If you've got some holiday left over but you're planning on sitting on it until something better comes along, don't. Here at Columbus Direct, we urge you to seize the day and make the most of the big wide world - and here are ten reasons why you should book that autumn break.
1) Apart from various Channel 4 offerings, there is literally no good TV scheduled until Christmas, and then we'll all have to watch Jurassic Park for the 85th time. "What about The X Factor?" we hear you cry. What about The X Factor? Wouldn't you prefer to explore Venice or spend a weekend in Ireland?
2) The clocks go back at the end of next month, which means we'll all be rising in darkness. Complete darkness. And making our way to the gym in darkness after work. Shall we say 'darkness' again, for good measure? Darkness, darkness, darkness.
3) There are some amazing deals out there at the moment - you've just got to be willing to sacrifice a few hours hunting to find them. LastMinute.com, SecretEscapes.com and Expedia.co.uk are the best places to start your search.
4) There are no Bank Holidays until Christmas. That's right; check it on Google if you don't believe us.
5) It's a well-known fact that as Christmas approaches, your workload will suddenly ramp up a gear. Trust us - take this time off now to relax and all those post-10pm meetings in December will seem a little bit more bearable.
6) If you head somewhere sunny, you can invoke the wrath of family and friends by posting smug pictures of yourself on social networking sites. People are probably doing it ironically these days as it's been done to death, but never miss the chance to annoy people from far away.
7) Everyone knows that winter food is stodgy and a bit bland. Bangers and mash, spaghetti bolognese and shepherd's pie are here to stay until February at least; if you head to Spain, you can feast on luscious, oily tapas. Head to Turkey for deliciously-moreish meze, or Italy for pizzas and pasta that'll have you sighing with pleasure. Not like that. What a filthy, nasty mind you have.
8) If you've got a partner, there may be a good chance that your autumnal evenings consist of the following: barge in with takeaway and a bottle of wine, sit on sofa grumbling about your respective days, eat takeaway, drink wine, go to bed feeling a bit unfulfilled. You can do that for the rest of your lives; stop being tight, and book that break.
9) It is a well-known fact that pets mind 87% less when their owners go away during the colder months. Fish are especially good at dealing with separation from their owners during October and November.*
10) If you visit a hairdresser before your holiday, you will have a proper, honest response if they ask you if you're going anywhere nice in the future. And you know what that means, don't you? No more awkward silences while they're cutting your fringe. Perfect.
*We'll be honest, we just made this one up. It looks quite believable though, doesn't it?
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