why you should never visit wales ever

You know what I hate? Wales. London is incredible in regards for the three things it's good for (auditions, The Hard Rock Cafe, and Instagram photos), so in comparison you can only hate Wales and all the things it has to offer. Imagine, the businessmen don't look dead inside! People apologise when they run into you! People don't hate their jobs and livelihoods! If England had more sheep, I might consider it a better contender for #1 place to avoid at all costs, but alas, I am Welsh after all.

72 hours in Falmouth, Cornwall

Early last month I booked myself a small trip to Falmouth, Cornwall, mainly just so that I could check out a university I may possibly want to go to either next year or the year after, depending on whether or not it's viable I can stay with a pal in the US for a tad as a lil gap year, (but then again,  could we really imagine me settled in one country for three years, with a year abroad???) and I left with an unconditional offer, a wonderful cafe recommendation, and a new found love of the Cornish seaside. Honestly, I can't begin to tell you how beautiful - and wonderfully non-local to my house near London - the area was there, it was insane. But I sure as hell can try.

Where to Escape Winter in La Palma

So this Christmas I went away to the beautiful Canary Island of La Palma, a lil place to the Northwest of Africa, and frankly it's easily become my favourite island ever. With a vast majority of the island made up of lava rock, resulting in striking black sand beaches and dramatic backdrops, it's a real surprise that it's not a  major tourist destination. Still, as more people learn about the existence of this island, tourism will hit it, hard. I doubt it'll look anything like it does now in ten years time, and that's kinda sad. But alas, the lack of holidaymakers was evident, which meant that I didn't have to passive aggressively wait for old Keith from the taaahn's ass to move out my shots like I usually do (I know, thank god). Only thing was, with the lack of English speakers I had to rely on my Spanish to talk to anyone, and whilst I adore the way the words feel in my mouth, I am pretty damn crap at it at times. But hey, at least their English was worse than my Spanish.

How to spend an 18th birthday in Glasgow, Scotland

So I recently turned 18, which means that I am now a super old responsible adult. At the time of writing, I've only been this insanely elderly for two days and yet am pretty sure my face is already wrinkling up, and I'm definitely feeling the aches and pains of old life. Regardless of this, to celebrate my big day in style my incredible friend Jaimie took me to Glasgow, in Scotland. No joke. He literally took me to Scotland. Insane.

Technically, I spent four days having walked on Scottish land, but as we decided to travel through the night I basically just spent two full days there. I live in London, and Jaimie doesn't like flying, so we decided to spend the nine hour journey on the coach, meaning we could sleep and save money on hotels. I also adore coaches, and easily spend the four/ five hour journeys I often take to Wales just listening to music and staring out the window. However, is it fun to do that at 2am when you have approximately ten inches of leg space? No. Not at all. Really, badly, awful idea. Don't do it. Especially in my old age the journey darn nearly killed me.

How to Make the Most Out of Your Trip to Tuscany, Italy (Pisa + Florence)

Often considered to be the City of Love (move out of the way, Paris), Florence is a place of pure grandeur, intricate architecture and enticing romance. Each street haunts you with eerie remnants of relationships gone by, and seduces you into falling in love with new places, people, and food. Whispers of Italian, well-spoken by gorgeous women in furs and older men with a dusted look about them, drift through the streets. But the locals don't express themselves through words alone - no, they communicate with body language and smooth hand gestures. Sounds, vague and vowel-less, draw you in, with the rich history of the city ever so alluring. And me? I adored it. I adored the pretty things, and the rolls of the Italian r's that you would catch from a passerby. The city, dripping in romance and antiquity, just waiting to be explored. Who did I go with, you ask? My ex-boyfriend.

Why to Travel Solo v.s. Why to Travel with Friends

When faced with the opportunity to travel, I automatically jump to think about who I'll take with me. This made me notice that a lot of my travels are done with people, but it didn't use to be this way. A year and a half ago, whenever I wanted to go on a trip, I wouldn't waste time planning and deciding on what things I'll be doing with my travel partner, I would instead just drop everything, grab a couple bucks and head out with a backpack on my back and a tripod in my hands. But as I've grown as a person, I no longer crave the insane freedom you get from travelling solo, but instead prefer to go with someone - to share laughs, tears, and security in tight situations. 

And thus, if you're feeling a bit so-so about what to do for your next trip - go solo and brave the world alone or go with someone and lose that freedom? - here's a comprehensive list complete with the pros of both solo travel and partnered travel. I hope it comes to some use!

A Quick Guide to Corfu, Greece

Out of all the countries I've visited in Europe, Greece has always stayed one of my favourites. Maybe it has something to do with the climate, or maybe the language, or maybe just because Greek people are beautiful people, both inside and out. Either way, I find myself drawn to visiting whenever I get the opportunity for a trip away. Last time I went to Crete, South of the mainland, and this time I went to Corfu, which is North of the island. Other than the fact that it's slightly colder in the latter, and a tad more commercialised (because why go to Greece when you have the same experience of walking down Oxford Street in London?), Corfu is gorgeous. And so, here's a quick guide to the island - with a special focus on Sidari.

How to See The Best of The Republic of Ireland in Three Days

Okay so we all know the band Kodaline, right? The band I was originally meant to see last year, before they rescheduled? The band I was meant to see on their new date, but couldn't because I'd accidentally bought a holiday to Germany? The band that I decided I was going to see this year, regardless of how much tickets may cost, or where in the world they might actually be performing? We all know that band, right? So this month, I decided to fly all the way up to Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, just for one evening of Kodaline. Was it extremely tiresome to travel cross-county to hear a couple sets? Yes. But was it also extremely worth it to get to see Ireland? Also yes. Definitely, definitely, yes.

Top 10 Things Off The Beaten Track in London

Unfortunately I was unable to leave the UK this month (unlike the UK with the EU, amirite?), mainly due to the fact that I had a bunch of exams to take and no one else could make it either. So instead I invested my time and money into exploring the parts of England that are often overlooked in travel blogs and sites, which resulted in a pretty cool month filled with having super awesome experiences with super awesome people. And so, if you're in London or plan on visiting, here's my top ten favourite low-budget, low-tourist, things to do around the city.