New Year New Blog Post | Lifestyle

As we tip toe into a new year, of course we all take a moment to reflect. In this day and age people like to reflect all over social media showing their highlights, mainly, all the places they've been, all the things they've achieved and with heading into a new decade people are showing 10 years worth of growth...I don't have the energy for it!

So much has changed and happened in 10 years, it's hard to look back and pinpoint the noteworthy things when really there are so many things that contribute to growth including a lot of really sh*t times, so if you think this post is going to be me talking about all the things I achieved then this isn't gonna be for you. 

2019 was a weird bloody year, honestly, it was pretty damn awful at times, took me to some very dark places and then all of a sudden things got a lot better, it really was a tale of two halves. I left an incredibly toxic job and started somewhere fresh and hit the ground running, then when I had a chance to breathe I realised that it had been 6 months already and was no longer the new girl. I didn't travel as much because changing jobs and having a dog, this will change in 2020! I'm gonna get over myself and find Freddie a good dog sitter so me and the boyf can have a week or weekend away together. I finally started a new exercise routine, I joined a spin studio and bloody love it, the ease of fitting it into my routine didn't require any effort at all because it just felt right! This is another thing I will be taking into the new year. During this Christmas break, I did a little bit of decorating in the house because I felt like it's time to just try something new and you know what, I absolutely adore it. I gave up meat in 2019 and it was again, a really great and easy (ish) decision, not get me wrong I did have meat on one or two occasions some were accidental and a couple weren't but I didn't beat myself up, it happens and yep, taking that into the new year too.

I have also signed up to do a charity walk in may, London to Brighton because I really want to do something for someone else and the cause that means the most to me will always be homelessness, anything to support the charities out there that do a lot of good work. Don't get me wrong, it's not an entirely selfless act (very few are) but I am looking forward to the challenge, I want to push myself to do something and be proud of it. There were definitely some really great decisions I made last year that I will continue into the next.

2020 will be a year of doing things, travelling more, doing more for others, spending quality time with friends and family but no doubt the year will have things planned that will change the course slightly but I want to be able to adapt and not take it all so personally. I want to read more poetry, visit more art galleries and just learn more about art and culture in general. I am feeling quite optimistic about the new year because it feels fresh, I'm not going into the year with a weight hanging on my neck.

New Year Goals | Lifestyle

Ugh! Even the title of this post fills me with dread, but I promise this isn't going to be a blogpost about crazy weightloss/blog growth/travel post filled with millions of different numbers that essentially mean nothing to me. Instead this post is going to be more of a fun quick bulletpoint list of things I want to do more of this year. 

Oh and before anyone starts, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having blog goals or weightloss goals or goals that are filled with numbers, it ain't for me and I get obsessive so it's not healthy for me to focus on this stuff otherwise I miss normal life! 

So moving on, in 2018 I want to...

• Read at least one book a month 
• Read more industry related books/arcticles
• Become more mindful of the environment - cut down on plastics and recycle more
• Go to the theatre every couple of months - I love it but haven't been for so long 
• Cut back on processed food again
• Walk more 
• Blog consistently for a year without taking a break (!)
• See friends more frequently
• Send more cards in the post 
• See and call my grandparents more 
• Download Duolingo again - brush up on the ol' Italian
• Streamline my wardrobe to have a selection of key pieces 

I think that's about it for now, I want to invest more time in loved ones and myself try and find a good balance and feel in control of things again. 2018 could be a good year guys! 

Do you have any goals/plans for this year?

The New Year Post | Lifestyle

I thought I would reuse this Bestnine2017 picture because I think it sum up some aspects of 2017 in a visual way, it's got a dash of travel, a hint of Italy and a few pretty things dotted around. I know I'm not the only one who has had a bit of a meh 2017 and in all honesty, my year actually hasn't been that bad. I'll keep this short as I always do but I just thought I would share with you guys a summary of my year! 

I was really lucky because I got a job in Jan for a great little agency where I worked from home the majority of the time which was so handy because it meant I could save a lot of money and have a really flexible work/life balance. However working from home was just awful for me, for my physical health and mental, I really bloody struggled but I went and got another job back in London and it is a dream I swear, I love being brand side again! 

I managed to visit some new countries/cities this year, Poland, Portugal, Cologne, Austria, even Lincoln all with the bf of course, we had some really great times this year and I feel so fortunate that I am able to take time off and explore new places. Speaking of new places, me and the boyf not only decided we wanted to live together but that we actually wanted to buy a place together! Our mortgage was approved and we are just waiting on exchange of contracts and completion date, I mean if they could have done that in 2017 that would have been fab but hopefully it'll give us an even better start to 2018 at least. 

I always knew that 2017 would be weird when comparing it to 2016 but I guess that's where I was going wrong, you can't compare the years when I was living in another country, everything is different. I have had a really good year but I know 2018 is going to be even better. 

Happy New Year guys!!!!xx

5 Things I want to do this year | Lifestyle

Carrying on my 5 Things series that I started last year, today I just thought I would ramble on about some things I want to do this year. Now, before anyone says it, I don't class these as "goals", I will not be disappointed if I do not do all of them. I do think it's healthy to have goals but I tend to get hung up on these things, so this is just a light hearted, it would be nice if I managed these things in 2017...so let's crack on shall we. 

Visit new places...
So last year I went to 14 different cites, all new (apart from two) and I just loved it, so I want to maintain that trend of exploring new places. I think it's easy to forget how close some of these countries are so I want to continue to take advantage of this. I want to go to Poland this year and I also want a beach holiday where just for a weekend I can lay on a sandy beach in the sun and just chill. I want to go everywhere and anywhere, I even walk to explore the UK more.

My own apartment...
Moving back to the UK has meant that I have moved back in with the parents, which of course I am very grateful for but I kinda need my own space again. I'm looking forward to having a space I can faff around with and just make my own. There are a few factors I have to consider, like whether I am moving by myself or not but my personal aim is to start looking for a new place within 3 months of being back home because it means I can settle with my new job and have all those security nets sorted. 

See my friends more...
This is a big one, after being in Florence for a year I have missed so many friends and I am going to make a really big effort to make sure that I see them far more frequently. I'm unusual in the sense I don't have a large group of friends, I have cherry picked pals from several different circles so some times it can be hard to see them as I have to do it on an individual basis but I just need to be more organised this year. Plus I bloody love them so I'll find a way! 

Try new restaurants and bars in London...
So, you guys know I bloody love London, the city is like blood in my veins! Now I am back I absolutely have to spend more time actually exploring my beloved city, I have already made a pact with one of my pals that once a month (at least) we will do something different in London just to shake things up a little. I can't bloody wait! Also, this will mean more food posts will be back on my blog, I love writing them and they used to be quite well received so hopefully everyone is a winner. 

Be more active...
Last year, I was a little lazy! Whilst I did a lot of walking I wasn't that active which was a stark contrast to the year before! So this year I am either gonna join a gym or start running again! It's an absolute must! I don't want to get as obsessed with the gym as I was previously because it did impact on my personal life but I want to make sure that I have something active to do that fits in with the rest of my life ya know, something that is a little more than just going on walks! 

There are my 5 things that I want to do this year, what are yours? 

The New Year Post | Lifestyle

Last year, on New Years Day I was sitting in my cold little apartment, by myself, writing this post thinking " Oh wow, can life get any crazier?" turns out it bloody can. When I start to think about 2016 and everything that happened I don't even know where to being 

2016 was the year I got to travel the world and I'm not being dramatic, I really did. I went to, Berlin, Paris, Dallas, LA, Porto, Maderia, New York, Santa Barbara, Atlanta, Budapest, Cinque Terre, Bologna, Pisa and London (not something new though) like how insane is that? The thing is, the majority of places I went, I actually went for work and all of these I have never been before and I loved every second! 

2016 was the year I realised how incredible my friends are. There have been 3 little girls born since I have been away who's mothers are just bloody fantastic and who I could not live without. I have others who have taken the time to come visit me, I know Florence isn't a million miles away but the fact they made that effort seriously warms my heart. My weekly calls with my best dear, I mean that girl just knows! Then there is that one friend that turned into something entirely unexpected.

2016 was the year I made yet another life changing decision and moved back to the UK . There are so many reasons for this but the end reason is I will be so much happier in England than what I was in Florence. 

2016 was the best year of my life so far.

Now that leaves us with 2017...what the bloody hell is gonna happen there? I don't even know how this year will be for me, like 2016 was so good it could mean that 2017 might be a disappointment in comparison, or will it just be another crazy wild ride? I think it will be the latter, because let's face it, it's all about perspective. 

Here's to another year...! 

The New Year Post | Lifestyle

My goodness, 2015 has just been totally mental hasn't it? There almost aren't any words I can use that would be good enough to explain just how surreal this year has been, but I'll try and get something down. 

In January 2015, I went to New York with work for just 11 days, which at the time was mind blowing to think, I was sent to New York to work, how amazing was that? I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. Now it just feels so long ago that it doesn't even feel like it ever happened. I think 2015 was a real turning point in my life, I really started to work out where I wanted to be and what I wanted to be doing in terms of work and life. I completely changed my lifestyle, I lost a bunch of weight and I felt amazing, I really wanted to be able to be someone I was proud of and I definitely know that I made the right positive changes in my life. These were things I could control though, I could control my diet, I could control my exercise regime a created a whole new routine and thrived on it. 

However there is always something completely unexpected that happens, like getting an offer to work in a country you've never even visited for the brand of your dreams...I mean, really? Does that shit (first swear?) really happen? Yes it bloody does. I can't get my head around the fact I am sitting in a new country the I currently call home, if you had told me in September of last year that I would be living in another country I would have laughed and yet here I am. So many people have told me I'm brave for just up and leaving without even knowing the language but for me, I never even felt scared. Through out the whole move and the lead up to it I remained completely calm, a part of me thinks it's because It never quite felt real and the other part was, it just felt right, the timing felt right. 

I came to realise that 2015 was my year to just make it happen, I wanted to lose weight, I did it, I wanted to eat less processed foods, I did it, I wanted to progress my career, I did it. I didn't go into 2015 thinking that I have all these goals that I must achieve, instead I went into the year with an open mind to think roughly where I'd like to go and what I'd like to do but nothing was ever set in stone, because sometimes when you focus on that one specific goal you miss a thousand other opportunities that are standing right next to you. I can't even begin to think about what 2016 has in store for me the one thing I will be learning is a new language, Italian of course, but still no better way than to actually live in the country at learn it. Other than that, I have no idea, I'm not too fussed either. My little blog will carry on as it did last year with just more variety of posts which I'm really happy about because it'll keep things interesting. 

Enough with the new year, new me crap. How about a new year, the same me, just slightly better or different which ever way you want to be. 

Have you made any New Year's resolutions or are you even gonna bother?

What I learned in 2014 | Lifestyle

Oh where to begin? I don't want this post to be too heavy but more just a series of thoughts that I want to share with you. I'd rather reflect on the year as a whole before setting my goals for next year. 

This year has gone so incredibly quick, it's amazing to think about everything that has happened in a relatively short space of time. 

What I am coming to realise is that sometimes you just have to keep your head down and continue to run up that metaphorical hill. Sometimes it's going to be a massive struggle but if it means anything to you at all, you'll do it. When you feel like you aren't being noticed, you'd be surprised at the amount of people who recognise your efforts and reward you for it. 

Life doesn't always pan out the way you expected it to and sometimes people aren't who they say they are, but everyone is just trying to get by in life the only way they know how. Be patient with people, everyone has their own demons that manifest in ways you wouldn't think possible.

Sometimes your past comes back when you think it's dead and buried but what it does make you realise is how far you've come, all the little decisions you have made that has impacted on your life. There will always be room for improvement and you should continue to keep striving for more, because what is life without ambition?

You can't always control things in life, so just focus on the things you can, such as being active, your career, your friendship groups, your hobbies, your passions. Everything else will fall into place if you just leave it and if it doesn't, don't dwell on it and don't let it drag you down, keep focused on the bigger picture.

In 2014 I have laughed too much, cried too much, drank too much, loved too much, thought too much, sang too much, written too much. But I would rather have regrets for doing too much of everything than not doing enough.  

Happy New Year guys!