This is Mine. This has now turned into my travel blog. sometime i may not make sense and you will just have to bare with me.. staring at a computer screen is a buzz kill. the photos will be mostly mine.


I cant believe how long it has been since I have written. I literally have no time anymore and while that is so nice it kind of sucks as well but I really want to try and soak all of this in.

Its July and I havent even written about France!

My misson this week is to get this sorted out. Biggest Mission ever.

ireland



If i could say one thing about Ireland is that its green.. eternally green. i have never seen so much grass in my entire life. it is simply beautiful. 
The weather could have been more favourable but we did manage to get one lovely day going up the coast and that would be the one day out of all of them that i would want the weather to be nice.
It almost felt like i wasn't in Ireland, i could have easily been on the coast of Australia or California.
The farms went all the way to the beach line for 80% of the way and Ireland has most of their roads, back street roads that is lined with old stone walls which have been left unkept and growing with wild flowers making it one of the most picturesque coast drives i have been on. 
Having that time with my parents was essential.. sure i was still frustrated with some of the things they did but at the end of the day they are still my parents and thats the way its always going to be.
To see them on the very beginning of their journey makes me confident that this trip will do them wonders, will make them stronger.

Dublin- we didn't really see much of Dublin but i cant say i am too bothered, i should probably make my way back there some day but for this trip it didn't bother me at all that we didn't see it.
Kilkenny- Our trip in Kilkenny was also short but we actually had a wonder a round the town, the weather was miserable so it always hinders the things you want to do to an extent. We did wander around the Kilkenny Castle for a while but upon the discovery there wasn't much else to do we continued on our way to Cork.
This was a place that i had heard much about so i was pretty excited to get there.. when we arrived, because we hadn't planned anything it was a matter of us trying to get to the outskirts of town to find a camping ground for the night.
Failure to find said camping ground landed us in the beautiful sea side town called Cobh- Gaelic for Cove where we stayed in my first B&B. The Place was fine, i found the owners a tad annoying or talkative is probably a better way to describe them but i suppose that is the way they need to be in that industry. 
anyway, Cobh was a pretty amazing town, it was the last port of call for the Titanic! which i thought was pretty cool but besides that it was just  a very beautiful town.. as were most if the coastal towns.
The photos will really speak for themselves. Nothing crazy happened or exciting really. it was just a lovely weekend away with my parents who i haven't properly seen in over a year.it's nice to be able to cross Ireland off my list for the time being!



















Budapest



When we first got to Budapest we were quite shocked. The place was very run down, like it literally has not recovered from the wars. Boarded up windows, abandoned buildings, it was really surreal and we didn't really know what we had got ourselves into.
However by the time we got to our hotel- which was lovely, and we had settled in we ventured out into the torn city. The very first stop was the Schexzy Hot springs. 
Apart from the staff being incredibly rude and unhelpful by the time we found the outdoor pools we were very relaxed.  There were 3 pools outside, we chose the 2nd warmest first.. it was the closest one plus is had a whirlpool inside it so it was the most entertaining. 
The weather coming into Hungary was pretty bad, a lot of cloud cover and a bit of a nip but by the time we got into the hot pools, the sun came out to play making this place beautiful. 
Repairs would definitely be needed, paint was worn and cracks were showing but this place when it was bathed in sunlight was amazing. perfect. it was the only way that i wanted to spend the afternoon, easing all my aches and pains in sunlight that has been ever so distant in London.
We had a pretty early rise that morning so instead of making the most of our night.. we went straight to burgerking, grabbed a meal, stopped at the supermarket, got some lollies. eat showered, read our books and went to bed at 8pm. it was exactly what i wanted and needed. a holiday which was an actual holiday.
The next 2 days were tours an exploring. 
Monday was Raining and it made the trip slightly worse. its not the best time when you are cold and wet trying to see a city.. we still managed to get a lot done, Budapest isn't the largest city so a few days there was more than enough to see everything that we needed too.
I would recommended Budapest. It is one of the most beautiful cities i think i have come across.. its only fault would be the reception we got from the locals. The were rude and not just one or two but all of them. Every time we ate out, which was 3 times a day the staff were unpleasant but if you put that aside it was a wonderful trip, the skies opened up once more on the last day and we enjoyed a few good hours basking in the sunlight eating what i can only describe as a cone of heaven. A hot pastry cone rolled in cinnamon. my mouth is watering as i write this.Just like anywhere you need to see it to understand, i can say something is beautiful but at the end of the day you will never know what it was like to see it.. case in point, the Parliament building. a photo will suffice but its something you will need to see for yourself to understand the sheer beauty of it.
















The more I think about going home the more it scares me. I want to go home and I know I will, the dates are constantly changing but I want to be home next year.

Ultimately it comes down to change. How much I would have changed, how much my friends have changed. I am not too concerned about my family, I know they will be a constant in my life.

Its funny, someone asked me what it was like to move away from home and I doesn’t seem as scary as going back. Ive got a good base here but I have a better one at home. Life is just so different here.

I want to go home when I am ready and because I am not ready right now I think that’s why I am concerned.

That should ease my anxious mind for the moment.


Its been a good lesson to learn but these events have defintely changed the way I think about things.

I guess you get to an age where you have to grow up but not necessary forget all types of fun- I cant imagine giving up balloons or cupcakes because they are deemed childish but more like I am at an age where lying or withholding how I feel about something should be stopping. All the people in my life play a very vital part and at 24 I should be able to tell someone how I feel without getting into a fight or argument. Regardless of how I behave towards Balloons, puppies or confetti I am confident that through all these ‘mistakes’ that I now know that if I have a problem or am upset then talking to the offender or other person is going to be the only way to solve it and even if the other person doesn’t agree or has their own problems with it I can be safe in the knowledge that I was true to myself.

I need to stop going after the small things, there is a  much bigger picture.

365



I am about to skip so many events but i need to get something out.
I was suppose to be back home today and its a very strange thought.
I am heading to Paris tomorrow and i should have been home.
How quickly things change, i still cant believe that i have been gone a year, to think of that blows my mind. I knew it would go fast but i cant even believe it.
I am so content in whats happening right now and the friendship and relationships i am developing, to go home right now would undo all a lot of things i have been working on within myself.
I have found a friend in Carlie i thought i wouldn't have, the way our friendship is building is fantastic and i think we are both as stunned by it. We have basically spent the last 7 months together, everyday we have seen each other apart from Berlin, Norway and Australia and even though she lives in a new house i still see her every night. We are basically dating and its hilarious.
I have been through so much in the last year and experienced more than i could ever imagine.
This year will go down as one of the best of my life.
To finding new loves, new friends, a family away from my family, new passions and new laughs.
I want to say that i am really happy but i know my life to well, i say that and something will happen to bring me back down to reality but i guess that happened on the weekend. My bag got stolen. again. for the 2nd time in a year and 3 days before my travel insurance ran out. I guess there is a certain degree of luck in that but i shouldn't of taken such a shiny bag out. I spent the whole night ugly crying but i have been there before and yes it is shit and yes i have to deal with Police reports and insurance claims and having to find a new camera before my trip to Paris tomorrow but they are only material things.
if i have learnt anything in this trip is to be strong and try and let things roll of my back.

To another year, to new friends and new places.
Sydney, I love you but i need more time.


Lets try and sum up the last couple of months living in London.

Oxford was pretty crazy, it was also very lovely but yes quite random. It’s the quickest bus ride up there where you slowly get out of the busiling city of London out into what I consider the real England- Rolling hills and Thatch-roofed houses.

When we arrive Carlie’s Dad’s cousin meets us with his wife and son in tow to show us around town.

It was only a few hours away but I never felt more away from London than here, this town is ridiculously old, so much history and prestige.

Andrew showed us to all around Oxford University- Dinning halls, libraries, court yards, churches, the shop where Howard Marks (Mr. Nice) ran his drug business from the basement, locations where Harry potter was filmed - the exclusivity of it all made me feel so out of place, we were paying to get into these old beautiful buildings and kids my age and younger were living and learning here, apart from when I was in Seattle looking at Washinton Uni and all the frat  houses this is the only other time that I have wanted to go to uni.

We wondered around town a bit more, sat in a park and had lunch- the weather so sublime, it was so lovely to feel the sun on my face and have it actually heat it up for a change and then headed back to their house to watch the union and then take a nap- the result of a boys night the previous night where I didn’t get to sleep till 5:30am because of how loud they were.

Andrew and Jan got a babysitter for the night and then took us out to dinner- being wined and dined  was a really nice change, I love my boys back home but it was lovely not to talk about boobs and farts for a change. 2 bottles of wine later and we  move to the next bar and the next and the next.. Andrew and Jan leave us after the 2nd place and let us run free for a bit.

The night ended in Carlie and I in Trinity Collegue( the most prestigious collegue with 2 young kids that clearly thought that they were going to get lucky) doing handstands and cartwheels on the ever so overprotected grass, asking if we can join a houseparty and then me “borrowing” the poor guys shirt to never return again even though he specifically asked me not to steal it… oh and I also twisted my knee falling over in the last club and then hurting it more with the cartwheels.We rolled in the door at 4am.

Next morning was horrible, the mix of work drinks and no sleep on Friday night and champayne, wine, tequiela shots and double vodka’s on Saturday night was not a good mix.

I check my phone and see if I did any damage and notice I messaged a boy called George, do I remember this boy? Not at all, Carlie and I have a bit of a laugh and try to put it all together but give up as we don’t remember anything.

Breakfast, a quick trip to a museum and then  3 hours of sitting in the sun was the summary of the Sunday.When we arrive back in London I got a message.. it was from George! The pieces still didn’t fit. We got home about 5pm to hear the news that Arsenal won agaisnt Tottenham – of course they won when we werent here.

So Oxford was pretty fucking fun.








The week before Oxford was a pretty exciting one, My newphew was born- the cutest little tike in the whole entire world and then the same day I was seeing a lovely lady from home, Alice.

We met in Camden for a few drinks before going to see Cloud Control and Dog is Dead at the Electric Ballroom which was such a fantastic show, its was quite cool to think back and know that I would never have expected to be watching Cloud Control- a small mountains band playing in London- where I live with my new London friends and an old friend from home. Surreal.

Once the show ended we went to continue the drinking at the Lock Tavern and then the last stop being Joe’s. I love Joes. Nick took me there once and it is this tiny bar where they play 50 and 60’s all night, the lights are dim and the guests are dressed to impress. Alice, Emily and I did the only thing there is to do at Joe’s- Dance.

It is nights like this that make me love London, to randomly catch up with a friend from home, pay £2 and dance.







Saturday night gets a little hectic as they always seem to do with our house.

All we were supposed to be doing was going to the pub to watch 19- Twenty, an musician from back home. What it turns into is 3 bottles of wine between 2, running around the pub, knocking over drinks, passing out on the couches, heading home to interupt the neighbours having sex, hitting a bong and waking up still drunk.

Good times.





The week prior to that I went and saw the Black Keys- AMAZING.

We got there early enough to see the support, Band of Skulls who were really good- I might add that the weather was ridiculously cold outside and this I will expand on later.

The Black Keys come on an it was such a good show, for only 2 guys they know how to give a good time. Before the show had offically ended they had played everything that I wanted to hear except my favorite song.

They come back for their encore, drop the biggest disco ball you have ever seen and proceed to play everlasting light. It looked like a 80’s disco in there. It was my highlight… besides feeling so magical after the performance we walk outside and there is a think layer of snow… it was like a dream, we didn’t know it was coming and it was cold enough but I didn’t think it would be this much.

It was just one of those things that just never happens. I smile just thinking of it.













Still so much to write!!!



The weekend it snowed. Saturday the 4th of February. The day we didn’t think was going to come.

The boys had a FOOTBALL DAY that day and we won like 7-1 or something ridiculous so they were in good spirits- drinking from 11am will also do that to you and us girls plus Matt went on a cultural day, Tate Museum, National Portrait Gallery and the National gallery.

I quite like doing the cultural thing but I don’t really know if 300 year old paintings are up my alley, I enjoy the more modern art and photography but either way it was a good day.

Heading home I literally thought I couldn’t be colder, it was so fucking cold and I could never explain to someone who hasn’t experienced it themselves. I felt as if I was running around in the snow naked but colder.

Anyway we head home and the boys are all happy and drunk from the win. Bridget gets a message from Claudia- one of the girls we were with earlier, it is snowing at Oxford Circus.

Oxford Circus is only a 15 minute tube ride away. The snow is coming.

We wait and wait, constantly looking out the window.

To do a massive recap as the night from there on in was amazing and exaclty want I wanted.

It snowed, we took pictures, we waited for it to snow more and took more pictures, the boys ran out in their underwear, we started a snow ball fight with some kids on the block- they were very vicsious  and I think Chico lost that battle, we met the neighbours across the road- had a fight with them, invited them around for drinks, decided we needed to dismatle Steve’s Skateboard and use it as a snowboard, snowboarded outside!!

It made the last 2 months of discusting weather and cold nights worth it, it was a long lead up and I really did think I wouldn’t get to experience snow in London but it was fantasic.





















The week before that consisted of a gig seeing Lianne le Havis at the Social with Matt and his lovely cousins- Lianne was phenomanal, I could literally wrap her up and give her all to my friends as a present as she was the most adorable performer I have ever seen. And that voice. Pure heaven



Weekend PROIR to that was very bizaare and got way out of control.

Carlie and I wanted to have a calm Saturday so we went to check out the Portabello Markets in Notthing Hill.

We picked up some amazing Brie and bread, saw a Banksy that I use to have picture on my wall back home!!! And had lovely day not being hungover and seeing the sights of london and making plans to  go there in the summer time.

Chico’s bday had been on Australia day and he didn’t really to do anything to insane  so we thought we would have some drinks in Finsbury Park, I suggested we go the bowling alley for a few games and a couple of drinks then we could move on.. nice and easy.

We rock up to this place and get searched on the way in, not something that happens at your average bowling alley, we continue to walk down a silent hallway till we get to the end where there is people everywhere.. we have stumbled on Finsbury Park’s hot spot. Young, hot and trendy people everywhere. We pay for our games and almost immediatley agree this is not going to be a quite night.

We have a hefty wait so we all gets some drinks and settle in.

We are all still shocked at how many people are here but eventually we get a lane.

By this time we were drunk and began to be those people that should be kicked out but arent, running around like crazy, using very excplict names on the board and generally running a muck.

I lost- both games.

Once the games are over we stumble back and decide that we should drink somewhere else, we chose a bar that I have been wanting to try since we moved here, there are no seats, the boys get one drink and we meet them back home where we have another bottle of wine to take the total to 3 for the night.

I don’t really remember much from that point and that doesn’t sound very wild but we continued to run around like crazy people, tackling each other and hitting one another.

Shit just escaltes with us. Always.

That was our first night out together as The Shady Bunch, with no other people just the 6 of us and it was so needed.
















About Me

My photo
Sydney
You may have noticed I am not all there myself

Followers