like to talk about it! Of course, Facebook limits you with how much you can say - no one wants to read an essay for a status, and it's hard to tell a good story in just a couple of lines. So I thought blogging might be a good way to get around this - those who are actually interested can read more (and those who aren't can continue to scroll through their news feed, eyes to heaven). It also means I can perhaps reach a wider audience who might be planning a holiday and want more information about a destination, or those who have been to the same places as me and would just like to share memories. I'm not particularly well-travelled, much as I'd like to be - I've only left Europe four times, and children limit the kind of holiday you can go on - but I have got a fair few places under my belt, and there's so many places I'd still like to see. I'm not a 'traveller' either - six months trekking round South America with a rucksack does not appeal. I like a proper holiday - basic creature comforts at least, luggage transported by plane, coach or car, and the chance to come home before I feel detached from my normal life. But I'm pretty open-minded as to what kind of holiday I like (or think I will!) - camping, cheap hotel in Benidorm, cottage in the Cotswolds, Butlins, city break in Rome or luxury hotel in the Maldives (I'm still waiting for that one). Any questions about places I might have been to, holidaying with children, packing light, booking independently, etc. are more than welcome, as are suggestions of places I should go to. Anyway, I shall see if I can successfully upload my first ever blog, and we'll take it from there...