Tuesday 28 October 2014

London: The beginning



So I seem to enjoy putting myself in lonely, difficult circumstances I have come to realise. Last year, I decided to up and move to Australia on a working holiday visa alone. Everybody around me at the time thought I was crazy, as I didn't know anyone there and didn't really have a clue what I'd be doing for the year. But off I went and although it was hard at first, its one of the best decisions I ever made.

 Now I have moved to London alone. And right now I'm in the 'hard at first' stage. When you look back on this stage later on, with rose tinted, heart shaped glasses you say to yourself 'it wasn't that bad at all!' or 'yeah, it was a little bit hard, but it didn't last long at all and the next thing I knew, I made a friend for life and we went bungee jumping with dolphins!' or whatever. Hindsight is a beautiful thing I guess. Your mind glosses over the bad parts and because you know what good parts come next, they don't feel so desperate or difficult anymore.

So now I'm in the 'hard part' and I'm not sure what's going to come next, all I have is a blank page ahead of me with no clue what twists and turns will come my way. And yes it is exciting but its also scary and lonely and I wonder what's going to happen. I felt like I wanted to document this stage for myself to look back on when I've got my pink, sparkly, heart shaped glasses back on. And also for anyone else who has taken a risk and is feeling lonely or scared and wondering if they have been a complete nincompoop and they should just run home with their tail in between their legs. Just keep at it. It WILL get better and one day, you won't really remember these hard parts. Or when you do, you will remember them fondly and realise that they have helped you to grow as a person. They will help you to appreciate the good times all the more when they do come. And if you are feeling that way then I am right there with you! Just keep on truckin'.

Here's a few pics of all the fun things I have been doing since I got to London. Always remember how amazing life is :)







Monday 27 October 2014

Moving to a new city alone...

Recently I have been thinking, when you up roots and decide to start a new life, you have to be prepared to have no life for a little while. Okay... so that might be a slight exaggeration but it takes time to build things up and feel at home in your new surroundings. This isn't a bad thing and I think sometimes people panic that they haven't got everything sorted and an incredible new life within a couple of weeks. They might start to think that they have made a big mistake and feel a failure, I know that I have in the past. I have learnt that this is not true, you have to stick with it and not give up.


Below is a list of 6 thoughts and tips for when you have decided to take that leap:

1. Stay positive! This one is first on the list as I firmly believe that this is the most important thing you can do. So what if things aren't working out exactly as planned straight away? You should be proud of yourself for taking that huge step that not everyone would be brave enough to take. Be positive that things will work out for the best and keep trying your hardest, apply for those jobs, get out there and don't let little set backs get you down.

2. Have faith in yourself. Remember all the things that you have accomplished in the past, remember that at some point during those moments, you wondered if it would work out or if you had made a mistake. But you hadn't made a mistake and you did it! So you will do it again!

3. Be your own best friend. If you get a setback the last thing you should be doing is beating yourself up about it. Imagine how you would comfort a best friend, someone that you love dearly. You would do your best to make them feel better, tell them how amazing they are and that you know things will work out. Do this in the mirror next time. I promise you, although you may feel a little bit gaga crazy at first, soon the negative voice will start to fade away and the best friend in you will shine out.

4. Keep putting yourself out there. Be friendly, keep applying for jobs/ viewing house shares/ join classes anything that you feel you need to do. Don't put it off for another day. Just keep at it even when things feel hopeless. You will feel worse if you don't and those small little steps you take everyday will lead to something great.

5. Take good care of yourself. When you are alone and don't have your usual support network around to guide you, sometimes it can be easy to fall into a trap of not looking after yourself properly. Make sure that you eat well, don't let yourself get into dangerous situations and look out for yourself and others.

6. Get out and explore. Say yes to things that may be slightly out of your comfort zone. This is such an exciting time, a time to try new things, meet new people and have some incredible new experiences. Don't get bogged down in worrying about every little thing. Enjoy this new life and always remember that life is an adventure and things can change in an instant! And if things do go a bit pear shaped then at least you will have a funny story to tell!

Monday 20 October 2014

A love affair...




So, I'm going to start this blog with telling you all about my greatest love. A consuming, tempestuous affair that began when I was just a child. It sunk its claws into me, caught me in its web and spun me to places I had only dreamt of. Made me become the type of person I did not believe I could be. But had always longed to be.

I am talking about my adoration of travel. I firmly believe that I was born to explore the world, have adventures and challenge myself. Although it can be very hard at times, no more so than when I return to my home country poor, with extreme post travel blues and the realisation that I no longer fit in anywhere. A lot of my friends are now settled down and I'm not going to lie, but sometimes I wonder if I should too. But deep down I know that wouldn't make me happy. I think of all the things I have learnt, the experiences I have had and the person that I have become and know that it was all worth it. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Even though at times I thought to myself I was making a huge mistake, and sometimes it felt so hard and all I wanted was to go home. The good far, far outweighs the bad.


The reason I want to start this blog is to connect with like minded people. To show that, if travel is one of your dreams, then you can do it too. If I, someone who when growing up was very shy, awkward and sadly didn't believe in myself can do it, then anyone can.
I want this to be somewhere that anybody who is thinking of going out there alone, or with friends and seeing the world, can get advice and share travel stories.

You can live your dreams and become the person you wish to be. You just have to go for it and be prepared to work for it.

Life is an adventure.