My Love Affair with Newquay and The Island

For a lot of people my age, their childhood holidays weren't spent in Spain they were spent on the coast of the UK, whether their parents' preference was Barmouth, Swanage or Skegness. My parents' loved Newquay.

As I was an only child until I was 10, and a very demanding and stroppy child at that, my very patient cousin Zandra was like a sister to me and would come on every single holiday. Whilst she was a tomboy, I was a girly girl. When at home she would climb in trees and I would sit inside and colour but when on holiday this all changed. Holidays were spent paddling in the sea today in our vests and shorts (the concept of swimwear abandoned in haste) and posing on the rocks for pictures pretending to be the Ariel from the Little Mermaid. (Well I did that, Zandra just grinned with a spade in her hand whilst building sandcastles.) The most memorable moments include Zandra reminding us to be careful when in the sea... "Don't go too far out the cherries will get you!" Currents Zandra, currents.

My mom and I paddling in the sea at Newquay

22, 22 years ago.

When my lovely mother was 22 she was engaged to my dad.  In June 1987 they went on a holiday to Newquay with my uncle and his wife, stayed in a nice hotel and drank too much.  Then nine months later there I was.  Well...that's how I imagine it went.

 My Mom and I in Newquay when I was a little girl.

22 years later I clock it's June.  I'm 22.  I'm imagining potential excursions with a boy...and in nine months almost to the day it is my birthday.  One difference though...I'm not pregnant, nor will I be anytime soon.  So as I declared this to the boy, saying how weird it is that generations have changed as they have, he said: "But you realise we have friends that are engaged and have children."

He's right.  Turns out our generations aren't all that different.  We are actually old enough to do all these things it's just that we have chosen not to as yet.  We are grown-ups now.  How scary.  So when do you know you're a grown-up?

• When you're friends have been in relationships longer than some people who are getting married.
• When you're friends are moving in together.
• When you're friends get a mortgage.
• When you're friends get engaged.
• When you're friends have a baby.
• When you're friends get married.

This, for me though is all speculation.  I realise it but I haven't done any of these yet, people I know have.  So know do I know?

• I get annoyed when people get in my way on the street.
• I get annoyed with queueing on a Saturday in town because I can no longer go in during the week.
• I tell 12 year olds off for giggle and chucking things in the cinema because they're stopping me from watching the film.
• I tell my younger siblings off and they actually listen to me.
• I go to work 5 days a week and now see that as normal rather than a chore.
• The thought of moving in with someone isn't all that scary.
• I don't feel the need to get drunk all the time because hangovers are just frustrating and ruin the precious 2 days you have off work.
• People actually think I am capable of doing a grown-up jobs.
• I am capable of doing a grown-up job.

So I am officially a grown-up.  I realise this isn't a very grown-up post it's just all hit me in one go.  So how do I adapt to this?  Do I settle down?  Do I find a steady, career-focused job at a boring company?  Do I chuck away all my cartoon t-shirts and start wearing pencil skirts?

Naaa.  I'm still me.  Still sat here in my nightie under a blanket, both of which I've had since I was 12, because I have tonsillitis.  Definitely not a grown-up illness.  The difference is at 9am tomorrow I'll be going to work not skiving school.