The joy of anticipation

Anticipation can be one of the best parts of a holiday. Planning where you’ll go and what you’ll do can stir up a sense of excitement long before you go away. And it can colour the way you experience the holiday itself.

Cartoon of a girl saying, "I've looked forward to this for so long and now I'm actually doing it!"

The internet heightens this experience, exposing us to troves of photos and stories that help us plan and visualise the holiday. It also simplifies the logistics – because these days you can book almost every aspect of your holiday online.

Unless you have a significant physical disability, that is. In which case you can book almost no aspect of anything online, ever. Including holidays.

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The massage parlour manicure

Photo of a girl's manicured hand, holding a lotus bud.While we were in Ho Chi Minh, I visited a brothel for the first in time my life. With my 13-year-old daughter in tow.

At least, I think that’s what happened.

We’d been walking for hours in the stupefying heat – first to Saigon Square, a shopping centre my daughter wanted to visit, then on a circuitous route down to the harbour. We planned to check out our options for a family boat trip, taking in the sights of the city along the way.

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