"Don't cry because its over, smile because it happened"

It's been a while since me and the boy have had a break longer than a couple of days away camping. So when Becci asked us if we wanted to join her and her friends in Boscastle for a couple of days she instantly peaked my attention. Part of me was going to say no straight away as I didn't want to impose on anyones holiday. Having a stranger there is one thing but a stranger and his 8-year-old son is a lot for anyone to take on. After double checking about 20 times though we said yes (I'm such a worrier).

The morning we were leaving came with all sorts of unnecessary drama that could have easily been avoided so by go time we were desperate to get away from it all, my foot was down and we were off. The drive there was a breeze and seemed to go so quickly, I'll put that down to Opeie's DJing skills, that kid knows how to drop a beat. We arrived at Polrunny cottages where we were staying late afternoon and I was super excited to see Becci. After meeting Dean and Jenna (who are awesome) we headed out with Becci for a quick tour in the rain. Boscastle is Becci's 'Happy Place' and she showed us around the harbour, it was lush.

The following afternoon we headed off on a walk from Boscastle to Minster church to go looking for the shrine of Joan Wytte (The Fighting Fairy Woman of Bodmin) who was tried as a witch in the 1800's. It was wet and muddy but a really satisfying walk. Surrounded by ancient woodland and with the sound of the river valency at our side it was exactly where I needed to be for a full brain reset, and who better to be there with than two of my favourite people.

Halloween was the best, we were up and out fairly early and headed over to Tintagel for a good old stomp. The weather was pretty rubbish but we were all smiles and Becci was excited to show us some more of the Cornish coastal magic. Braving the weather ended up working out great for us as when we arrived at Merlins cave we were the only people on the beach and it was so peaceful. Opeie had fun climbing the walls and I was feeling really loved up. Life has changed so much over the last couple of years and thanks to a special someone, things are definitely moving forward again.

I did my usual trick within the first hour of being there and was standing too close to the water when a wave covered my boots. I spent the remainder of the afternoon with soggy, squelchy feet but it didn't dampen my mood. We had a great walk along the cliffside and sat and ate our lunch on the edge and was joined by a big fluffy caterpillar which was adorable.

We hadn't quite had our fill of the coastal fun when we left Tintagel, so we stopped off at Bossiney Cove on the way back. As we walked down the steps against the cliffside and saw the water gushing over the cliffs edge we couldn't wait to get down to the bottom and kick off our shoes. The secluded picturesque beach was so peaceful and we were all smiles as we held hands and really took it all in. 

Back at the cottage it was my turn to cook, so while I made the gang pizza, they carved pumpkins and chatted. Opeie was clearly enjoying Dean and Jenna's company and it was lovely to listen to the four of them having fun while I did my thing in the kitchen. Becci made me chuckle telling everyone that every year she has big plans for her pumpkin but then gets frustrated and ends up doing the same face. The pumpkins turned out amazing, Dean definitely took the gold though with his frankenstein's monster pumpkin, genius.

The remainder of the night was filled with movies and maybe a touch too much wine, but it was the perfect end to the most unforgettable Halloween.

The following morning we embarked and a coastal hike from Boscastle to Rocky Valley in search of some mysterious Bronze Age labyrinth carvings located near a delapidated mill on the River Trevillet. The weather started off fairly nice but then ended up very wet and very muddy. Opeie quickly lost interest in the walk but we managed to have a good laugh along the way. As we reached Rocky Valley he'd had enough until I slipped on some mud and managed to keep myself up by turning into what looked like a crazy dance with a musical soundtrack. That seemed to be all we needed to pick up everyones spirits, as Opeie and Becci took the Mickey out of me.

Five minutes later we had found the carvings and it was a pretty satisfying end to that part of the walk. The river was beautiful and although we were soaked and caked in mud I had had the most amazing day. It really does make all the difference when you are with someone that wants to get involved in the adventure and Becci has really opened my eyes to how relationships are supposed to be.

All that was left to do was to get back to the cottage, there was no way Opeie was walking much further so we decided to get the bus. Which actually ended up being the perfect end to an amazing hike along the coast. Becci laughed all the way back to Boscastle on the bus and then back to the car when the bus driver charged us £10 for a shockingly short journey, I was so shocked that I just stood there speechless and did nothing but move some change around in my hand, Is that how much buses cost these days?

The following morning was home time, I was feeling pretty anxious about travelling back into the possibly volatile situation that I'd driven away from but I had that Dr. Seuss quote rattling around in my head "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened". Life can throw some serious rubbish at you at times but if you are a good person and surround yourself with kind people and real genuine love the universe has a habit of guiding a path for you.