Day Trip to Brighton...

Hey There!

 So for many, many, MANY months, I have been moaning at my friends that I have wanted to go to Brighton. I've got to be honest, I have no idea why I have wanted to go so much. I guess being by the sea, and seeing all YouTube videos of people living in Brighton has made me want to go, and it definitely did not disappoint! So let's go through my day shall we...

Waking up at 6:30am was not a highlight! It has been agesssss since I've had to get up that early (apart from Greece where I had to get up a whole hour earlier than that and that was way worse!) and it was a struggle. I managed to pull myself out of bed and get in the shower and by 8:00am I was ready to get going. Skip to 3 hours later and I was getting off the train at Brighton, and I already loved it! The sun was shining, I could see the sea I was aiming for, and I was with my best friends. What more could you want!!

We walked past all these small cafes and shops and headed straight for the beach. It was so hot and sunny and I was back in my peaceful place, by the sea. We were all so surprised at how blue the sea was!! It felt like we were in a completely different country! (Even if it was just an hour and a half train journey away!) We sat on the beach for a while and we felt like we were in Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging (if you haven't seen that film get off my blog right now because it is one of THE best films ever made!)

After walking along the seafront for a while and going in the little knick knack shops, we went onto the pier where I got to smell the magical smell of sugary donuts, which just reminds you of summer. We went in the arcade where we obviously lost a lot of money, and probably some dignity on the dance machines aha. But it was a good ol' laugh so it was all worth it! And I also managed to top the leader board of Guitar Hero for Coldplay's Yellow and that was my mini achievement for the day. We then went on some of the rides at the end of the pier. One of my friends and I went on a ride called Galaxia where you basically went around in a circle and it bounced up and down, and with the music blaring and my hair going everywhere it was the most powerful headbanger ever! My other friends went on a Ghost Train, and let's just say that ended in tears. But what is a mini fairground trip without a go on the dodgems, so we have all ended up with bruised knees from crushed legs inside the little cars (they seriously need to make them bigger for tall people!)

Lunch was out next stop, and we ended up in a diddy pub called The Mucky Duck, and it was the cutest little pub ever! Their portions weren't diddy though (as you can see!) We went for two sharing platters, so that meant tortillas, hammoumi, onion rings (nom nom nom), chips, and garlic bread. We tried our hardest to get through it all but sadly we failed, but that wasn't because it wasn't good! Our bellies were just exploding!

The Lanes were next, and they were the cutest little shops. My Nan always recommended going there when I said I wanted to go Brighton, so I felt like I was achieving her little dream for me while I was there. We walked around for hours! Going down every nook and cranny and into a wide variety of shops (and let's just say Choccywoccydoodah is any chocoholics heaven!). But then the rain arrived, and me not being prepared for British weather didn't bring an umbrella. So into the shopping centre we went, and we found the nicest jewellery shop could Lovisa with the loveliest rose gold jewellery I've ever seen.

Many hours later, we ended our shopping spree with our feet killing and our bellies rumbling for some food. We went in search of a coffee shop where we can get some tea and cake, so we went back to the lanes and went to Cafe Coho where they advertised they had the best loved cake in Brighton, so we definitely had to check it out. We all went for different cakes and drinks, and let's just say their Oreo Brownie is as chocolatey and gooey as it looks, but it was amazing! Time was getting on and the rain didn't look like it would let up, so off home we headed, drenched and tired.

This day was one of the best days of my life so far. It's been a while since I've laughed so much and felt genuinely happy. I cannot thank my friends enough for this trip, it meant the world to me that they listen and pay attention to what I would love to do (even if they have had to hear it for months). I wouldn't change anything, apart from probably the weather, about this trip, and it is something we are definitely making annual! I'd recommend going if you love the seaside and a small community feel because that is definitely what it felt like.

Where would you always like to go though? It doesn't have to be abroad, it can be local to you, like Brighton sort of is to me?

Girl Without A Plan, Making Plans

xoxo

Book Review: What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Hey There!

"Suddenly, you edge your way to the end of your second ten years and BOOM. Your choices matter. Not chocolate or vanilla, bridge or pier, Sandy Claw or Abenaki. It's your whole life. We're suddenly this close, like Nic said, to the wrong move. Or the right one. It matters now."

4/5

So this was one of the books I took on holiday this year, so I can say I finished this book within 2 days. I'm one of those people where I cannot put a book down once I start reading it, and then I have to re-read it so I can fully review if I actually enjoyed reading the book. This is one of those books I definitely enjoyed reading. It is a typical Young Adult romance so if you enjoy that genre this book is definitely for you. 

This book focuses on Guinevere (Gwen) Castle and her summer in Seashell Island. She lives in a small house, needing maintenance, along with her Mum, her younger brother Emory, Grandpa Ben, and her cousin Nic. On the other side of the island, closer to the beach, there are more expensive houses where the people are much wealthier. Gwen spends this summer, instead of working for her Dad at his restaurant, Castle's Ice Cream, working for Mrs Ellington to "keep her company." Gwen also has to deal with Cassidy Somers, who we learn she has a history with, as he works for Island maintenance. Throughout the story we learn through Gwen what their relationship status is and what her backstory is, as she is perceived to have a certain reputation among the swim team at her school. 

One of the positives I found with this book was how Gwen managed to stay strong no matter what people were saying either to her, or behind her back. She has to deal with this reputation she has, which in fairness she has created herself. But the way she did not allow this to knock her back, but instead ignore what people were saying and come out the other side is something that should inspire other girls with potentially the same problem. As a girl, it is easy for what people are saying to get you and effect you in day-to-day life, but Gwen managed to take these words and throw them back in the faces of the people that were saying them. 

This book does not just focus on this issue. There is a focus on a class divide as well through Gwen's job, and the fact that Gwen wants to get off the Island but the responsibilities she has are holding her back. But going away from Gwen, we also learn about Gwen's cousin Nic, who happens to be dating her best friend Viv. We are able learn about their "perfect" relationship, but you learn that seeing relationship from the outside can be completely different to actually being in that relationship. 

I couldn't find many faults with this book to be honest. I guess I could just say I found it rather predictable. I don't know if that is through reading so many books and watching so many different TV shows, or if it was through the writing. But this did not stop me from enjoying the book at all! I mean, who can't love an ideal teenage relationship where everything seems all rainbows and unicorns (I'm up for it if there are any takers!!). 

I would recommend this as a summer read for everyone, even if you aren't going abroad. The way Fitzpatrick writes about the beauty of the island through the beaches makes it easy to imagine yourself there at a bonfire party. Having that vision of summer really lifts the mood (especially if you live in Britain where we have ONE day of sun) and makes you want to jump on a plane as quickly as possible!

Tell me what you think and other books you recommend for reading over the summer!

Girl Without a Plan, Making Plans 

xoxo

Kefalonia, the Island of Peace

Hey There!

So if you read my previous blog post (sorry it's so long!) you'll know I've recently come back from Kefalonia! I went with my parents and one of my friends, where we stayed in separate apartments, but my parents had a private pool so we spent a lot of time there! There will be lots of pictures coming up so be prepared! 

We stayed in the Apostolata Island Resort and Spa in the Southern part of the Island near Skala. It was a very peaceful resort, so anyone who likes a drink or enjoys a party, this is probably not the place to be. If however you enjoy a nice peaceful holiday, where you have very few people bothering you throughout the day and spend your evening playing cards with light entertainment, this is the place to be. The views were incredible, the food was lovely, and the peace was to die for. Skala was the closest beach/town, and it was beautiful there as well. We went to the beach one day, and it may have rained and the sea may have been extremely pebbley, but it was still nice to spend the day staring at the sea. We also went to Skala for dinner one night and went to a cocktail bar, and that was lovely as well, I mean, who could say no to a strawberry daiquiri!!! 

I also went on a couple of excursions with my friend so I got to explore some of the island, and let's just say the roads may have made my life flash before my eyes a couple of times. But I survived it, and I have never seen views like it. It seemed whenever I looked out the window I would see these beautiful green mountains, or endless views of the sea. Those days I may have spent a majority of the time in a coach, but I also got to see some of the highlights of the island. I got to see Melissani Lake, the town of Fiskardo, Myrtle Bay, and the Drogarati Caves (which yes I thought was out of Game of Thrones but sadly it isn't). I also went on a boat trip which sadly was in bad weather and, honest to God, if anyone in the UK has been on the Isle of Wight ferry in a thunderstorm, it felt a heck of a lot like that! But eventually the weather did improve and we managed to have a nice BBQ on the beach and have a mud bath with a bunch of strangers. One item was also ticked off my bucket list as I managed to see dolphins and I'm pretty sure there was a tear in my eye. I have no idea why I wanted to see them so much, but I'm so glad I did!!

One of the things I love about going on holiday is escaping from problems. No matter how crap a situation is, being in a separate country makes it feel like those problems are a million miles away (which I guess is sort of true). Through this whole holiday, my Grandad was in hospital so that was on my mind the whole time, but I was still able to mostly switch off. I feel like I've said this before, and if I have I'm sorry, but seeing the sea is always calming. I don't know what it is, but watching the waves and looking out into the vast space is relaxing, and it is a feeling I cannot get enough of! But anyway, enough of that! You need to see some pictures!!!

(the Alps from the plane window)

(our private pool)

(beach view from our room)

(Chapel next to our room)

(Melissani Lake)

(one of our views from lunch)

(Skala)

They are a couple of pictures of what Kefalonia is like! And they definitely don't do it justice at all! I probably say it about all the places I have been, but it really is one of the prettiest places. It was nice and quiet, so a lot of reading was done! And a lot of relaxing was done! I couldn't recommend going there enough!!

Lots of Love

Girl Without a Plan, Making Plans 

xoxo