Graduation and moving on

This post was meant to be written on Sunday, and then on Monday but it was only today that I felt like I could get my head together and actually write something down.

It's official, I've graduated from university and might want to cry a little bit (both from happiness, and also because it's scary). I've entered the adult world and start work properly on 3rd August, although I've been breaking myself in gently with weeks here and there since I finished! Making the transition from student to working 9-5 five days a week will be tough but I think the routine will be exactly what I need.

Now that I've had my graduation, it all seems a bit more real. I got news a couple of weeks ago that I had actually gone and done it - I got a First Class BA Hons in English Literature! No one was more surprised (or relieved) than me. But it was only when I walked out to my family in my cap and gown on the day of my ceremony, and when I was personally congratulated on my First on stage, and when both my lecturers came to speak to me that it really settled in. My first year dream of having a first in English Literature had come true, and the pride I felt throughout the day for me and all my friends will be a feeling that will stay with me for a long time. It's proof that all our hard work and effort paid off, and was so so worth it.

With my lovely grandparents

But by far one of the best things about the day was that we were able to bring my grandparents down for the ceremony. I was so so excited to share my special day with them, and when they both teared up seeing me in my robes, I realised how much it meant to them too. My grandad turned 90 this year, and to be able to see the pride on his face and on my nana's was enough to know that I would do it all again in a heartbeat - all the stress, hard work and mountains of reading. We honestly just had such a wonderful day.

Our ball in the evening meant that our friendship group could celebrate together before parting our separate ways and beginning our careers. I think had it not been for mental exhaustion and the drinks we would have been far more serious and emotional. But actually, I'm glad it wasn't. We concentrated on having an incredible time in each other's company, knowing it was definitely not the end, but only a new beginning. It's true what they say about university - you make friends for life.

So with less than two weeks until I start work permanently, I'm taking some me time to focus on my achievements, some self-love and my future. Despite university having been the best years of my life (excuse the cheese), I do feel ready to move on now. I'm ready for this new chapter in my life and what it will hold for me.

With my brother, and he's even smiling!

Have you graduated recently, or started a new job? Are you feeling postive? Let me know below! 

The perfect West Country break

I'm fortunate to have some lovely family and friends over Bath/Bristol way who hosted me for my penultimate week before heading back to university. All I can say is that they both know me incredibly well. Tearooms and cute cafés made up the majority of my stays and I'm not complaining a bit.

I started in Bristol with my friend who showed me the more upmarket Clifton first of all. With its little boutiques and independent stores, this was an undoubtable hit with me. She also introduced me to an up-and-coming café chain Boston Tea Party, which was simply a delight. So much yumminess and not many pennies so it made brunch a total hit with me. Think freshly made, balanced portions, sustainable restaurant awards etc... It's pretty awesome. Boston Tea Party, you need to hurry up and open in Cambridge ASAP.

Scotch pancakes with compote and Greek yoghurt for brunch, courtesy of Boston Tea Party. 

Being a tourist at Bristol suspension bridge.

After spending a night in Bristol, I headed over to Bath to stay with family. I've always loved Bath, and in my little dreamworld I envisage myself with a property in the centre one day. Oh I'm just going to go ahead and say it - I want one on the Crescent. Yeah, I know I know but I've always been a dreamer. I'd be equally as happy on Great Pulteney Street. Life ambitions and all that. Anyway, the point is that as a country girl, this is one city (alongside Cambridge and Paris) that I adore. So when I was also taken out into more rural Wiltshire to visit the village of Lacock, I could not have been a happier girl. Combining my perfect city break with rural and historic cuteness? I couldn't imagine anything better.

I had no idea little Lacock existed if I'm honest but turns out it's been the movie set for some kind of major productions. Most notably parts of Harry Potter were filmed there, but the recent Wolf Hall was also shot in Lacock along with the BBC's Pride and Prejudice, and Cranford. We happened to go on a beautiful day when there wasn't a cloud in the sky which made the village and abbey look all the more special, especially the early blooms in the gardens. Considering we went on a Saturday it was also fairly quiet as well so looking around the abbey, we basically had the place to ourselves. 

I have to say though, the village itself was the highlight for me. Owned almost entirely by the National Trust, it is like being transported back in time, minus the cars. There was such a quirky array of shops, from soap and gift shops, to antiques and recycling shops. Even though it's owned by the National Trust, there was still such a lovely village-vibe, the one I know and love. I saw several homes with books or plants outside for sale, where people would simply 'post cash through letterbox' to buy. Slowly restoring faith in humanity one plant/book at a time. It was just the most friendly, beautiful place to wander around and I was totally taken with all the period buildings. 

A special mention must be made for the King John's Hunting Lodge. The oldest house in the village, it's home to the most gorgeous tea room and garden. Because it was such a lovely day, we sat in the garden both times (yes, we ended up going back again for afternoon tea later!) and each time didn't disappoint. They serve proper tea, none of this teabag stuff, and delicious fresh food, handmade by the team on the spot I was assured. I had a mediterranean style tart with a special slaw and incredible side salad, it was utterly yum. If you're visiting Lacock, I cannot recommend this place enough. The staff were lovely and attentive, the food and cake excellent, and the atmosphere was so absolutely English and cute that I actually came away feeling sad it was so far away from home and wouldn't be able to go again anytime soon.

 

Bath, Bristol, you exceeded expectations. I'm an Eastern girl at heart but clearly there's potential to be a Western convert!

City Break - Amsterdam

This week has verged on the crazy, as I've jumped from dissertation hand-in to a cocktail night, to an Easter trail ride, followed by a night out and, oh yeah, flying to Amsterdam. But boy has it it been worth it!

I'm finally home for Easter, and it's never felt more like a country retreat than it does now! After my mad running around, I was shattered. It was definitely one of those good exhaustions, but having survived on little sleep for the past five days and been constantly on-the-go, coming home has provided me the wind-down I needed!

It seems totally surreal that only three days ago I was with my two best friends on our final day in Amsterdam. It was such a total whirlwind but we managed to pack everything in, and actually I think three days was the perfect amount of time. The whole trip was honestly so brilliant, and I couldn't have spent it in better company. We had such a great time together, treating ourselves to a well-deserved break after an incredibly stressful few weeks of intense dissertation work.

The gorgeous flower markets are well worth a visit.

I have to say, I didn't really know what to expect from Amsterdam. With the infamous Red Light District and the drugs, it took some research to identify the interesting historical side of the city and other things we could do. Before we went, we booked the Heineken Experience which was absolutely worth the time and was incredible value! I don't like beer and unfortunately even Mr Heineken couldn't sway me, but the Heineken Experience was such a surprisingly fun afternoon! We turned up expecting to queue for a long time to get in, only to walk straight through which was such a relief given our numb fingers and toes. The tour took about one and a half hours, excluding the boat ride which was about another half hour. Included in the ticket price were two tokens that got you either two smaller beers, or one larger, colder one (or a pepsi, thank goodness!). Plus, another token could be exchanged for a free gift. We also got a small Heineken sample on the way round. Needless to say, my friend ended up drinking quite a bit what with me passing my beers straight to her! It was all really interactive too, and genuinely really interesting. I'd really recommend doing it if you're going to the city!

Photo credit: Sophie (thanks, girl!)

We also booked the Ice Bar. I've never been to the one in London, and I think it's probably quite different but with three drinks tokens, this also turned out to be great value and so much fun! Sounds ridiculous and I'm sorry to point on the obvious, but it was cold. It said -9 degrees and I just didn't realise that could feel so cold! The ice glasses were an awesome touch but I just felt that I needed thicker gloves that the ones supplied! We had one cocktail before entering, and then in the 20 minutes inside the ice bar, you can have another two drinks. Believe me when I say you'll need them!!

The Anne Frank museum was also brilliant. Having queued in the pouring rain for over 45 minutes with frozen fingers and soaked feet and with all of us having gone slightly hysterical, it definitely made for a memorable afternoon! When we finally got in (we couldn't book online, and no one else seemed to have booked in advance either) the museum was so well set-out and very informative. I've read the majority of Anne Frank's Diary, and intend to finish it after I graduate (one of a long list of books), and have always felt that her story is incredibly moving. Walking around the house I had read about was absolutely one of the greatest highlights of the trip and was well worth the money. I would particularly recommend staying to watch the video at the very end as well because it helps to express just what a poignant piece of history the diary is.

The city itself was beautiful, although it subverted my expectations of a city. Say capital city and I think noise, busy-ness, probably thousands of tourists, crime. Amsterdam had none of this. I don't want to betray Paris here (don't worry, I'll always love you), but I actually felt safer in Amsterdam than in Paris. Not once did I feel threatened or that I had to keep a constant eye out for pickpockets. Maybe I've trained myself to be automatically wary but there was never a sense of it being a tourist trap like Venice where there could always be a pickpocket waiting to take something. It was also so calm! We got out fairly early on Saturday morning but even by lunchtime, it had only just started to get busy! To be able to walk down streets and in and out of shops without negotiating hundreds of other people was such a serene feeling and made the trip so enjoyable.



Apparently while we'd been there the whole city had experienced a powercut, but considering we'd been out and about during this time and we were due to fly back the next day, we heard absolutely nothing. Good job everything was up and running the next day really, otherwise we wouldn't have known whether our flight was on time! It just showed how much we ended up being in our own little world while discovering the city.

They definitely know how to serve tea!

Food-wise, I found the prices and choice pretty great. I loved the variety of independent restaurants and some of them were really amazing value! The Pancake Bakery near the Anne Frank museum was a definite favourite and is worth a mention. They let us take our order back to our hotel, instead of eating in, and wrapped them all up with cutlery and plates - so lovely! My goats' cheese, sun-dried tomato, pine nuts and honey wasn't that cheap but was diviiine!

The Pancake Bakery, Amsterdam. Particularly recommend the goats' cheese pancake. Yum.

One final thing that I have to comment on is the people. I was so impressed by the generally high level of English spoken. To be honest, the whole city was fairly anglicised with a lot of shops with English names, even outside the main tourist hubs. But not once did I feel bad about not speaking the language, something that I've felt in France on numerous occasions despite the fact I can actually speak okay French. It was the total opposite! I've always been conscious of being the English person who can't be bothered to learn another language, but most people seemed to actually enjoy having the opportunity to talk to a native English speaker. Which brings me to my next point - the Dutch are so friendly!! Nothing was ever too much, and we were always greeted with smiles. What a lovely bunch.

Before we booked Amsterdam, we knew we wanted a city with culture, history, and somewhere where we could just have a bit of down time after the stress of dissertation. Amsterdam really did offer all of this and more. The architecture is so unusual but gorgeous (look up and you'll notice that most of the buildings are wonky!), the parks offered a snippet view of the daily Amsterdam life, the museums ticked our culture/history boxes and the cute cafés and people made our stay an extremely happy and relaxing one. So if you haven't been, or are thinking about going - don't hesitate! Get booking!

I had to include this photo but I feel like it's sort of been photobombed by the lady on the right... Authentic tourist right there.

10 Best Bits of 2014

Bonjour! Hello! It's me- I'm back! I understand if you no longer know who I am, it's been a long time. I have no excuses, other than life happened as it so often does. But while I sat here chipping away at another essay (yes, being back at university has hit harrrrd), I thought to myself: I really should do a blog post and not leave it to just be another new year's resolution (that I may or may not keep) because I miss it too much for that. There is understandably a recurring theme in the blogosphere at the moment, the '10 [insert appropriate somethings here] of 2014'. I have decided to jump on the bandwagon and instead of doing a generic catch-up post, thought I'd combine it with a few memories of an incredible year.

1. New Year in Paris

Kicking off 2014 in style with my bestest friend in the world, Sophie, in the best city in the world (I can't vouch for that admittedly, but Paris will always hold a special place in my heart). Even if it was a bit of a flop celebration-wise, we had a great time and it set the bar for the rest of the year. 

2. Mum and I in Paris

The most important lady in my life came to stay with me in Paris in March and I got to show her my new life. We had so much fun together and are even planning round two. Bring it on.

3. June in Paris

I spent my last weeks in Paris having an absolute ball, and my friend came to stay for my last weekend there. Sitting in my favourite cocktail bar, aptly named 'La Favorite', I felt that I was where I belonged and in that moment could see myself living permanently in Paris. Reality burst my bubble of course, but who knows what the future holds?

4. Summer in France

An amazing opportunity with a lovely family and a little girl who I really do miss. I got to see a part of France I never would have seen, and of course got to lounge in the sun too.

5. Lessons on Toffee

Photo of Your Horse Magazine 2014

Over summer I found a new instructor and have never looked back. In just a few lessons, she has made such a huge difference to my attitude and understanding of riding that I know I will make such great progress with her. To top off a great few jumping lessons, Toffee and I also made a name for ourselves in the monthly horse magazine Your Horse. I got to tell my story in their special confidence-centred issue and help other riders in similar situations. I even got a double page spread!

6. My 21st Birthday weekend

Turning 21 in styyyyle. Yes, I now feel old at uni, and yes, I probably need to start making life plans. But for now, I am enjoying my half-birthday as a 21-year-old who is generally having such a great time.

7. Venice

Even if I could have dreamt of the most perfect getaway for my 21st birthday, it wouldn't have topped the trip mum and I took to Venice in September. It was so so memorable and was the most amazing present my family could have given me.

8. Running 5k

Bearing in mind I only took up running properly last October as a huffing and puffing, could barely run 100 metres novice who really likes food, this has to be a huge landmark in my achievements this year. I ran my first 5k with the running club at uni in November in just over 25 minutes! I was aiming for around 30-35 minutes, so you can probably imagine how elated I was when I saw my result. I think I can class myself as a proper runner now!

9. Back with the Equestrian Club

Being back as Vice President of the Equestrian Club is a dreeeaaam. It's nice to still be a member of the committee without the pressure of Presidency and we have some great new members this year. The rosettes above were two of three I got on our Christmas fun day and our socials so far have been huge successes- it's great to be back with like minded horsey people and to see the club growing so much!

10. Christmas with my grandparents

For the first time since I can remember, my Nana and Grandad spent Christmas with us! My Grandad is 90 years old in May and my Nana is 82 and we thought it was high time we all spent the holiday season together. They live up north so transport has always been the problem but mum and I shared the drive so they could spend five days over Christmas with us, and it really was so special to have them there.

Thank you to everyone who has made this year so incredible... 

Here's to 2015!! Happy New Year!

Birthday celebrations!

I've had a crazy past couple of weeks, but it's definitely not something to complain about! It's been a whirlwind of birthday fun and holidays/work with a lot of riding thrown in too!

My celebrations started on Sunday, the day before my birthday and my family took me to a very nice restaurant for lunch where I had a quinoa, roasted aubergine salad followed by a chocolate tart for dessert. The food was delicious and, although it was obvious to us that we were out celebrating, the staff obviously twigged too so when I got my dessert, I got a super cute surprise birthday message!

With my brother having our meal out

I spent my actual birthday out on a birthday ride and then had a lovely afternoon tea in the gorgeous sunshine. I drank lots of wine/champagne, ate (too much) good food, galloped across fields and opened some fantastic presents. One of which was this beautiful thing on which I am currently typing- a Macbook Air. It happened. I took the plunge (after so much deliberation that mum ended up just dragging me into the Apple Store) and I have to say I do not have a single regret. I've officially become an Apple whore, but it's awesome. I also got some lovely pieces of jewellery, and the most exciting thing- VENICE! I'm counting down the days until my biggest 21st birthday present in the form of a 4 day break with mum to this beautiful city.

Birthday lunch, 'scuse the ambulance- nobody was harmed!

I also celebrated with my gorgeous girls (minus one- we missed you!) over the weekend and we had the most wonderful weekend country retreat. We started off with afternoon tea and a BBQ on the Friday, and headed into Cambridge on the Saturday to go punting. We booked a private tour with Let's Go Punting (who were fantastic- full of banter and interesting facts and made for a great trip, find their website here). We took along a bottle of champagne and made some chocolate-covered strawberries in the morning to have a classy little picnic on board. This was followed by some shopping, and lunch at Harriet's tea rooms, which as always, lived up to expectations. Then we returned to mine to have a cocktail night with more champagne. It all made for a fabulous weekend. I had such a wonderful time.

Punting with champagne!

Giving it a shake!

As for the birthday cake, I decided to have cupcakes made in a cute vintage style which were so so yummy and absolutely perfect! There rates were very reasonable considering the quality of the cakes and they were perfectly decorated so if you're thinking of having some cakes made, seek her out! They were made by a lady in the Cambridgeshire area, and you can find her website here: http://www.thesweetkitchen.co.uk/

My lovely cupcakes, plus an extra 12 mini cupcakes too!

A day after my friends left, I was getting ready to jet off again to the South of France for my job as an Au Pair for two weeks! So I really haven't had that much room to breath but it's been a fab few weeks and now I have to whole of summer to make more memories before Venice, and then going back to university at the end of September!