My guide to Interrailing

It's been a while since I've written a blog but I've been pretty busy... travelling around Europe... Yeah.
I spent around three weeks to a month travelling from city to city and it was the most amazing experience.

We started out in Amsterdam and after spending 3 crazy days of going to the sex museum, exploring along the canals, going to Anne Frank's house, awkwardly going into a coffee shop and watching Holland play in the world cup, we headed to Berlin. Now this was the first time we actually used our interrailing pass and it was probably one of the better journeys we had, no stops and we had a seat! When we arrived in Berlin, we met our beautiful roommates and from there we just had a wonder round a city so full of history and life.

 We spent most of our time in Berlin looking at the amazing street art in the east side gallery and in the squats on the east side. We also got to quick look at the club and music scene there which was so completely different to places i'd been before, so underground, secret and amazing. Luckily, we were also in Berlin for the world cup when Germany won 7-0 and the city went mental and being able to experience that was insane.I have to say I've completely fallen for Berlin and I could have stayed another 3 or 4 days, I felt like there was so much more to see and learn about, however we left and got a train to Prague which was probably the worst train journey... being kicked out our seats by a Chinese family and having to sit on the floor for what felt like 100 hours but after all that shit we arrived in Prague. It was such a beautiful city, but I felt like because it was so much smaller than the others I would have rather spent more time in them. However, saying that Prague was lovely,it's the first city we had where it was actually hot! It was pretty chill, sitting by the river overlooking the old churches and cathedrals, finding a pop up bar which played the best dance music, drinking ridiculously cheap beer and cider and just being able to relax. I also really enjoyed the John Lennon wall, all the different pieces of art work and quotes from people all over the world was really touching and sweet.

 Next stop from Prague, Budapest. This city was in my top three of favourite places on this trip. Honestly it was fab, the first day wasn't the best but I soon got over my bad mood when we met some lovely people and went to one of Budapest's ruin bars which were the coolest places I've been to. The next day we explored the city some more and it was amazing weather so it just made the place look so much more attractive and appealing, and during the night we finally got a better look round the club which was under our hostel and it was amazing, the underground room was my favorite by far but there is no way you could stay in there for more than twenty minutes as it was just too hot.
The next day involved us trying to move whilst also feeling like shit and being hungover to fuck and we made our way to Zagreb, Croatia. This journey was by far the worst after being delayed, moved onto a coach, moved back onto a train and then stopped for 3 hours because of passport control, but it did have the best views so at least it was pretty. We arrived in Zagreb and went straight to sleep after the ordeal we just had to go through.
The next day was us exploring the city, going to the museum of broken relationships which I loved, planning our trips to other places and just loving life.
The next few days was us going to the Plitvice Lakes and onto Split.
Split was exactly what I need at this point in the trip, bearing in mind we were in city after city and it was fab just to be able to get on a bikini and chill on the beach without a care in the world and I actually got a bit of a tan which was lovely to not look like something out of twilight next to my very very tanned friends. It was so nice and chilled in Split but by recommendation by one of the managers at my work, we got on a ferry and made our way to Hvar and had one of the best nights of the trip, talking to randomers about tomorrowland, dancing on a beach and living like we were a bunch of rich kids really.
Until disaster struck and the Apocalypse came and nearly destroyed my life... one of the biggest storms I've ever seen came over the island making it basically impossible to get off the island as there were no ferries coming over, but eventually we made it back to Split, sort of alive. We then made our way to Italy, first Rome then Florence. Rome was amazing, we did stay in quiet a scary place but the city was amazing. I have to say it was even better because I got to wonder around this place with one of my oldest friends, it made my whole trip to Rome so much better. After eating too much pizza, pasta and gelato we made our way to Florence, my third favourite place I visited. Florence was so beautiful, romantic and peaceful. Yes, we stayed in a shit heap but the city made up for that and more, watching the sunset on the top of a hill which over looked the city was one of my favourite moments and really brought into perspective how much I've enjoyed travelling and how much beauty I'd seen on this trip. We also got the chance to have a quick trip to Pisa which was hilarious, having the obvious tourist photo by the tower and trying to get the best ones we could.
After that, we made our way back to Rome for the last night out and last day of travelling. We spent this night on a random pub crawl which was a laugh. The next day involved me trying very hard to stay alive and to not slip into a coma... I did a pretty good job. We spent the last day walking around Rome, eating some more pizza and getting ready for the journey home. I have to say travelling around Europe was the most incredible experience of my life and I will never forget the things I've learnt and the moments I had in some of the most beautiful cities in the world. Overall I had the greatest time of my life and would recommend it to everyone, if you're thinking about it, just do it.

Now that I've actually been I can give a bit of advice on what to bring and do...

• Talk to people. Seriously, just start conversations with people on the trains/buses/ferries/whatever you're getting around in, you start talking to people and find out the most interesting stories, opinions or you might just meet someone hilarious who will make the journey go faster.
• Make sure you have an adapter. I forgot mine and it was just awkward.
• Save. Shit is expensive in Europe and I basically lived like a tramp for a month. Make sure you budget, then budget more money, it's always decent to have some spare cash.
• Stay away from watermelon vodka.
• This one is important... make sure you go with people you get on with. Large groups can be good for going out at night but in my opinion, the smaller amount of people the better. Two or three people would be perfect. 
• Don't over pack, just bare in mind you'll have to carry all your stuff around with you.
• Be organised but be free. It's good to have some stuff planned and have your important documents and passport with you but apart from that you should do what you want. Exploring and adventuring makes the trip so worthwhile and personal as you make your own memories in the different random places you find.
• Take loads of pictures. Yeah everyone will hate you for it when you put them on social media but fuck them you should show off your trip and make memories.
• Write a journal during your travels. It helps you remember everything and is something you can look back on.
• Reserve trains. If you don't like slumming it on the floor next to the toilet then this is for you. 
• If you go to Budapest, stay in Instant Groove. Do it.

And basically, that's my guide to my time interrailing. I can't really get grips with reality right now, going back to work, being on the tube, seeing my family, not sharing a room with 4 complete strangers but it's made me realise how much more I want to explore. So bring on Australia 2015.

Good vibes only man.

So what are you doing with your life?!

I haven't blogged in ages so I thought I'd talk about something that has been playing on my mind and something I'm constantly reminded of by people who are ignorant to the fact that their words and views are actually having an effect on me even though they are probably in the same position. Today I'm going to be talking about life and the question of what am I going to do with mine.

So I'm nineteen years old and I've been out of education for a year and a bit. Since then I've been working jobs I don't really want, just so I can get some money and through the process of doing this work try and work out what I wanted to do with my life. Now in today's society it's expected that after school or college that teenagers go to university and from there get degrees and then get a great job that pays amazing and you then get married, have children and die with your husband or wife by your side, and that's how life is meant to be. However, if you choose to get a job after school and don't go into further education then you're a bit of a misfit, a fail, someone who will live with their parents till their thirty, won't make new friends and lose touch with old ones, someone who will have to put up with the bad pay because they can't get another job, a job they might actually want because they aren't qualified or haven't been given a chance, someone who will wake up when they are fifty and ask themselves what did I do with my life because they were asked when they were sixteen to decide what they were going to do with their lives. The thought that might happen to me is terrifying.

And this thought is fueled by people who go to university or distant family members who constantly ask me, 'So what you doing with your life Grace?, Got your dream job? Worked out what you're going to be doing for the rest of your life?' No I haven't realised what I'm doing with my life because for starters I'm young, I'm not going to decide what i'm doing with my life at this age because in two years time, I might change my mind. Another reason is how some of the people saying this to me are people who went to university because 'I thought that's was what you're meant to do' and didn't actually want to go, so they are just as clueless as me except they will be in a shit load of debt. Now I'm not saying university is a bad choice, it really isn't, I just feel if you don't really know what you want to do then don't go because you feel you need to or because you feel you should get a degree under your belt.

I'm sure everyone in their life has had this crippling thought but I feel that something needs to be done about it, more opportunities and less judgement from older people who have their life together or people who point me out and say to their young children, 'Do well in school so you don't end up like her'. Yes, I have two jobs which I don't mind doing, not my favourite thing to do but at least I'm doing something and trying to work out what i'm doing with my life. 

Rant ended.

My consumption (obsession) with shows.

So I’m a lover of TV series. Now this sounds like a pretty normal thing to like, most people like TV shows and it’s a great thing to talk about with others. However, my problem was that it started to affect my normal life, the fictional universe of science teacher turned meth cook, a girl who becomes the mother of dragons and the sex journalist from New York who had the best wardrobe in existence became more important than the real universe. It starts out with watching two episodes and you think wow this is great, I’ll watch one more then I’ll go to bed, but that one more episode turns into four seasons, which turns you into an insomniac with an existential crisis who hasn’t done her English coursework and will later in the term be kick off the course (true story). Now I would like to point out this is an extreme effect of watching too many programme but I used series to escape my real life. During this time, the line between fictional and reality universes becomes very blurry, for example the time I feel asleep in a class and as my teacher woke me, I called her ‘The Doctor’ (if you don’t watch Doctor Who, that will make no sense and also... watch Doctor Who.) Unknown to me, I was suffering from depression and as a way to forget that fact I felt completely useless and ugly compared to all my friends and peers, I’d watch something. Now I only realised I had a over consumption of fictional series problem when I finished a season and realised I’d have to wait another year for the next one to come out, I literally felt like my life had no purpose and I suddenly realised I had no motivation to do anything. This wasn’t because there wasn’t another season but because I was suffering from a mental illness. Now I would like to explain that yes, watching shows is great, they can inspire you, open your imagination, and show all the possible clothing or music you could be wearing and listening to, but if shows are taking over your life and making you feel never want to go outside ever again, then you probably have a problem you’re avoiding. My problem was my depression and the realisation of it; yours could just be your maths homework, these problems get replaced by the ones of the character you’re in love with on that show you’re watching, this is not good and you lose track of reality. My advice is to remember, everything must end, every show has a last episode and season (unless there is a hideous spinoff) and that’s life! However, if that thought makes you feel dead inside then at least there is the internet and millions of other people who like the same shows as you, people you can talk to about your favourite season or that bitch who you hate on that episode where someone ended up in hospital. My fictional addiction is now a controlled consumption, I watch shows because I want to but not to escape from my own life, I also think about the fact I’d probably be dead in a fictional world full of war, poverty and alien attacks... so be grateful that you only have to worry about your bills or teachers rather than concerning yourself with thoughts of the future apocalyptic. So go outside, see your friends explore and learn and while you do that, I’ll watch another episode of 24. 

Bad Habits

This is random but here you go, my bad habits and a nice little playlist.

New posts soon.

Friday Playlist- A Week Before Valentines Day.

Hey everyone, so it's officially a week till valentines day and I decided to make a playlist for people in relationships, for people who are single or people like me who just want to listen to good music to either think about valentines day, forget it or if you're like me and just want to listen to good music.

1. Friday I'm In Love- The Cure

2. Still In Love- Cat Power

3. Love Will Tear Us Apart- Joy Division

4.  You're Not The One- Sky Ferreira

5. 5 Years Time- Noah And The Whale

6. Green Fuz- The Cramps

7.  I Love You- Spacemen 3

8. Cosmic Love- Florence And The Machine

9. I Will Follow You Into The Dark- Death Cab For Cutie

10.  Wouldn't It Be Nice- The Beach Boys

11. Girls Like Me- TV Girls

12. There She Goes- The La's

13. Here Comes Your Man- Pixies

14. I Put A Spell On You- The Kills

15. Drunk In Love- Beyonce

16.  Hollaback Girl- Gwen Stefani

17.  That's The Way Boys Are- Best Coast

18. Other Girls- Eux Autres

19. Superstar- Sonic Youth

20. Happy Now- No Doubt

21. Since U Been Gone- Tokyo Police Club

22. I Want The One I Can't Have- The Smiths

23. Walking After You- Foo Fighters

24. You're Not Pretty But You Got it Goin' On- Band Of Skulls

25. Heart Of Glass- Blonde

And there we have it, if you want a valentines day playlist but also don't but want to listen to good music... listen to this playlist and I hope you liked it!

New post coming soon.

Just Giving Fun Raising

Hey everyone, today's post is going to be about an amazing girl who I had the pleasure of working with. My friend Hannah and her friend are doing something amazing, courageous and so kind for a girl called Cecilia. Cecilia is undergoing radiotherapy treatment, which means she will lose all of her hair. Now my friend Hannah and Katie are shaving their hair off to support Cecilia, while they are doing this they are also raising money for the charity of Cecilia's choice, the Evelina Children's Hospital.

Now what i'm going to ask of you is to donate. Please donate to an amazing cause that saves hundreds of children's lives every single day, but they need your support!
Please donate, small or big, every donation counts and is needed.
Just think about this amazingly brave girls and keep Cecilia in your thoughts and prayers.

Now click donate to read more about this great fundraising, to donate and read more about the cause.

DONATE

DONATE

DONATE

DONATE

Thanks for reading, and there will be more posts up soon!
Thank you to everyone who donated, it means a lot!

The Happiness Diaries- Day 11

So today is the last in the series of posts I did on happiness and how it can be achieved, things to do to make you feel happy and what about if you're unhappy and how to recognise it's seriousness and how to get help.


Today's post is going to be simple and will basically tell you one more thing you can do to achieve happiness (in my opinion) (I should have put a disclaimer about that) (These things make me happy, and may make you happy) (I hope they do) (I'm going to stop typing like this)

Last thing you can do to make yourself feel better and happy is adventuring. Now I have mentioned this before but on Wednesday, I went for an adventure. I sometimes get these nights where I don't and can't sleep so I stay up all night which didn't make me very happy but then I realised that I just got paid so a few hours later, I got washed and dressed and headed to central London. Now I live in London but that doesn't mean I live with the Queen or my house is the London Eye, I live in London but about half an hour away from central London, which is a lot better than where I live and so better for exploring and adventuring around. So I went all round London, spent a lot of money (wouldn't recommend doing that on adventures, means you have to walk round with shopping bags) and cleared my head. It was really busy in parts of London but some part were peaceful and quiet and a great way to just relax and get you out of your own head. I guarantee you, if you're stressed, bored, unhappy, going for a walk and adventuring will make you feel better.

If not, look at this picture of these huskies...



So that is officially it!
My last Happiness Diaries post, however I won't stop posting. I'll still be blogging and will be blogging about everything so make sure you stay tuned and share these posts!

Hopefully you enjoyed these posts, and remember they won't be going anywhere, so if you get unhappy give them a read and do some of the things I write about.

Hope you enjoyed this, and i'll be blogging more soon!