Moving back to the UK | Lifestyle

Ahhhhh can you believe it? I'm moving back to the UK after just over a year of being in the beautiful Florence. In all honesty, it has been the most amazing and intense year of my life and I have no regrets what so ever!

I think today I just wanted to have a chat about how I came around to the idea of moving back because it's probably a little out of the blue. In fact a lot of people were suprised at work. When I first came to Florence everyone was so shocked and surprised that I just up and left, but I had always argued that it just felt right. It was the right thing to do at the time so the decision and move was so easy for me! You guys might know, around 8 months into my move into Florence I became overwhelmingly homesick, I still don't know what triggered it, I tried so many things so get around it but it was always there. The sky wasn't as blue any more, the colours weren't as vivid, Florence just became muted and dormant.

I was also bloody lonely, I missed everyone and every detail about them. The only thing that would make me feel better was the thought of them coming to see me or the thought of going back home! There were of course other factors like work, this has a huge impact on my decision but I would never go into detail about that on my blog, it's not professional but it played a very big part for me. Even my apartment and it's unforgiving cold stone floors were getting to me, I just felt like I couldn't settle.

It just feels like the right time to be home with everyone I love, start my new chapter, start a new job, go back to the eternal heartbeat of London. Life can be so fun but if you can't share some moments with others, then it just gets a little sad. Also, I am bloody fed up with flat sharing, admittedly I am going to have to move back in with my rents so a little while but still, I can't wait to have my own space to just faff around with. 

Don't get me wrong I have a few people who I am really going to miss but I know that Florence isn't the right place for me. This will also mean I am likely to increase the amount of blog posts per week which will make me personally very happy, as my blog has definitely been neglected quite badly. 

There we have it, just a little life update so you know what's going on...

Moving to another country | Lifestyle

This post is gonna be quite a honest post about what it is really like to move to another country alone, I have been in Florence for 9 months now and it's gone so quick but I just wanted to share with you some of my thoughts.

It's different...
I know, it sounds obvious doesn't it, it's a different country so of course it's different but I'm talking about the smaller cultural quirks. In italy, if you are in a shop it's very common to have a little dish where you can can give your money to the cashier and where you change will be placed. Sometimes there isn't a dish and it's expected that you place it on the counter. Don't feel offended if your change isn't placed in your hand, it's cultural and it's a quirk you'll grow to understand and accept

Somethings don't translate...

I'm not just talking about literal word translations I'm also talking about things about your personality or humour that might not be that amusing in another country. Literally happened to me all the time, I'd be on a call with another brit we'd laugh about some comment and my colleague would stare blankly, it's fine though again don't feel offended. There will be things that someone else may say that you may not understand but always try because it might actually be very funny.

You will get homesick... 

My homesickness didn't start until I was 8 months into my stay, 8 months...how crazy is that? To be honest, I don't think there is much you can do about this one, other than speak to your family and pals, go out for walks around the country you are calling home and just ride it out because in time you will remember why you are here.

It will change you ...
For me, it totally changed me for the best. Back when I was working in London, I was so tightly wound with my routine and my life, I would have a breakdown about at least once every 2 weeks about "what I am doing with my life" or "I need to achieve XYZ by the time I'm XX or I will have failed at life" moving to another Country will grow you in ways your couldn't imagine, it will make you appreciate things on a different level and it will change your perception on things forever

It will be the best thing you'll ever do...
Bold I know, but let's say it doesn't work out and you end up moving back home, to have the opportunity to live somewhere else and live will you can never regret. All the things you will have learned from moving abroad is something they cannot teach you in school and something that will stay with you forever. You also have to remember that you may never ever get the opportunity to do this again so take every moment and run with it.

So there are my thoughts on moving to another country. Would ever just up and leave and go somewhere else?

Meanwhile in Florence | Lifestyle

As I type this, as you guys read it, I am currently sitting in my apartment in Florence deciding what to have to eat. Isn’t it crazy how in a week your whole life can change? I have never been to Florence or Italy for that matter before so never, ever, considered that I would move here to work and yet here I am feeling rather content in my little space. So in today’s post I’m just going to chat about how I’ve found my first week here and how I am getting on so far.

When some people move abroad they move because they want to be in a different country and may not have a job yet or will look for one while they are out there but for me that wasn’t the case because I was offered my absolute dream job, so that was the easy part for me. What I did find it incredibly hard finding an apartment to start off with, I spent a week or so emailing various different agencies trying to get more information about the apartments but it was really hard trying to get through the language barrier or even getting a response. However I was very fortunate, a girl I would be working with emailed me to say that her and her roommate have a spare room for me to rent if I was interested. Of course I replied immediately saying yes, I was so grateful and it was a massive weight off my shoulders to know I didn’t have to worry about having somewhere to live, genuinely thought I would be living out of a cardboard box on the streets for a hot second there. 

Before moving out, I knew I had to get a Codice Fascale which is basically a tax code so that I can be taxed on the pay from my job but you can only get this when you are in the country. I arrived about 7:30pm on a Monday night so I knew that on Tuesday that was the first thing I had to sort out. I must say that getting the Codice Fascale wasn’t too painful, because I had all my right documents etc but trying to find out where to get it from was another story and I was without WiFi or 4G…nightmare. Needless to say, I know that particular street in Florence very well now.

I have to mention how wonderful my roommates are, everyone I have encountered over here has been so welcoming and helpful, it’s completely amazing. Not knowing any Italian has been a massive hindrance though, don’t get me wrong I knew it would be a problem but I just wish I already knew the language. I won’t need it for my job, but ya know, if I want to actually live here I’m kinda gonna need it! I must admit on one day I felt really shit, just really useless because I have no understanding at all it makes things very hard but it’s ok, I will learn it, it just takes a bit of time.

My first week in Firenze, as it is known to the locals/Italians, was just wonderfully odd, I spent hours just exploring and walking the streets, everything you have heard about this place is true, it’s breathtakingly beautiful. What I really love about this city is that you can turn down a street and right at the very end of that street, in the distance, are mountains. There is history and art on every single corner, when I first saw the Duomo I was speechless, it’s just so pretty. I loved just walking wherever my feet were taking me, I didn’t have google maps or anything just a rough idea that I was going in the right direction, where that may be. By the end of the week, I was really craving the comfort of a routine, I couldn’t wait to start my job because I knew that every weekend from now on I can always explore.  

I’m aware that this post is getting rather lengthy and most of you have probably switched off by now but I just wanted to give you a little snap shot. Over the next few weeks/months I feel like my blog is definitely going to take more of a lifestyle turn which I’m fine with, but fear not, I have spotted a few beauty brands that I’ve never heard of before and they certainly will be making an appearance. 

Just thought I'd give you guys an update, get ready for regular post on Tuesdays, Thursday and Sundays! 

A bit of a break | Life Update

If you are of the regular 3 readers who actually read my tiny little blog, you'll notice I haven't posted for a couple of days which I do feel bad about. As you may know I am moving to Florence, which is happening really soon, like on Monday 16th November to be precise. So I have kinda been a bit all over the place because I've been trying to get my life together, trying to see all my friends, finishing work, etc which has meant I haven't been as engaged with my blog. It's not about the content, I have many drafts but it's finding the time to take pictures or proof read and then to promote and join the chats. I've had to turn down many opportunities because I couldn't promise when I'd be able to write about those products. 

The really great thing is I will have so much more time  when I am in Florence because I won't have the crazy commute I do here from Essex into London everyday, I will also be experiencing so many new things that I will want to share with you guys too. I love blogging and love my little blog but just to get my life in order I'm going to take a little break, I will still be active on social media but no new posts for a week or so. I don't want my absence to last longer than 2 weeks really so in the background I will be making sure my drafts are all up to scratch and then I'll be posting regular life updates about the relocation to Italy etc. 

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Honeypot Moves to Italy... | Life Update

Oh yes, you read that right, I'm moving to Italy and I can't quite still believe it. Basically, I was offered a job by one of the most amazing fashion brands (or at least, I think they are) and I just couldn't say no. Not only that, but it has given me the chance to actually move to another country and change my life forever.

I have worked in London for several years now and adore city life, I never really envisioned working anywhere else, but Florence... need I say more? In all honesty, I would say this was actually a very easy decision to make, yes I'm going to my family and friends but when would I ever have this opportunity again? Since the age of 16 I have always worked, literally never been without a job. I haven't traveled the world but now I have the chance to completely submerge myself in a different country, culture and language. I've never been to Italy before and I certainly don't speak Italian or any other language for that matter, but it excites me. Now is the right time. 

It's been a crazy couple of weeks and it's a little tricky trying to find apartments from another country but I'll be renting a room for a couple of months until I find my feet. I need to get some documentation so I can be taxed whilst I'm out there, I need to sort out my bills over here, such as gym membership, phone bill etc. There are a lot of things I don't want to bore you with but I will definitely be sharing my experiences with relocation with you guys though. My friends and family were a little surprised when I said what had happened and they fact I'm moving in less than a month but everyone has been so supportive it's been amazing, I'm very grateful to have such supportive people around me. 

This also means my blog is going to take an interesting turn, there will be far more Italian beauty/skin care products which is exciting. My lifestyle posts will be a little more focused to my life in Italy and probably a lot more food posts! As you guys already know, I have been really hard ass with the gym and my diet so things are going to change a little and I'm ok with that. I'm going to operate a strict "Always say yes" (within moderation, let's not get too wild) policy so that I fully embrace all of the opportunities out there. Christmas is going to be a little weird, I'm not sure when I'll be back to the UK to visit because I'm just going to want to throw myself into my job so I may not even be back until April.   

I have quite a few drafts so my blog shouldn't be too affected by the relocation but if it is, just please bear with me. It may mean I do more lifestyle posts for a while or whatever but it'll all balance itself out. 

I officially move out on 16th November, wish me luck!