Longchamp Travel Luggage | Travel

So today I am talking all about this classic but gorgeous Longchamp travel bag. Obviously as you guys know I travel a lot for work and I've had a lot of little breaks away this year so I thought now was a good time to invest in a Longchamp bag.

I think there are two types of people when it comes to weekend trips away, those who need a travel suitcase on wheels, plus like another hand bag filled with stuff or there are the people who have one big bag and their little handbag as well to travel with. I am the latter, always. I don't know why, but I have a thing against those little suitcase trolleys, they just get in everyone's way and there always is a fuss with them at the airports when the airline makes sure it fits into that stupid little grid, it's just a hassle to me. In the past I have always travelled with a large black handbag, you'd be surprised at how much I can fit in there. However my good ol' Warehouse bag I've had for about 6 years is looking rough, it's tired and it needed to go so it was time for an upgrade.

I have seen Longchamp everywhere, it's one of those brands you do see around a lot and think they kind of fit into the high end high street bracket because their stuff is super affordable if you go for their classic design like the one pictured. Personally, I never liked the Longchamp shoulder bag, I think it's just because I have seen it too much and in so many different colours. This being said, I decided to take a look in the store in Florence. They literally had every colour in every size available, but the thing I really liked was that there was one on display in every size so I could get a proper idea of what they look like. I had to consider that this bag should be "airplane approved" because you know what Ryanair can be like *rolls eyes dramatically*

I picked up this Longchamp travel bag and immediately I just liked the feel of it, super lightweight but the material appears quite durable. We all know which colour I picked, it obviously had to be the black one, though I kind of wish there was an option for the black leather as well but I'm still super happy about this bag regardless. It cost me like 75€ which I think is a bloody good price, for the quality and the look of this bag. I can fit a lot in it, way more than my previous bag and I'm seriously in love. When I bought it in literally had to wait months before I could use it as I was taking more than just hand luggage but boy was it worth the wait. If you'd like me to do a post on what's inside my hand luggage bag, just let me know. In all honesty, I think if you're like me and prefer a handbag to travel with then Longchamp will definitely have something for you.

Are you a suitcase trolley kind of gal or do you prefer to travel with a big ol' handbag

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?

5 things to do in La Spezia | Travel

You guys know I love going on my little trips and last month I decided to stay local and go somewhere different in Italy. This year I have done a lot of travelling but actually haven't been to that many places on Italy so it was about time really.

We decided to go to La Spezia because it was close to the ocean as it's more a of a port town and only like a two and a half hour train ride from Florence so really handy.

Here are my top 5 things to do in La Spezia...

Eat seafood
As La Spezia is obviously a port town, you all know that the best seafood you can get is by the port because it's so fresh. In all honesty there are a lot of places you can go but I would say if you can visit Dai Pescatori because the reviews are great and the food was yummy, we totally should have got more. It's such a popular place that there is a queue but I'm telling you the calamari and whitebait alone is worth it, but they also do a lot of other seafood dishes as well. However it's not a very formal place it, you won't be waiter on, you get your food and drink first and then sit down but it's perfect for lunch or a light dinner for the price! 

Get a boat to Cinque Terre
Before I even get started, if you have never heard of Cinque Terre then stop reading this post and just do a quick Google image search and then come back and finish reading...obvs! Cinque Terre is essentially 5 little towns along the coast that a built on the cliffs and are just so beautiful. To get to any of the towns from La Spezia is so easy, you can actually get trains cheaply or you can get a boat that drops you off at each one and takes you back to La Spezia! We definitely opted for the boat even though it was a bit more expensive 30 euros but I love boat rides and being on the ocean. I would definitely recommend visiting Manarola because it's just so pretty.

Walk to the port
Well obviously!!! I know that's what you guys are thinking but the reality is La Spezia has a very relaxed vibe about it and I feel that sometimes it's just really nice to grab a drink and just watch the boats come and go. The port is pretty big and I probably only wandered just half of it but definitely made sure I stopped as some of the seafront bars along the way.

Aperitivo at Kadinsky 900
I've told you guys before about Italy and their aperitivo, food when ever you order drinks, I'm a massive fan! We stumbled on this really cool bar called Kadinsky 900 just to stop for a drink and the aperitivo that was served with it was by far one of the best I have had in Italy and they didn't even increase the price of the drinks to include the food like some places do!  There was two of us and we go these amazing little foccia sandwiches, 3 different fillings, crisps, nuts and beans! So yummy! The bar staff were so lovely and welcoming! On a side note the foccia in La Spezia is beyond amazing!

Drink prosecco
Seriously guys, it's like 3€ for a glass that would be considered a large glass of wine! The thing I noticed was that La Spezia is way cheaper than the likes of Florence, Pisa or even Bologna! I've always been a fan of prosecco but even more so now in Italy, not only does it taste even better but when the sun is setting on the port after a long hot day, there is literally nothing better. If prosecco isn't your thang, don't worry they do lots of beer which are around 4€ so you can't go wrong really.

There we have it, I would say that La Spezia probably has a slightly older demographic but if you're looking for a little weekend away somewhere then you should really check it out! We spent 3 nights and rented an airbnb apartment and had a great time!

What sea side towns do you love?

Friends come to visit | Lifestyle

Yay! Some pals from England came to visit me and I literally had the best time. In all honesty, I was really struggling this a couple of months ago being in Florence, don't get me wrong, the city is beautiful, my colleagues are great, I have the best roommates but even with this I am missing something that's keeping me grounded here. So a couple of months ago I was a right miserable cow, so my pals visit could not have been at a better time.

It's hard to explain, but even the simplest tasks like just having a general conversation without feeling guilty about making the other person speak English, so saying something funny that doesn't get lost in translation was just so lovely. I mean, let's face it, us Brits have some quirks, we have a unique sense of humour, we aren't very touchy feely, we love a queue and are painfully polite, so it can be bloody hard integrating into a culture where most of these things are opposite.

My two pals I have been friends with since Sixth Form, we did media projects together, we've been on group holidays together, we've all had drunken hearts to hearts with each other and we've all gone out separate ways but still manage to come back and have a drink and laugh like it was when we were teens. I took them to all my favourite places which I will probably write about in a different post so that if any of you guys are thinking about coming to Florence there are some tips.

In all honesty, I think one of the best things about living out here is having people come to visit and then showing them around a place you are currently calling home. Plus it gives me an excuse to eat more Italian food and drink more Italian wine, ya know because they've gotta taste it too! I took them up to my favourite high point, where I take anyone who comes just because it's very beautiful and it's a great little climb if we wanna work off that chianti and pasta. It was great just having them here considering I haven't seen them for 9 months. I have a couple of other visits coming up with I am of course super excited about.

But there I guess I wanted to give you a little update into my little life at the moment

The Birthday Post | Lifestyle

Well, I kinda feel like I have to do one each year just so I can look back. When I think of my birthday last year, I was lucky because it was on the weekend and I could do whatever I wanted. This actually resulted in me going on a walk for several hours by the river.

The thing is I'm not much of a birthday kinda gal, I don't like the fuss and I don't like the attention. Don't get me wrong, gifts and cards are always so nice and I really do appreciate them just when they are done in a low key way. Singing happy birthday to me with a cake in front of 50 work colleagues pretty much killed me last year but I love them guys so it's fine! I don't have my birthday on Facebook anymore because I just don't like that people feel obliged to say happy birthday to me. But I will say that being 26 was probably the best year of my life.

My life is literally the opposite to what it was last year and it's crazy to think that I still would have had no idea September last year I would move to Florence. The thing is, if I was in England this year I would probably be really stressed because I would quite possible be in a very similar position now to what I was back then and I would be worried about my job, being single, not having a mortgage, and not having all those little boxes ticked in my head from the pressure I used to put on myself. Where as this year, I'm kinda happy with how disjointed everything is knowing full well that I actually can't change that much and there are definitely some things I don't want to change at all.

I kind of liked being in this country alone because no one knew it was my birthday so I didn't have to dodge the "oh what are you going to do for it?" Questions, I really don't think there is anything wrong with doing nothing. If I was back in England I would probably go for a couple of drinks with my work pals after work or go out for dinner with other pals, it would be relaxed and it would make me happy. But as I don't have a big network of acquaintances here I was actually quite happy just to do my own thang. Though of course I got a tonne of lovely messages from my pals in England which made me very happy!

It was probably a little lonely, but I didn't have much time to dwell because as you are reading this I am actually on an flight to Santa Barbara from New York for a work conference so things aren't too bad at all.

What do you do for your birthday?