So, it's officially hit me.
The high of the summer has left me in the lowest of lows, come Christmas I might be halfway to hell. The trouble is, I'm having to dedicate myself to something which I couldn't be less interested in - the laws of England and Wales. Not only are they as dry as a bone and riddled with ridiculous complexities, they are archaic and absolutely stupid. For instance there is a law, buried deep within our rich and illustrious history that consists of:
"It is illegal to handle salmon in suspicious circumstances".
Okay.
So you're telling me if i'm whipping up some Mediterranean veg and oven roasted salmon and I happen to be perhaps whistling a tune I might just get locked up? Oh and it's also illegal to bang your doormat in the street before 8am, just in case you had any plans to disrupt your weetabix and proceed to run outside with the intention of walloping your 'welcome' mat senseless.
Fair enough, its not actually these laws that I am lucky enough to study (if only) I do much more important stuff like contract and wills and super excitingly, land law! (I hope you can hear my sarcasm.) Anyway, the point is, I find myself drifting away during lectures, imagining the things i'm going to do with my life, the places I am going to see, or even what it would be like if I were at a different university studying journalism or english lit - I imagine I'd be much more engaged and instead of having to work my ass off to scrape a 2:1, I'd be in my element and raking in the 1st classes. It's not even necessarily my grade that I care about, It's my mental state and actually wanting to attend university. I'm experiencing that awkward in-between phase - some of my friends are absolutely off their faces every weekend, living in rented houses and sleeping with anything that has a pulse in the midst of youth and abandoning all responsibility, whereas others are working a steady 9-5 job and getting mortgages - yes, MORTGAGES!!!!
And then there's me, I'm at university, but still living at home with the responsibilities of a 30 year old but not paying any mortgage, in a steady (and very blissful I might add) relationship but still working at night to keep my little circle going.
WHAT IS THIS SAD EXISTENCE???
I'm not saying I want to get off my face at weekends and nor do I want a mortgage (I'd rather live as a squatter than have a 25 year debt) but I want something more, or maybe something less! I'm in a life-limbo, just trying to get the next few months out of the way with my sanity intact.
People are forever telling you to 'enjoy being young' and that they are 'the best days of your life' and I can't help but want to ask them if they are simply deranged - I get that this is the most energy I will probably have and that the old arthritis hasn't kicked in yet but I am the most stressed out I can possibly ever be - I have no clue where my life is going, no clue WHY i'm studying law and if I'm actually going to make it out alive, after I graduate next summer I have no security of a job or plan or money I just know I need to get out of here. The most carefree time of my life so far has been when I was a young teenage chav sneaking out on the weekends under the cover of darkness to join my friends with cheap alcohol and cigarettes - poetic I know.
I guess the heaviest weight in the world is the one of responsibility, where you realise that now is the time that big decisions have to be made.
My plan A is to graduate, and delay those big decisions for as long as possible, to just see what happens when I take my foot off the gas and let it roll. There is just SO SO SO much to see and do before I get that mortgage, before I put on those big city career handcuffs, I want the best days of my life to last for most of it - and I don't see why they can't.
My plan B, you ask?
Don't have a bloody clue.
Tuesday 3 November 2015
Wednesday 21 October 2015
There's gonna be good times
So this year has been a roller coaster ride from hell then up to heaven with a couple of stints in purgatory. There has been tragedy, frustration, loss and despair amongst travelling to places I could only dream of going to.
During the journey home, nestled into a seat by a panoramic window on the train, I watched the concrete of the city disintegrate into grassy peaks and dips, where cottages lay - small windows of warm inviting light glowing from them, resembling some faint memory of happiness around a warm fire. Fields bathed in the sunset soon turned into black silhouettes of trees and grey clouds, closing in on a final line of amber, the last expanse of golden sun before the night came. I finally felt as though all the bad events of the year had come to pass, and the winter season was closing in, giving way to a new, happier year. With darkness, comes silence, and with silence comes peace. Waves of melancholy and joy washed over me and my juxtaposed disposition, my reflection staring blankly back at myself in the black of the train window. My favourite season was over and I knew that, but so was the pain of 2015, and I knew that I could make it through the next few months and find freedom in the summer - the battle is almost over, the sea almost calm.
As if going back to university after travelling so far wasn't depressing enough, I took on extra hours at work (God knows why) and studied and worked until my soul was charcoal - the past couple of weeks I haven't felt anything but tired and empty, I haven't had a moment to myself to think and my creative energy got sucked into a vacuum and left me completely in the dark. Glasgow gave me the space and air that I needed after the blur that has been the past few weeks.
So the short trip has somewhat rejuvenated me, I felt it as soon as I disembarked the train in Glasgow Central, that bracing and fresh northern air that stings your cheeks and stimulates your senses, my creative energy was eagerly waiting to greet me there on the platform and so I was reunited with myself.
How I had missed the high-ceilings, stripped wooden floors and modern quirk of Kai's uncles' flat - a man with a very important job that doesn't take himself seriously considering - and how I had missed crisp, cold Scotland that made the winter season bearable with its blue skies and cobbled streets lined with trees the colour of pumpkin orange and cherry red.
Kai's uncle took us on a tour of the BBC buildings where he works as a producer and allowed us to take a trip into the filming studio, where many programmes and game shows are recorded, and what amazed me was just how much man power is needed to put together one show on one channel that all of us flick through at our discretion as we laze about on the sofa. Also whilst touring the modern airy offices of BBC Scotland, was the ardent desire in my heart to be working in a job I love in a bustling, vibrant city instead of despairing at the UK legal system in a private university with no idea how or why I'm doing it to myself.
Kai's uncle took us on a tour of the BBC buildings where he works as a producer and allowed us to take a trip into the filming studio, where many programmes and game shows are recorded, and what amazed me was just how much man power is needed to put together one show on one channel that all of us flick through at our discretion as we laze about on the sofa. Also whilst touring the modern airy offices of BBC Scotland, was the ardent desire in my heart to be working in a job I love in a bustling, vibrant city instead of despairing at the UK legal system in a private university with no idea how or why I'm doing it to myself.
Whilst up, we had arranged to see Jamie XX of The XX. We firstly went out for drinks in the Hillhead area, to the book club which is the ultimate hipster den with a ping pong table, upstairs bar behind a curtain and an entrance into the kitchen through a wardrobe. Here I drank the salted caramel White Russian (amazing) and listened to a live DJ showcase his knowledge of hip hop records. Jamie was on at 11 and so we got the subway across my favourite city over to the O2 academy, ready to be immersed into the music.
The concert itself was incredible - for any of you that are fans of The XX or Jamie XX himself, you will know that they manage to take you through a journey of haunting electronic melodies and feel good mixes with bass that vibrates in your very bones. (I am no music terminology whiz so I hope that makes sense) Before the end of the show, Jamie played his track 'Good times' and reality gave me one of it's slaps round the face, I realised my current situation wasn't as bad as I was telling myself: I only have 7 months of university left, I have a boyfriend and family that would do anything for me, and I have my health, and so I let myself be taken in by the music once more with the resounding lyrics of 'I know, there's gonna be good times' ringing in my ears. After the concert Kai and I hung around by Jamie's tour bus and managed to have a quick chat and photo with the man himself, who looked absolutely knackered - making me even more grateful that he actually stopped to talk to us.
Our last day on our quick trip was spent eating 'breakfast' at about 1pm in TriBeCa - The Lebowski milkshake is a must try if you visit - and then taking a wander around the Kelvingrove Museum which was free entry and had some pretty cool exhibitions going on inside, one being a load of facial expression casts suspended from the ceiling giving the effect that there was a cloud of floating heads above us, almost like wandering into a scene from Harry Potter.
During the journey home, nestled into a seat by a panoramic window on the train, I watched the concrete of the city disintegrate into grassy peaks and dips, where cottages lay - small windows of warm inviting light glowing from them, resembling some faint memory of happiness around a warm fire. Fields bathed in the sunset soon turned into black silhouettes of trees and grey clouds, closing in on a final line of amber, the last expanse of golden sun before the night came. I finally felt as though all the bad events of the year had come to pass, and the winter season was closing in, giving way to a new, happier year. With darkness, comes silence, and with silence comes peace. Waves of melancholy and joy washed over me and my juxtaposed disposition, my reflection staring blankly back at myself in the black of the train window. My favourite season was over and I knew that, but so was the pain of 2015, and I knew that I could make it through the next few months and find freedom in the summer - the battle is almost over, the sea almost calm.
Wednesday 14 October 2015
Italian Food in Budapest
"What strange phenomena we find in a great city, all we need to do is stroll about with our eyes open. Life swarms with innocent monsters."
- Charles Baudelaire
Budapest, by sight, is a serene fairytale world, it's magnificent buildings shrouded in dusky pink, the great chain bridge over the Danube allowing lovers, friends and family to cross, taking it all in in awe. However, this city, like every other, holds another personality in the back streets, where ruin pubs and street food await to be discovered.
Our hotel, Continental Hotel Zara, situated in the midst of the madness was absolutely flawless. Located in the Pest side on Dohany Street in the Jewish Ghetto area (or the 7th district), it is the ultimate hidden gem of hotels. Its location was perfect for several reasons, including being in close proximity to the main shopping street Vaci Ucta which runs parallel to the Danube, but also because it was amongst the ruin pubs, spoiling us for choice.
Upon arrival, we were both eager to explore, having forgotten my map this time around (I know, schoolboy error) we really were left to our own sense of direction, using only our feet and eyes, letting Budapest take us in. We wandered out of our hotel, turning right to find Kazinscy Ucta only a couple of minutes walk away, this is the street home to Szimpla Kert, the king of ruin pubs, and 'Karavan' a street food court which was right next door. This consisting of burgers, italian food, vegan food, thai food and more - open from 11.30 daily until 2am. We ate at the italian and the burger counters (cultural, I know) which were both amazing and totally cheap, it worked out about £3 (approx $5) for half a margarita pizza which was huge and delicious. We then walked to the main shopping street to grab some souvenirs and gifts and were enticed in by the ice bar staff - which was empty when we went in with very strong cocktails but worth a visit if you're in Budapest and have never been to an ice bar.
Later that night, we ventured into szimpla kert for drinks, and I'm not quite sure I have the writing prowess to do it the justice it deserves.The exterior is relatively nondescript apart from lingering groups of people and overflowing hanging baskets giving the worn brick facade a tumbling tangled green fringe. Once inside there are three bars, several rooms inside and a big outdoor area under a canopy with a BBQ grill (that does REALLY good burgers and chicken) and another bar right at the back. I was instantly struck by the 'computer den' which is essentially a small room visible through a gap in the bricks, where the walls are lined by tangled lights, hairdryers and old fashioned boxy computer screens all showing patterns enough to make your eyes feel intoxicated. Under the canopy in the outside area is the place to be in szimpla, people gather around tables of different shapes and sizes, on recycled garden chairs, stools and chairs made out of skis. (And some lucky people are able to sit in the old fashioned car which has been split and put back together again to accomodate a table inside it) Some are drinking and laughing, some are mysterious and quiet surrounded by smoke from thier shishas but above all, nobody is hostile, and that's what I liked most about szimpla - it may be a quirky and hipster place to be but the people are like the furniture - from all over the world, different ages and walks of life, but all just happy and relaxed.
The next day we wanted to make our way over to the shopping mall 'WestEnd city centre' to get me some comfortable shoes in order to walk the city (map and comfortable shoes won't be forgotten next time) However, amongst the strolling, we came across St.Stephan's Basillica , the third largest church in Hungary, which was completed in 1905 and named after St.Stephen of Hungary - the first King of Hungary. We paced up the magnificent steps to take a look inside and once in there, over washed that peaceful, serene feeling of being in a large sacred building, - this feeling is well known to me, thanks to my parents for dragging me and my reluctant sister around churches and cathedrals in France throughout our childhood.The architecture and design inside was stunning - however it didn't stop there. When leaving the church, there were steps and a ticket office up to the 'panorama' and I couldn't resist - 302 sweaty and breathless steps later - in flip flops - we were taking in the rooftops of Budapest, it really was worth it. From above, it was easy to see just how much history is packed into the city, magnificent buildings and scattered terracotta roofs surrounded us for miles, until in the horizon distant hills met the grey blue sky in the smog. - The feeling was similar to that you get on top of a mountain, the reward for the hard climb is always the view from the top. After our experience at St.Stephens, we found the shopping mall, got some shoes and finished off our trek around the city with some hungarian lager at 'Koleves' beer garden which essentially is a mashup of a children's playground and a gypsy camp with a very relaxed, summer vibe.
The following night we wanted to see some other ruin pubs and the evening took a bizarrre turn straight away - (stop reading now if you're a disney fan) - In Fogashaz ruin pub, an old man who I can only describe as looking like the one from 'UP' offered Kai money for a minute with me, this completely freaked me out and so onwards we went to 'Instant'. Instant has been hailed as 'The enchanted forest of ruin pubs' but this also led to a weird experience as not long after we settled at a table under a load of plastic rabbits and an owl with cat ears, boobs and horse legs, we found ourselves in the middle of a hungarian 'quiz night' and made a beeline for the exit, with Kai grabbing a hot dog on the way out. We returned to Szimpla for more drinks and got talking to two American students studying in Prague, more drinks led to more drinks and we ended the night feeling very intoxicated after taking some pictures at the photo booth in szimpla with our friends from over the pond. Once back at the hotel, Kai's 'happy drunk' turned into 'vomiting blood and passing out hitting head on the way down' and so we spent the night in Budapest hospital, which ended the bizarre evening nicely. 6 hours, blood tests and an MRI scan later, at 7am, we were free to go and Kai was fine, with nothing suspicious showing up in his bloods - so my advice for any travellers going to Budapest is don't drink spirits or eat any food from Instant!
We slept until about 12, and I was determined to rectify the previous nights situation and so we headed for Vaci Ucta, to an Italian Restaurant rated the number 1 restaurant in Budapest. Called 'Comme Chez Soi' and located on Aranykez Ucta, literally just off the main shopping street by the Mercure hotel. My experience at this restaurant is the best I've ever had yet, it is only a small restuarant with about 8 tables but a very impressive interior and even better food. The host, Roberto, saw to our needs instantly, we were very lucky to get a table and were brought a plate of antipasti for the wait for our starters of bruschetta. The antipasti consisted of parma ham and half of a tomato with olive oil and mozzarella - I was instantly in love with the first bite. Our bruschetta came and the bread was beautifully warm and packed with garlic with the cold, fresh and juicy tomatoes on top overflowing - this was soon gone. Kai ordered a lemonade to drink which was in fact homemade and delicious and then our mains were before us, mine spaghetti bolognaise and Kai's a carbonara. We both conceeded it was the best we had ever tasted and we were both fit to burst with my dish eventually defeating me. These were whipped away and replaced by a lemon sorbet and sweet hungarian wine. Upon leaving, Roberto was over to help with our coats and with some chocolates for me to take away because "the lady did not order dessert" - The guy obviously knows his females very well. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough if you ever visit Budapest, both the food and the hospitality for me were unprecedented and the price all together only came to about £20 - needless to say we left a good tip.
We spent the remainder of the day on the Buda side of Budapest, taking the vernacular railway up to the castle and enjoying yet another panoramic of the city. We wandered around the grounds for a while and made our way alongside the river towards Gellert hill and back over the 'Szabadsag' bridge to the hotel. That evening neither of us were in the mood to drink after the previous night so we made the most of the rooftop swimming pool at the hotel, taking in the distant glittering sights.
On our last full day we took a trip to the Szechenyi baths which are definitely a must-do in Budapest - turquoise pools heated to 37 degrees and surrounded by mustard yellow buildings, it was the ultimate site of relaxation. To get here we took a tram just down from the hotel which we managed to hop on and off both ways without paying - I'm not recommending this in the slightest but they were super easy to use and quite frankly we were getting pretty tired of walking. We saved our last reserves of energy for a trip to the river that night in order to see the castle and the chain bridge lit up. - This was after grabbing some (more) Italian food from 'A Presto' by the operahouse on the way. (More amazing pizza.)
Overall, despite the hospital trip and the dodgy old man claiming he wanted to "help young people", Budapest was an amazing experience for me. It really showed me the two sides of the city and the personalities that come with those two sides. The trip has reinforced the importance of discovering cities both by day and by night, both on the sunny marble steps and down the backstreets cloaked by night, after all, how can you say you've been to a city if you haven't really experienced it all?
- Charles Baudelaire
Budapest, by sight, is a serene fairytale world, it's magnificent buildings shrouded in dusky pink, the great chain bridge over the Danube allowing lovers, friends and family to cross, taking it all in in awe. However, this city, like every other, holds another personality in the back streets, where ruin pubs and street food await to be discovered.
Our hotel, Continental Hotel Zara, situated in the midst of the madness was absolutely flawless. Located in the Pest side on Dohany Street in the Jewish Ghetto area (or the 7th district), it is the ultimate hidden gem of hotels. Its location was perfect for several reasons, including being in close proximity to the main shopping street Vaci Ucta which runs parallel to the Danube, but also because it was amongst the ruin pubs, spoiling us for choice.
Upon arrival, we were both eager to explore, having forgotten my map this time around (I know, schoolboy error) we really were left to our own sense of direction, using only our feet and eyes, letting Budapest take us in. We wandered out of our hotel, turning right to find Kazinscy Ucta only a couple of minutes walk away, this is the street home to Szimpla Kert, the king of ruin pubs, and 'Karavan' a street food court which was right next door. This consisting of burgers, italian food, vegan food, thai food and more - open from 11.30 daily until 2am. We ate at the italian and the burger counters (cultural, I know) which were both amazing and totally cheap, it worked out about £3 (approx $5) for half a margarita pizza which was huge and delicious. We then walked to the main shopping street to grab some souvenirs and gifts and were enticed in by the ice bar staff - which was empty when we went in with very strong cocktails but worth a visit if you're in Budapest and have never been to an ice bar.
Later that night, we ventured into szimpla kert for drinks, and I'm not quite sure I have the writing prowess to do it the justice it deserves.The exterior is relatively nondescript apart from lingering groups of people and overflowing hanging baskets giving the worn brick facade a tumbling tangled green fringe. Once inside there are three bars, several rooms inside and a big outdoor area under a canopy with a BBQ grill (that does REALLY good burgers and chicken) and another bar right at the back. I was instantly struck by the 'computer den' which is essentially a small room visible through a gap in the bricks, where the walls are lined by tangled lights, hairdryers and old fashioned boxy computer screens all showing patterns enough to make your eyes feel intoxicated. Under the canopy in the outside area is the place to be in szimpla, people gather around tables of different shapes and sizes, on recycled garden chairs, stools and chairs made out of skis. (And some lucky people are able to sit in the old fashioned car which has been split and put back together again to accomodate a table inside it) Some are drinking and laughing, some are mysterious and quiet surrounded by smoke from thier shishas but above all, nobody is hostile, and that's what I liked most about szimpla - it may be a quirky and hipster place to be but the people are like the furniture - from all over the world, different ages and walks of life, but all just happy and relaxed.
The next day we wanted to make our way over to the shopping mall 'WestEnd city centre' to get me some comfortable shoes in order to walk the city (map and comfortable shoes won't be forgotten next time) However, amongst the strolling, we came across St.Stephan's Basillica , the third largest church in Hungary, which was completed in 1905 and named after St.Stephen of Hungary - the first King of Hungary. We paced up the magnificent steps to take a look inside and once in there, over washed that peaceful, serene feeling of being in a large sacred building, - this feeling is well known to me, thanks to my parents for dragging me and my reluctant sister around churches and cathedrals in France throughout our childhood.The architecture and design inside was stunning - however it didn't stop there. When leaving the church, there were steps and a ticket office up to the 'panorama' and I couldn't resist - 302 sweaty and breathless steps later - in flip flops - we were taking in the rooftops of Budapest, it really was worth it. From above, it was easy to see just how much history is packed into the city, magnificent buildings and scattered terracotta roofs surrounded us for miles, until in the horizon distant hills met the grey blue sky in the smog. - The feeling was similar to that you get on top of a mountain, the reward for the hard climb is always the view from the top. After our experience at St.Stephens, we found the shopping mall, got some shoes and finished off our trek around the city with some hungarian lager at 'Koleves' beer garden which essentially is a mashup of a children's playground and a gypsy camp with a very relaxed, summer vibe.
The following night we wanted to see some other ruin pubs and the evening took a bizarrre turn straight away - (stop reading now if you're a disney fan) - In Fogashaz ruin pub, an old man who I can only describe as looking like the one from 'UP' offered Kai money for a minute with me, this completely freaked me out and so onwards we went to 'Instant'. Instant has been hailed as 'The enchanted forest of ruin pubs' but this also led to a weird experience as not long after we settled at a table under a load of plastic rabbits and an owl with cat ears, boobs and horse legs, we found ourselves in the middle of a hungarian 'quiz night' and made a beeline for the exit, with Kai grabbing a hot dog on the way out. We returned to Szimpla for more drinks and got talking to two American students studying in Prague, more drinks led to more drinks and we ended the night feeling very intoxicated after taking some pictures at the photo booth in szimpla with our friends from over the pond. Once back at the hotel, Kai's 'happy drunk' turned into 'vomiting blood and passing out hitting head on the way down' and so we spent the night in Budapest hospital, which ended the bizarre evening nicely. 6 hours, blood tests and an MRI scan later, at 7am, we were free to go and Kai was fine, with nothing suspicious showing up in his bloods - so my advice for any travellers going to Budapest is don't drink spirits or eat any food from Instant!
We slept until about 12, and I was determined to rectify the previous nights situation and so we headed for Vaci Ucta, to an Italian Restaurant rated the number 1 restaurant in Budapest. Called 'Comme Chez Soi' and located on Aranykez Ucta, literally just off the main shopping street by the Mercure hotel. My experience at this restaurant is the best I've ever had yet, it is only a small restuarant with about 8 tables but a very impressive interior and even better food. The host, Roberto, saw to our needs instantly, we were very lucky to get a table and were brought a plate of antipasti for the wait for our starters of bruschetta. The antipasti consisted of parma ham and half of a tomato with olive oil and mozzarella - I was instantly in love with the first bite. Our bruschetta came and the bread was beautifully warm and packed with garlic with the cold, fresh and juicy tomatoes on top overflowing - this was soon gone. Kai ordered a lemonade to drink which was in fact homemade and delicious and then our mains were before us, mine spaghetti bolognaise and Kai's a carbonara. We both conceeded it was the best we had ever tasted and we were both fit to burst with my dish eventually defeating me. These were whipped away and replaced by a lemon sorbet and sweet hungarian wine. Upon leaving, Roberto was over to help with our coats and with some chocolates for me to take away because "the lady did not order dessert" - The guy obviously knows his females very well. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough if you ever visit Budapest, both the food and the hospitality for me were unprecedented and the price all together only came to about £20 - needless to say we left a good tip.
We spent the remainder of the day on the Buda side of Budapest, taking the vernacular railway up to the castle and enjoying yet another panoramic of the city. We wandered around the grounds for a while and made our way alongside the river towards Gellert hill and back over the 'Szabadsag' bridge to the hotel. That evening neither of us were in the mood to drink after the previous night so we made the most of the rooftop swimming pool at the hotel, taking in the distant glittering sights.
On our last full day we took a trip to the Szechenyi baths which are definitely a must-do in Budapest - turquoise pools heated to 37 degrees and surrounded by mustard yellow buildings, it was the ultimate site of relaxation. To get here we took a tram just down from the hotel which we managed to hop on and off both ways without paying - I'm not recommending this in the slightest but they were super easy to use and quite frankly we were getting pretty tired of walking. We saved our last reserves of energy for a trip to the river that night in order to see the castle and the chain bridge lit up. - This was after grabbing some (more) Italian food from 'A Presto' by the operahouse on the way. (More amazing pizza.)
Overall, despite the hospital trip and the dodgy old man claiming he wanted to "help young people", Budapest was an amazing experience for me. It really showed me the two sides of the city and the personalities that come with those two sides. The trip has reinforced the importance of discovering cities both by day and by night, both on the sunny marble steps and down the backstreets cloaked by night, after all, how can you say you've been to a city if you haven't really experienced it all?
Thursday 1 October 2015
A Ferry to Phi Phi
Despite months of planning, weeks of excitement and days of waiting, throughout the whole process of packing my case and driving to the airport, it didn't quite hit me that I was about to embark on a 14 hour flight that would take me over 6000 miles away. Travelling is my one desire, an integral part of my being - and travelling to (near enough) the other side of the world really does make you appreciate just how big our humble little sphere is, however, events that unfolded on the ferry to Phi Phi (of which I will tell you in due course) really do make it a scarily small world.
So the two flights out - one to Dubai, then from Dubai to Singapore - actually went pretty quick, this was a result of our connecting flight being late, leading to a sprint across the airport (interrupted briefly by Jess needing a cigarette = us spending a tense few minutes in the most bizarre smoking lounge which was full of men, leading to my paranoia that we had breached some sexist Dubai law) the journey was not helped however by the kind man in front of me who proceeded to recline his seat all the way and then thrash about as if he was enduring an exorcism. I don't know what it is about me on planes but I always get THE most oblivious seat-reclining, frequent-farting person in front of me.
Enough with the plane glamour, we arrived in Singapore somewhat delirious but totally excited and were greeted by Jess' cousin, Nat, who whipped us into a taxi and made us right at home in her beautiful apartment in Keppel Bay. (which just happened to be one of the nicest places to live in Singapore) We spent the day walking around Singapore which I'll admit is a bit of a blur due to jet lag - that night we were both given a melatonin and slept for a straight 14 hours.
The following night is up there as one of the most bizarre nights of my life. One of Nat's neighbours was celebrating her birthday and invited us along, so we met them at a Mexican bar called Lucha Loco on Duxton Hill, Singapore. After numerous tequila shots and some nachos, the congregation were up in front of us doing the conga out of there - we had no choice but to join the back and wonder what the hell was happening. Getting into a minibus - which turned out to actually be a party bus blasting out Michael Jackson with laser lights that made it look like pyrotechnics were going off - we took a trip through town. We disembarked outside a closed shopping mall. Feeling slightly tipsy and hazy from the jet lag, we followed the party into the empty shopping mall and got into a lift - we then went through a door into the craziest place ever. It held about 60 rooms all of which you could hire out for kareoke.
60 rooms.
Available to hire
For kareoke.
ka-re-oke.
Isn't that the most brilliant idea you have ever heard of?
Needless to say, it was a crazy night fueled by drinking and screaming to the likes of wonderwall and dancing in the moonlight with people I'd met about 4 hours earlier.
The following day, we attended a boozy brunch at the Grand Hyatt hotel which had free flow champagne and selected cocktails as well as a buffet featuring food from all over the world for 3 hours. There we got chatting to a New Zealand businessman and his friends - everyone in Singapore seems to either own, direct, or manage a company. This chat went on to take a spiritual level thanks to the free flow of alcohol and Jess and I somehow found ourselves discussing our supernatural experiences with Bernice, one of the businessmen's beautiful Asian girlfriend - yet again in a bizarre smoking room.
We spent the next day sweating out our hangovers by walking around Singapore and introducing ourselves to the MRT - the Singapore equivalent of the subway or tube. That night Jess and I walked over from Nat's apartment to a bar on the harbour and talked under the lit up sky scrapers that showered the sea in tiny flickering jewels. There was something about Singapore that made me feel completely at home, it is the most lush, tropical city that I have ever experienced and you almost feel like you are a VIP wherever you walk.
The next morning, we were off to Phuket. I had these images embedded in my brain of Thailand, a remote paradise, completely serene and chilled out. Let me tell you all of this was shattered into thousands of pieces upon our arrival in Patong. Scooters and motorbikes - everywhere. Telegraph poles with wires overlapping, dangling all tangled up like a ball of wool gone wrong, letting out the occasional spark as a massive 'SCREW YOU' to the health and safety laws that us Brits are so accustomed to. A friendly Aussie on our minibus told us all about the infamous Bangla Road which is essentially a long strip of bars and clubs with a dash of ladyboys, he also told us that everyone beeps their horn at the top of the hill going into the city in respect of some belief or god. We found our hotel, Patong Heritage, which was suprisingly luxe despite our surroundings and then immediately made our way out for food. All in all Patong is a crazy blur of excessive drinking, heavy warm tropical rain, Thai people trying and trying again to lure you into their shops,bars or taxis, Australians, and finally a smidge of culture, the temple of Wat Chalong.
Then we were off again, in a taxi to Phuket Rassada Pier, to catch the ferry to Phi Phi. And that is where it happened. Jess and I grabbed seats right at the front on the deck, Jess suffered with sickness and I looked out to the horizon, feeling completely content and amazed at life, amazed that I was here, on the other side of the world, on a ferry to paradise. The crossing was slightly bumpy and so we kept getting sprayed which admittedly I quite enjoyed in the intense heat. Someone behind me let out an expletive and I completely stiffened. I knew that voice. It couldn't be. I turned my head slightly and knew. Sitting back down next to Jess, I said as calmly and as casual as could be "Jess, don't freak out, my ex is behind us."
Yes.
My ex-boyfriend.
Who I hadn't seen in 2 years.
After I basically stamped all over his heart by ending the relationship.
You just couldn't write this.
If I wasn't feeling sea sick before I most definitely was now, I asked myself why the hell had this happened? What were the odds? I tried to think of a reason and failed, settling with the resolution that it must be pure coincidence. Jess on the other hand found the entire situation hysterical.
We walked to our hotel off the ferry, a short walk along the beach, I was trying to take in the pure paradise in front of me but my head was a complete blur, and the past was doing laps in my brain. Mama Beach Residence, our hotel, turned out to be the most awful wi-fi spot on planet earth and so we went for a walk and ended up trekking up to the viewpoint in flip-flops. As expected, the viewpoint was amazing, but it showed me just how small the island was, which caused me once again to question why fate had landed me there with my ex boyfriend. That night I had the opportunity to answer those questions myself. We happened (by chance, right?) to be in the same bar and he luckily had the nerve to tap me on the shoulder and we ended up chatting and making amends, which got a lot off my conscience and allowed me to ask how his family was, something that I had actually wondered for the last 2 years. That night we also met a girl called Anna, originally from Estonia who had been travelling mainly alone for the last 2 and a half years, she immediately inspired me and I also recognized her from our ferry trip over, we partied with her in Loh Dalam Bay on the beach and got slightly too intoxicated which led to me and Jess getting matching traditional bamboo tattoos, a crescent moon on our right ankles. (Looking back at the pictures our tattoo artist looked like a complete psycho and like he had possibly killed a few people.)
While in PhiPhi we went on the Shangri La boat party which I added to my most bizarre experience list. Owned by a man aged approximately 64 called Dennis, who called me Blue Eyes and offered me a job, it was the craziest boat trip off Phi Phi. There was unlimited alcohol and shots flying about and a 'sea jacuzzi' which I imagined to be an actual jacuzzi on board but I was so wrong. The sea jacuzzi was a net suspended from an arm on the side of the boat that you jumped into, supervised by a Swedish guy with the looks of Bradley Cooper called Jimmy who was working his last shift, returning home to his girlfriend much to the disappointment of many girls on board. This news immediately struck me right where it hurt, and I realized how much I missed Kai, and how I knew for definite that he was the one I wanted by my side for the rest of my life, to explore and adventure. Despite this sudden home sickness I was feeling, when we moored up just inside Maya Bay I threw myself into the water, enjoying the feeling of the warm sea and the numbness from the alcohol, we took a longtail over to shore and paid 200 baht each to visit the site of 'The Beach', here we had a sandfight in the shore leading to Jess getting sand in her eyes, don't ask. We ended our short stay on Phi Phi by watching an amazing fireshow at a bar called Carlitos, if you ever visit - that is the fireshow to watch.
Our final stop in Thailand was at a hotel called the Tubkaak Boutique Resort, Krabi. This was a ferry trip away from Phi Phi and then a short taxi drive. It was the real Thailand I had imagined, the hotel was like a retreat, it was in a secluded area with its own private beach and the room had an outdoor shower and sunken bath. It was pure paradise and bliss. We spent our two days here relaxing around the pool or on the beach, looking out to the horizon which was an endless expanse of blue, with the shadow of faraway islands just visible.
Then we returned to the urban jungle (both words applicable) of Singapore, reunited with Nat and her husband and their adorable 18 month year old Freya, Upon our return I think both me and Jess realized how much we were going to miss all of them, not to mention the amazing places we had visited. We ended our stay on a high, with a visit to Universal Studios on the island of Sentosa, and an amazing meal at P.S Cafe in Singapore, followed by a drink at Potato Headed Folk, a quirky bar with four floors, unfortunately we couldn't sit on any roof terraces because of a dangerous PSI reading, meaning the air was too polluted for us to breathe. This was, and is caused every year by private companies in Indonesia burning down parts of rainforest to make way for factories, and also sometimes by farmers so that the crops grow back better. Despite the Singapore government being in uproar and trying to reach an agreement, nothing seems to be able to put a stop to it.
The journey home was met with mixed feelings. I obviously didn't want to leave because of the delights of studying for a law degree waiting for me but I longed to see Kai, my family and his family again. And now, sat at home, having been reunited with everyone and brought back to reality, I miss it so much, despite the sleeping on Dubai airport floor and the seemingly endless travelling, I just want to carry on, to see the next place, which actually, is Budapest on Sunday morning!
Currently, I'm living my own personal dream of travelling from place to place, but I know this is going to come to an abrupt end so that I can finish my last year at university. But this trip has shown me that if you want to go, you just have to get out there, we met so many people that had just been travelling for years, completely alone, and what's more, it is so easy to get a job in paradise, if anyone reading this has plans to go but is too scared, please go, just do it, you will never actually be alone because it is impossible not to get talking to people who are on the same wavelength as you, just trying to break out of the rat race and enjoy being young.
Some of the pictures are on my instagram and i'm planning on uploading a video compilation to youtube. Thanks for reading, stick with me for more travelling and waffle about this little life i'm living.
So the two flights out - one to Dubai, then from Dubai to Singapore - actually went pretty quick, this was a result of our connecting flight being late, leading to a sprint across the airport (interrupted briefly by Jess needing a cigarette = us spending a tense few minutes in the most bizarre smoking lounge which was full of men, leading to my paranoia that we had breached some sexist Dubai law) the journey was not helped however by the kind man in front of me who proceeded to recline his seat all the way and then thrash about as if he was enduring an exorcism. I don't know what it is about me on planes but I always get THE most oblivious seat-reclining, frequent-farting person in front of me.
Enough with the plane glamour, we arrived in Singapore somewhat delirious but totally excited and were greeted by Jess' cousin, Nat, who whipped us into a taxi and made us right at home in her beautiful apartment in Keppel Bay. (which just happened to be one of the nicest places to live in Singapore) We spent the day walking around Singapore which I'll admit is a bit of a blur due to jet lag - that night we were both given a melatonin and slept for a straight 14 hours.
The following night is up there as one of the most bizarre nights of my life. One of Nat's neighbours was celebrating her birthday and invited us along, so we met them at a Mexican bar called Lucha Loco on Duxton Hill, Singapore. After numerous tequila shots and some nachos, the congregation were up in front of us doing the conga out of there - we had no choice but to join the back and wonder what the hell was happening. Getting into a minibus - which turned out to actually be a party bus blasting out Michael Jackson with laser lights that made it look like pyrotechnics were going off - we took a trip through town. We disembarked outside a closed shopping mall. Feeling slightly tipsy and hazy from the jet lag, we followed the party into the empty shopping mall and got into a lift - we then went through a door into the craziest place ever. It held about 60 rooms all of which you could hire out for kareoke.
60 rooms.
Available to hire
For kareoke.
ka-re-oke.
Isn't that the most brilliant idea you have ever heard of?
Needless to say, it was a crazy night fueled by drinking and screaming to the likes of wonderwall and dancing in the moonlight with people I'd met about 4 hours earlier.
The following day, we attended a boozy brunch at the Grand Hyatt hotel which had free flow champagne and selected cocktails as well as a buffet featuring food from all over the world for 3 hours. There we got chatting to a New Zealand businessman and his friends - everyone in Singapore seems to either own, direct, or manage a company. This chat went on to take a spiritual level thanks to the free flow of alcohol and Jess and I somehow found ourselves discussing our supernatural experiences with Bernice, one of the businessmen's beautiful Asian girlfriend - yet again in a bizarre smoking room.
We spent the next day sweating out our hangovers by walking around Singapore and introducing ourselves to the MRT - the Singapore equivalent of the subway or tube. That night Jess and I walked over from Nat's apartment to a bar on the harbour and talked under the lit up sky scrapers that showered the sea in tiny flickering jewels. There was something about Singapore that made me feel completely at home, it is the most lush, tropical city that I have ever experienced and you almost feel like you are a VIP wherever you walk.
The next morning, we were off to Phuket. I had these images embedded in my brain of Thailand, a remote paradise, completely serene and chilled out. Let me tell you all of this was shattered into thousands of pieces upon our arrival in Patong. Scooters and motorbikes - everywhere. Telegraph poles with wires overlapping, dangling all tangled up like a ball of wool gone wrong, letting out the occasional spark as a massive 'SCREW YOU' to the health and safety laws that us Brits are so accustomed to. A friendly Aussie on our minibus told us all about the infamous Bangla Road which is essentially a long strip of bars and clubs with a dash of ladyboys, he also told us that everyone beeps their horn at the top of the hill going into the city in respect of some belief or god. We found our hotel, Patong Heritage, which was suprisingly luxe despite our surroundings and then immediately made our way out for food. All in all Patong is a crazy blur of excessive drinking, heavy warm tropical rain, Thai people trying and trying again to lure you into their shops,bars or taxis, Australians, and finally a smidge of culture, the temple of Wat Chalong.
Then we were off again, in a taxi to Phuket Rassada Pier, to catch the ferry to Phi Phi. And that is where it happened. Jess and I grabbed seats right at the front on the deck, Jess suffered with sickness and I looked out to the horizon, feeling completely content and amazed at life, amazed that I was here, on the other side of the world, on a ferry to paradise. The crossing was slightly bumpy and so we kept getting sprayed which admittedly I quite enjoyed in the intense heat. Someone behind me let out an expletive and I completely stiffened. I knew that voice. It couldn't be. I turned my head slightly and knew. Sitting back down next to Jess, I said as calmly and as casual as could be "Jess, don't freak out, my ex is behind us."
Yes.
My ex-boyfriend.
Who I hadn't seen in 2 years.
After I basically stamped all over his heart by ending the relationship.
You just couldn't write this.
If I wasn't feeling sea sick before I most definitely was now, I asked myself why the hell had this happened? What were the odds? I tried to think of a reason and failed, settling with the resolution that it must be pure coincidence. Jess on the other hand found the entire situation hysterical.
We walked to our hotel off the ferry, a short walk along the beach, I was trying to take in the pure paradise in front of me but my head was a complete blur, and the past was doing laps in my brain. Mama Beach Residence, our hotel, turned out to be the most awful wi-fi spot on planet earth and so we went for a walk and ended up trekking up to the viewpoint in flip-flops. As expected, the viewpoint was amazing, but it showed me just how small the island was, which caused me once again to question why fate had landed me there with my ex boyfriend. That night I had the opportunity to answer those questions myself. We happened (by chance, right?) to be in the same bar and he luckily had the nerve to tap me on the shoulder and we ended up chatting and making amends, which got a lot off my conscience and allowed me to ask how his family was, something that I had actually wondered for the last 2 years. That night we also met a girl called Anna, originally from Estonia who had been travelling mainly alone for the last 2 and a half years, she immediately inspired me and I also recognized her from our ferry trip over, we partied with her in Loh Dalam Bay on the beach and got slightly too intoxicated which led to me and Jess getting matching traditional bamboo tattoos, a crescent moon on our right ankles. (Looking back at the pictures our tattoo artist looked like a complete psycho and like he had possibly killed a few people.)
While in PhiPhi we went on the Shangri La boat party which I added to my most bizarre experience list. Owned by a man aged approximately 64 called Dennis, who called me Blue Eyes and offered me a job, it was the craziest boat trip off Phi Phi. There was unlimited alcohol and shots flying about and a 'sea jacuzzi' which I imagined to be an actual jacuzzi on board but I was so wrong. The sea jacuzzi was a net suspended from an arm on the side of the boat that you jumped into, supervised by a Swedish guy with the looks of Bradley Cooper called Jimmy who was working his last shift, returning home to his girlfriend much to the disappointment of many girls on board. This news immediately struck me right where it hurt, and I realized how much I missed Kai, and how I knew for definite that he was the one I wanted by my side for the rest of my life, to explore and adventure. Despite this sudden home sickness I was feeling, when we moored up just inside Maya Bay I threw myself into the water, enjoying the feeling of the warm sea and the numbness from the alcohol, we took a longtail over to shore and paid 200 baht each to visit the site of 'The Beach', here we had a sandfight in the shore leading to Jess getting sand in her eyes, don't ask. We ended our short stay on Phi Phi by watching an amazing fireshow at a bar called Carlitos, if you ever visit - that is the fireshow to watch.
Our final stop in Thailand was at a hotel called the Tubkaak Boutique Resort, Krabi. This was a ferry trip away from Phi Phi and then a short taxi drive. It was the real Thailand I had imagined, the hotel was like a retreat, it was in a secluded area with its own private beach and the room had an outdoor shower and sunken bath. It was pure paradise and bliss. We spent our two days here relaxing around the pool or on the beach, looking out to the horizon which was an endless expanse of blue, with the shadow of faraway islands just visible.
Then we returned to the urban jungle (both words applicable) of Singapore, reunited with Nat and her husband and their adorable 18 month year old Freya, Upon our return I think both me and Jess realized how much we were going to miss all of them, not to mention the amazing places we had visited. We ended our stay on a high, with a visit to Universal Studios on the island of Sentosa, and an amazing meal at P.S Cafe in Singapore, followed by a drink at Potato Headed Folk, a quirky bar with four floors, unfortunately we couldn't sit on any roof terraces because of a dangerous PSI reading, meaning the air was too polluted for us to breathe. This was, and is caused every year by private companies in Indonesia burning down parts of rainforest to make way for factories, and also sometimes by farmers so that the crops grow back better. Despite the Singapore government being in uproar and trying to reach an agreement, nothing seems to be able to put a stop to it.
The journey home was met with mixed feelings. I obviously didn't want to leave because of the delights of studying for a law degree waiting for me but I longed to see Kai, my family and his family again. And now, sat at home, having been reunited with everyone and brought back to reality, I miss it so much, despite the sleeping on Dubai airport floor and the seemingly endless travelling, I just want to carry on, to see the next place, which actually, is Budapest on Sunday morning!
Currently, I'm living my own personal dream of travelling from place to place, but I know this is going to come to an abrupt end so that I can finish my last year at university. But this trip has shown me that if you want to go, you just have to get out there, we met so many people that had just been travelling for years, completely alone, and what's more, it is so easy to get a job in paradise, if anyone reading this has plans to go but is too scared, please go, just do it, you will never actually be alone because it is impossible not to get talking to people who are on the same wavelength as you, just trying to break out of the rat race and enjoy being young.
Some of the pictures are on my instagram and i'm planning on uploading a video compilation to youtube. Thanks for reading, stick with me for more travelling and waffle about this little life i'm living.
Sunday 6 September 2015
The Road Trip
"Nothing behind me, everything in front of me, as is ever so on the road." - Jack Kerouac
(On the Road)
So the most important thing I've learned about a road trip is that it is made up of four very vital components:
- The most amazing playlist
- Even more amazing company
- The ability to sleep anywhere, at anytime, at any temperature
- Some sort of map (or someone with a rough idea of how the continents are set out)
I was lucky enough to have the top two, whereas me and my sleep require more work. We also had a map as Kai has no sense of direction (I'm sorry but you don't). The funny thing is, the playlist, despite its utmost importance, was made very hurriedly about an hour before we left home. It consisted heavily of the Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys and The Rolling Stones with quite a few randoms thrown into the mix for fun. But what I'm getting at is I spent months stressing over finding campsites, if we had enough branded sauces, the exact size and shape of my whistling kettle - and the most important thing that accompanied us on our trip was the least stressful, five minute addition, and that's the true nature of a road trip, just get up, grab a few things and go.
The journey down obviously included a wrong turn, argument and some regret as to why the bloody hell I was voluntarily driving 7 hours across country in my overloaded little suzuki swift. We arrived in St.Ives at about 4 in the morning after a seven and a half hour drive. It was dark and pretty confusing and all in all I think we probably slept about 2 hours before driving into the little town to check out the beach. It did NOT disappoint. St.Ives at sunrise was sleepy and serene, with pastel coloured houses lining narrow cobbled streets and the beach was a calm expanse of soft blue, blending into the purple and pink sky. Little did we know at the time we were looking over Porthmeor beach, where I would catch my first wave and find the inspiration for my first tattoo - but that's another story. We threw ourselves into the waves at the first opportunity, hiring out two foamies for the day and getting out there. The most amazing thing about surfing that spurred me on is how social and friendly it is - everyone out there wants you to catch that wave, people spot that you're learning and take the time to come over and give you tips. With the help of Scott, an ex surf instructor, I got up on my first wave and the feeling is something else - and also saved myself about £75 on a 1-on-1 lesson which also felt pretty good. The people down there - or should I say locals - were tanned and lean and beautiful, with a laid back vibe that was contagious, I was sold.
As for the tattoo story, the salt water and sun went to my head and I made the decision to commemorate getting up on that wave and to further remind myself of what life is all about, I booked into shoreline tattoo in St.Ives and had a simplistic wave tattooed onto my upper rip cage. (Unintentionally, I chose one of the most painful areas to get my first tattoo) This was done by a girl with pink hair and a green woman tattooed across her chest named Cherry. The whole thing was pretty vivid.
Our second stop was in Watergate Bay, where we pitched up on a very exposed pitch with a very flappy tent (not so fun at 3am) But the close proximity to the beach and the nightly beers managed to compensate. We surfed in Watergate Bay and on Fistral Beach in Newquay which is worth a visit if you don't surf purely for the giant Havianas flip-flop shower. Unfortunately we got there at the tail end of the surf swell and it was pretty choppy - leading to me getting taken under, rolled around quite a bit and nailed on my shoulder by the end of the board.
Our third and final stop was a two hour drive away from Watergate Bay, to a beautiful campsite just ourside of Ilfracombe where our pitch was shaded by an old sycamore tree and we overlooked Watermouth castle with horses for neighbours. Lack of entertainment on the first night led to us playing games and drawing - which was a humbling break from sitting on my laptop on Netflix or just watching TV. From here we visited the surf town of Croyde where annoyingly we didn't find any swell again but a potential spot for the next trip. Our last night of the trip was idyllic - we ate at a local thatched inn and drove along the coast road to Combe Martin, where we watched the sun go down surrounded by string lights and nothing but the sound of the waves.
What the whole trip has left me with is a sense of knowing what a life on the road is all about. Everything is somewhat temporary - but that's the excitement, it's like the thrill of it is getting more miles under your belt, seeing more, doing more, meeting more amazing people along the way. It's something that myself and my boyfriend talked about doing when we first met, and now that we have survived one long trip together it's easy to imagine a life with him on the road - even if only for a couple of years, chasing the surf and sun, meeting memorable people and just living in the places we happen to stop at. I think it truly captures living in the moment - because what else do you have? You don't have a house with all your belongings, you don't have the ease of knowing where exactly you are - you have the essentials and a map, and you can go anywhere.
"The only people for me are the mad ones,the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a common place thing, but burn, burn. burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars."
(On the Road)
So the most important thing I've learned about a road trip is that it is made up of four very vital components:
- The most amazing playlist
- Even more amazing company
- The ability to sleep anywhere, at anytime, at any temperature
- Some sort of map (or someone with a rough idea of how the continents are set out)
I was lucky enough to have the top two, whereas me and my sleep require more work. We also had a map as Kai has no sense of direction (I'm sorry but you don't). The funny thing is, the playlist, despite its utmost importance, was made very hurriedly about an hour before we left home. It consisted heavily of the Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys and The Rolling Stones with quite a few randoms thrown into the mix for fun. But what I'm getting at is I spent months stressing over finding campsites, if we had enough branded sauces, the exact size and shape of my whistling kettle - and the most important thing that accompanied us on our trip was the least stressful, five minute addition, and that's the true nature of a road trip, just get up, grab a few things and go.
The journey down obviously included a wrong turn, argument and some regret as to why the bloody hell I was voluntarily driving 7 hours across country in my overloaded little suzuki swift. We arrived in St.Ives at about 4 in the morning after a seven and a half hour drive. It was dark and pretty confusing and all in all I think we probably slept about 2 hours before driving into the little town to check out the beach. It did NOT disappoint. St.Ives at sunrise was sleepy and serene, with pastel coloured houses lining narrow cobbled streets and the beach was a calm expanse of soft blue, blending into the purple and pink sky. Little did we know at the time we were looking over Porthmeor beach, where I would catch my first wave and find the inspiration for my first tattoo - but that's another story. We threw ourselves into the waves at the first opportunity, hiring out two foamies for the day and getting out there. The most amazing thing about surfing that spurred me on is how social and friendly it is - everyone out there wants you to catch that wave, people spot that you're learning and take the time to come over and give you tips. With the help of Scott, an ex surf instructor, I got up on my first wave and the feeling is something else - and also saved myself about £75 on a 1-on-1 lesson which also felt pretty good. The people down there - or should I say locals - were tanned and lean and beautiful, with a laid back vibe that was contagious, I was sold.
As for the tattoo story, the salt water and sun went to my head and I made the decision to commemorate getting up on that wave and to further remind myself of what life is all about, I booked into shoreline tattoo in St.Ives and had a simplistic wave tattooed onto my upper rip cage. (Unintentionally, I chose one of the most painful areas to get my first tattoo) This was done by a girl with pink hair and a green woman tattooed across her chest named Cherry. The whole thing was pretty vivid.
Our second stop was in Watergate Bay, where we pitched up on a very exposed pitch with a very flappy tent (not so fun at 3am) But the close proximity to the beach and the nightly beers managed to compensate. We surfed in Watergate Bay and on Fistral Beach in Newquay which is worth a visit if you don't surf purely for the giant Havianas flip-flop shower. Unfortunately we got there at the tail end of the surf swell and it was pretty choppy - leading to me getting taken under, rolled around quite a bit and nailed on my shoulder by the end of the board.
Our third and final stop was a two hour drive away from Watergate Bay, to a beautiful campsite just ourside of Ilfracombe where our pitch was shaded by an old sycamore tree and we overlooked Watermouth castle with horses for neighbours. Lack of entertainment on the first night led to us playing games and drawing - which was a humbling break from sitting on my laptop on Netflix or just watching TV. From here we visited the surf town of Croyde where annoyingly we didn't find any swell again but a potential spot for the next trip. Our last night of the trip was idyllic - we ate at a local thatched inn and drove along the coast road to Combe Martin, where we watched the sun go down surrounded by string lights and nothing but the sound of the waves.
What the whole trip has left me with is a sense of knowing what a life on the road is all about. Everything is somewhat temporary - but that's the excitement, it's like the thrill of it is getting more miles under your belt, seeing more, doing more, meeting more amazing people along the way. It's something that myself and my boyfriend talked about doing when we first met, and now that we have survived one long trip together it's easy to imagine a life with him on the road - even if only for a couple of years, chasing the surf and sun, meeting memorable people and just living in the places we happen to stop at. I think it truly captures living in the moment - because what else do you have? You don't have a house with all your belongings, you don't have the ease of knowing where exactly you are - you have the essentials and a map, and you can go anywhere.
"The only people for me are the mad ones,the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a common place thing, but burn, burn. burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars."
Tuesday 21 July 2015
Festive Anxiety
Okay so this post isn't even remotely topical - but with the absolute storm that has been this year I feel its relevant - I'm also hoping that there are some other rare birds out there that feel the same way as me.
Christmas Eve. Christmas Day. Boxing Day. New Years Eve. New Years Day - it's all a bit of a blur, and an anti-climatic one at that. Don't get me wrong, I am spoilt rotten every Christmas, promptly pissed by about 11am and my Mum makes a killer Christmas dinner - but for years there has been a niggling feeling that it's time to do something different.
I have always experienced a very weird, claustrophobic and anxious feeling on the build up to a New Year - and by the time I get collared in the kitchen and dragged into a rowdy, mismatched and out of time chorus to 'Auld Lang Syne' (Why do we even sing that?) I almost want to run for cover. So in 2014 - I was adamant to ignore the fact that it was New Years Eve and spent the night holed up with my very compliant boyfriend watching Sons of Anarchy and eating crap. I had no regrets - until now; now I'm convinced that turning your face away from Big Ben chiming you into the New Year is cursed - and so I'm in a limbo between having outgrown awkward family parties and being far too financially crippled to go out to a swanky soiree and sip on champagne whilst nibbling on microscopic sized canapes. I've grown weary of watching the firework displays from an LCD screen- I want to be somewhere amazing and breathtaking that truly makes you feel like the next year of your life could be something special.
I long for a BBQ on the beach with beers followed by an afternoon surf in Australia on Christmas Day - or perhaps a day of skiing amongst the clouds followed by hot chocolate and 'Home Alone' all tucked up in a log cabin in Meribel, but then ask me about New Years Eve and I'm stumped! I have never felt as though I'm in the right place on New Years Eve - where does everyone go? Is there some secret club or venue that gives out free cocktails and grants your resolutions? I guess it's one of life's big cliches - I want to be at the epicenter of it, where attractive people are laughing and dancing and drinking; not particularly in a crowded living room that's still littered with wrapping paper and Christmas crackers where your drunken Uncle manages to offend your Aunty's Christmas Jumper so badly that they don't speak for another year.
Where do you go on New Years Eve? What did you do on the New Years Eve that turned out to be your best year yet? Although I am a huge believer in fate - I cant help but keep the phrase 'start as you mean to go on' in mind as I try to think of a plan for the dreaded night. With many other aspects of my life, I feel it has to be all or nothing - either I'm going to be throwing myself into the spirit, wearing '2016' glasses and singing a rousing chorus of Auld Lang Syne whilst kissing strangers on the chiming of a new day or I'm hoping to be watching fireworks from a midnight picnic with friends, delirious, happy and full of hope.
Any hints, tips and tricks to avoid a catastrophic 2016 would be welcome!
Christmas Eve. Christmas Day. Boxing Day. New Years Eve. New Years Day - it's all a bit of a blur, and an anti-climatic one at that. Don't get me wrong, I am spoilt rotten every Christmas, promptly pissed by about 11am and my Mum makes a killer Christmas dinner - but for years there has been a niggling feeling that it's time to do something different.
I have always experienced a very weird, claustrophobic and anxious feeling on the build up to a New Year - and by the time I get collared in the kitchen and dragged into a rowdy, mismatched and out of time chorus to 'Auld Lang Syne' (Why do we even sing that?) I almost want to run for cover. So in 2014 - I was adamant to ignore the fact that it was New Years Eve and spent the night holed up with my very compliant boyfriend watching Sons of Anarchy and eating crap. I had no regrets - until now; now I'm convinced that turning your face away from Big Ben chiming you into the New Year is cursed - and so I'm in a limbo between having outgrown awkward family parties and being far too financially crippled to go out to a swanky soiree and sip on champagne whilst nibbling on microscopic sized canapes. I've grown weary of watching the firework displays from an LCD screen- I want to be somewhere amazing and breathtaking that truly makes you feel like the next year of your life could be something special.
I long for a BBQ on the beach with beers followed by an afternoon surf in Australia on Christmas Day - or perhaps a day of skiing amongst the clouds followed by hot chocolate and 'Home Alone' all tucked up in a log cabin in Meribel, but then ask me about New Years Eve and I'm stumped! I have never felt as though I'm in the right place on New Years Eve - where does everyone go? Is there some secret club or venue that gives out free cocktails and grants your resolutions? I guess it's one of life's big cliches - I want to be at the epicenter of it, where attractive people are laughing and dancing and drinking; not particularly in a crowded living room that's still littered with wrapping paper and Christmas crackers where your drunken Uncle manages to offend your Aunty's Christmas Jumper so badly that they don't speak for another year.
Where do you go on New Years Eve? What did you do on the New Years Eve that turned out to be your best year yet? Although I am a huge believer in fate - I cant help but keep the phrase 'start as you mean to go on' in mind as I try to think of a plan for the dreaded night. With many other aspects of my life, I feel it has to be all or nothing - either I'm going to be throwing myself into the spirit, wearing '2016' glasses and singing a rousing chorus of Auld Lang Syne whilst kissing strangers on the chiming of a new day or I'm hoping to be watching fireworks from a midnight picnic with friends, delirious, happy and full of hope.
Any hints, tips and tricks to avoid a catastrophic 2016 would be welcome!
Tuesday 14 July 2015
The Technology Taboo
Technology and our obsession with it - this is one of the things that bugs me the most in my everyday life. This is probably the most hypocritical thing I have ever posted because I am sat here on a laptop (strike one) with my phone next to me (strike two) and will probably promote this blog post on instagram when I've finished!! (STRIKE THREE!)
I mean - for some people, technology is amazing, it unites families, lovers and friends across the globe and it enables our pixelated horizons to be endless. But, and this is a big but, it also goes a long way to isolate some people. Working as a waitress, I can't tell you how many people come for a meal with good company - yet sit there like statues across the table from each other with eyes only for their phones - and the other half of them are too busy taking selfies and pictures of their food to just breathe and enjoy the experience. (Or realise that they look like complete idiots)
Don't get me wrong, I am guilty of food pictures and admittedly the occasional selfie, but where do we draw the line here? Are you really enjoying your meal or are you more hungry for the satisfaction of getting 89 likes for your burger? (Which might be cold by the time you actually eat it) Are you putting a selfie up to boost other people's confidence and to encourage them to love themselves or are you doing it to put others down and to try and get your exs' attention? Are you really enjoying your life and seeing what is around you or are you spending it at the other end of a phone?
From a purely personal view - I am so glad I had a childhood before the tech-takeover, I spent my days climbing trees and making dens with my cousins, coming home covered in nettle stings and dirt. And the amazing thing is, I preferred that to sitting inside on the playstation and slowly becoming part of the couch. (Although I don't regret a single second I spent completing simpsons hit and run with my sister.)
My point is - are we all becoming zombies? Are we taking each other for granted because we are all only a text message away? Is life becoming too easy and electronic for the younger generation? Will the younger generation feel that they constantly have something to prove? I am actively trying to delete (literally) these negative leeches from my life - I deleted Facebook four years ago (yes, deleted, not deactivated) I have been twitter free for about a year and I exist only on Instagram and of course, here. Undeniably, I am the biggest romantic hippie at heart and if we could all go back to writing letters and post cards to each other and only being able to reach each other by payphone or land line my inner hippie would be at peace - but I know that in the world of today that is almost impossible and yes, impractical.
Despite the impossibilities, I think we can all try to actively be more human - I don't want my own children growing up in a world where your worth is determined by your likes or followers, or where they constantly feel the need to post pictures of ridiculously expensive clothes and belongings that truly have no worth in life whatsoever. I despair at people who do this already - I want to beg you all to leave your phone at home for the day and see the world around you, not this tiny narrow minded world that exists only inside your phone/laptop/ipad - and I promise you that your head will feel clearer. Amazing things can happen through the use of facebook, twitter and instagram etc, but they can also lead to people diving head first into other people's business and relationships, just the smallest thing posted on social media can ruin someone's day or even potentially their life, and this is what baffles me, just delete it - and all that negativity is gone.
But I guess for some people, that's the issue - they love to hate it, they can't live with it and can't live without it, and that is the technology taboo.
I mean - for some people, technology is amazing, it unites families, lovers and friends across the globe and it enables our pixelated horizons to be endless. But, and this is a big but, it also goes a long way to isolate some people. Working as a waitress, I can't tell you how many people come for a meal with good company - yet sit there like statues across the table from each other with eyes only for their phones - and the other half of them are too busy taking selfies and pictures of their food to just breathe and enjoy the experience. (Or realise that they look like complete idiots)
Don't get me wrong, I am guilty of food pictures and admittedly the occasional selfie, but where do we draw the line here? Are you really enjoying your meal or are you more hungry for the satisfaction of getting 89 likes for your burger? (Which might be cold by the time you actually eat it) Are you putting a selfie up to boost other people's confidence and to encourage them to love themselves or are you doing it to put others down and to try and get your exs' attention? Are you really enjoying your life and seeing what is around you or are you spending it at the other end of a phone?
From a purely personal view - I am so glad I had a childhood before the tech-takeover, I spent my days climbing trees and making dens with my cousins, coming home covered in nettle stings and dirt. And the amazing thing is, I preferred that to sitting inside on the playstation and slowly becoming part of the couch. (Although I don't regret a single second I spent completing simpsons hit and run with my sister.)
My point is - are we all becoming zombies? Are we taking each other for granted because we are all only a text message away? Is life becoming too easy and electronic for the younger generation? Will the younger generation feel that they constantly have something to prove? I am actively trying to delete (literally) these negative leeches from my life - I deleted Facebook four years ago (yes, deleted, not deactivated) I have been twitter free for about a year and I exist only on Instagram and of course, here. Undeniably, I am the biggest romantic hippie at heart and if we could all go back to writing letters and post cards to each other and only being able to reach each other by payphone or land line my inner hippie would be at peace - but I know that in the world of today that is almost impossible and yes, impractical.
Despite the impossibilities, I think we can all try to actively be more human - I don't want my own children growing up in a world where your worth is determined by your likes or followers, or where they constantly feel the need to post pictures of ridiculously expensive clothes and belongings that truly have no worth in life whatsoever. I despair at people who do this already - I want to beg you all to leave your phone at home for the day and see the world around you, not this tiny narrow minded world that exists only inside your phone/laptop/ipad - and I promise you that your head will feel clearer. Amazing things can happen through the use of facebook, twitter and instagram etc, but they can also lead to people diving head first into other people's business and relationships, just the smallest thing posted on social media can ruin someone's day or even potentially their life, and this is what baffles me, just delete it - and all that negativity is gone.
But I guess for some people, that's the issue - they love to hate it, they can't live with it and can't live without it, and that is the technology taboo.
Monday 6 July 2015
With thanks to Allen, Jack and Kai.
Okay so sometimes (a lot of the time) I feel like my head is going to explode - as most people hopefully do? And this is a result a combination of things: of my thankfully stable but very rigid upbringing, of my own naive choices that I have made so far and of the current situation I am in.
But I wouldn't change a thing - or would I?
By the age of 19 I'm sure most human beings have contemplated why they were put on this earth, why they have all these thoughts and feelings, and some of us have maybe decided where we want this life to take us? I certainly have, but my problem is that I am living a life that doesn't quite match up to what I want - but here's to hoping that it's only temporary.
So I have ALWAYS, always been immersed in my own little world, my family used to describe me as more 'away with the fairies' than down here on earth, I was happy if I was reading, writing poems or short stories, or at the beach in the sand dunes/amongst the waves pretending to be the last survivor of an apocalypse with my dog, Floss. - But then I got too focused on being normal, somewhere along the lines I lost that burning desire to chase my dreams and reality slapped me around the face and said 'You'd better knuckle down so that you can get a well paying job, please your parents, buy a house, pay your bills and have children'. And so I got sucked into a vortex of boredom, school work, a tedious relationship and my dreams were locked away with all the books I used to read. Life was like this for about three years, I hated everything, including myself. This feeling of misery spanned from the ages of about 14 - 18. There was confusion, hatred, rebellion, bulimia, a suicide attempt and the only thing I poured my heart into was my high school work. I am not ashamed of this phase but nor am I proud, and to be blatantly honest I don't think all of the above is uncommon in young teenagers now.
But then I suprised myself - I was sick of the High School that I had attended for 5 years and it's little cliques that just led to betrayal and insecurity, so I took a jump, but I wasn't alone. I jumped holding the hand of another teenage girl who was my best friend at the time. We moved to a separate sixth form (if you're reading this from the U.S - sixth form is basically the last two years before graduating high school) and despite this leading to us being broken up, it also led to the best relationship I have formed in my life so far. In sixth form I studied Art, Media, English Literature and Law. I was still holding onto that boring focus, still in that tedious relationship, planning to do Law at University. Despite this, English Literature opened up that precious space reserved in my heart for reading, where all those old dreams lived. We studied the romanticism of the enlightenment in a Room With a View and the amazing whole other language of Chaucer's middle English. What really struck me, what blew the dust off those old dreams was the despaired craziness of Allen Ginsberg in Howl, who leapt out from the pages and seized me by the shoulders, shaking me and telling me not to be like those robotic machines whose brains and imaginations were eaten up by the industrial rat race of Moloch. I then read 'On the Road' by Kerouac and that became one of my all time favourites - it somewhat whet my appetite even further for travel and craziness.
And also, in my English Literature class, was the person who would change my life forever - not that I knew this at the time. He sat opposite me, with tanned skin, blue eyes and dirty blonde hair and after getting to know him, I realised that he shared the same dreams, thoughts and wishes as me that I had denied and locked away - and I uncontrollably needed to have him. I can't tell you how much he opened my eyes, he made me realise that I had been living a lie for three years, in a relationship that didn't really make sense. He is now the guy I get to call my bestfriend, soulmate and lover - the guy I get to scream at, laugh with, cry when he's gone and also the guy that I can plan the rest of my life with.
So that brings me on to where the hell I am at now - I know who I want to be and what I want to do - but I'm also sitting a law degree at the same time. But I guess I'm happy with that - because as well as making my parents proud, I'm also being able to be myself by the things that I can do in my spare time, such as the places I can travel to, the music that I give myself in to when the headphones come on and the words that I drink in and devour on the pages of the books that I read. So I'm managing to hold it all together in chaotic balance - with the hope that after graduation I can unleash my inner writer and go get that job writing for the people out there like me, the romantics, the desperate, the happy, the passionate and the explorers!
I guess what I'm trying to do with this blog is to inspire you - to find who you want to be, what makes you happiest, and whether that's earning money in an office job or driving a bus - I'm not here to judge you or tell you what job you should do I'm here to tell you to be yourself because this life is not a rehearsal, and time doesn't wait for anybody. Life is cruel, short and could be even shorter if you're an unlucky soul, so do what you want to do with it while you have the chance.
But, as for opening your eyes, don't thank me, thank Allen, Jack and Kai.
But I wouldn't change a thing - or would I?
By the age of 19 I'm sure most human beings have contemplated why they were put on this earth, why they have all these thoughts and feelings, and some of us have maybe decided where we want this life to take us? I certainly have, but my problem is that I am living a life that doesn't quite match up to what I want - but here's to hoping that it's only temporary.
So I have ALWAYS, always been immersed in my own little world, my family used to describe me as more 'away with the fairies' than down here on earth, I was happy if I was reading, writing poems or short stories, or at the beach in the sand dunes/amongst the waves pretending to be the last survivor of an apocalypse with my dog, Floss. - But then I got too focused on being normal, somewhere along the lines I lost that burning desire to chase my dreams and reality slapped me around the face and said 'You'd better knuckle down so that you can get a well paying job, please your parents, buy a house, pay your bills and have children'. And so I got sucked into a vortex of boredom, school work, a tedious relationship and my dreams were locked away with all the books I used to read. Life was like this for about three years, I hated everything, including myself. This feeling of misery spanned from the ages of about 14 - 18. There was confusion, hatred, rebellion, bulimia, a suicide attempt and the only thing I poured my heart into was my high school work. I am not ashamed of this phase but nor am I proud, and to be blatantly honest I don't think all of the above is uncommon in young teenagers now.
But then I suprised myself - I was sick of the High School that I had attended for 5 years and it's little cliques that just led to betrayal and insecurity, so I took a jump, but I wasn't alone. I jumped holding the hand of another teenage girl who was my best friend at the time. We moved to a separate sixth form (if you're reading this from the U.S - sixth form is basically the last two years before graduating high school) and despite this leading to us being broken up, it also led to the best relationship I have formed in my life so far. In sixth form I studied Art, Media, English Literature and Law. I was still holding onto that boring focus, still in that tedious relationship, planning to do Law at University. Despite this, English Literature opened up that precious space reserved in my heart for reading, where all those old dreams lived. We studied the romanticism of the enlightenment in a Room With a View and the amazing whole other language of Chaucer's middle English. What really struck me, what blew the dust off those old dreams was the despaired craziness of Allen Ginsberg in Howl, who leapt out from the pages and seized me by the shoulders, shaking me and telling me not to be like those robotic machines whose brains and imaginations were eaten up by the industrial rat race of Moloch. I then read 'On the Road' by Kerouac and that became one of my all time favourites - it somewhat whet my appetite even further for travel and craziness.
And also, in my English Literature class, was the person who would change my life forever - not that I knew this at the time. He sat opposite me, with tanned skin, blue eyes and dirty blonde hair and after getting to know him, I realised that he shared the same dreams, thoughts and wishes as me that I had denied and locked away - and I uncontrollably needed to have him. I can't tell you how much he opened my eyes, he made me realise that I had been living a lie for three years, in a relationship that didn't really make sense. He is now the guy I get to call my bestfriend, soulmate and lover - the guy I get to scream at, laugh with, cry when he's gone and also the guy that I can plan the rest of my life with.
So that brings me on to where the hell I am at now - I know who I want to be and what I want to do - but I'm also sitting a law degree at the same time. But I guess I'm happy with that - because as well as making my parents proud, I'm also being able to be myself by the things that I can do in my spare time, such as the places I can travel to, the music that I give myself in to when the headphones come on and the words that I drink in and devour on the pages of the books that I read. So I'm managing to hold it all together in chaotic balance - with the hope that after graduation I can unleash my inner writer and go get that job writing for the people out there like me, the romantics, the desperate, the happy, the passionate and the explorers!
I guess what I'm trying to do with this blog is to inspire you - to find who you want to be, what makes you happiest, and whether that's earning money in an office job or driving a bus - I'm not here to judge you or tell you what job you should do I'm here to tell you to be yourself because this life is not a rehearsal, and time doesn't wait for anybody. Life is cruel, short and could be even shorter if you're an unlucky soul, so do what you want to do with it while you have the chance.
But, as for opening your eyes, don't thank me, thank Allen, Jack and Kai.
Friday 3 July 2015
The Beginning
So this post, "The Beginning" is all about where I've already been - because I can't possibly launch into my further travels without telling you the few places I have already ticked off the list.
June 2014 - Amsterdam
I travelled here with my best friend, my other half, and my ultimate travel companion. The flight itself felt like a dream, we took off into a dusky pink sky at 3.00am and when I woke up - what felt like 5 minutes later, we were touching down at Schiphol (which, by the way is the biggest freaking airport ever - but don't let that put you off, it's also the most organised I've ever been to in my short 19 years.) We collected our apartment keys and jumped on the train underneath the airport, engaging in a chance meeting with a lone-traveller, a very mysterious American guy who we would strangely bump into again a couple of days later in the red light district. The train took us straight to centraal, which is where the chaos and my uncontrollable love for this city began.
Bicycle bells, more bicycle bells. Ringing abruptly and somewhat impatiently but with a cheerful tone. Trams, more trams, people crossing the street, canal barges, the occasional brave car driver amongst the rushing bodies, bikes and barges. The city was bathed in a warm summer smog and inevitably, the hypnotizing, nostalgic scent of weed. After working our way back to the apartment with ease (I am a dab hand with a map and the public transport - all those trams - is fantastic and easy to use) we dumped our stuff and headed back out.
Admittedly, Amsterdam is much of an intoxicated (read that how you want to) blur. The vibrance and scent of the flower market that we were lucky enough to stumble into, the relaxed vibe of the Vondelpark that united joggers, lovers, workaholics on lunch meetings, tourists and rastas singing for shrapnel and the mysterious streets that meet at the canal intersection, I was hopelessly in love with this city.
So - as for the practical side, if you're planning on going there, there are a few things I can recommend. If you're exploring the city for a few days, we bought a 48-hour tram ticket for 12 euros and it was definitely worth it, we hammered those things and the trams are pretty easy to navigate. Also, if you're travelling there during the summer months, please reserve a day for the Vondelpark, just go with a picnic and good company and watch the world go by. The Waterlooplein market is also a must, vintage jackets and denim galore - at very cheap prices. As for the big bike scene, we didn't hire bikes - it's a very walkable city if you're relatively fit, its all flat and the walk from the Vondelpark East back into the city centre is adorned with amazing vintage treasure chest shops.
March 2015 - Puy St.Vincent, French Alps
So after meeting my soulmate, he opened up my world to all sorts of things but I have to say the best thing yet has been snowboarding. At first, hell no, as a child I was fearless but then I became aware of that thing called gravity and was often crippled by my fear of heights. Kai, (the said soulmate) was having none of this. Slowly but surely he has helped (forced) me to conquer this fear and I owe a lot to him, snowboarding is now a huge part of my life and we plan to do a ski season together when I finish my law degree.
Okay so enough waffle about my fear of heights, earlier this year I had the amazing opportunity of visiting the alps with Kai, his family and some family friends. It changed my life. It was like a dream, flying over the mountains that looked like they had been dusted with icing to the point of perfection, against an amazing blue backdrop - it really was something straight out of a Toblerone or Evian advert. Then came the coach trip - and while my fear of heights has gone, the awareness of gravity still remains. This three-hour white knuckle, stomach turning coach trip almost had me on the floor with my eyes closed saying the lords prayer - anyone who has ever travelled along the road of a mountain range with lots of twists and turns will hopefully get my jist. However, we arrived (in one piece) and the coach trip was forgotten, I was instantly immersed in a world of blue skies and snow, and it felt like it was just me and my board, turning and flying amongst trees and along ridges, on top of the world, excited to be alive.
May 2015 - Paris/Disneyland
Okay so this one was just a little girly trip as a reward from me to me, for managing to keep my shit together in the face of the events that unfolded this year. I went with one of my closest friends who also deals with a lot of crap. We needed it. And where better to escape to than the happiest place on earth?
I was surprised by the city of Paris - we made a last minute decision to go from our disney hotel into the centre, we jumped on the RER at about 6pm in the crazy heat (black skinny jeans = big mistake) and disembarked at Gare Du Nord. After about 20 minutes of wandering and ending up back beneath the impressive facade of the train station (I didn't have a map this time) we grabbed a taxi and breathed a sigh of relief after changing into cooler clothes bought from H&M on the Champs Elysees - glamorous, I know. By this time we were lost, surrounded by beautiful people speaking the seductive eloquent language, our feet were tired and we were starving hungry. So naturally, we took a table in a beautiful little square at a restaurant called 'La Pepiniere' and chowed down on canard and prosecco. We left with full stomachs, renewed energy to explore this sexy city by night and admittedly, the number for a very friendly waiter apparently called 'Steeve' - if you're reading this Steeve I'm very sorry we didn't text you.
We then wandered the streets a little more and just like two Cinderella's, had to make it back for our train at midnight before our tickets expired. A very handsome, polite man who was admiring my friends good looks showed us back to the station (not quite the fairy godmother - but thankfully not quite 'Taken' either) and we made it back to La Marne Vallee Chessy just in time to get enough sleep before Disneyland the next day.
And to finish off is the place that I call my second home. Here in Wales, you wouldn't think there is much to marvel at - and I wouldn't blame you. However, nestled in the coastline of the Llyn Peninsula, branching out West from North Wales, is a hidden gem where the wind whispers to you as it plays with your hair with its salty fingers and the sea reaches up to kiss your bare feet - my parents have been bringing me here for long as I can remember, and now that I can drive and have my own car, I try to divide as much time between home and here as possible. It started up my passion for photography and my longing to be near the sea. It's also home to the 3rd Best Beach Bar in the world! (Apparently)
So - that's the extent of my travels thus far, before I complete a surfing road trip in my beautiful home country in August, Singapore & Thailand in September and Budapest in October. Feel free to join me on my journeys, I'll keep you updated!
All pics are my own.
If you're interested in what i'm up to day-to-day (god knows why) my instagram is@holly.rhiannon
June 2014 - Amsterdam
I travelled here with my best friend, my other half, and my ultimate travel companion. The flight itself felt like a dream, we took off into a dusky pink sky at 3.00am and when I woke up - what felt like 5 minutes later, we were touching down at Schiphol (which, by the way is the biggest freaking airport ever - but don't let that put you off, it's also the most organised I've ever been to in my short 19 years.) We collected our apartment keys and jumped on the train underneath the airport, engaging in a chance meeting with a lone-traveller, a very mysterious American guy who we would strangely bump into again a couple of days later in the red light district. The train took us straight to centraal, which is where the chaos and my uncontrollable love for this city began.
Bicycle bells, more bicycle bells. Ringing abruptly and somewhat impatiently but with a cheerful tone. Trams, more trams, people crossing the street, canal barges, the occasional brave car driver amongst the rushing bodies, bikes and barges. The city was bathed in a warm summer smog and inevitably, the hypnotizing, nostalgic scent of weed. After working our way back to the apartment with ease (I am a dab hand with a map and the public transport - all those trams - is fantastic and easy to use) we dumped our stuff and headed back out.
Admittedly, Amsterdam is much of an intoxicated (read that how you want to) blur. The vibrance and scent of the flower market that we were lucky enough to stumble into, the relaxed vibe of the Vondelpark that united joggers, lovers, workaholics on lunch meetings, tourists and rastas singing for shrapnel and the mysterious streets that meet at the canal intersection, I was hopelessly in love with this city.
So - as for the practical side, if you're planning on going there, there are a few things I can recommend. If you're exploring the city for a few days, we bought a 48-hour tram ticket for 12 euros and it was definitely worth it, we hammered those things and the trams are pretty easy to navigate. Also, if you're travelling there during the summer months, please reserve a day for the Vondelpark, just go with a picnic and good company and watch the world go by. The Waterlooplein market is also a must, vintage jackets and denim galore - at very cheap prices. As for the big bike scene, we didn't hire bikes - it's a very walkable city if you're relatively fit, its all flat and the walk from the Vondelpark East back into the city centre is adorned with amazing vintage treasure chest shops.
March 2015 - Puy St.Vincent, French Alps
So after meeting my soulmate, he opened up my world to all sorts of things but I have to say the best thing yet has been snowboarding. At first, hell no, as a child I was fearless but then I became aware of that thing called gravity and was often crippled by my fear of heights. Kai, (the said soulmate) was having none of this. Slowly but surely he has helped (forced) me to conquer this fear and I owe a lot to him, snowboarding is now a huge part of my life and we plan to do a ski season together when I finish my law degree.
Okay so enough waffle about my fear of heights, earlier this year I had the amazing opportunity of visiting the alps with Kai, his family and some family friends. It changed my life. It was like a dream, flying over the mountains that looked like they had been dusted with icing to the point of perfection, against an amazing blue backdrop - it really was something straight out of a Toblerone or Evian advert. Then came the coach trip - and while my fear of heights has gone, the awareness of gravity still remains. This three-hour white knuckle, stomach turning coach trip almost had me on the floor with my eyes closed saying the lords prayer - anyone who has ever travelled along the road of a mountain range with lots of twists and turns will hopefully get my jist. However, we arrived (in one piece) and the coach trip was forgotten, I was instantly immersed in a world of blue skies and snow, and it felt like it was just me and my board, turning and flying amongst trees and along ridges, on top of the world, excited to be alive.
May 2015 - Paris/Disneyland
Okay so this one was just a little girly trip as a reward from me to me, for managing to keep my shit together in the face of the events that unfolded this year. I went with one of my closest friends who also deals with a lot of crap. We needed it. And where better to escape to than the happiest place on earth?
I was surprised by the city of Paris - we made a last minute decision to go from our disney hotel into the centre, we jumped on the RER at about 6pm in the crazy heat (black skinny jeans = big mistake) and disembarked at Gare Du Nord. After about 20 minutes of wandering and ending up back beneath the impressive facade of the train station (I didn't have a map this time) we grabbed a taxi and breathed a sigh of relief after changing into cooler clothes bought from H&M on the Champs Elysees - glamorous, I know. By this time we were lost, surrounded by beautiful people speaking the seductive eloquent language, our feet were tired and we were starving hungry. So naturally, we took a table in a beautiful little square at a restaurant called 'La Pepiniere' and chowed down on canard and prosecco. We left with full stomachs, renewed energy to explore this sexy city by night and admittedly, the number for a very friendly waiter apparently called 'Steeve' - if you're reading this Steeve I'm very sorry we didn't text you.
We then wandered the streets a little more and just like two Cinderella's, had to make it back for our train at midnight before our tickets expired. A very handsome, polite man who was admiring my friends good looks showed us back to the station (not quite the fairy godmother - but thankfully not quite 'Taken' either) and we made it back to La Marne Vallee Chessy just in time to get enough sleep before Disneyland the next day.
And to finish off is the place that I call my second home. Here in Wales, you wouldn't think there is much to marvel at - and I wouldn't blame you. However, nestled in the coastline of the Llyn Peninsula, branching out West from North Wales, is a hidden gem where the wind whispers to you as it plays with your hair with its salty fingers and the sea reaches up to kiss your bare feet - my parents have been bringing me here for long as I can remember, and now that I can drive and have my own car, I try to divide as much time between home and here as possible. It started up my passion for photography and my longing to be near the sea. It's also home to the 3rd Best Beach Bar in the world! (Apparently)
So - that's the extent of my travels thus far, before I complete a surfing road trip in my beautiful home country in August, Singapore & Thailand in September and Budapest in October. Feel free to join me on my journeys, I'll keep you updated!
All pics are my own.
If you're interested in what i'm up to day-to-day (god knows why) my instagram is
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