Every Minute Matters

On Sunday 11th January 2026 I embarked on my journey of a lifetime and it has been somewhat of a whirlwind to get here, but I am so happy to be on board Queen Anne. I have reconnected with darling friends and we have some wonderful things planned to do together as we have 110 days to explore this wonderful world we live in.

I bought a few cases, so it took a while to get unpacked, but getting organised in the tiny space is still very much work in progress!! There is certainly no space for anyone else, both literally and metaphorically speaking! So if want the detail, 2 large cases, 1 medium, 1 small, a grip (#jackspeak) and a rucksack; not much compared with my friends’ total of 14!

The weather was kind to us for the fireworks, as earlier it was quite “clammed in”, but the cloud base lifted and the skies cleared sufficiently enough to enjoy the fireworks and the added bonus was that I met up with my friends, Carol, Steve, John, Helen and Gary.

My first dining experience was lovely and I have to admit I had been a little apprehensive about it, going to dinner on my own! Part of the evening experience for me is the pre-dinner drinks and I used the reason that I didn’t have time as I was unpacking, but deep down I know I was worried about it too! However, the Bridget Jones pants were on and I got on the dance floor, after going to the evening show in the theatre! A wonderful Irish musician, Tara Howell who was the piper touring with the Riverdance for many years. Of course, she performed Annie’s Song, beautifully done vocally and the pipe. Annie’s Song, if you know, you know; my Mum loved this and towards the end she would smile or cry or sometimes sing along and it was played at her funeral.

Sleep beckoned and I had a comfortable night, even with the ship’s motion in the Bay of Biscay! I went to the gym and did a treadmill session. Please note, that if you stalk me on Strava, the stats are inaccurate as the ship is moving!! I found a lovely venue for breakfast; yes I know it’s amazing that I had breakfast, but part of enjoying my holiday is to take the opportunity to look after myself!

Don’t you think we owe it to ourselves to look after ourselves? That supposedly simple question, if we think about it, could mean many different things and furthermore, on a different day we may approach it differently as well!

Looking after ourselves:

• Food
• Weight management – you know I don’t like the word dieting!
• Exercise – that’s a huge topic all on it’s own!
• Mental health
• Work/life balance
• Time with friends
• Time with family
• Social interaction (more generally)
• Leisure time
• Holidays

What else would you add to the list?

Food! Yes Nici, I hear you say, if you know me, you would have heard me say, particularly when coaching running, discussing training plans etc, “you wouldn’t put “2 stroke” in a ferrari and expect it to purr”. To add to that, you would regularly service the engine, check the oil, brakes and tyres. Yes, you haven’t got time, but I challenge that and suggest you haven’t got time to fix something that is broken!

Good, nutritious food is so important, particularly in a world that is too full of UPF’s – Ultra processed foods – which lack nutritional value, are full of chemicals and lack “real food’ content. Our bodies then struggle to process the food; ingest it, digest it and dispose of it with detrimental consequences over time. Enough for today, but with the adage that EVERY MINUTE COUNTS, take a minute to think before you make your choices. That is what I am doing here! For example, not taking the bread roll offered with the evening meal as, whilst bread serves some purpose, it is lacking in nutritional benefit and too much starch is not good!

Anyway, dancing is good and I may have partaken in the silent disco, albeit with my “billy no mates” banner but getting lost in music is my favourite escapism from reality and I don’t need company for that, though it is preferable, obviously!

Queen Anne, the ship I am cruising on, is lovely and I am enjoying the challenge of finding my way around and dipping in to different things. The gym, obviously and the various places to eat and drink, the evening entertainment in the theatre and other places to enjoy music. Oh yes, and how could I forget the music quiz. Two done so far, one on my own and the second as a team of four. I am competitive, yes really I am, and so I want to win, even if it is only to get a sticker!

I am going to do some self care which includes not too much screen time so I will wrap up for now.

Take care and add a self care item to your list today!

#letsexploretheworld #lifeissorted #everyminutecounts #takingcareofyourself #ultraprocessedfoods