Day 195 - Booking the Next Adventure

Day 195 began with another early start.

Kia and I were both awake before long, making our way to the kitchen for our now-familiar morning coffee routine. Our accommodation has a constant flow of travellers coming and going, giving it a lively atmosphere. Every day seems to bring a new group of faces while others quietly move on to their next destination.

Mohammed was already hard at work preparing for the breakfast rush when we wandered through the kitchen. Coffee in hand, Kia and I headed up to the rooftop while the kids decided they wanted breakfast downstairs and ordered themselves their usual morning feast.

The morning settled into a productive rhythm.

While the kids worked through their school lessons, Kia and I continued researching the next stages of our trip. Mexico remains the focus of most conversations at the moment, and there always seems to be another decision waiting to be made. Flights, accommodation, transport, activities, budgets—it all adds up quickly when you’re planning life on the road.

I also had some work commitments to get through, so much of the morning was spent jumping between work tasks, travel research and helping the kids with schoolwork.

By lunchtime we decided to head out and try a restaurant we’d been meaning to visit for a while.

The menu looked fantastic, with plenty of options and prices that fit comfortably within our budget. Unfortunately, reality didn’t quite match the menu. When we went to order, only a handful of dishes were actually available, which seems to be a fairly common experience here.

Still, we made the best of it.

Kia, Emmett and I shared a large chicken and chips tagine, while Maddie ordered a minced meat sandwich that was so large she only managed about half of it. A pot of Moroccan tea completed the meal, and despite the limited choices, it was a nice change of scenery and a pleasant family lunch.

Back at the accommodation, attention shifted to logistics.

One of our biggest priorities was finally locking in our flight to Mexico and securing accommodation in London. Somehow London had crept closer and closer without us actually booking a place to stay.

Travel planning has become a strange mix of excitement and financial reality.

We’re all genuinely looking forward to London. The kids are excited. Kia and I are excited. There are plenty of things we’d love to experience while we’re there—a musical, some of the famous attractions, a hop-on-hop-off bus tour and simply soaking up the atmosphere of one of the world’s great cities.

At the same time, London isn’t exactly kind to the travel budget.

Accommodation alone is roughly double what we’d normally like to spend, and every activity seems to come with a significant price tag. We know it will be worth it, but it definitely feels like a brief financial sprint before arriving in Mexico, where accommodation prices are much more aligned with our long-term budget.

By the afternoon we had made good progress.

Flights were sorted. London accommodation was booked. Several major decisions were finally behind us.

The feeling of relief that comes with crossing big items off the travel planning list is hard to describe. Every booking completed means fewer unknowns and less mental load moving forward.

The kids continued working through their school tasks, although we’re becoming increasingly aware of some areas we need to work on with Emmett. Convincing him to sit down and focus on schoolwork can be an uphill battle at times. Like most eight-year-olds, there are about a hundred things he’d rather be doing.

Eventually the afternoon arrived, and despite feeling a little off, we headed down to the beach.

The kids were keen for a bodyboarding session.

Unfortunately, the conditions weren’t particularly inviting. The wind was howling, the ocean had been churned up into a sandy brown colour, and the waves weren’t offering much reward for the effort.

At the same time, my stomach had begun protesting whatever I’d eaten earlier in the day.

I felt bloated, uncomfortable and increasingly uninterested in being anywhere other than a bed.

We spent a little time sitting on the rocks overlooking the water, watching the conditions and debating whether it was worth going in. Eventually, common sense won.

Maddie and I headed back to the accommodation while Kia and Emmett stayed behind a little longer.

Once back, I stretched out on the bed and surrendered to an afternoon of doing absolutely nothing.

Sometimes that’s exactly what the body asks for.

Meanwhile, a small international friendship was forming downstairs.

A father and son from France have been staying here, and although the young boy doesn’t speak English, he’s been eager to play with Maddie and Emmett. The language barrier hasn’t stopped them from finding ways to connect.

Throughout the afternoon they played card games together, with the father occasionally popping into our room asking me to translate something using my phone. It was one of those lovely travel moments where children somehow find a way to communicate regardless of language.

Eventually Kia and Emmett returned from the beach and joined in as well.

While the kids played games and enjoyed each other’s company, I remained horizontal and focused on feeling human again.

Before long, evening arrived and the day quietly drew to a close.

It wasn’t the most adventurous day we’ve had in Morocco, but it was an important one. We ticked off several major travel tasks, finalised some significant bookings and moved one step closer to the next chapter of our journey.

The decision fatigue that comes with long-term travel is definitely real. Every destination, accommodation booking, flight and activity requires another choice, another calculation and another conversation.

But with London now booked and Mexico beginning to take shape, we’re finally starting to see a clearer path ahead.

And after weeks of planning, that feels pretty good.