Two-and-a-bit years after our last Grand Adventure, our family is heading back to France. This time it’s largely a known quantity. Same town – Quillan in the French Pyrenees. Same school. Almost the same house – just a stone’s throw away.

But this time is different.

This will be a winter trip, Oliver will not attend school, and I will not run a marathon. Those differences are small.

The big change is that this trip is splitting up our family. If we end up regretting this escapade, the most likely reason will be that the separation hurt us. That’s the big unknown. We are betting that we have more to gain than to lose.

Jennifer and Tom flew out of Wellington two days ago to start their four months in France. The rest of us will follow at the end of November – a full two months later. How will we cope at home? A two-year-old without his mum for that long – that’s a big ask. How will they cope over there without us? What if something goes wrong?

So far our bet is paying off. Jennifer and Tom are half-way to Europe, galavanting around with elephants and whatnot in Thailand. We at home in Wellington are looking after each other extra well. But it’s early days. Watch this space…