Exploring Oslo: Day One
4 June 2015
Oslo, Norway
If you stalk me online, you may have seen countless tweets and Instagram posts of my trip to Oslo. I chose to visit Norway because I think it's a beautiful city to explore and really love. As much as I enjoy laying around on a beach with headphones in all day, I wanted to experience more of the world and Oslo happened to be one of my first choices. After arriving on Sunday night, I got an amazing night's sleep at the Anker hotel, which is only a few minutes from the city centre.
On Monday, the first place I visited was the Vigeland Park and Sculpture Museum. Despite only planning to spend an hour or so there, I ended up spending most of the day there as the weather was certainly on my side and made my camera very happy. The park was busy and full or people of ages enjoying every aspect of art and leisure.
I then headed to the pier and Oslo Central Station. The views from the pier were amazing, and watched the boats and enormous cruise ships sail by was magical. One thing I loved was the line of restaurants and food trucks, ice cream in Norway tastes 10 times better than it does over in the UK. The Central Station was a simple landmark but still one of my favourite. Despite the area being very small, I still feel like it capture that essence of New York City, even though Grand Central Terminal is on the other side of the globe. The station had a colour display outside, which isn't usually there, but really brightened up the area and weather.
The one place I was most excited about visiting was the Oslo Opera House after seeing so many photos through Pinterest and Tumblr during the research days. The architecture was outstanding on photos but doesn't capture the real magic the building omits. Not only is the the entire building and its grounds made out of solid white marble, but the Opera House sits on a coastline to an enormous lake that gives off the most amazing views. Upon arrival, there was a show about to start, so I got to see hundreds of people flood into the House in beautiful gowns and dresses. You are able to walk to the roof and take a look at the phenomenal architecture Oslo has to offer.
At the end of the day, I managed to squeeze in a trip to Akershus Fortress an enormous castle by the pier. The castle was originally built in the 1290s out of solid stone to protect Norway's capital city. The castle has also been used as a prison and still has government and military guards protecting the grounds. Unfortunately the price of going inside was a little above my budget, but my favourite moment from the Fortress was being escorted off the grounds by a military general after staying at the top of the tower past the closing time without realising! My first day in Oslo was full of laughs and plenty of photos, it was a real challenge not to post all 300 from day one!
How to Juggle Blogging and a Full Time Job
3 June 2015
Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
I wouldn't be anywhere if I didn't plan everything. I have a day-to-page planner which means I occasionally plan my days out by the hours. I feel much more at ease with the smooth running of my blog when I can visually see what I have going on throughout the week. It's easy for tasks and ideas to get lost in the back of my memory, so it's vital I plan just about everything I do; from the moment I wake up to the hour I go to bed.
Carry a notebook and camera
I always have a notebook as I'm always writing posts. Whether they're freelance jobs or for Anika May, I like to have drafts written out while I have spare time so I'm not worrying about writing up a post the day it must be published. There wouldn't be as many posts on Anika May if I didn't write while I was on the go, and my iPad comes in handy for bumpy train rides too. I don't carry my DSLR everyday, but I always have my iPhone which has a high quality, perfect for getting those spontaneous shots.
Photography
I'm always taking photos of things and writing posts around them. I may photograph an outfit or product I'm obsessed with and have it saved on my computer for weeks before I draft commentary on it. Similarly, when I do have drafts written up, I take the photos before I plan to set the post to go live. It's another task that's no longer weighing on my brain and it's important to take advantage of the sunlight while I can.
Scheduling
Some bloggers believe in scheduling posts and other don't. For the good of Anika May, I prefer to have posts scheduled in advance as I'm quite busy outside my blog. When I'm away from my computer, I don't always have the resources to publish posts immediately so I can schedule them to go live while I handle working full time. I don't tend to schedule posts for more than a week in advance, as a lot can change in that time and always go over features before they go live.
Don't panic
Panicking about getting tasks done is it's own form of procrastination. If I'm worrying about Anika May my job becomes very difficult and visa versa. It's all about finding that balance between the both and easing the pressure on both ends. Blogging is a hobby I will always enjoy and never give up, making that passion one of the best shapes of motivation to work hard and achieve my goals.
Exploring Oslo: The Outfits
1 June 2015
Aker Brygge, Oslo, Norway
Monday 25th May 2015 - Day One: After arriving on Sunday night, I wanted to hit the ground running on Monday morning with a fay full of non-stop adventuring. The weather was comfortable, despite hitting a little rain later on in the day. The first stop was The Vigeland Park which is also full of sculptures. It was then strolling past Oslo Central Station and Oslo Opera House to spend the sunset in Aker Brygge by the Oslofjord. The day took a lot of travelling which I absolutely loved, as I have never travelling on a tram before, despite visiting Manchester countless times.
Dress // Primark
Cardigan // made for me
Shoes // Evans
Watch // Marks & Spencer
Bag // TK Maxx
Sunglasses // Next (similar)
Jacket // Next
Beanie // Urban Outfitters (similar)
Scarf // thrifted
Tuesday 26th May 2015 - Day Two: The second day started at 7am at Universitetets Botaniske Hage Tøyenhagen, also known as the Botanical Gardens in Oslo. The clouds were out today so I knew I had to start with my jacket which is reversible, making it extremely easy to add that extra pop of colour to an otherwise basic look. Electric blue is one of my favourite colours, because I think it's the colour that suits me better than most shades. My slip-on shoes were extremely handy for trecking between the gardens, the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, the Royal Palace and Grünerløkka.
Top // Primark
Shoes // Evans
Watch // Marks & Spencer
Bag // TK Maxx
Sunglasses // Next (similar)
Jacket // Next
Beanie // thrifted
Scarf // thrifted
Wednesday 27th May 2015 - Day Three: The third and final day was spend at the Holmenkollbakken ski jumping hill which was amazing (don't worry, photos coming soon.) I absolutely loved the views and it really showed how beautiful Oslo can be. The sun made yet another appearance which was great for the last day. Despite the warmer weather, being high up brings a strong breeze so I threw on my oversized check shirt, and original piece from my airport ensemble. The closing day's look was all about comfort as I knew I had a good few hours of sitting down slowly approaching.
Dress // Primark
Watch // Marks & Spencer
Shirt // thrifted
Sunglasses // Next (similar)
Working in a Big Corporation
30 May 2015
Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
Managers should not be feared.
At my age and with my first job, it was natural for me to be intimidated by the leaders around me. They have more knowledge and experience, they know how the building and the business works. But it's also important to remember everyone had to start somewhere. It's very rare managers automatically assumed this position without building up from somewhere. Managers vary depending on the company or area of work - but there is no reason to fear them. I'm lucky to have a very kind boss, but I know this isn't always the case. Standing up to whoever's in charge for what you believe is right isn't against the law, plus it shows your workmates you're not weak or to be pushed around.
Asking questions doesn't mean you're stupid.
Every employee has to ask questions at some point, even those in charge. When I first started, I went through a form of training but this was an entirely new area of work that I wasn't familiar with. I work in investments and barely scraped a maths GCSE. So it become logical to just ask about what I didn't understand. It's better to have peace of mind while working, rather than worrying about what mistakes could be made due to fear of speaking up. Don't look as mistakes as a bad thing, they can be the best way to learn.
Notebooks are my best friends.
When I first started, there were a few other newbies around me so I didn't feel too nervous. However, not one of them brought a notebook. I was the only one who did and tried not to feel flustered by being the odd one out. Fast forward by two weeks, and half of the new employees were asking to photocopy the notes I made during the first week of training. Write down as much as possible, you never know when the jottings will come in handy.
Make some human friends.
Working all day can easily become tiring so there's no reason why there can't be some element of fun or entertainment. I got tired of sitting without saying a word, so I struck up a conversation with an employee sat close to my desk. It wasn't long before the whole office joined in and time passed before we knew it! Socialisation is good for the mind and is a great way to get work done without getting too distracted from the job.
Evenings are everything.
Finishing work at five in the evening isn't the greatest thing, but I know it could be worse. After getting home at about 6pm, I'm exhausted. But remembering the evenings are very valuable and precious motivates me to shower and blog in my spare time. It was only once I started working that I noticed how quickly the weekend moves compared to the weekdays. It's important to take time to relax, but having a shorter amount of time after work certainly keeps me organised and efficient.
Dream big.
Working full time has given me more motivation than school ever did. After seeing where some of the highest people in the company begin, it helps me to aspire to lead a successful career in my own time and try to take in as much as possible. Working also motivates me to blog more often and communicate with others in this ever-growing community.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
