That moment when you don’t get withdrawal symptoms …

I’ve just returned from a much needed, last minute break in EA6, but I made the conscious decision when packing not to pack radios – despite my hold baggage only weighing in at 8Kg of the 22Kg allowed – hey who needs lots of clothes when you’re going to be on the beach most of the time?!  Surprisingly, I didn’t miss them one bit!

Ever since I can remember I’ve packed a radio when travelling, even if it was just an FM handheld with wide rx so I could listen to aircraft or attempt to make a local repeater contact whilst abroad.  In 2010 I operated as ZC4WFV from Dhekelia whilst on holiday in Cyprus.  In 2013 I took a hand held and operated as EA7/G0WFV.  In 2015, again the FT-817 and various handhelds went with me when I operated as 9H3AC, and again as 5B/G0WFV and EA7/G0WFV in 2016.  Of course they went with me on the VP8RAF/100 DXpedition to the Falklands in 2014.  So why did I decide not to this time?

Ever since my late teens I have always been an avid amateur radio operator, taking every opportunity to fit a modest amount of operating in among holiday or work plans, indeed some of my larger contributions to the MMDVM project have been whilst away with work!  I think it’s safe to say that amateur radio has become a large part of my life over the last 25 years.  This time, as I laid my radios out ready to pack (my XYL is very used to this, so didn’t raise an eyebrow!) I said out loud, “Do you know what, I’m not going to pack them …”  That got her attention!  My reasoning was that I had so far had a very stressful 2017; a health scare (what a radio ham with health problems?  Nooooo!) a “change of job” and the added pressure of working away from family had made me re-evaluate a few things.  The decision not to take radios with me on holiday was a spur of the moment decision, but one I haven’t regretted!  It was to be just me and the XYL, no kids, so I wanted to relax as much as possible and if that meant not playing radio, so be it!

So there you go; no withdrawal symptoms and the world didn’t end!  In fact, I still haven’t turned my radios back on since my return … even my mobile and MMDVM setups have remained switched off despite two long distance drives back and forth to work!  I will make a return at some point though, It’s like a drug … (only worse if you ask my long suffering family!)