Young, Wild And Free

Want to feel young again? Put down that bottle of expensive collagen booster and drive to the Kruger Park.

- Xanthe Hunt

The other day I discovered my first wrinkle. I was in the car, and it appeared during a routine glance in the visor mirror. I took a picture and sent it to my sister, who pronounced its veracity. She battled to hide her glee.

Then there’s the supermarket shopping thing. My partner and I have discovered that it’s one of our favourite things to do together. He likes the outdoorsy stuff in that one odd aisle where you’ll also find the seed packets; I like the veggies and anything in a glass bottle. We prefer shopping to clubbing.

Finally, and importantly, a doctor friend of mine recently pinched me. As he did, he pulled the skin on my arm a good two inches. “Look!” he said with delight. “You’re so stretchy! You’re beginning to lose the elastin in your skin!”

Yes, I’m getting old. The realisation is scary but also important. Because it reminded me of one of the easiest ways to feel young again…

There’s something magical about a holiday, especially one where you get away from home. It’s not about distance, but difference. A holiday in a nearby game reserve when you normally live in a city holds as much magic as a city holiday in another country.

People in holiday mode are happier, nicer, and generally better in every sense. We’re not only nicer to other people, we’re also gentler on ourselves. (Eat that cookie, you’re on holiday!)

When I travel abroad, I’m often struck by how free holidaymakers seem to be. On any given day in Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi you’re likely to find benevolent groups of doctors and lawyers from serious places like London and Stockholm, camping on pillows in the departure area and wearing hemp hoodies while joking about a delayed flight.