Unexpected, Unplanned Time Off

Why People Press Pause is a series of nine articles about the real reasons people take a break. It’s not about why you should come to Woodfarm — it’s about why people leave their own doors in the first place. Over the years, I’ve noticed the same emotional triggers come up time and again — burnout, celebration, grief, change.

These are the stories behind the suitcase. The real reasons people press pause on life and find somewhere to breathe again.

Taking a break is rarely just about “getting away”. It’s about what’s happening before that. There’s usually a moment behind the booking that matters far more than the destination. This series is about understanding those moments. And if one of them feels familiar to you, then that’s reason enough.

Unexpected, Unplanned Time Off

Sometimes things suddenly gets cancelled, or changed and you realise you’re free to escape.

That Unexpected Free Weekend or midweek?

There’s something quietly magical about a long weekend or a few days off midweek that you hadn’t planned for.

Maybe your original plans fell through, or friends let you down (it happens). Maybe you didn’t realise the Monday was a bank holiday. Maybe — for once — no one’s made demands of your time.

That’s when the thought pops up: “We could still do something with it.”

It’s not about running away or fitting in a big trip. It’s about using that rare pocket of space in the calendar before it disappears. And for a lot of our guests, that’s exactly when they find us.

We’ve seen it time and time again. People ring up or book online on a Thursday evening because the weekend ahead is… blank. And rather than let it vanish into housework, admin, and aimless scrolling, they decide to use it. They grab a bag, the dog’s lead, and they head to Suffolk.

Because here’s the truth: spontaneous doesn’t have to mean stressful. When you’ve got somewhere familiar, set up, and welcoming, it’s actually one of the simplest decisions you’ll make all month.

At Woodfarm Barns we’ve always endeavoured to meet this need. Everything’s ready. The beds are made. The firewood’s in. The kitchen’s stocked with basics. We leave dog treats out. There’s a map of walks, a list of local pubs that won’t blink at muddy paws, and nothing in the schedule but space.

For some guests, it’s the Barns — warmth, enclosed gardens, and no expectations. For others, it’s the Barges — calmly sitting on a Suffolk river with only birdsong for company. Whichever way you lean, you don’t need to overthink it.

That’s what makes these last-minute breaks so satisfying. They’re not about high effort or complex logistics. They’re about ease. About moving gently from “we should do something” to “this was exactly what we needed.”

As I write this I recall a guest calling last week. They’d just finished a big project at work and had been thinking they’d be working all weekend, but they finished it early and suddenly had some free time. We found some availability and booked them in. They didn’t even bring food — just picked something up on the way. By dinner, they sent me a message saying they were sat with a glass of wine, dog asleep, wondering why they hadn’t put the project on hold and done it sooner.

So if there’s a long weekend on your calendar, or a few bonus days off work — and no plan yet — maybe that’s the opportunity. You don’t have to chase something big. You just have to decide not to let this time go to waste.

Because the times we don’t plan are often the ones we remember most. The ones where we stop, look around, and say: “This… this was a good call.”

Why People Press Pause

I hope you enjoyed reading this article and I hope you read some of the others. This series isn’t a sales campaign. It’s not a “Why you should pick Woodfarm”. It’s the opposite, really. It’s about you. Your life. Your moments. Your reasons. This is about why you leave ‘the norm’ for a while, whether you come to Woodfarm or not.

If I’ve done my job right, Woodfarm will feel like the natural answer when that moment comes for you. I want you to come to Woodfarm, of course I do. That’s how I make a living. But honestly, there is an almost infinite number of choices, and this is about why you decide you need one of them, not where you go.