American Adventures - Chapter Three...

Here it is, the last instalment of my crazy American adventures. Again, I'm sorry they're coming to you so long after I've actually been, I'm just lazy let's not shy away from that! I could've written enough for a dissertation about my time in the USA, in fact my journal essay about being there is nearly 6,000 words, so I've had to drastically cut and edit bits out just so I don't bore you all. And speaking of boring you all, let me swiftly move on to continue where we left off...

 

 

The Grand Canyon, Route 66, and Vegas.. again..

One of our final stops was a town called Flagstaff. Honestly, I really enjoyed Flagstaff, it reminded me a lot of Winchester, only of course, a lot more American. I could definitely see my self living there if I had to, it was comfortable enough, even if it was snowing in Arizona. (I know, I totally didn't pack for snow in Arizona of all places...)

 

(Snowy Arizona)

 

The following morning we set off for one of the highlights of the trip, The Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is certainly that, grand. Despite the rain and the fog, the Grand Canyon is a truly majestic sight to behold. I arrived preloaded with many questions. Is it anything more than a giant crack in the earth? Why do people come from all over the world to see it? Is it merely a photo opportunity?

 

(The amazing Grand Canyon)

 

Well for a start, it was raining/foggy/snowing during our day out at The Grand Canyon, which definitely made for a surreal experience. The Grand Canyon, despite the weather, has been a firm highlight of my time in America. It’s such an iconic place, and to say I’ve travelled all that way, hiked slightly down into it, and learnt about the history of the site and the people there, makes me very proud. I remembered I commented to one of my lecturers earlier in the trip about how we’d already experienced canyons, and remarked what was so special about the Grand Canyon. Now I’ve been, I can see exactly what is special about the Grand Canyon. There is nowhere else on this planet that can rival it in terms of geological impact. Its size is astonishing, terrifying, and a reminder of just how small you are as a person on this ginormous earth.
 

(Selfie at the Grand Canyon)

 

It was with a heavy heart that we left our life on the open road to return back to Las Vegas. The freedom of the open road was exhilarating, and I wasn't ready to be squeezed back into Las Vegas, with people walking into me with every step I take. Nevertheless, I was excited to get back to Vegas for one more night.

(One of the many roads on which we travelled)

 

We stopped on the way a couple of times, firstly in Seligman. Seligman is a town just off the main road, along what's left of the old iconic Route 66. Route 66 became famous for being the main road between Chicago and California, and being used during the Dust Bowl Migration of the 1930’s. However, this is not how Route 66 is remembered. In Seligman, the idea of a 1950’s America is being sold, using figures such as Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe, who have nothing to do with Route 66. So why are they being used? Is it because the 1950s are the golden age of American motoring? I guess it would be pretty hard to sell the idea of a depression era and migration, which is why this idea is one which is alternatively sold. I got fairly bored in Seligman. Although there were many, many gift shops, it was a case of once you’d been in one, you’d been in them all. Nothing stood out as eye-catching or different, it was simply a much tackier version of what I’d envisioned before visiting.

 

(Route 66 in Seligman)

 

Chloride, the second of our stops, was very different. The town seemed deserted, with little to no claims to fame, minus the local bar, ‘Digger Dave’s’, which was full of memorabilia, including a Tom Jones poster in the toilet. Here there seemed to be the space for freedom for creativity and expression, even though it felt like a ghost town. I felt like I was walking around in a western, just waiting to turn a corner, see the tumbleweed rolling along, and stumble into a shootout.

(Inside 'Digger Daves' with the girls)
 

I’ve only really come across the Hoover Dam in the Superman film, but it was every bit as impressive as I’d expected. Spanning across the Colorado River between Arizona and Nevada, it provides power and water to many places in the West, such as Las Vegas. Recently I went to the cinema with my mum and watched San Andreas, and during the beginning of the film, you see Hoover Dam being destroyed due to an earthquake. Now that I've been there, it's astonishing to think how iconic the place is, and it's truly a structure to behold, one which only something so extreme could destroy.

(Claudia and I looking very windswept in front of Hoover Dam)

 

I have to admit, in the final moments of my American adventure, Las Vegas has won me over. It got me. I’m officially converted to city life, although my bank account is screaming at me not to. I feel pretty bad to admit that I was relieved to be back in the city after my time on the road. Maybe because I’m from a small town, it made such an exciting change to be in such an unfamiliar, large place. One thing is for certain, I shopped until I dropped during my last 24 hours in Vegas, to the point where I genuinely ran out of money and had to call home to beg mum to put more in my bank account. No shop was left unshopped, and my suitcase was packed to the seams with goodies from MAC, Sephora and Victoria's Secret.
 

(Ahh MAC, one of my greatest loves)

 

When it was time to leave, I was exhausted. We didn't stop in the whole two weeks we were there, we'd crammed something into every waking hour on the trip, and in many ways I was totally ready to go home. I also was super reluctant to go home, because I love being stateside so damn much. I think that's why I chose my degree, because deep down I wish I was American, and their crazy way of life is so appealing to me. Thankfully I'll be back in the USA for my 21st, getting sophisticatedly wasted in a classy bar in Manhattan, and watching Broadway musicals. But as far as this trip was concerned, all that was left to do was to board the plane with my significantly heavier suitcase, and watch Vegas shrink further into the distance as we climbed up into the sky.

 

(Oh I will be back soon....)

 

So there it is, my American adventures. I miss being there so much, I was insanely happy for the entire two weeks, and wish so much that it could've lasted forever. Next time I'll be blogging about my next adventure in Edinburgh, and the incredible festival Wildlife I went to in Brighton.

 

Until then

 

Much love ♥

 

 

American Adventures - Chapter Two...

The last time we spoke, I had just left Vegas to begin an entirely new adventure on the open road, and my time travelling around could not be any more of a contrast to the craziness of Vegas if it tried. This leg of the journey saw us leaving Las Vegas and arriving in a small town called Kanab in Utah, before making our way to Marble Canyon and a town called Mexican Hat.

The open road

 

The open road in America is unlike any other driving experience I’ve had. The scenery extends into long, straight open roads, with only the odd occasional small town approaching, then fading into view. It was exhilarating to escape the city and be surrounded by fresh air and open spaces again, just like home. On the way to Kanab we passed through Colorado City, a Mormon town, which was just bizarre and totally different to any way of life I'd seen before. Large houses with large families working on the land, all similarly and plainly dressed. We also paid a visit to Pipe Springs National monument, to have a look at how natives and Mormons both lived off of the harsh landscape.

(Pipe Springs)

 

If I've learnt anything from being in America, it's that for a small town girl, I certainly hate small towns. Maybe it's because it's all so familiar, and with no disrespect to any of the small towns I visited, but good God I was bored. Perhaps in the context of our travels, coming from Vegas, anything else would be deemed as boring, but there were genuinely a few places where I either felt so isolated it was relaxing, or I lost my mind. Kanab was the latter, I was struck by how on a Sunday, a church day, there was really not that much open to do. All we could do on such a quiet day was escape the town, and go for a little adventure on some sand dunes. Now for someone who lives maybe a couple of hundred metres (if that) from a beach, good God I can't stand sand! It gets everywhere, and its just exhausting to walk up sand dunes.

 

(The amazing sand dunes)

 

The following day we visited Zion National Park in Utah. Zion is 229 sq. miles of land, and it's absolutely beautiful. There are many different meanings to the word ‘Zion’, but one of the most common is ‘dry place’, however, Zion National Park is more like an oasis in the desert. Being at Zion made me realise how much I really enjoy being surrounded by nature, but it also made me realise how much other people enjoy it too. One of the areas we visited seemed much more popular and accessible to visitors, and the walks were crammed with people. So much for being at one with nature, more like being with the masses in nature. This aside, Zion was an absolute highlight of my trip, and I would love to go back and push myself to do a more challenging hike (never thought I'd say that!!!), if anything for the breath-taking views.

 (Me at the top of our first hike at Zion, what a view!)
 

Marble Canyon is in every sense the most isolated place I’ve ever stayed. Essentially, all we had was a place to eat, a place to sleep, and each other. There was no phone signal, no wifi. We were completely alone. I actually enjoyed the peace and quiet, it made a refreshing change from the intense week we had, and made me realise I genuinely do rely too much on my phone for communication, and that I'm missing so much of life because of it. Marble Canyon is the most remote place we visited during our travels, and we were told we doubled the population when we stayed; which seemed certainly true whilst dining in the local restaurant, when we accounted for nearly half of the customers. The sky was incredibly clear, with no light pollution. The stars looked so bright at night, brighter than I’ve seen them anywhere else in all my life. This lack of pollution from other humans makes it so much clearer that we were isolated from the world out there.

 (Laying in the road near Marble Canyon because there was pretty much no traffic whatsoever)

 

After our first night in Marble Canyon, we took part in a challenging hike down Cathedral Wash to the Colorado River. It wasn't quite as harsh as the Red Rock hike, but it definitely involved a lot more teamwork and climbing. I daresay, this was one of the highlights of my life, let alone this trip. Once we finally got to the waters edge, it was the best view of my life. It was ethereal, and my mind has never been so much at peace (which is impressive, because my mind never usually shuts up!). Personally, I’ll always remember the hike as a metaphor for life. Although it may be a struggle and hard work getting there, you can be sure that there is always something beautiful at the end.

(Mid-hike with some of the girls)

(Poised on a rock with Rachel at the waters edge, deep in thought)

 

Leaving Marble Canyon, we began to make our way onwards, into the Navajo Nation. We experienced dinosaur footprints, which was fascinating as I have honestly never considered history in American beyond what I've been taught. Our guide told us about how people would just come along and take the fossils from the land, and he seemed fairly relaxed and casual towards this. This shocked me, as it seemed that they were just used to people coming along and taking away what rightfully belonged to them, which seemed wrong on every level to me.

 (Dinosaur footprints!)
 

One of the ‘selling-points’ of this trip was a chance to see Monument Valley, and I have to admit I was hugely disappointed. Although it is an iconic symbol of the American West, I fear I’ve seen so much mountainous landscape on my travels that this failed to make any sort of impression on me at all. Because there was no tour or museum, I feel like I didn’t learn anything, and ultimately when we drove away, I was just as clueless about Monument Valley as when I’d arrived. Why is it such a symbolic place? What does it mean to the Navajo who live there? In contrast to my point, viewing Monument Valley the following day from a different angle was actually more impressive. Perhaps the weather helped, or maybe it was the iconic image I'm used to seeing in films such as Forrest Gump. I'm also totally impressed with this picture I took of Monument Valley, this is some postcard magic right here. 

(Monument Valley looking lovely)

(Group photo at Monument Valley!)

 

San Jaun Inn creates a different kind of isolation to the one I’d experienced at Marble Canyon. There’s a much bigger divide in culture, with the local restaurant offering a Navajo section of the menu. One of the staples on the menu is fried bread, a food which is part of the diet and culture of many Navajo people. I can’t help but wonder why the Navajo would eat this, as it was introduced into their diets during the Long Walk and imprisonment. It’s like Jewish people eating the foods given to them in concentration camps. The cruel irony of this haunts me a little, as it’s just another horrible reminder of the reality of these people, and how they’ve come to be pushed onto reservations after all the hardships they’ve already endured in American history.

(Doing the sassy emoji sign near Mexican Hat)

The next morning we made our way back towards a town called Flagstaff, with only 3 days left of the trip! Believe it or not, we crammed a lot into the last few days, and experienced things which were totally different to how I'd expected them.

 

Much love ♥

 

Happy 1st Birthday Wanderlust...

So it's officially been an entire year today since I started writing this blog!

 

I'm honestly proud and surprised with myself for managing to keep it going for an entire year, even though it's no secret that I'm atrocious at regularly posting. However, this blog is always on my mind, and hopefully one day I can really focus and commit to making this a long-term adventure!

 

Thank you so much to everyone who has ever taken the time to read anything I've posted on here, it honestly means so much and makes this all worth while. Without you reading this, I'd just another weird woman writing to herself on the internet, so thank you keeping me sane and reassuring me that people out there actually take the time to read my ramblings!

 

Hopefully I'll still be here in a years time, still writing to you about all the madness going on in my little world, and all the dreams and adventures I still hope to have.

(Here's how my blog looked in its humble beginnings, talk about throwback! Not a lot has drastically changed, it's basically the same with a different background, but it's come a long way..)

 

All the love in the world ♥

 

American Adventures - Chapter One...

Hey everyone! Hazel Houdini is back from her vanishing act to finally fill you in on my tales from across the Atlantic. Why on earth has this taken me so long? I've been in a serious state of post-travel depression, and it's been seriously difficult to shake. Between feeling down about not being stateside, working, and maintaining the functions of a normal adult, I've not had the opportunity to sit down and pour out every little detail to you, and I'm sorry it's taken forever. I'm very aware it's been well over a month since I landed back on British soil! But here I am now!

 

Last month I went on the most amazing adventure I've ever embarked on in my life. I had the amazing opportunity to travel to America with my uni course, and I'm so glad I took the chance and went. We flew out to Las Vegas, spent a few days in the city, before road-tripping around via Kanab, Marble Canyon, San Jaun and Flagstaff, and eventually winding up back in Vegas again. We crossed three states, Nevada, Arizona and Utah, and visited loads of iconic places such as The Grand Canyon, Route 66, and Monument Valley. I saw and experienced so many weird and wonderful things, that I can't wait to share with you.
 

 

Because we did so much within the two weeks, trying to cram it into one post seems cruel and rushed, I honestly wouldn't be doing the trip justice at all. Therefore, I've decided to spread it out into 'chapters' if you will, of my amazing American adventures.

 

Chapter One - Vegas

 

 

Oh Vegas, you won me over completely. As soon as we arrived, I was immediately aware of how small I felt in comparison to the city. Huge towers of hotels looked down on me, and the scale of grandeur was incredible. After we arrived (in a sandstorm nonetheless), and the jetlag began to fade, we were able to get really stuck into the city, exploring the many elaborate hotels and casinos that litter the strip. My favourite hotel by far was New York New York. Anyone who knows me will know that New York City owns my heart and soul, and NYNY was a perfect simulation of the real thing. The hotel completely absorbed itself into the theme, that there were moments when you could find yourself doubting that you were far from the real thing. The Bellagio Fountains were such a highlight of Vegas, I was incredibly impressed, it was like nothing else I've ever seen before. If you ever find yourself in Vegas, you need to get yourself to the Bellagio to watch the fountains 'dance' every 15 minutes, it's completely free, and it's one of those things that will amuse you much more than it really should.

 

(New York New York)

 

One evening, we found ourselves away from the busy strip, and on Freemont Street in 'Downtown Las Vegas'. Freemont Street can only be described as a poor mans Las Vegas, with all the novelties you can expect to find in the heart of the city, but for a fraction of the cost. Here, nudity is everywhere, with half naked girls dancing on bars, and old women with saggy tits wondering round, charging for photos to be taken with them (No I didn't before you even ask). Freemont felt more like the Vegas experience I'd expected thanks to films such as The Hangover, much tackier and carefree, and with the attitude that anything goes. I mean, for goodness sake, there was a casino there called "The D", and it has a shop selling "I 'Heart' The D" merch. If that isn't an obvious display of the kinds of craziness you can find in Vegas I don't know what is..

 

 

Shopping in Vegas broke me and my bank account into a million little pieces. Gone was my sensible budgeting for the entire trip as soon as I set foot into the MAC store. It was magical, I got a mini-makeover and felt bloody wonderful for the rest of the day. Within the first few days of the trip, the 11 of us fell into two groups, based pretty much upon those who wanted to shop on the first day, and those who wanted to explore. It pretty much stayed the same for the duration of the trip, but the girls I hung out with and I got really close in America, after all, nothing bonds girls better than shopping! And boy, did we shop! It felt as if no store was left 'unshopped' in Vegas, but it was brilliant. I loved every single second, I just wish I had a bottomless bank account to really relax and enjoy it.
 

(I'll confess, I didn't take many 'in-action' shopping pictures, but who has time to take pictures when there's serious shopping to be done??)
 

One obvious difference between the UK and the US, is the attitudes towards guns. I've never been able to get my head around the idea of owning guns, personally I don't see them as necessary, but that's just based on my own circumstances in life. Whilst I was in Vegas, we all went to a gun store, and had the opportunity to fire a gun. "Why not, when in Vegas" I thought, so I picked out a handgun, and got to fire 20 bullets (pretty awfully) towards a target. It was ridiculously unnatural, it would appear that I'm not cut out for the thug life, because ultimately I was incredibly shit at it. If anything, I've learnt that should a zombie apocalypse happen, a gun is definitely not my weapon of choice.
 

 (Minus the horrendous headphones, I reckon I look pretty damn badass..)
 

One experience I never thought I'd have in Vegas was to go hiking, which we got to do at Red Rock Canyon. Vegas is completely surrounded by conservation land, something I didn't know prior to the trip, and we took part in a challenging hike up to a view point to look down on the city. Firstly, I know what you're thinking, me...HIKING?!?! You're not wrong, this was my reaction as well, but honestly, I really enjoyed it, which surprised me a lot. Secondly, the view was incredible, like seriously worth the struggle of getting there. The whole experience is one of my biggest achievements (I don't care how lame this is), even though I did manage to fall sideways into a cactus halfway up. (Which then tanned horrifically during the rest of the trip, and I still have marks on the back of my hand which didn't tan because they were covered in scabs, lush right?)

 

(Little me with Las Vegas in the distance..)

 

The next morning we left Vegas and began our adventures on the open road, which I will save for the next instalment. I'm off to Edinburgh tomorrow (June 1st), which is just another adventure waiting to be blogged about!

 

Much love ♥

 

 

Update: All the crazy things going on in my crazy life...

I did the very thing I promised I wouldn't do anymore - I didn't blog for an entire month. I know, it's incredibly shameful (when will I ever learn?!), but even though I spent half of April out of the country - which yes, you will definitely be hearing about in my next post -, I really had no other excuse. I've been up to my eyeballs in making crazy plans to ensure that 2015 will be the best year yet. 2015 is also shaping up to be my least financially secure year yet, I'm falling into the habit of booking things before I've fully paid off the previous plans...

 

 

So what have I got going on which are distracting me so from you? Let me divulge...

1. My grand adventures in the U.S.A - I won't go into this much now, I'll save all of that for next week, but it was truly one of the best experiences of my life. I saw such incredible things, pushed myself further than I thought I could (I went hiking. I know, ME, hiking?), and made some awesome friends along the way. It's certainly going to be difficult to top this trip for a very long time.
2. Twin Atlantic....again! - Definitely not a bad thing. What can I say, Em has got me hooked on Twin Atlantic, so we're seeing them again this week in London!
3. Finishing Second Year of Uni - Can this hurry up already? Currently I have 4 assignments to hand in before I can officially say I'm 2/3 of the way through my degree. It's all getting a bit scary now (And I still have no idea what I'm doing with my life...eek!)
4. Edinburgh - My housemate Em (who I'm sure you're all starting to quite fondly know and love after all the time I blog about her), and I have booked a couple of days in Edinburgh at the start of June. We did this for several reasons; to continue our two-woman trek of places in the UK, to get more tattoos, and so Em can meet the Scottish man of her dreams. I only hope her quest is more successful than mine, we all know how my plans to escape to Ireland and elope went...
5. Wildlife Festival - Straight after we come back from Edinburgh, Em and I are off to sunny Brighton to go to Wildlife festival! What is Wildlife, I hear you cry? It's a festival set up by Disclosure and Rudimental, two of my all-time musical loves. Some of my absolute music faves will be there, including Disclosure and Rudimental of course, such as Sam Smith, George Ezra, Years and Years, B. Traits, Jess Glynne and Mark Ronson.
6. New York City - So my mum decided to drop the incredible bombshell that she wants to take me to NYC for my 21st this October! I don't want to jinx this because nothing is officially booked yet, but this is looking to be absolutely incredible.
7. Michael McIntyre - Em and I have had this booked for literally forever now. The weekend after my 21st we are going up to London to see Michael McIntyre and go out on LND town. How exciting!!
8. Another Field Trip to the USA - It looks as though I'll be heading back stateside in January on a 'Civil Rights Pilgrimage', basically a trip around the American South, visiting places of great interest and importance during the Civil Rights Movement. I've been studying this since I was 17, so you can't begin to understand how much I'm really looking forwards to this.

As you can see, I seem to have caught the travelling bug pretty badly. With the likelihood I'll be stateside three times within one year, you can understand why my bank account is currently hating me too.

 

 

I also just quickly wanted to say how crazy it is to see people are still reading my blog on a daily basis, even though I'm hardly a regular poster! Last month I had the most page views since the month I started blogging, and I didn't even post once, which is just pure madness. I don't deserve all the page views for sure, but thank you all so much for reading all my random ramblings, recommending my blog to your friends, and checking in every now and again. I'm truly blessed and grateful. It's because of you wonderful people I'll try to keep writing.

 

 

 

Much love ♥

So many addictions...

Guess who's back!

That's write, I'm blogging again, and I promise I won't leave you all for so long next time, okay? I fear I also may have left you all in the lurch with the complete lack of addictions recently, but not to worry, it's time compile the ultimate addiction list! To make up for the fact it's been months since I last did this, I've covered everything I've been addicted to since October (yes, it really has been that long!!) Everything on the list has been tried and tested by yours truly, and comes complete with my seal of approval. So go on, indulge yourselves.

 

 

Tattoo's After Dark - Now I'm an inked woman (which of course makes me a complete pro on all things tattoo), I've found I'm obsessed with any tattoo show. You name it, Em and I have probably watched it, from Tattoo Nightmares to Ink Master. So imagine the joy on our faces when we found Tattoo's After Dark on E4. We were completely hooked, 100% emotionally invested in every aspect of the show. It sparked many debates, such as, "Who would you want to tattoo you?", "Which of the tattooists is the most attractive?" and "Which tattoo is the most ridiculous?" (FYI my answers are Justin, Jersey and the one guy with the squirrels on his legs which are reaching for his 'nuts'.) But it's not just tattoos which appear on this show, oh no, there are piercings as well. There's a super British, super hot guy called Chris Saint who does the piercing, and my-oh-my have there been some arguments over which one of us would score him. I didn't even get into the show for piercings but now I'm inspired to get one at some point, this guy is seriously beautiful and persuasive. Lord Almighty, there isn't a single reason why I couldn't love this show, it has everything I love and more, from hot guys, amazing tattoos and super crazy Americans.

 

Iggy Azalea - I'm not even sorry. So I decided to have a look on the Spotify 'My Year in Music' thing in December, which shows you what you listened to the most, and it turns out I have a bit of an Iggy Azalea addiction. So much so that 6 of my top 10 songs were by her, and she was my most listened to artist in summer, autumn and winter. (Spring was Gabrielle Aplin in case you were wondering) So what is it about Iggy Azalea I love? Who knows, but god-dammit her songs are infectiously catchy. You already know (!!) I've already posted about my Fancy obsession, but I really love her whole album, New Classic, particularly Walk The Line, Don't Need Y'all, Impossible Is Nothing and Rolex. I know a lot of people can't stand her, and there's the whole stigma about her being a white-girl rapper (Just ask Azealia Banks, who seems to be insistent about how white people shouldn't rap because they don't understand how tough it is to be marginalised by society - but that's a whole other topic I'm not getting into);  but there is just something about her songs that work. It's semi-relatable I guess, plus I get to pretend I'm good at rapping, which is just shamefully embarrassing every time I get drunk.

 

George Ezra - This beautiful man made a beautiful album, and I'm in love with it. His style is almost nostalgic, from days gone by, like the kind of music my nan would've put on for me to dance to when I was a kid. But at the same time, it's familiar, fitting in with this one-man/one-guitar indie trend which seems to be dominating the charts at the moment. His songs and his voice are so soothing to listen to, and I can't get enough. I'm so excited that he's going to be playing Wildlife this summer, which I'm stupidly excited to be going to (Sam Smith, Disclosure, Rudimental, B. Traits and Years and Years will be there too!!). For people who haven't heard it yet, I recommend you go and listen to it, especially tracks Stand By Your Gun, Cassy O', Listen To The Man and Blame It On Me.

 

Ibiza Weekender - You should all have guessed by now that tacky TV shows are a way of life for me. Ibiza Weekender is no exception. It's a work of genius. Guests you'll never like, banter from the reps, and the hilarious voice over from Joe Lycett. The guests are always strange, none of the reps are particularly datable, but oh my, the drama. Who will Imogen get with? Why did Jordan have to come back? Is Sophie always so needy? Will Ben ever go out and not get too drunk? I can't get enough. I'm both desperate and completely afraid to go on holiday to Ibiza, it looks insane, but it looks like the kind of place you could catch an STD from a lamppost. Plus I recently found Deano auditioned for the X Factor which made for very hilarious and awkward viewing.

 

 

The Hunger Games Trilogy - Any uni student will know that reading for pleasure is a joy which dies during your degree, but I've forced myself to get back into it in a big way. Although I'd read the Hunger Games trilogy a while ago, I'd completely forgotten how amazing they really were, and instinctively went straight to them as a way of easing back into reading for fun. Suzanne Collins is a genius. I'm too emotionally invested in these books, they break my heart. I recently finished Catching Fire whilst on a train, and had to hold it together whilst surrounded by strangers. Personally, the books are better than the films. No disrespect to J-Law, but the books focus on more political issues and impacts on people than the love triangle of Katniss/Peeta/Gale, which makes for a much more gripping story. Go read them, you will not be disappointed.

 

Rekorderlig Strawberry and Lime - Being a borderline alcoholic, this shouldn't surprise many people that I have cider on my addictions list. I'm fully aware how badly I'm coming across right now, and how bad cider is for you (all those empty calories!), however, it's really nice. Like, addictively nice. It's been my drink of choice this semester, whether I'm going out, or having a few drinks with the girls (or on my own, uni is stressful) in the house. I'd totally recommend! (Unless you're under 18, then don't drink. Ever. It's a poor life choice.)

 

I promise I won't leave it so long before I next do my addictions! I'm just so boring and busy with uni that I don't actually have the time to get crazily obsessed with anything. But fear not, my second year at uni is ending, and soon I'll have all the time in the world to blog (Minus the two weeks I'm having stateside, which trust me, you'll hear about), and I'm gonna try to up my game with this whole regular posting thing.

Much love ♥

 

Who run the world....girls!

 

Happy International Women's Day!

 

 

 

 

Today is International Women's Day, and I thought, how better to celebrate the incredible force of sisterhood than to dedicate a post to the women who inspire and influence me the most in the world? Sorry boys, but today is all about the ladies of the world, and together we are unstoppable. We've come a long way from being unable to vote, being seen and not heard, and being undervalued and underappreciated, however, we still have a long way to go to achieve equality for not just ourselves, but for all people along the gender spectrum. This is why it is so important to me that we are able to put any differences aside on amazing days such as this, and join together to make the world a fairer and better place for all. I'm trying not to fully explode into a feminist rant (although it's just so easy!), so instead, here are a selection of wonderful women who have changed my life.

 

 

My Mum - Let's start with an obvious one. My mum is my absolute favourite person in the entire world. Sure we've had our differences in the past, and what mother and daughter doesn't argue? My mum has gone through a lot in her lifetime, but she doesn't let it define her which is why I idolise her so much. Her strength is what has kept her, my brother and I going for years, and she always comes back stronger after every set-back. Plus she's looking pretty incredible after her amazing weightloss, and I'd kill to look as good as her when I'm her age. Without my mum in my life, I wouldn't be as down-to-earth and grounded, she's been an inspirational influence in my life, and I only hope I can do as well with my kids one day.

 

 

 

My Nan - Again, another obvious choice. It's easy to see how well my mum turned out when you look at my Nanny, she's such an inspiration. Although she also went through some really bad times, with deaths in the family, she has managed to turn her life around in the last few years, come out much more positive and stronger than ever before, and lost so much weight she is officially no longer a diabetic! I can always rely on my Nanny to be there for me, she's a completely loving and understanding person.

 

 

Florence Welch - Florence is one of the biggest influences in my life. If you ask anyone I know, they'll tell you how obsessed I am, and how much she means to me. I first heard her music in 2009 when I was 14, and her music still gets to me even now. On the release of her second album Ceremonials in 2011, I was in a pretty bad place, but I could rely on her music to help me through. In many ways she saved me, I won't go into lots of detail here because it's pretty personal, but there's a pretty good chance I wouldn't be who I am now, or here, without Florence and the Machine. It's funny how much music can help you or shape you in your life, and I'm just glad that for me, it was the ethereal sounds of FATM. Meeting her has been a highlight of my life, they say never meet your idols because you'll get disappointed, but she was so genuinely lovely and happy to see everyone, she's such a truly lovely and kind person, inside and out.

 

 

 

Rosa Parks - I'll always remember the first time I learnt about her, in a history lesson when I was 12. I thought she was so brave and incredible, while the boys in the class were laughing about how silly it was, and that she should've just moved on the bus. This was one of the first times I ever felt proud of someone I'd never met, but even though I was 12, I was inspired and realised how much her actions impacted for so many. Without her courage, bravery, and complete sense of justice and self, the world we know now could be very different. We need more people in the world who are willing to make the sacrifice for others, such as Rosa Parks did. She put her freedom on the line so that others may achieve theirs.

 

 

Emma Watson - I'm still convinced her and Hermione are the same person. It's very had to distinguish where Emma stops and Hermione begins, but I suspect the very well written character by J.K Rowling plays a large hand in this. Growing up with a character such as Hermione Granger in my life played a large part as to who I am now, as her independence, determination to do well against all odds, and compassion for her friends throughout her life helped to shape me. Emma Watson is equally as wonderful, as she too displays all these characteristics. As well as all of this, her speech at the UN on feminism and He For She was inspirational. It really got to me. Her ability to always remain true to herself and her beliefs is something we should all strive for in everyday life.

 

 

Emmeline Pankhurst - Without her, and the rest of the Suffragette movement, my life would be very different. I wouldn't be able to have a say or be able to achieve anything I want to do without her brave actions. Her determination to fight for the right for women to vote has changed the world and society. Her methods may be controversial, due to her militancy, but you have to admire her passion and effectiveness, as well as her ability to make such a radical change. She inspires me in that there are no limits as to what I can achieve, and that if there is something I don't agree with, I can change it. Nothing is impossible.

 

 

 

There are so many women who have helped to shape who I am today, I couldn't possibly write extensively about them all. To name but a few more, Beyoncé, Anne Frank, Haim, Taylor Swift, Maya Angelou, and Amy Poehler. And of course, all the women who've been there for me, including family, friends, teachers, and my boss back home in Weymouth, Sybil. Without all of them, I wouldn't be half the person I am today. 

 

 

Although today is all about women, everyone has a responsibility when it comes to equality. It's not impossible. We just need to all be more respectful and nicer to each other. So c'mon everyone, share the love! There is still so much more we need to do.

 

Much love ♥