Hello, my name is Megan, and I am going to be this year’s French Language Editor and the Food and Drink Editor. I study Advanced French and Intermediate Italian and have just finished second year so I will be working remotely on The Linguist from Bologna, Italy during my year abroad throughout the 22-23 year. 

However, looking back on my holidays and travel I couldn’t help but be slightly inspired to write about the almost nostalgic memories of the original Covid-19 national lockdown. I thought I would write about one of my most treasured family holidays; a Lake District ‘staycation’. If you’ve ever travelled to the Lakes, I’m sure you know that it is completely unlike anywhere else in the UK. The views from the M6 as you enter Cumbria are almost unparalleled and after five months of ‘staying home’ and ‘saving lives’, I could have gone anywhere away from the confines of our house on holiday and been satisfied. 

On a very early, very dark August morning, the five of us crammed into the car amongst the raincoats and woolly hats (well prepared for the Lake District weather). The journey from Exeter to Cumbria is a long, yet simple one, following the motorway all the way up, and surprisingly it felt like we were there in no time. Staying in a large cottage belonging to a friend of my dad, our first thoughts on arrival were ‘where is the nearest lake?’. Having been brought up in South Devon, beaches feel somewhat like a second home for me. I find there is no greater peace than being on, in, or around water (maybe that’s the Pisces star sign), and the Lakes are like a haven for me. Barely leaving any time to unpack, we headed straight down to the shores and dove straight in. 

Our staycation in the Lakes may not sound particularly spectacular to many well-travelled students, but it contributes to many of my most valuable memories, as I find that time spent relaxing with family is worth more than any flashy trips to the other side of the world. For me, money spent does not always equate to the best time away.

Megan Goddard