Reflection on the water

My photo this week is one of my favourite photos from all my time in France. 

I was exploring the grounds of a castle and stumbled upon this old boat drifting on the water. I loved the colours and the reflection of the sky in the water.

I loved this photo last year and I still love it now!

Whenever I look at this photo, It makes me stop and reflect on things. I think about exploring France and discovering new places. 

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5 reasons why you should travel France

If travelling is something you want to do, but your not sure where to go, can I make a suggestion?

France.

Buy a ticket to anywhere in France, you'll thank me later.

So here are my 5 reasons for why you should travel France

1. It is so beautiful. I've been to quite a few places in France and loved all of them. Whether we drove through the city or camped in the nature, everywhere we went was beautiful. In France, you can see every possible landscape. Beach, mountains, cities, architecture, rivers... It's every travel photographer's dream!

2. The food. I'm not much of a foodie but I do love desserts. And French dessert... *Insert drool here* is amazing. If you love food, France is the place to visit. You get 5 course dinners starting with aperitifs, entrée, main, cheese and finishing up with a delicious dessert! My weakness = mousse au chocolat (chocolate mousse!) 

3. The streets are quiet and peaceful. I have slept in a few French cities, Angers, Montpellier, Toulouse and also camped in a few locations and most of the time, I've had a quiet and peaceful sleep!

4. Paris is always a good idea! I've been to Paris a few times now and every time I go, I love it. For any fashionista, being in Paris is a dream come true. I love the French boutiques, high end department stores and even people watching for the latest fashion trends. It's amazing and having a picnic under the Eiffel Tower never gets old.

5. If you don't know the language, it can be tough but as long as you make an effort and say the pleasantries in French (Bonjour, sil vous plait, merci, etc) they will be patient with you while you try to explain what you want. And it's always a nice surprise when they speak English with you!

I spent more than 5 months in France and it still wasn't long enough!

What's your favourite thing about France?

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Dealing with Travel Anxiety

I like to think I am a "glass half full" kind of gal, but when it comes to travelling, it's a different story.

I am such an anxious traveller. 

I hate being in confined places for so long, I hate not eating properly (plane food, bleh) and I hate not having any control over getting places.

This photo was taken after my travel, I was too anxious before!

So I start getting anxious, stressed and nervous imagining all the things that could go wrong.

What if my luggage goes missing? 

What if our plane is delayed and we miss the second plane?

What if a meteor crashes into our bus?

What if...

What if...

What if...

It makes it complicated for my Frenchy when I start getting stressed out. I have a short fuse, I get angry at the smallest things and I generally stop talking for the first part of the trip! Sorry Frenchy...

We have been on a few long distance trips over the passed 12 months so I have come up with a few techniques to deal with travel anxiety.

1. Plan everything days before you leave for your trip. It's not always possible, but when it is, it makes me feel so much better. I like knowing my tickets are printed, most of my bags are packed, my outfit is planned for the travel day, my transport is organised... blah blah blah. If I have everything planned, it makes me feel like I'm in control.

2. If you start getting stressed and anxious, take a few moments to just do nothing. Sit down, take deep breaths and think about why you are going travelling. This always makes me feel better. I think about why I want to go somewhere, what I'll do, what I'll see and it makes me calmer.

3. Think before you speak! I am still working on this one (sorry Frenchy). When I get overly anxious or stressed I have a very short fuse. My Frenchy calls me his kettle because I boil really hot and then explode! If I take a moment before snapping his head off, things are much more smooth. 

4. Drink plenty of water for the days leading up to your travel. When you're travelling, you can't always drink much water, so try and get hydrated all the days before your travel, so it won't be so bad if you miss a few glasses of water!

I'm still working on this, but for now, these techniques help me deal with my travel anxiety and make my travel days, much smoother.

What are your techniques for dealing with travel anxiety?

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The end of my London chapter

Since 2011, it was always my dream to return to London and completely immerse myself into the wonderful city.

And then, at the end of 2015, I was finally able to do it.

I was a bundle of nerves, excitement and pride. Proud to be able to tick off another life aspiration.

For weeks, I was giddy with excitement of the new place to live, love and discover with my Frenchy.

And then my new relationship bubble burst... Hard.

London is a beautiful city to explore... As a tourist. But as soon as you start working and living in London, the novelty begins to wear off... FAST.

After difficulties opening a bank account and a struggle with homesickness, I was finding it difficult to appreciate the city I was living.

The crowded trains, the busy streets, the long commutes, the long working hours, the expensive restaurants, the rent that drains more than half your salary and finally the unpredictable weather. After a while, it becomes difficult and draining on your soul. 

My Frenchy and I were living London life for almost 10 months before we decided it wasn't a place for us.

I have met some wonderful people, ate some delicious food and will forever hold the memories of my time in London.

But for now, it's time to turn the page and start the next chapter.

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A Year Abroad

Twelve months ago, I was a bundle of nerves...

And stress...

And panic...

And "oh my god, what am I doing?"

Twelve months ago, to this date, I packed a small, ok, very large suitcase and hopped on a plane with a man I'd known for a mere 9 months and disembarked on a journey. While I was scared, nervous, sad, stressed and panicked, deep down I knew it was the right thing to do.

I remember saying goodbye to my family, the feeling of sadness and loneliness wash over me instantly. I remember the panic I felt saying goodbye to my friend at the airport. But most of all, I remember the resentment I felt towards my Frenchy for taking me away from them.

Once I stepped onto the plane, I felt empty. I didn't know what I was doing, where I was going and how I could survive without my family and friends.

It wasn't until our final descent into Paris, that I finally started to feel excited. Excited to see Paris again, excited to explore more of France and excited to see the home town of the man I love.

I was fortunate to be welcomed into the life of my Frenchy. I met all his wonderful family and an endless stream of friends, but I felt like I belonged. Despite the language barrier, it felt right to be there. Over the months, I improved my French, explored many places and had the most fun I've had in a long time. 

And then the money train ended.

After an amazing 4 months of exploring, relaxing and eating French cuisine, it was time to start working again. So, we packed up our stuff and got on the next bus to London. Within a week of arriving in London, we both had work, somewhere to live and a new place to explore.

Over the months, we explored the top tourist spots in London, hunted for the best coffee in London and enjoyed our time together. But then the London life took over. We started seeing less and less of each other, working too much and slowly lost our energy to explore the finer things in London. 

My twelve months abroad have been amazing. I've explored many places in France, discovered Barcelona, drank beer in Munich and met so many wonderful people along the way.

What I've learned from my year abroad:

1. Appreciate every moment with your family because you'll miss them as soon as you take off.

2. Enjoy the small things in life, because sometimes they turn out to be the big things.

3. Don't stop exploring. The minute you do, the inspiration will stop.

4. Money isn't everything. As long as you have someone to love you, a roof over your head and some food in your belly, everything else doesn't matter.

Where to next?

After a quick stop in France, it's time to get back on board a plane headed for Australia. It's time for my Frenchy to explore the rest of Australia (with me of course) and it's time for me to see my family and friends again.

Life gets a bit brighter in Brighton

 London is a beautiful city, but it's only the beginning. There are so many beautiful surrounding places to discover and explore.

And for as little as £10, you can be on a train for an hour and a half and end up in the beautiful seaside town of Brighton.

I spent a whole day exploring the streets of Brighton and it has reenergised my soul.

So things to do in Brighton.

Firstly you should take a stroll along the seaside and soak in the sea breeze. This is such a great remedy for energising the soul.

Along the seaside you can discover some markets and explore the local art and photography. 

You can continue your walk along the seaside until you reach the Brighton Pier.

Here you will find food and many sideshow games to play. You can play few games and enjoy some rides overlooking the Brighton sea.

Or if you are anything like me, you'll be a bit peckish after your seaside stroll and you can't leave Brighton without indulging in the typical local cuisine... Fish and Chips!

But, be warned, they are large servings!

You'll be nice and full after your feast and ready to take a stroll in the streets of Brighton. You'll discover an explosion of colourful houses, graffiti alleyways and more markets to enjoy. The best thing to do, is just walk. You'll discover little hidden gems along the way.

After a couple of hours of strolling through the streets, it's time to energise. And what better way to energise then a hot cup of coffee. One thing I was amazed at was the amount of cafés in Brighton. They all look amazing, it was hard to choose where to go.

I only spent 6 hours in Brighton, but it was enough time to re-ignite my love of exploring new places. I hope this day trip was only the beginning of discovering more of the places surrounding London.

Things to do in London

My recent adventure... In a nutshell :)

London is a BIG city!

There is so much to see and do here. Behind every corner there is something new to discover.  

When you come to London, you'll definitely want to tick off the big tourist attractions, The London Eye, Big Ben, Hyde Park, Trafalgar Square and of course... Buckingham Palace. 

If you are lucky, you may be there for the changing of the guards! If not, you can simply take pictures of them through the gate, like I did! After staring at the Palace and taking many pictures, it's nice to take a stroll towards St James Park.

If you are afraid of birds, this may not be the best place for you, but if you can handle them, you'll see many ducks, swans, pigeons and you'll definitely see some squirrel! I was lucky to see this cute little duckling! It made my day... Isn't he cute?

After you walk through the park, you'll end up, just a short stroll from Westminster. Here you'll find the Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and of course, the London Eye. 

Walking along the Pier during sunset is simply beautiful. There are many places you can stop for coffee and cake, or a sneaky drink. You may be lucky and hear some talented buskers!

And finally, you can't be in London and not go to the Warner Brother's Harry Potter Tour. Growing up, I loved (and still do) Harry Potter. I've read the books many, many times and watched the movies countless amounts!

You'll need many hours and comfortable shoes to explore everything this city has to offer... And I haven't even scraped the surface!

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January: The Highlights

How was everyone's first month of 2016? Have you kickstarted your 2016 resolutions?

January has been a month of growth for me. I've settled into my new job, found time to juggle work and life, explored more of this city and I've even gone shoe shopping!

So here are the highlights if you missed them:

After an initial struggle with homesickness, I picked myself up and embraced this wonderful city.

I took some time to explore a little bit of London and visited Tower Bridge.

I went shoe shopping at Kurt Geiger and rewarded myself to some new shoes.

And I built my Winter wardrobe to help fight the London cold.

I fought the cold and explored the Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and the London Eye.

Finishing up the month, I styled my Ultimate Vegas Outfit.

What were the highlights of your January?

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Coming up next: The 5 shoes to avoid this Winter in London

The Big Ben

London is such a big city.

There is so much to see and do and on my last day off, I went to the Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and walked along the Pier to the London Eye. It was such a beautiful (and freezing cold) day! My Frenchy and I got to witness a beautiful sunset and enjoy some quality time together.

Scroll down to see my tourist pictures from the Big Ben!:

Stay tuned for more tourist pictures from London!

For tips from London, head to the London Series.

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Living 6 months abroad

I still can't believe I am in Europe. Every month I sit down and reflect on the month I've had. I weigh the ups and downs, review my thousands of photographs and reminisce with my Frenchy on the highlights. 

And every time I do this, I can't believe I lasted another month.

I have to confess, I'm a creature of habit. I like routine. Before leaving Perth, I don't think I had a spontaneous bone in my body! But now, living abroad for 6 months, I've had to adapt.

The passed 2 months have been the hardest so far. I loved my time in France, holidaying and exploring new places, but now the holiday is over, it's been a shock to the system. 

My time in London has been a challenging time.

Most recently, I had to endure the festive season without my family so that was like a kick in the face whenever people were shopping for their loved ones. Instead of being a happy time of year, I felt like the Grinch who had to find different ways to cope with homesickness.

London is a place where you spend all day, everyday at work. You have long shifts and then long commutes back home. I never fully feel rested even after I've had a day off. And while my Frenchy and I are growing stronger, we've definitely had some challenges over the passed 2 months. We went from seeing each other every single day in France, to missing each other everyday. I work days and Frenchy works as a waiter by night. So it was impossible to spend time together. It was definitely a difficult time for me, cooking dinner for one every night but it's the challenges that make a person stronger, right?

But now, finally, things are turning around for us (me) in London. We finally have money to our name so we can pay for food and accommodation without the constant anxiety! And we've had more time together to slowly explore the city. I've also met so many wonderful and supportive people here in London, who have made my time adjusting much easier then it would have been.

I've definitely grown stronger and wiser during my short time here in London.

Head to the London series for more details from London.

Sunsets...

During the last four months, I've had many people compliment me on my travel pictures (thank you to all you wonderful people!) but some of my favourite pictures have been captured during sunset.

I never truly appreciated the setting sun, until my first date with my Frenchy. We sat on the beach, getting to know each other, talking in broken English, while the sun begun to set. 

This memory has made me truly appreciate the setting sun.

Since our first date, my favourite time of the day, is when the sun sets, casting beautiful light on the world. I thought I would share with you, some of my favourite sunsets...

The sunset from our first date in Perth

The first sunset over the Loire river in Angers

More sunsets in Angers

A sunset over the city of Toulouse

One of my favourite sunset pictures from Les Ponts de Ce

A Summer sunset

Enjoying the sunset on the beach in Penestin, France

Angers city before the night falls

What's your favourite time of day?

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