Everyone is booking their holidays for the summer. There is something appeasing knowing that, although you are stuck in boring work, it is still freezing cold outside and, just as cold as inside that you have to open your fridge door in order to heat the house, that you will be in the blistering hot sun soon. Away from everything. Sprawled out on a sun lounger with a piña colada in one hand listening to the beating of the waves and catching the rays.
That is the idyllic image most people have of their perfect summer holiday. Not my mum however. Where is your mum going on holiday you may wonder? My mum is nearly hitting the big 50. She is single and I would say normal. Maybe you would expect her to be jet setting off to Italy or Greece. Having a holiday jam-packed of sightseeing or just taking a relaxing break in the sun.
Wrong! My mum is going to Magaluf with a group of young girls from work. Magaluf: the place that is also referred to as 'Shagaluf!' A place that is considered, and promoted as a holiday destination for 18 to 30 year olds. She has insisted there will be many people there of a similar age but, I can imagine the places her friends intend on going will not be suitable for the older generation.
The prospect of my mum being surrounded by rowdy boys on their 'lads' holiday' is daunting.
Yet, it is not just my mum who is going on a booze packed holiday this summer. Almost everyone I know has either planned to go or, has already booked a clubbing holiday. Students and teenagers all over (and my mum) are flocking to these party zones celebrating the end of exams, while other people are just going to take the chance to let loose and go wild with their friends.
The highly successful and award winning comedy 'The Inbetweeners' moved to the big screen last summer with the 'Inbetweeners movie.' The film was shot partly in Magaluf and Malia. It shows the quest of socially awkward teenagers Simon, Neil, Will and Jay to lose their virginity and party. It is also Simon's attempt at getting over Carly the love of his life.
The film's popularity has caused a boom for party destinations, especially Malia. Hotel searches for Malia have increased by 243% in comparison to last year's figures according to Hotels.com. A summer trip to Malia, Magaluf, Ayia Napa, Ibiza and Zante has become standard.
People with Simon's dodgy haircut, as testosterone filled as Jay and armed with Neil's surprisingly impressive dance moves are heading on holiday hoping to end up as lucky as Will; scoring the beautiful girl. Expecting for the holiday of a lifetime and as Jay Cartwright puts it: "Three weeks of sun, sea, booze, m***e, f***y and sex."