Yesterday was my nine year blogging anniversary. I received a notification at 6.30am as I was sitting in a very cold train station. 

The reason why I was travelling yesterday is because of a friend who I met through the blog 2015. In fact, she was one of the first blog friends who became a social media client. Since then we’ve been to events, a writers retreat and on holiday to Dubrovnik together, and yesterday I travelled down to her house to look after her dog while she and her family are on holiday. 

This isn’t the first time I have incorporated dog-sitting and work. Last year she suddenly found herself in a difficult situation when her dog-sitter was suddenly unavailable just a few days before they were due to leave for their first holiday in a long time. It was late summer, the boarding kennels were fully booked and the place they were staying in didn’t allow pets, so I offered to come and stay. It was a win-win situation – I’m self-employed and work from home so it meant that I could get a change of scenery, the dog wouldn’t have to deal with the stress of an unfamiliar boarding kennel and the family knew that they could relax and enjoy their holiday. 

Her dog – a fluffy cockapoo who closely resembles Sprocket from Fraggle Rock – is a funny little thing, and we bonded as we walked round the canals, played fetch in the garden and I taught her tricks with pieces of ham. She stole my shoes and pillow repeatedly, commandeered the back of the couch for her snoozing sessions and it wasn’t uncommon for me to wake up to find her lying on top of me in the middle of the night, her back paws kicking me in the face. 

It worked so well that my friend asked me earlier in the year if I would do this again when they went away for Easter. It was originally supposed to be for a week (they’re away for ten days and had arranged for her parents to stay for the last few days), but then I then discovered about a month ago that most of the west coast train line and Euston station were completely closed over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend and I can’t get home (someone give whoever made that decision an award for causing the most amount of chaos possible), so I’m staying for the whole time they’re away. 

It’s a good opportunity to reset. The last few months have been challenging and I’ve found my anxiety levels rising at times, so I’m seeing it as a chance to catch up and get into a healthier and more relaxed routine. It’s a staycation, but a working staycation in a quiet and peaceful town with gorgeous canal walks and far less building works and constant daily interruptions than what I’m used to. And with the reminder of my blog anniversary, it’s a great opportunity to restart my blogging routine too! 

It has already been a lovely start – the dog and I were out on our first walk at 6.30am with a glorious blue sky. She’s had her breakfast and now she’s quite happily snoozing on the couch while I am starting my checklist for the day.

Isn’t it amazing how a little blog can change your life in such a big way?

What about you guys? Do you have any plans for the Easter holidays? Let me know in the comments below! 

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