In less than two weeks, I'll be doing something I never thought I'd be doing – travelling around Europe in a supercar as part of an exciting new adventure holiday experience called Verve Rally.
The premise is pretty simple; pick a high-performance vehicle (or bring your own!) and enjoy a shared journey across six countries in nine days with a group of likeminded individuals. My husband Miles and I will be starting in London before travelling through France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium.
Along the way, we'll see some of the most impressive landmarks on the continent, including the picturesque French Riviera, the stunning Alps and Switzerland's famous St Gotthard Pass. We'll also be staying at luxury four- and five-star hotels, as well as the best restaurants that the different regions have to offer.
The journey is split between driving, leisure and socialising time, and getting to know your fellow 'Ververs' – a mixture of individuals and other couples – is a big part of the appeal. After all, who doesn't want to meet fascinating people from different cultures and backgrounds who can challenge your way of thinking?
What also really stood out for me was that the organisers have committed to making the whole trip carbon neutral. How can petrol-guzzling supercars possibly be carbon neutral? Well, Verve Rally has partnered with the Plant a Tree Today Foundation and the two organisations will calculate the carbon footprint of the holiday and then fund the planting of the necessary trees to offset any emissions produced, which I think is a fantastic idea.
Now, anyone who knows me will probably realise that supercars and being flashy aren't really my thing, but I made the call that getting out of my comfort zone might be fun. Miles, on the other hand, is so excited! In fact, he can't wait to bomb across Europe, pretending to be Daniel Craig in an Aston Martin – a quintessentially British car!
However, I'm genuinely excited about our trip because I think it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we can both look back on when we're older and be grateful we had the opportunity to do it. By the time our kids and grandkids see the photos, driving your own car may be a relic of the past!
And yes, I'm very fortunate to be in a place in where I can take the time out to enjoy these kinds of experiences but I wanted to write about it so that I can encourage all of us to take time out, do something frivolous and fun and live in the moment because life is for living.
