September Favourites.

It Just Wouldn't Be Right...

Ardales Lakes is one of my favourite places to visit but, no matter how hard I try, photos just don't do it justice. The water is the bluest water I've ever seen and there are so many different things to do: kayaking, paddleboarding, pedalos with slides, cliff jumping, etc. It's so much better than the beach, and not just for the amount of activities you can do, it's fresh water so you don't have to worry about salt water getting in your eyes (am I a wuss?) and there's also no sand! Seriously though, what's worse than sand? I've been determined to make the most of my time in Spain, which is why my first day back was spent at the lakes. After all, what's a family holiday without a road trip to the lakes and me getting told off for wearing a bikini that's too "revealing"? It just wouldn't be right...

Autumn Essentials & The Dream Combo.

Having spent the past year travelling and basically chasing Summer, I'm actually looking forward to some cooler weather. I don't think I could ever pick a favourite season but there is something special about Autumn: the first evening curled up in bed with a good movie, Halloween & Bonefire night, being able to wear clothes or make-up that you haven't worn in a while and, of course, seeingthe leaves change colour and watching them fall to the ground. It's the best. Of course, I probably won't be saying that in a few months time when it's so windy that I get dreadlocks and my hair sticks to my lipstick, but still... Let's focus on the positive and take a look at what I'll be digging out for Autumn.

One to Remember.

You can't fly halfway across the world, all the way to Sydney, and not visit what are quite possibly the most touristy destinations in the world: the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I wouldn't say they were my favourite places that we visited while in Sydney, but I do think that they are worth the visit, even if it's just to say you've done it. We opted not to do the bridge climb and chose instead to walk around the botanic gardens, mainly so that we could sit in Mrs Macquerie's chair (which is bloody hard to find and even now I'm certain we didn't actually find it, we were just sat on a random rock), from where we got a great view of the bridge and Opera House together. As it was Winter in Australia, the day started off pretty cold and damp, but the clouds soon burnt out and we were left in short-sleeved t-shirts, so decided to head to the Chinese Garden of Friendship. After all, Meg and I have been best friends for seventeen years, so I'd say we're qualified to go there... While we, like most, did admire the architecture and beauty of the gardens, we did also spend an hour pretending to be Mulan. Good old Disney... 

You're Taking WHAT?!

It's official: I am all packed up and off to university. Yep, this time next week I will be moving into my halls of residance, ready to start my Forensic Science and Criminology course. Though I do have two weeks of Freshers to look forward to first... Admittedly I should now be entering my third year of university, but have been putting it off to cuddle koalas and find monkeys in tropical rainforests, and it was worth every second. I was going to defer my offer for yet another year, but chose not to for fear of giving my family a heart attack. I spent the last month back at my family home in Spain, packing up suitcase after suitcase, and was amazed at just how much stuff I had packed that wasn't clothes. I want my room to feel homelike, so made sure to pack some special pieces from my room...

Travel Tips From the Only Backpacker With Two Suitcases.

Please appreciate my new nickname that my Gran very lovingly gave to me. We all know that I've done a lot of travelling this past year, but I didn't exactly do it the traditional backpacker kind of way (two pairs of pants and only one pair of shoes? No. Just no.). It all worked out well though, people would take pity on me and just carry my suitcases before me because I clearly looked like a weakling. Even so, I like to think I've managed to pick up a few hints and tips that a few of you might find come in handy...

Exploring Sydney & Meeting Ryan Gosling.

I could have included the Royal family, Rebel Wilson, Brad Pitt, Harold from Neighbours and many other celebrities in the title of this post, but the babe that is Ryan Gosling just holds a special place in my heart, and me including his name definitely wasn't clickbait... Taking a photo with a waxwork figure of someone at Madame Tussauds still counts as meeting them, right?? As well as visiting Madame Tussauds, we also visited other tourist attractions such as two different aquariums (which I liked), the zoo (which I hated and was awful) and, my personal favourite, the Sky Tower, where we were treated to a 4D cinema experience before visiting the tower itself, with 360º views of the city. We also visited Hyde Park (I swear everywhere in Australia is just named after places in England. #ORIGINALITY), the ANZAC Museum, which was incredibly moving, St Mary's cathedral, where we got to witness the joy and randomness that is Christmas in July, Cadmans Cottage (the oldest building in Sydney), and quite a few museums, my favourite thing to do when visiting a new place. My favourite was the Powerhouse museum, mainly because I'm a geek who loves anything and everything to do with Science. Who else would take a photo with a giant periodic table just because she knows it off by heart (I'm still proud of that)? They also had a fashion exhibition on at the time, meaning they were combining my two favourite things: fashion and science. It was so fascinating to find out all about Isabella Blow's work and the years she spent mentoring Alexander McQueen, even if it did come to a tragic end. 

Current Hopes & Goals + Talking About Anxiety.

It's hard to believe that there are just four months of 2016 left. I know we say this year after year, but I really do feel like time has flown. Just two months ago, I was beginning my last week in Australia, but even that trip seems like a dream, and I was there for six months! I like to think that I've achieved a lot this year: I moved out, went travelling, made new friends, reconnected with old ones, worked hard, blogged three times a week without fail... I'd say that's pretty good going, right? Even so, there are still a few other hopes and goals I'd like to achieve before the year is out...

September Wishlist: It's My Birthday!

I feel like 20, which I will be I turning in just 16 days, is an acceptable age to have a month long birthday. I don't quite know how I'll top that when I turn 21, but I'll be sure to give it a go. I absolutely adore celebrating and planning other people's birthdays, I'm just not that much of a fan of my own, mainly because the thought of getting older terrifies me. I know most people are scared about turning 30, but 20 seems just as scary. Just the thought of going from 19 to 20 seems like such a big step. I just don't want to get rid of that one, I want to hold onto it forever... Though I would still like some presents. 😎