Can I Get Through The Summer Without A Job???

Hi There!

So on my very last day at university, as I was walking out the doors, my seminar leader said to me, "try and do what you want to do this summer. Go travelling, relax. You don't get that many summer breaks so treasure them while you can." 

This is something I have managed to get away with so far this summer. I have currently been off for around 4 months, and if I'm honest, it feels like my feet haven't touched the ground. I've been travelling around to all my friends' universities, been seeing them once they have come home, been away on holiday, and had to deal with family issues, and this has seemed to take up so much of my time. My mind hasn't been complete for a while now, and I feel like I need to try and get that sorted. I'm so close to being myself again, but something seems to always get in the way, and this time it's my parents. 

I completely understand where they are coming from. I know I should get a job. I know I should try and get the experience. BUT I DON'T WANT TO! I can currently survive on my student loan. I haven't needed any extra money, go into my overdraft, or anything like that. It's definitely not about earning money. But I know I should get the experience. I should have a reason to get out of bed everyday. To get changed out of pyjamas. But for some reason, a job just doesn't seem to do it for me. Well, at least a paid job. 

I've been thinking of doing voluntary work. I have done it before for a couple of weeks at a St. Francis Hospice shop and I really enjoyed it. The people that worked there were lovely, even if they were about triple my age! It's not just that. The benefit I got from it was great! It may not seem like much, but I felt making sales or trying to organise the shop was allowing me to indirectly help people. And I really did enjoy that feeling. 

But I guess all good things always come to an end. If I can talk my way out of a job for the next month or so it will be a miracle. So I guess I should seriously start thinking of what I want to do. Paid work or volunteer? Step up or run away?

Girl Without A Plan, Making Plans

xoxo

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

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