There’s something about the night before a big trip that I’ve always loved.
Call me weird. But it’s not the airport. It’s not even the flight. It’s the bit before all of that. The moment everyday life steps to one side and adventure slowly begins to take over.
For us, that moment started at a Premier Inn near Heathrow. Sounds glamorous, doesn’t it? Honestly though… I wouldn’t change it.
Walking through those hotel doors, I remember taking one of the biggest breaths I’d taken in months. It wasn’t that everything was as perfect as I’d imagined. If I’m being real, there were still things sitting in the back of my mind. But for one evening, I made a conscious decision to leave them there.
Because after months of planning, researching and imagining this trip…
We’d made it.
Healthy and together. About to board a plane to the other side of the world. That… felt pretty special.
My husband disappeared to check us in while the rest of us walked around checking the hotel grounds out. The hotel was much bigger than I expected. Costa. A bar. A restaurant. A huge open seating area where people sat with drinks watching planes drift overhead.
My daughter was immediately distracted by Costa. Girl loves a matcha whatever-it-is with seventeen ingredients I can’t pronounce. Honestly… when did coffee become so complicated? Just give me milk, two sugars and I’m happy!
My husband poked his head into the bar and realised the football was on. Another win.
Me? I grabbed my suitcase, headed upstairs and was already dreaming about collapsing on that Premier Inn bed.
One of my favourite memories from that evening happened before we’d even unpacked. My husband handed the room cards to the kids.
My daughter looked completely confused.
“Mom…”
“I’ve got my own room?”
“You have.”
“So I don’t have to share with Harley?”
“Nope.”
Her face absolutely lit up.
“Thanks so much, Mom!”
Meanwhile, my son just gave me that little smirk he always does whenever he’s trying not to look excited.
Mate… I know you too well. You can play it cool all you like. I know the truth.
As I watched my daughter disappear into her room grinning from ear to ear, I couldn’t help but laugh.
Kid… you ain’t seen nothing yet. This is just the Premier Inn.
The room itself was brilliant. Nothing fancy. Just clean. Comfortable. A decent bed. Enough plug sockets to charge the seventeen million things we all travel with. A kettle. A TV. Everything we actually needed.
After we’d settled in, we headed downstairs with a drink and watched the planes coming in overhead.
Looking back now, that evening became one of my favourite parts of the whole holiday. Which sounds completely ridiculous. We hadn’t even left England. There was no jungle, no volcano or infinity pools. Just a gin in my hand, my family around me and the biggest adventure we’d planned in years waiting for us the next morning.
Eventually, we decided to grab food. The hotel restaurant looked okay. I mean, it was traditional pub food. Standard. But if you’ve got a car, there are loads of places nearby, and we’re a family of foodies.
So off we went.
My son found this brilliant little burger place. One of those places that just has a certain energy about it. I can’t really explain it. It just felt cool.
We parked up on a side street and me and my son jumped out to order while my husband and daughter waited in the car.
Well… my son jumped out.
I sort of followed behind him because I’d forgotten my glasses at the hotel and I’m blind as a bat without them. He was basically my guide dog for the evening.
We sat waiting for the food, looking out through the restaurant window. People were finishing work. Meeting friends. Heading home. Getting on with completely ordinary evenings.
Then my mind came back to us.
My son patiently waiting for the biggest burger on the menu. My daughter probably asking another twelve questions in the car. My husband almost certainly checking every thirty seconds that we weren’t about to get a parking ticket.
And then it hit me.
Bloody hell. We’re going to Bali tomorrow.
Back at the hotel, everyone disappeared into their own rooms. I think the kids just wanted to squeeze every last second out of having their own space before they’d be sharing again in Bali.
Fair enough. Who doesn’t enjoy eating a massive burger on a Premier Inn bed in complete peace? I know I do.
We said we’d meet back downstairs later for another drink. That was the plan anyway.
Reality looked a little different. Showers. TV on. Air conditioning switched straight off because my asthma wasn’t about to let that nonsense happen.
Then somewhere between the first few mouthfuls of burger and whatever was on television… sleep won.
No work. No emails. No rushing around trying to survive another week.
Just us.
Tomorrow…
Bali.
Recreate the Moment
If this chapter has made you think about the night before your next trip, here’s what worked for us.
Where We Stayed
Premier Inn near Heathrow Airport
Sometimes the holiday starts before the flight.
Staying the night before meant there was no early morning rush, no motorway stress and no panic about traffic. Instead, we had an evening to settle in, grab some food, enjoy a drink and get excited about what was coming.
Would I stay again?
Already booked for Thailand.
If I Did It Again…
Actually… I am.
But here’s what I’d recommend.
– ✔ Stay near the airport if you have a long-haul flight.
– ✔ Give everyone their own room if your budget stretches to it. For us, it made the start of the holiday feel surprisingly special.
– ✔ Eat somewhere local instead of feeling tied to the hotel restaurant.
– ✔ Pack properly before you arrive so the evening feels calm instead of frantic.
– ✔ Don’t try to fill the evening with activities.
Sometimes sitting with a drink watching planes is enough.
Suitcases & Stories Reflection
Borrow the feeling, not the itinerary.
You don’t need to stay in our hotel. You don’t need to eat our burgers. And you definitely don’t need to forget your glasses and turn your son into your personal guide dog. Ha!
Every family has little travel rituals. Maybe yours starts with airport breakfasts. Maybe it’s a playlist in the car. Maybe it’s ordering takeaway in a hotel room the night before a flight.
Whatever it is…
Protect it. Trust me.
Planning your own Bali adventure? You night also enjoy reading Finding the Right Driver in Bali.
Where Could Your Next Adventure Take You?
Bali was our dream. But what would yours look like?
I’ve created a free Travel Match Quiz to help you discover destinations that might be just right for you.
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