If I could .......

If I could …….

I was recently tagged by The Reading Residence to join in with If I Could …..

If I could live anywhere:

That’s an easy one – Thailand.  I love everything about the country, the people, the culture, the food, temples, beaches, even the chaos that is Bangkok.  I fell in love with the country many years ago and yes, if I could live anywhere, that’s where I’d be.

If I could .......

If I could have any home:

I love history, so I’d love to live in a house with a past, I’d love to be able to trace the inhabitants of my home back through the centuries.  But that would be just for me.  For Monkey, I would love to have a house big enough for him to have a play room, somewhere big enough for him to make his own, his little kingdom.  I’d love somewhere with a proper dining room, god how I miss a dining room.  I’d love somewhere with a double driveway so I didn’t have to stress everyday about parking outside my own home, I miss that too.

If I could have any garden:

I’d love a garden big enough for Monkey to kick a football in, large enough to play a proper game of badminton, the garden of my own childhood.  I’d like a south-facing garden with a lovely patio area, somewhere to entertain family and friends.  Somewhere with established flower beds with soil you can actually grow things in!  Somewhere with a nature pond area, some shade for Brewster and somewhere in the countryside, somewhere quiet that doesn’t back onto a main road.

If I could be on holiday right now:

I won’t pick Thailand again, although I’d love to.  Is Europe to big a destination?  I was talking to Monkey about travelling yesterday and I told him I’d love to just get on the train and travel round Europe with him, take the whole of the school holidays and just go.  But for now, I’ll settle on anywhere in Italy.  Monkey would be in pizza heaven and it’s a country I would dearly love to explore more.

 

If I could have any job:

I’d be a historical archivist.  I would be in my element and if I could talk to a 16-year-old me I would tell her to change her A Level options, go to a different 6th form and get her butt to Uni. I’d tell her not to lose faith in something she loved and look at her skills and go for it.

If I could have any talent:

I wish I was musical like my brother, I’m not.  But I’ve always wished I could paint, properly paint.  I’d love to be able translate beautiful landscapes and architecture onto paper.  I’m sadly not artistic in any way, shape or form.  Apparently as I’m an Aries I should be – sadly it’s not the case.

If I could live any day again?

Umm, tricky one, there are a few I’d like to live differently! But I think, family stuff aside, I’d love to relive my first day in Luxor in 1990.  I had fallen in love with Ancient Egypt when I was 10 years old, and had always wanted to visit the country.  I got the chance through work and grabbed it with both hands.  All I had to do was get flights to Cairo and any internal flights I wanted.  Luxor was top of my list of must see places.  To walk around the temple at Karnak left me speechless.  To see traces of coloured paints on hyroglifics was just amazing.  I was in heaven and actually it was all too much for me to take in really, yes I’d love to relive that day again and really soak it all up.

If I could have any superpower:

I’d like to speak to relatives who have passed away.  Not sure this can be classed as a superpower, but I’m making it one!  I’d love to be able to have a conversation with a Granny I never met and know what her voice sounded like.  I’d love to talk to my Papa as an adult, I’d love to tell my Granny that I’m a Mum!  I’d love to talk to my Great Uncle and tell him that I uncovered his story, that his nephew knows his real name and where his widow and her children lived.  I’d love to talk to all the Mary’s in the family who came before me and hear their stories, and I guess if I’m totally honest I’d like to be able to talk to Monkey when I’m gone. He might not appreciate that as much as me!

Thanks Jocelyn for prompting me to write this post.  Now I’m tagging a few bloggers to ask them to share their ‘If I Coulds’, too. To join in just link back to me here, post about it, and tag another few bloggers to share, too. No pressure, but I’d love to know more!

Tracey from Mummyshire

Merlinda from Glimmer of Hope

Charley from PODcast

Erica from 92three30

Ting from My Travel Monkey

Stephanie from A Cornish Mum

 

12 thoughts on “If I could …….

  1. Gosh, I feel I’ve learnt so much more about you and your passions thru this post. You should follow up on some of your ‘if I coulds…’ you could take part in historical archivist work as a volunteer – maybe not as far afield as Luxor, but locally perhaps?!?! You sound so passionate about it
    There are some really interesting questions there, loved your answers & I’ll happily take up the challenge. Thanks for the tag xx x

  2. Love this post Mary, what a great idea. Houses with a past are always interesting, we enjoy a bit of history too – I’m sure it’s something that’s grown with age! What a wonderful choice of superpower, how fascinating that would be. Really great post, thank you so much for tagging me x

  3. Im in! I am actually having a hard time thinking of topic to tackle hence almost all of my post are photos haha! So this is a big help! A prompt =)

    Like you I wish I am musical. Music heals and that is what the world needs now and its amazing if you can help heal the world!

  4. This is such a wonderful post – I feel like I’ve learnt so much more about you now! Thailand wouldn’t be far off where I would like to live too, definitely somewhere in Asia for me, as well. Just love that part of the world. A historical archivist sounds such an interesting job, too. I wonder if we would listen to ourselves if we ever went back to impart some advice – I know I was bit stubborn and pig headed! 🙂 I really enjoyed reading it and thanks for tagging me – they’re really interesting questions and I will take part soon! x

  5. I’ve always dreamed about travelling around Europe on the train with the kids for the whole summer too (particularly as that’s what one of my daughter’s friends is doing). I’ve even got as far as planning a route……just need the money to do it now!

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