TRAVEL || WEEKEND IN LONDON

London can be an amazing place to visit. There is so much to do you'll struggle to fit it all in, especially into a weekend. Although I did give it a good go! It's great to explore and discover new and amazing things in a city although it's also an advantage to know someone who lives in the area. Its interesting what hidden treasures a true Londoner will know.

I spent a total of 2 1/2 days in London last weekend. I travelled down on Friday and arrived at about 2.20pm at St Pancras Station, I stepped outside and thought to myself ''What an amazing city''. Then I started walking and realised I still have no sense of direction and instantly got lost, so I decided to stay put in a Starbucks until my friend arrived to pick me up for dinner! I know, I'm 23 years old and still can't find my way around, let's be honest I have a satnav built into my car and still can't find my way around Nottingham where I've lived my whole life so how can I seriously make it around London? Even with navigation I tend to get completely lost, but that's half the fun right?

Hache Burger 

The first night we went to a Burger place called Hache Burgers, now all I can say is it was amazing. The food was delicious, I had a beef burger, well done with caramelised onion and smoked bavarian cheese. Now I've never tried bavarian cheese before but I know I'll be having it again ... We also saved room for dessert by sharing a portion of sweet potato fries. This is an important factor as sometimes my eyes are too big for my belly and I end up with left overs for the next 3 days! Oh, when you have dessert consider the milkshakes, Oreo and Nutella what more could you ask for?!?

Rent a Brois Santandar Bike

Simple concept to grasp really, pay £2 to rent a bike for 24 hours and every 30 minutes afterwards cost £2. Little tip if you want to save money, dock it every 30 minutes and you'll only pay £2 all day instead of £2 for every additional 30 minutes. Discover London the scenic way instead of sitting on a hot, crammed tube to get to each destination. Its also a great way to get some exercise in, because as we all know when you're away for the weekend you tend to over indulge on sweet treats and great food.  

Spitalfields Markets

Markets are one of my favourite places to visit, you never know what kind of things you will find.  Hundreds of trinkets and gift ideas and general bits and bobs. Becky knew one stall would be there, I don't know you might of heard of it. ABookOnOnePage, I didn't think it was possible but apparently someone has managed it. There is alot of choice, whether you love Romeo and Juliet or my personal favourite Alice in Wonderland. They would look great on any wall!  

Matilda the Musical 

If you have an interest in musicals I would suggest you see Matilda! Becky and I saw it at the Cambridge Theatre in London and sat at the front of the dress circle which costs around £67 so don't feel like you need to buy the seats right infront of the stage which are about £90. The performance was amazing and I was blown away by the musical talent of the entire cast. There are so many fantastic musicals on my list and I'm so happy I ticked this one off! Unfortunately no photos allowed during the performance but it's a memorable experience!

Changing of the Guards

I'm English and I've never been to the changing of the guard ceremony, but now I have :) Unless you get there early enough to get the best spot where you can see absolutely everything, there will be alot of tiptoeing and extending your arm to get a good photo. Although we were really lucky, when we were leaving they came down the main road so I got some close-up shots too!

Of course you have to do as the tourist do and have a photo with the guard! It's tradition.

St James Park

St James Park is beautiful with all sorts of wildlife (mainly birds) like pelicans, geese and swans with the occasional squirrel thrown into the mix. Autumn is a great time to visit because all the leaves are shades of burnt orange and there is a slight cool crisp in the air. It's a lovely view and worth the time to visit it while in the area!

Platform 9 3/4 at London Kings Cross Train Station

If you're a Harry Potter lover this should be on your todo list when visiting London. I didn't manage to get a photo because there were so many people! Imagine a Hogwards cart to carry your wand and owl, (yano the usual things you would have on hand) half way through the wall to look as if you're going through Platform 9 3/4. Its definitely a great photo moment. Don't make the rookie mistake I did and only leave about 50 minutes until my train, try going in the morning to beat some of the rush and maybe go when you don't have a train to catch.

Sincerely, Kimberly.

xxx

WHAT NEXT? TRAVEL, STUDY ABOARD, WORK?

Making decisions hasn't always been a strong skill of mine, especially when I've got several options. I'm grateful that I've got all of these opportunities but the more I have the harder it gets. Sometimes it's simpler when you're given choice A or B but it doesn't always work like that.

Since I've been back from my year in Australia I've been a tad confused if I'm honest. What's up what's down, should I go left or right. Finding your feet after a year in a different environment can be difficult. I just didn't know what to do, It was meant to be simple. I was getting my second year visa for Australia and I would be on a flight by November after my friends wedding. Although my visa got declined so no more Aussieland for me, I have considered the option of a student visa and it would be great because I love learning, I would be able to finish my degree and be with my friends again. After really thinking about the pro's and con's I decided it's not what I want right now, I want to explore a new place and I lived in Sydney for the better part of a year in 2014/2015 so lets plan a new adventure!

Should I work here or aboard again? For now I'm happy to stay in the UK and work to save money to fund another adventure but don't want to get tied down as I want to explore. The other option is work aboard. I've been very interested in Canada recently because I can apply for a 2 year visa. This would be an amazing opportunity because I would have the time to live in a few places and explore Canada. Another on my list is New Zealand, I travelled this beautiful place for 4 weeks in February and I would love to go back. Again New Zealand offers a 2 year visa so there is plenty of time. Another work option which I've looked into is working somewhere in Europe, maybe do a ski season in the France? Plenty of opportunities we Brits rarely take advantage of.

Travel maybe? How about AMERICA? ... just putting it out there! This has always been a dream trip and I would love to travel great places like New York, Las Vegas and New Orleans to name a few. I've actually already started planning this trip which you can see here! It should be a no brainer really, travel of course. Although I've got one little problem which I think will affect my dream trip in a big way. This thing called money, I seem to have none or lack of. I've been applying for extra weekend and evening jobs to get closer to funding this trip next year but no luck yet. I know I will find one, surely I'm qualified enough to stack shelves at Sainsbury's right? Until then I've got to be sensible with the money I am earning and make sure I don't spend it on silly things. 

I think I've come up with the best way for me to afford this trip in addition to the extra job. Work while I'm in America, seems simple right? Well it's not I'm afraid America doesn't offer a working holiday visa like many other countries but there programmes that will give temporary sponsorship such as Camp America. This particular programme lasts for 9 weeks over the summer holidays so I could earn some extra cash in-between travelling and have a great time doing it. I was thinking about leaving for America at the beginning of May 2016  to travel around a few places. Then I would start work at the Camp end of June through for 9 weeks, it may be called a "summer job" but I can see it being a fun experience. Afterwards I could travel more if a visa allowed me to do so. If not in America I'm more than happy to pop over to Mexico for a few weeks ;)

So it's been difficult to decide over the past few weeks but in the grand scheme of things I think travelling is the best option for me at this point in my life. I don't think I'm ready for a "career" yet. Don't get me wrong I work hard and am dedicated in the jobs I have but knowing I will be exploring somewhere new very soon keeps me happy :)

Sincerely, Kimberly.

xxx

KEFALONIA || THE HIGHLIGHTS OF MY TRIP

It's amazing, I live so close to many beautiful places in Europe yet never really thought to visit them. After living away for a year in Australia I came to appreciate what Europe has to offer. Australia is also the place I met my lovely french friend Barbara, who happened to have a Villa in Kefalonia. Which brings us to this holiday in Kefalonia.

I spent 10 days on this trip and it wasn't nearly enough time to explore what this city has to offer.

1: Myrtos Beach

I was very excited to visit this beautiful beach, did you know its famous? 

White pebble sand and crystal clear blue water, Myrtos beach is truly the perfect place for a relaxing day. Although I have to say, the water here was very cold compared to different beaches I visited in Greece. We arrived at 11am, in my opinion its the perfect time because you can still grab a sunbed and umbrella.

It's not a short walk from Argostoli, you need to catch the bus or grab a taxi. We were recommended to get a taxi there which was 40 Euro and took about 40 minutes. If you're travelling on a budget the bus is the cheaper option at only 4.10 each, although be ready to hike up a steep hill for 45 minutes from Myrtos Beach to get to the bus stop. We were lucky enough to get a lift up the hill by a couple, so be friendly and people are willing to help you out.

2: Xi Beach in Lixouri
This beautiful beach is just a short ferry ride away and for only 2.80 euros you can afford it even if you're on a budget. I loved this beach because there are so many photo opportunities, yes I love to take 100 photos like a real tourist :)

This shower certainly blends into the environment.

Food wise there is only one place to eat at Xi beach and its the Baywatch Beach Bar. Don't worry though, there is plenty to choose from and the staff are willing to change elements of the dishes if you need to.

3: Walk along the port of Argostoli

I love to go on day trips and do other activities but sometimes its nice to take a walk with a beautiful view. I took every opportunity to take in this scenery, every time I saw it in a different way. The sky would show a variety of shades of blue, purple, pink, orange and yellow. This port is also home to many beautiful giant turtles and if you're anything like me you'll love these amazing creatures. Take a chance to experience the simple things while visiting a new place.

It's still beautiful, even on a cloudy day.

4: Lunch at the Traditional
I would have never known about the Traditional lunch if it wasn't for my friend Barbara. If you're not lucky enough to have a friend who knows the local area, ask the locals. Make sure you use your manners and learn basic Greek for "Hello" and "Thank you", you'll be surprised how far these basic terms can get you. 

At the traditional you can choose from a variety of dishes. I chose a Greek version of Lasagne called Pastitsio which had pasta, potato and meat with a thick layer of bechamel on top. On the side I had fresh vegetables in a tomato sauce, it was all delicious! 

Sincerely, Kimberly.

xxx

IN LOVE WITH THE PHILIPPINES

Having trouble planning your next holiday?

Well theres no question about it, Philippines it is!

I had never thought about the Philippines as a holiday destination, but I guess because it was never one of the usual routes from the UK. Fortunately one of my friends in Australia was originally from the Philippines so we decided to check it out. It was the best decision we had made, I can honestly say that it is truly beautiful.

Let's talk a little about the weather shall we? So in June it's rainy season, when looking at our weather apps on the iPhone it seemed like it was going to be a disappointing trip. It said thunder for the 2 weeks. This was not the case thank god! We had some cloudy days but these were filled with shopping and lunches indoors and generally looking around the area. So don't be alarmed if your weather app says rubbish weather! 

I spent a week by myself in the Palawan Islands before I met up with my friends in Boracay. Quick tip Boracay is more expensive than other islands as its a tourist destination.

Puerto Princesa

Underground River

Apparently the Underground river is one of the "New" 7 wonders of the world. In my opinion it wasn't amazing, it was nice to look at but I wouldn't suggest it if you've already seen caves before like I have. Plus there is a lot of waiting around, its a full day because of all the waiting. For example your picked up at 6am then you go to get your environmental visa which took about 2 hours. Afterwards you've got a 2 hour drive to the underground river with more waiting around. So it's a lot of standing around for a 30 minute boat ride in the cave.

El Nido

Island hopping

If you go to El Nido, island hopping is the perfect way to spend a day! I did tour C which is all beautiful beaches. Take a look for yourself :)

Scuba diving

I was debating whether to leave scuba diving until I met up with my friends in Boracay, but when asking the locals they said between Boracay and El Nido, El Nido is the better place to dive. The sea in Boaracy is rougher and there is not as much to see. I have to say I was not disappointed with diving in El Nido. Absolutely beautiful!

I saw a turtle :)

Want to know the secret of getting pastel green hair?

Well I'm going to tell you how! First bleach your hair, put a semi-perminant purple dye then go in the sea while travelling the Philippines. Simple enough aye? (Well I know its the bleach that turned green, haha). I got a beautiful pastel green hair colour from this accident and I love it!

Time to meet the girls, so excited to see them after 3 months away. Boracay here I come! :)

Boracay

Beautiful sunsets

So we decided to stay in a beach hut. It was the BEST decision ever!!! Between the 4 of us it was £14 each per night in a beautiful 5* place. 

Boat trip around the island

What better way to see the island than on a little sailing trip with abit of snorkelling.

Parasailing

Always wanted to do parasailing but on most holidays it seems so expensive, but in the Philippines it was only $30 what a bargain! I was a tad annoyed when looking at the pictures because I didn't realise my GoPro had a smudge on the screen :(

I loved the speed boat back to the island :)

So end of story, the Philippines is an absolutely amazing place and I would recommend it as your next holiday destination or travel the entire Philippines! 

Explore, love life and enjoy every moment as I do, as I've been told I do indeed have a beautiful life.

Sincerely Kimberly 

xxx