Heather Large: Holiday wonders right on your doorstep

After months of staying put in one place, I was excited to go away for a few days and recharge the batteries.

We didn't travel far, just a few miles across the Shropshire border with Wales, and it was only for three nights but it felt like we had been gone much longer - always the sign of a good break.

I hadn't realised how much I had missed getting away from it all until we were in car and heading down the motorway.

Back in March, we had just squeezed in a weekend in London before everything changed and Britain went into lockdown. It feels like such a long time ago now.

As someone who usually counts down the days to their holidays, it has been strange not having any trips to plan, although I have to point out that, in my case, it's not all due to coronavirus.

This time last year my boyfriend and were finalising our travel arrangement and accommodation as well as researching places to visit for our holiday in Greece.

We had four days exploring the incredible sights of Athens including the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora and Mount Lycabettus with its amazing views.

We then travelled north to see the amazing clifftop monasteries of Meteora in central Greece before returning to the capital to catch a ferry to the island of Santorini.

Having never been to Greece before, I loved every minute (well, almost. I could have done without the sea sickness) and I can't wait to return to visit more of the country and the islands, it really was a trip we will never forget.

It was a carefree time before any of us had even heard of Covid-19, it's pretty startling to think how much things have changed in a year.

So many holidays have been cancelled since March and many people have been forced to try to rearrange once in a life time trips that they had spent years saving up for. And coronavirus has been devastating to the tourism and hospitality sector.

It's been good to see people who have set their minds on going abroad take trip but for me, travelling overseas at the moment just seems too risky.

To be honest, it's not so much from the point of view of contracting Covid-19 but from all of the hassle of travelling and the fear that quarantine restrictions could change while we're out of the country.

I know one family who had a mad dash back from France only to arrive back in Blighty on the wrong side of the quarantine cut-off due to a missing a ferry after getting stuck in a traffic jam.

All the stress and worry involved in racing home - which in the end was all for nothing - has probably undone the good work a couple of weeks of relaxing in the sun has done. They might as well have stayed and enjoyed the final few days of their holiday because the end result - self-isolation for 14 days- was the same.

Fortunately for us, we had already decided not to plan a trip abroad this year as we are hoping to be moving house soon so this means I don't feel like I've missed out as much by not travelling overseas for some adventures this summer.

But that doesn't mean I don't want long for a welcome change of scenery, so when we were given the opportunity of escaping for a few days to the picturesque Welsh countryside, we jumped at it.

A change to the daily routine really can do wonders and being in a different place can make it easier to rewind.

It also gives your brain new things to focus on rather than the worries and stress that you might have left behind.

We happily spent a few leisurely days wandering around National Trust gardens, eating picnics on the lawns and generally enjoying waking up somewhere different to normal.

After months of staying at home and constantly observing the same views, it still seems strange to have these 'new' freedoms. It goes to show how much we take for granted and how often we forget to be grateful for the opportunities we have. In the UK we have no end of fantastic options for weekends away so for now I'm happy to explore new places on our doorstep.