Day Twenty-Six - 16/12/25
After the huge day at VinWonders, we all welcomed a bit of a sleep-in this morning. It was a slower, lazier start, and you could feel that everyone was still carrying a bit of fatigue from the day before. Even so, we still made it down to breakfast reasonably early, just with a much more chilled vibe than usual.
Breakfast turned into another long, relaxed social session. We found ourselves spending a lot of time chatting with the Israeli families again, and both Kia and I keep coming back to the same feeling, we really love their energy. They’re incredibly relaxed, open, and easy to talk to. The conversations are always interesting, whether it’s about life in Israel, their travel experiences, or just comparing how different families live day to day. There’s a familiarity there that we’re really drawn to, and it’s been one of the unexpected highlights of this place.
After breakfast, reality kicked back in for me. With such a big day out yesterday, work had piled up, so I got stuck straight into it and ended up putting in a pretty solid, full workday. Kia also tried to get some work done back at the accommodation, but her day was much more fragmented, bouncing between kids and activities.
There was a cooking class on today, Maddie headed off to The Burrow, which is the arts and crafts space here, and Emmett and his new mate were surprisingly motivated to smash out schoolwork together. They were so into it that both sets of parents basically agreed, if they’re keen, let them go for it. Tablet schoolwork turned into pool time, which turned into more activity, and the kids were just on the go all day. Kia spent most of her time running between things, keeping everyone moving and organised.
Lunch came a bit later than usual. Kia jumped on the scooter and grabbed smoothie bowls from one of the local spots, and they were unreal! Fresh, cold, and exactly what we needed after a hot, busy morning.
In the afternoon, there was a choice between soccer and pickleball. We’ve done both a few times now, but Emmett wanted to play pickleball with his friend and his friend’s dad, so that made the decision easy. A handful of families showed up, and it turned into a fun, sweaty session. I really enjoy pickleball, even though I’m not very good at it yet. Kia, on the other hand, is awesome! Her love of tennis and excellent hand-eye coordination give her a big advantage. I spent most of the time trying to improve and not let my partner down when we were chasing wins.
Afterwards, Emmett and I cruised back, and I dove back into work again. I was pushing hard to finish a job and got really close, but the afternoon and evening had other plans.
The ladies had organised a girls’ night involving massages and drinks, so we needed to get dinner sorted and get Kia back in time to head out. We went to one of our regular local spots, a small place we’ve visited a few times now. They definitely recognise us at this point, big smiles and waves as soon as we arrived. We ordered almost the exact same meals as usual and, once again, they delivered. We ate quickly so Kia could head off and enjoy her night.
While the girls were out, the dads organised a relaxed hangout. One of the Polish dads had brought along some traditional Polish alcohol and shared it around, which was a nice cultural touch. We had a beer, a few drinks, and some good conversation, while the kids stayed back at the accommodation, playing on their tablets and winding down after such a full-on day.
Overall, it was another really nice day, busy, social, and relaxed in its own way. That said, I can definitely feel how intense work has been lately. It’s more than I expected to be doing at this point of the trip, and I’m really looking forward to the Christmas shutdown. Three more days to go, and then I’m ready to properly switch off and enjoy full days by the pool, not just afternoons. Less lifestyle juggling, more holiday mode.