healths

When I set off to travel I knew I was going to be away for at least a year, which inevitably meant spending Christmas in another country, more specifically Australia (about as far away from home as I could be!) I accepted this a long time ago and I thought I would dread it but when it came around it really wasn't as bad as I thought. A lot of people have asked me what it's been like to be away from home so here's a short and sweet blog post (after almost a 2 month long blogging break :/) about my Christmas down under.  The Christmas build - up was really surreal. The 1st of December marked the first day of summer for Australia and the weather really warmed up (albeit slowly and erratically, thanks Melbourne) over the weeks. Christmas decorations below blue skies and pictures of families enjoying a Christmas barbecue is just not something I'm used to, but when you speak to Australians they can't imagine it being cold and dark during Christmas time, so there you go! A...

Ever since we arrived in Australia I've been craving my own space. Three and a half months of hostel hopping had worn me out and although we will travel Australia later on in the year, our first port of call is to find work, settle and save as much as we can. As soon as the idea of work embedded my thoughts my mind shifted. Hostels didn't seem so appealing. I couldn't wait to find work, find a house share and create my own space to live a new life in. Unfortunately it didn't dawn on me that building a completely new life pretty much from scratch takes time . Searching for all of these things at once alongside the personal admin that comes with them (phone number, bank account, generally becoming a person again) is a lengthy process. In the meantime I had to live in a hostel. Unlike hostels in South East Asia, the majority of people are here on a working holiday visa and this brings a mix of people who are working and living long-term at the hostel or looking for work an...

Achieving and maintaining clear skin is down to a few major contributing factors. Hormones, diet, skincare, general wellness, looking after yourself, exercising, getting enough sleep, all play an important role in keeping you clear. Everybody's routine is different and personal to thier skin and it can take months, even years, to crack a routine that works for you. So why oh why, would you want to trade all of this in for a lifestyle of late nights, disrupted sleep and a lack of control over your diet? Travel is good for the soul, no doubt about it, but it can wreak potential havoc on your health, and today I'm going to talk about something very important to me; keeping your skin clear whilst travelling. I'm going to start by saying that this isn't an article of guaranteed tips, just a few personal worries and solutions that I have experienced so far that will hopefully help you be more prepared. For years I suffered with terrible skin and it was a long journey of trail...

Well, here I am, I made it! All the way over to the other side of the world in one 9 hour overnight flight from Bangkok. We boarded the plane in the humid sticky Bangkok heat and arrived in Melbourne early Wednesday morning, greeted with sunshine and much cooler temperatures, which gradually became colder as the day went on. I had to go out and buy a coat! I'm literally starting from scratch coming from South East Asia with nothing in my bag but flip flops, bikinis, crop tops and vibrant patterned pants. Not an ideal wardrobe for a city in the beginnings of Spring. The first few days were very full on sorting out Australian phone numbers, bank accounts and tax file numbers. You can't do anything without an Australian phone number, not even open an bank account, so this should be the first thing on your list when you arrive. Since then I've been applying for jobs constantly. At the moment I'm staying in a hostel but I really need to get a flat soon as it works out to be ...

I'm so aware that I am behind on blog posts and other than the meditation course and one short post about being sick I realise I haven't posted anything on Cambodia! My month in Cambodia was pivotal in my travels, largely because of the meditation course but also because of what I saw and experienced throughout the country. After two days in Phnom Penh we went straight down south to Kampot. Kampot is a really chill town that doesn't have much of a nightlife, which turned out to be for the best because John was sick the day we arrived, and I got sick two days after. In between bouts of inevitable illness from weeks of backpacking we rented scooters and explored Bokor National Park.  The ride up to the park alone was an incredible experience and for me was more scenic and enjoyable than the Hai Van pass. The drive is along one, long, winding continuous road which inclines steadily and I could feel the temperature dropping, so if I were to give only one piece of advice for vis...

When I talk about completing a 10 day Vipassana meditation course the question most people ask is "Did you enjoy it?" It takes me a while to answer this question. 10 days of no phone, no talking (noble silence), no eye contact, no jewellery, no books or writing materials and no music is a huge test in itself. Then you have the meditation, which you practise for 11 hours a day. Meditation is associated with complete chill and relaxation, but this was work. Hard and - at times - frustrating work. I completed my Vipassana course at a centre in Cambodia, Battambang province, about 2 and a half hours away from Siem Reap. On arrival I filled out a registration form and received a small paper booklet about the rules and guidelines of the course along with my room number (30) and locker key. I was then led to my assigned locker where I had to put my phone, camera, money and other valuables for the next 10 and a half days. Goodbye! My room is very basic...honestly more like a cell con...

I'll keep this post brief as nobody likes to linger too long on the bad points, the rough side of travelling, but this is all a part of my journey and I want to share it.  I haven't written for a while now. Cambodia has been a little rough. First John got sick. Then he got better. Then I got sick. Then I got better. Then I got sick again. And here I am, gradually recovering, I can function but I'm weak and tired and if I'm completely honest, craving a local U.K Tesco so I can go in and buy: Grapes Wholemeal bread Bananas A tropical calipo ice lolly (or a twister) Lurpack butter An Elle magazine So I can sit in the glory of my home comforts and just get BETTER. But I can't. I have to keep going. I have to look after myself of course, but I have to stop thinking about all these little comforts and focus on what I do have around me so that I don't get homesick. I never thought that I would be halfway around the world, living out my dream, and craving something as m...