Follow the Wanderlust

26 December 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
Photo credit: Google
This time of year always makes me feel reflective. I try not to look back in disappointment, although there is some confusion as I have no idea where 2014 went. At the beginning of the year, I have a completely different group of friends and was in the middle of my second year in sixth form. I was applying for university and thinking about all the opportunities that come rushing in after receiving grades. That's how the teachers made life out to be. But over the summer, I learned it's very different, and secondary school only disorientated my outlook on life. Getting a good job and a huge house can come in a few years. I need to see the world first. Leaving Europe is the first step, I have only been to two other countries in my life as the travelling lifestyle wasn't always in my budget.
But, after creating my "one way ticket", "the big apple" and "city of angels" boards on Pinterest, my obsession with seeing every continent in the world just gets deeper.
One of the best ways of experiencing just a taste of the travelling life is to watch vlogs and video diaries. Even the thought of leaving good ol' Yorkshire and heading to London for a month is exciting, and Paris is a city of inspiration. My first beach holiday was in 2013 as I went to Salou, Spain and savoured every second. Salou is one city I could consider moving to, simply because there's no panic and no stress, it's all smiles.
Have you ever wanted to travel?
10 Places I Must Visit Before I (Decide to) Grow Up:
1. New York City
2. Los Angeles
3. Bondi Beach
4. Amsterdam
5. Toronto
6. Chiang Mai
7. Rio de Janeiro
8. Cape Town
9. Bangkok
10. Italy - the entire country.

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Being Alone vs Being Lonely

24 December 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
Photo credit: Google


They're two incredibly different things. I have experience in both, I would almost call myself an expert. There's something peaceful about being alone. Having that moment of silence and solitude to yourself, a period of isolation is healthy even if it's not for long. For instance, being in the shower. Most people tend to shower alone, but it's a great time to be left alone with your thoughts and clear your mind, forgetting about everything else, good or bad. On the other hand, being left alone with your thoughts is a last wish when loneliness is involved. Seclusion and a lack of interruption is almost painful and it's most certainly unwanted.
Confident plays a large part, in many cases, loneliness is down to feeling uninvolved, a feeling of abandonment begins to take over which can lead to self-pity - the wrong way to go. As a shy person, walking into a room makes me nervous. But it's realising that there's at least 2 other people that feel exactly the same way I do. Focusing on your own emotions is the wrong thing to do. Singling yourself out, and nitpicking is pushing yourself into a lonely mindset. It's very much like self-fulfilling prophecy.
I don't have a enormous group of friends, but there are days where I would rather sit and curl up with Netflix that head out to the nearest house party. Having fun is important, but then again, so it Netflix. An undisturbed evening with Evening Acoustic playing while scanning the best winter reads in necessary every so often. It gives us a chance to de-clutter, and just relax.
I think on occasion, people may confuse being alone with being lonely. Sitting alone in a coffee shop doesn't mean your lonely any more than being surrounded by friends.

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Wintry Wonder

22 December 2014

Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
 Avoiding wearing all-black outfits is becoming a daily struggle. But I recently bought this light pink blouse from Next and absolutely love it. The long sleeved shirt has a really simple button-up design and a pocket on the left side. However, what I like most about this super smooth blouse is that it adds that 'pop of colour' to an outfit that would otherwise be quite dull. The colour blends really well is plenty in my wardrobe including the wintry shades. The top is also really easy to dress up or dress down due to it's style. I could pair it with a high-waisted skirt and heeled ankle boots for a more sophisticated and formal style. Today I chose a black leather jacket, and as the shirt is quite thin it's great for layering.
Shirt // Next
Jacket // Miss Selfridge
Jeans // Topshop
Shoes // Brantano
Bag // TK Maxx
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Blue Jeans, White Shirt

17 December 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
 Lazy, do-nothing days are the best kind of days. Today I have quite a relaxed day, only running little errands but mainly writing articles and catching up on TV. I have grown to love simple outfits like this because they're so practical and easy to put together. If I need to accessorize with this look, I always can because each piece is very simple and straightforward. I chose a pair of basic blue jeans, going back to basics. Over that, I'm wearing a totally plain white t-shirt by Nike with a wool cardigan. The cardigan actually has a little shimmer to it as it has glimmer sewn in with the wool which I think adds a little sparkle, litterally. The black and white hi-top Converse are about as casual as you can get, they really flaunt a laid back look and add that tone to my outfit.
Top // Nike
Jeans // Next
Shoes // Schuh
Cardigan // M&S
Bag // TK Maxx
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Managing Motivation

15 December 2014

Eldwick, Bingley, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16, UK
Finding motivation is always difficult. It's never something that has come easy to me, and as I've grown older I think I have become a lot lazier. But when I do get motivated or inspired, I feel like nothing can stop me from achieving this goals. On the other hand, procrastination is an easy mode to slip into. Searching for inspirational quotes and images on Tumblr isn't always enough. There are a few things that often motivate me, and can hopefully help others too.

The success of others.
In the words of DVF: "Every woman inspires another woman." This is one of my favourite things about blogging, there are bloggers who can inspire you to work hard and be successful yourself. Rather than looking at others with a jealous or envious eye, admire the hard work that was put in by them and use that as motivation to improve. Social networking is a great way to learn about the success of others, spending time on Instagram and YouTube always inspires me to write posts rather than procrastinate.

Move around.
Working at home can be the hardest way to get things done. Sitting under a duvet watching The Holiday while eating a box of Maltesers sounds ideal. But it's likely that I'll get anything else done. I live in a really quite village so I can always go down to cafes with wifi and get stuck in. There are little distractions outside the home, and during the summer, I often work in the garden just to feel a little more inspired.

Ask for help.
As an incredibly lazy ex-student, being bothered to do just about anything can be a heavy task. One of the best ways to start the day is alongside someone else. On occasion, my friends will ring me or drive over to my house which always helps. Having someone else set you straight is enough to help you focus. Sometimes, a little nudge can go a long way.
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