I am writing this far from home, which is a new experience for me. In fact, my life seems to be full of new experiences and it is making me very happy. My wife is one of the those people who does not like January and February; particularly the weather. She has convinced herself that she suffers from SAD: Seasonal Affective Disorder, and suggested that we leave England for a couple of weeks and go somewhere warm and sunny. I thought that it was a good idea, but I did wonder about how it would impact on my writing, a problem that she solved by suggesting that I take my laptop with me! Another new experience for me as I have never taken my laptop away with us before.

So, here we are in Puerto Rico, Gran Canaria, where the sky is blue and the sun is shining. Back home they are enduring below freezing temperatures and here we are enjoying the warmth. The important thing is, however, that we are not here on holiday. I get to spend the mornings writing and my wife, by her own insistence, is looking after the rented apartment, doing the shopping, and such. In the afternoons, when it gets really warm, we sit and read together and enjoy the odd gin & tonic. The evenings are spent walking to the supermarket, deciding what to cook, then going back to the apartment to enjoy the meal, along with a bottle of local wine.

We had talked previously about doing something like this and it always seemed like a dream to us, but here we are. I am enjoying my writing, we both feel relaxed and happy, and I would say that it has been good for our relationship too. It would not surprise me if this becomes an annual event. Indeed, I can understand now why other writers go away to work, it really does remove you from a lot of the distractions of daily life at home. One thing that I will say, however, is that having such a thoughtful and supportive partner makes all the difference. My life has changed so much since I retired last March and the greatest part of it has been for the better. I am grateful for everything, especially being able to share it all with someone so special to me.