New Adventures Begin

Back in October, I bagged myself a job. Not just any job, but my dream job doing social media for a big charity in London. Honestly? I didn't actually think I would get it. I applied on a whim because I felt so shit having come back from South America and hated waitressing... In my head, I was half way to Australia on my working holiday visa.

So when the call came and they offered my the job, apart from being utterly gobsmacked and totally excited, I couldn't help but suddenly feel a little stuck. How was I ever going to quench my travel thirst whilst holding down a full time job? Was this it now? Was I to live out the rest of my days, mindlessly commuting in and out of London? Because, frankly, I'd rather die (or maybe something less dramatic) than battle my commute for the next 40 years.

No, no. Instead, to show off my new found move into adulthood and a proper 9-5, I agreed to go on as many holidays as my annual leave would allow.

Which explains why I am currently writing this from the porch of a beachside bungalow, in Kerala, India. As an early birthday celebration for herself, my mum has brought me with her on a yoga retreat. I cannot wait to throw myself into intensive yoga, lounging in the sun and exploring as much of this beautiful region as I possibly can. Stay tuned.

Also coming up in 2016: Vegas, Italy and Rhodes. Who said a real job was a ball and chain?

-xo

That's Why Her Hair's So Big...

I have always been a firm believer that a good hair do is pretty much paramount to maintaining personal happiness levels. Partly because of the fact that I went to an all girls school, but mostly because of the fact that my mum is a hairdresser- hair is important.

I've always had a lot of hair. When I was little it was a curse. My hair was think and wavy and knotty and for some reason I spent most of primary school with it in a low ponytail which only further highlighted that my face is was round it was practically a planet. As a grew up it became the thing I loved most about myself. At one point my mum also cut it into a bob, so short she may as well have just sheered it all off and no, she still isn't entirely forgiven (who lets a five year old decide what's good for them?! I'm 21 and I still don't know what's good for me!)

Something about me was braver when it came to my hair- I didn't care what other people thought. I started colouring it at 10 (my mum had brightly coloured hair throughout most of my childhood so she really couldn't have said no) and it went on from there. In Year 9, I was threaten with suspension because the block of red running through my mane did not stick to the 'natural hair colour only' rule my all girls school enforced. Then, at 16, I went from brunette to redhead and never looked back.
It's been blue and yellow and purple, and orange and red and brown and it never scared me. Whilst other parts of my appearance have always seems like an uphill struggle (my skin, my stomach, my inability to have at high gap), I've always been at one with my hair- even if I have been ripping a brush through it and praying I'd wake up with it naturally pin straight (still no such luck).

Now my hair is pink. After a year of doing nothing but excruciatingly question each tiny decision I have made and not knowing myself from one day to the next- I finally feel like I'm being to regain control of me.

Between graduating, booking my trip, starting my internship, and the new hair; I guess I'm starting to see bits of myself I thought I'd lost forever.

So fuck it. Maybe this is narcissistic and shallow as hell, but I don't care. This is an appreciation post for my hair. It makes me feel good about myself and it reminds me to always be a bit braver and a bit bolder. Who knows, maybe if we all started appreciating the parts of ourselves we truly love a little more- loving all the slightly less great bits will become less of a battle.

-xo

The Importance Of Being Blair

Perhaps one of the greatest fictional characters of our generation, Blair Waldorf (from Gossip Girl, just in case you've been under a rock since the dawn of time) is woman who knows what she wants. Yet, her great outfits (not Serena great, but still great) and perfect hair have nothing on the little pearls of wisdom she imparted on us all during the six series that changed life as we know it. They're words to live by from the biggest, baddest bitch around, and if they we're good enough for Blair, they're good enough for me.

'Destiny is for losers. It's just a lame excuse for letting things happen to you instead of making them happen.' - Blair Waldorf

Look me in the eye and tell me that isn't some real talk right there.

So kids, I've pulled a Blair and about a month ago I fobbed off destiny because destiny. Is. For. Losers.

It was a calm Monday morning, the week before I had interviewed for two internships in London and had heard nothing back, having been told I would have heard before the weekend. 'Never mind', I thought to myself, 'I have other plans'. As you all know, I have been saving for my South American adventure since I moved home in June, and thinking that I hadn't got the internship of my dreams, I decided enough was enough. What was supposed to be a follow up planning meeting at the STA Travel in Covent Garden, turned into me spending my savings and booking my flights.

I'm going to south America. On my own. For four months.
Metal? Yes.
Scary? Certainly.
Brave? We'll find out.

Because, and here's the thing, I was always going to find a reason to stay. From a guy, to my dream to career, to my incapability to save money- if I hadn't have just booked it, I'd still be sat here erm-ing and ahh-ing.

London - Rio - Buenos Aires - Santiago - La Paz - Lima - Quito - San José - LA - London.

Naturally, there will be a blog, because I know you'll all be keen to keep up to date on my where abouts and making sure I'm still alive. I'm a weird mixture of excited and petrified but I sort of can't wait to make this dream a reality. I figure you're only 21 and completely free once, wasting this opportunity to travel the world would be criminal. I'm 99.9% sure it'll be the making of me, so long as I can stand the hostels!

Instantly my mind went into money saving mode, planning how I could pick up extra hours and be the best waitress ever (I'm a horrible waitress, it's a good thing I can chat to people if I'm being honest) so I could save every single penny possible. It was gonna be great, I was going to save like a demon and have the most amazing four months ever...

24 hours after booking my flights, I get a phone call to say I'm being offered the position of social media intern for one of the UK's biggest charities. Unpaid.
But how could I say no? TELL ME HOW?!
I said yes. I haven't had a day off in four weeks, I'm constantly exhausted, I rush from the centre of London back to Bucks two nights a week to make it to Friday's for a 7pm start, and I work all day Saturday and Sunday; but I love it.

I'm happy, I'm focused, I'm making my dream come true and I'm investing in my future.

It's living proof that Blair was right. You don't need destiny. You just need to get off your arse and make life happen.

-xo

It's A Love Story

I think when I meet my soul mate, it'll be in a bookshop or a library. We will both be flipping through the titles looking for something new and interesting. He'll be taller than me and kind of geeky, think Clark Kent meets Henry from Ugly Betty. I'll have my hair in a perfect falling ponytail (this is how you know it's a fantasy. My hair has never fallen in a perfect pony for the entirety of my life and shows no signs of changing), wearing a pretty floral dress and a cute blazer. We'll awkwardly bump into each other and apologise, before one of us inquires about the other's choice of read and the geeky book chat starts. Eventually we both end my recommending our own favorite's and being completely offended that the other hasn't read it and insist that they buy it and do so immediantly, meaning neither of us leaves with a new book, but a classic to add to our collection instead. Having been intrigued as to why I think Jay Gatsby is a better romantic hero than Romeo Montague and Mr Darcy put together (a story for another time), he'll say he was going to head for a coffee after the bookshop/library anyways and would I like to join him, to which I will nervously say yes. We then spend hours sat in a small corner and once our literary discussions have finished, we'll end up talking about everything from favorite pizza toppings, to childhood holiday destinations and politics. Eventually, one of us will check the time and see that we have just spent four hours in the company of a complete stranger and yet never felt so at ease in our lives, but realise that it is time to make a move. We'll pack up from the coffee shop and head back out onto the street where, finally, phone numbers are exchanged and we have to part ways.We spend the next few weeks texting quotes from the books we chose and going for drinks, which eventually leads to things like going to the theatre and being together and then we get married in some very picturesque church after a ceremony at my church back in Chalfont and we live happily ever after, just like in the stories...

Well, a girl can dream, can't she? 

It is also possible, that I spend too much time in Waterstones.