People who have been reading my blog for a long time, will know that I have a huge love of travel (so much so, that I started a second blog, a travel blog, just for my travel posts) and a huge love of writing. I used to blog poetry and prose every Wednesday back when I hosted #WednesdayWords. So when I heard that Mark Warner Holidays are looking for ambassadors again and there is a creative writing category, I just knew I had to enter.
Mark Warner want to know what makes your perfect holiday. Well… For me, the perfect holiday is one which sets your soul free, enriches all of your senses and makes you feel truly alive. It’s a holiday where you get to share the beauty of this world, with those that you love. In my case… my three incredible children. My special place, is near the sea. It doesn’t matter to me whether we are strolling along a sandy beach, eating ice cream at a harbourside or sitting on a kayak in the sea. It doesn’t matter if it’s Greece, Sardinia, Corsica or anywhere else in the World… I just love to be near the sea.
These two pieces of prose are what I wrote, the last time I was standing on a beach. They are raw, unedited prose, which I have never published anywhere before. Words which came straight from the heart. They will hopefully transport you to the sea and show you why being near the sea, makes my perfect holiday.
Sense of the Sea
I adore the feel of soft warm sand
sliding between my toes,
as I happily wander barefoot,
with no specific destination.
A shy and gentle wind
brushing my back,
as glowing rays of sun
swathe my skin and lift my spirits.
That sound…
SILENCE.
Punctuated only by distant birdsong
and the lapping of the sea on the shore.
Rippling,
gushing,
hissing
and the occasional little POP,
as a fish finds it’s way back into the water.
Or as white foam hits a rock.
Spray which catches the light and twinkles
into a thousand sparkly fragments in the air.
Colour reflections,
as the clear sea echoes the cloudless sky,
making anything which isn’t turquoise,
stand out in contrasting tones.
Fresh air,
salt
and sometimes a little seaweed
fill the nose,
as though you are only really breathing for the first time.
You can breathe big deep lungfuls
and feel free.
Natural beauty at its best.
Calm,
tranquil
and flawless.
At peace, at sea.
The sea has untold powers and millions of secrets.
It holds memories that last beyond lifetimes
and brings the motivation of dreams.
It is here that I feel free.
That my soul is cleansed of the bad things I have done.
Hope glistens on the horizon and I am awakened.
With every breath of sea air I am invigorated.
I am connected.
As I walk along the sand,
with the sun beaming down on me,
I am hit by an overwhelming emotion of gratitude;
because I am just so lucky to be alive!
I can stand with the waves washing over my feet,
Listening to the hushing breaks,
the foam lapping over the sand
And it feels like God is taking my hand.
I hope that my children grow up as in love with the world as I have. That they can feel the same peace and happiness near the sea, that I do. That they will inherit my passion for travel and see beauty in every corner of the world. I hope they get the opportunities to see parts of the world that I can only dream of. But whilst they are young, their journey is in my hands and it is down to me to lead the way. I want to take them to as many destinations as I can and offer them as many amazing experiences as possible.
If I were lucky enough to be selected as a #MarkWarnerMum and represent Mark Warner Holidays as a family ambassador, that would give my children an incredible headstart in that travel journey. We have never been to Corsica, Greece or Sardinia. We have never been to Austria or the French Alps. We have never been skiing (although I recently tried tubing on a dry slope and it was fantastic fun!). Mark Warner serves all of these wishlist destinations and jam-packs them with activities and adventure fit for all the family. So please judges… pick us!
(It’s also my 30th birthday in two days and would make the most amazing birthday present! #JustSaying)
This post is our creative writing entry into the Mark Warner Holidays #markwarnermum competition to be a 2016 Family Travel Ambassador.
Beautiful words. Good luck. Xx
Thank you so much. I need all the luck I can get… competition is always very fierce for Mark Warner Holidays as everybody wants to go so much! It would put the biggest smile on our faces if we were to win x
That totally made me want to visit the beach! Lovely pictures too. I enjoyed the poetry, especially the first poem. You’d make a great ambassador for Mark Warner x
Thank you, that’s very kind. I’ve not been to the beach in such a long time, not even in England, as my car broke a few months ago, so we can’t get anywhere. I’d really love to win a holiday to a warm sunny beach. x
These two pieces are absolutely beautiful! I was transported back in time to a place where I experienced exactly what you described in ‘sense of the sea’. I hope you win this one for your family!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment. When I read these prose back, I can smell the same smells, shut my eyes and see the same sights, hear the same sounds and feel the same emotion. I would so love to be standing on a beach right now and I think my girls really deserve it after a tough past few years. xx
Gorgeous words Emma and a great post:) Good luck to you and your family.
Lisa (Travel Loving Family) recently posted..Ready to be adventure junkies again! #MarkWarnerMum
Thank you Lisa, that’s very kind. And good luck to you on your entry too! xx
What a wonderful piece of writing Emma, I’d love you to visit these places so I can read your perspective on them too! Good luck x
Thank you so much for your comment Sam. I’d love to see if I can write prose of a similar style about how a snowy ski resort would feel. There’d be so many amazing photo opportunities and such writing inspiration at any of the Mark Warner resorts. x
Such beautiful writing. I know how much a fabulous holiday would mean to you and I would really love for you and your girls to experience that.
Good luck! x
Sarah MumofThree World recently posted..Loud ‘n’ Proud 18.2.16
It really would mean so much to us. Thank you for such a lovely comment xx
Beautiful poems emma love the pictures too xx
Thank you. The pictures are from a variety of places, from Land’s End, to Italy, Menorca and Belgium! x
lovely words travelling I’d a great opportunity where things can’t be learnt in a classroom wish you all the best of luck
Thank you. I completely agree. I actually wrote a post once on how much learning I feel children can do when they travel. They learn through experience. xx
Lots of luck Emma! Hope you manage to win this year!
Karen (@karenjwhitlock) recently posted..Super Lunch at Jamie’s Italian in Cheltenham
Thank you Karen. That would be a dream come true for me. x
What beautiful poems. I love the bit in the first poem about hearing a pop and as I read it I can imagine being right there by the sea. Good luck in the competition, I’ve also entered. Polly x
Our Seaside Baby recently posted..My Perfect Holiday #MarkWarnerMum
Thank you so much for your lovely kind comment. I will pop over and take a look at your entry! Good luck xx
Beautiful writing Emma – can’t think of a better person to be Family Ambassador. I’m lucky enough to have lived by the sea since I was two – wouldn’t change for anyone or anything 😉
Thank you, that is so kind of you! Wow that must be so wonderful. Am ambition for me one day! xx
I love these, particularly the first poem which was so evocative! I also love the way the shape is kind of wavy – which is appropriate! #prose4t
Maddy@writingbubble recently posted..a letter to my youngest son on his third birthday
Thank you for your kind comment. Thanks for pointing out the wave shape too! 🙂 x
Absolutely stunning post, photographs and poetry. Your writing is beautifully evocative.
Thank you, that’s very kind 🙂 x
This is beautifully written Emma. I love how both pieces really do transport you to the sea and the beach. My favourite was the first of the two, I thought the line about the wind was perfect. I know you didn’t make it through so I am sorry that you didn’t but thank you so much for sharing with Prose for Thought. IT is great to have you link up. Take care xx
Verily Victoria Vocalises recently posted..Prose for Thought Thursday 10th March 2016