Late 2012 was pretty rough for me , with the sudden passing of my beloved grandpa and the breakup of a long-term relationship happening within a few months of each other. By February 2013 I had decided that I was definitely going to do what I had always wanted to and move to London in May. I’m naturally a planner, so sticking to this goal helped me even when it felt like the rest of life was going off the rails.
My first week in London
Parts of the move have not been easy. Adjusting to London life with all its intricacies (from administrative to making my accent understood!) is definitely an ongoing process. And finding a permanent job in my industry has proved more difficult than I thought, so six months in I’m still in a contract role.
I love exploring with these awesome ladies!!
But I was also lucky enough to move over at a similar time to three close friends, and together we’ve started finding our feet in the city. Even when I have my bad days, I’m so grateful that I made the move – and nothing lightens my heart like planning where I might travel to next!
My favourite places and events of 2013 were:
Visiting Herculaneum
Pompeii is the big daddy of the Vesuvius explosion scene that everyone has heard of – I vividly remember doing a detailed school project around the age of 10. But I was less familiar with the neighbouring Herculaneum, which turned out to be by far my favourite of the two. It was so well-preserved you could get a scarily good sense of how life was in the town, and small enough that it was easy to wander all the streets in a few hours. The big tour buses can’t get down to Herculaneum, meaning there were way less flag-toting tour guides and snap-happy lemmings following them – result!
Read about Herculaneum & Pompeii
My Week in Rome
From Sunday with the new Pope to exploring the ruins of Ancient Rome, my week in Rome had it all! I loved having time to explore the city and get to know the centre a little better – and also fit in a bit of beach time at Ostia. Summer in Rome was chaotic, action-packed, adventurous and full-on… and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Read about Rome, the Vatican City and Sunday with the Pope
Oktoberfest
At the time I said that Oktoberfest was one of the best weekends of my life – and I still stand by that 100%. An awesome mix of costumes, singalongs, beer drinking, festival rides and so much more, Oktoberfest has to be experienced at least once – and I’ll be back next year!
Read about how I survived Oktoberfest
Abergavenny Food Festival
I’m probably biased, but I think this Food Festival really does have it all, from an amazing setting across the whole centre of town including inside a castle and next to a beautiful priory, to incredible food and vendors. I can see why Abergavenny attracts foodies from far and wide in September – it was the perfect weekend in Wales.
Read about Abergavenny Food Festival
Exploring Sintra
My trip to Lisbon in October was more than I could have hoped for – a beautiful city, loads to explore, and delicious food and drink! With its gorgeous castles and palaces and quirky architecture, our day-trip to Sintra was a particular highlight – I already want to go back to spend more time with its hilly delights.
Christmas Extravaganza in London
I was having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit this year – I think between the chilly weather and being away from my family, it was too much of a disconnect from what my run-up to Christmas is usually like. To combat this I planned a Christmas Extravaganza Day taking in Southbank Christmas Market and a walking tour of some of London’s beautiful Christmas lights – it shook off the Grinch and kick-started my Christmas celebrations.
Read about my Christmas Extravaganza
Bruges Christmas Markets
I adored the gorgeous little town of Bruges (Brugge) and its Christmas markets – the whole town seemed to come alive with lights, decorations and festive spirit. Our 24 hours in Bruges saw us drink mulled wine, stroll the markets, climb the Belfort and wander along the beautiful canals – perfect!
Read about the Brugge Christmas Markets
Time for 2014…
London continues to delight me, from the little things like glimpses of St Paul’s (my favourite church) on my morning commute, to the sheer breadth of events and things to do, every single day. I love how easy it is to travel, and I’m planning lots of exciting trips for the new year. Bring on 2014!
