Dear Jaclyn and Heidi,
We have just spent Christmas in an absolutely packed van park and it’s made me realise something terrible … I’ve turned into a grumpy old woman! We have been full-time on the road for three years now and I remember our first Christmas travelling. I used to love watching the kids whizz around on their bikes. It made me think of my own grandchildren. Now, the things I used to find endearing have me gritting my teeth. It’s the kids appearing out of nowhere at top speed that is the worst, or the bikes left laying in my way, or the screaming in the amenities blocks. Have I been on the road too long or am I just getting old and grumpy? I used to be a nice person!
Tess
Oh dear, Tess. There are thousands of grey nomads out there who know exactly how you feel. For 10 months of the year we have this wonderful playground pretty much to ourselves and it can be a shock to the system to find ‘interlopers’ cramping our style … especially when they are as lively and sometimes as thoughtless as children are. While getting older is unavoidable you don’t have to get grumpier. You say you have grandchildren of your own so try engaging the ‘little mites’ who currently annoy you. Once you know some of the children personally, they might not seem quite as terrible or as frightening! Failing that, just plan ahead better. Find a quieter spot or stay with friends during the holiday season.
Jaclyn
Welcome to my world, Tess! It seems that every campsite I stop at is full of the most irritating, tedious, thoughtless people imaginable … and they’re not all children, either! You aren’t necessarily getting grumpier. It’s probably more that kids today are getting more poorly behaved and disrespectful. Sadly, some parents aren’t much better! It’s outrageous that these ‘part-time’ campers can ruin the enjoyment of ‘full-timers’ like yourself. Why should grey nomads keep the van park industry afloat during the off-peak times, and then have to put up with this sort of nonsense at Christmas? Families should be cordoned off in van parks so they can ‘enjoy’ each other’s company. Failing that, they should either stay in hotels or stay home.
Heidi
