1 Mitch
Mitch is my husband John’s nickname and I can honestly say I would be at a loss without him.
We’ve been married for eight years and anyone who thinks that opposites might attract but are rarely happy together clearly hasn’t met the pair of us.
Mitch is ex-army and he is incredibly tidy and organised. He is also reliably calm and in control – always the sensible, competent one who quietly gets things done.
He comes from a very orderly family and his relatives actually remember his birthday.
In contrast, I grew up in a crazy, noisy home with four older brothers and I am pretty chaotic and a born extrovert. Unlike Mitch, I always feel very comfortable taking centre stage.
2 Baltimore
I am talking about the small fishing village in West Cork, close to where I grew up, rather than the American city.
I have been visiting Baltimore for more than 40 years as we often spent our holidays there when I was a child.
I still go there every summer and Mitch and Darcy love it now just as much as I do. It’s one of those places where you can almost step back in time.
There is hardly any wifi, which is wonderful, and when we’re there we spend our whole time walking on the beach, sailing or eating.
3 Barry’s Tea
Being Irish, I am completely addicted to Barry’s Tea as, to me, it is the absolute taste of home.
I’ve never had a cup of coffee in my life as I can’t stand the smell of it but I probably get through more than 20 cups of tea a day.
It is, I’m afraid, an absolute addiction.
To be honest I don’t really care how it comes but it’s the only tea I drink.
I really don’t get the whole herbal and Earl Grey thing.
4 Family rings
Not long ago I managed to lose my wedding ring.
I accidentally chucked it into the sea when I was on the beach skimming pebbles into the water.
It was very upsetting at the time but now ironically, and rather sadly, I have two wedding rings.
I lost my beloved mother a few months ago and as her only daughter, I not only inherited her wedding ring but also that of my maternal grandmother, whom I was close to.
Now, whenever I glance down at my hands and see those familiar gold bands, I feel sad but also comforted to still have those two wonderfully strong women with me in some way.
5 A bike
I live in Cambridge, where people believe two wheels are better than four and everyone seems to cycle everywhere.
I have always loved being active.
My bike isn’t just a means of transport – although I do use it to get to the station when I’m commuting to my clinic in London – it is also something I really enjoy.
Cycling is something I do for fun and when I’m older and have more time and less responsibility, I dream of taking off on a leisurely bike tour around Europe.
There would of course be lots of hard-core pedalling but that would be punctuated by the odd shopping trip and lots of long lunches and relaxed visits to museums and restaurants.
I love the idea of enjoying the ride at my own pace.
Dr Pixie McKenna is working with Zeiss UV Protect to promote eye health care.
