Spanish Snapshots Part 1

Hello you lovely internet people, 

Just a small post today. I'm reminiscing. I always have my camera with me, Either my Canon or my Iphone. You will think you'll remember all the feelings, the views, the conversations. But after a while they fade out, you need to find a way to keep these memories alive. Every photo is like a time capsule to me. When I look at these I remember almost everything, Where I was going, who I was with, what I was doing and where I was. I've taken Hundreds, These are just a few. Enjoy.

The Streets of barcelona, a lone expedition, but I found cathedrals and cake shops. Any place with cake is a good place to me  

Valencia. Part of the Science museum's spectacular architecture. I couldn't get in to the museum because it closed early, but the building was beautiful, then I ate steak. So it wasn't all bad

This was in a Bollullos, Huelva. A small town with not much, but some beautiful secrets and, lets face, it a great name. It's pronounced Boy-uy-os

Benalmadena, near Malaga. This was the beautiful ceiling of the Casa Cultura. It was a week before I left for christmas and it was still 24 degrees. 

Palos de la Frontera. reading and throwing my friend in the sea and then realising He is bigger and stronger than me

Alicante. My friend had visited me for my birthday so she came with me to work. Alicante, Valencia, Albacete and madrid. We had wanted to go on a holiday abroad, this wasn't quite a holiday but there is something exhilarating discovering places with your best friend. Even if you've been there before, new eyes mean new discoveries

There will be more I will share no doubt. so stay tuned for some more. I love taking photos. I would say a camera is a travel essential. What are your travel essentials?
Until next time internet!

Add Segovia to your must see list.

Have you ever visited a place or lived in a country and it feels like your heart is just meant to be there? Well, that's Spain for me. 

I have travelled all over Spain and I've loved every moment and a day in Segovia and La Granja was my final stopping destination before seeing out my spanish days in Madrid. But what a beautiful place it was to end my trip.

It wasn't too far from Madrid, maybe an 1 and a half, but if you travel through the cool stunning mountains, with a chilled summer play list and an awesome travel companion it soon flies by. Lucky for me my travel companion happened to be someone who is very familiar with Segovia so knows all the best places to see and eat. Our first stop was the beautiful Alcazar de Segovia and we snuck to a quiet road behind the castle. It was so stunning it looked like a cross between a fairy tale castle and a mediterranean Hogwarts.

Ready for my hogwarts flying lesson where my other witches and wizards at?

 Second stop was inevitably was the Aqueduct. It was HUGE we saw the beginning of the structure as we were driving in and to see the main structure in the centre of Segovia was incredible. This huge aqueduct and the city its self is protected as a world heritage site and its understable it's one of the most intact roman aqueduct's left in Europe.

You can't see it here, but there are hundreds of swallows flying in and out of the arches constantly

We walked right to the top to see it from the best angle. We then walked through the city to see the cathedral and the Alcazar properly. You can see the Alcazar from the inside for a fee or just go up the Torre de St Juan ii for just €2.50, But by the time we got to the gates it was around 39 degrees and we were hungry and tired and the thought of the clime wasn't enticing us so we just sat in the shade in the cafe gardens and looked out over the city contemplating lunch. Obviously the Alcazar being a tourist attraction the cafe is extremely expensive so I recommend strolling back in to the streets to find somewhere local and if you want something delicious go to El Fogon Sefardi which sells award winning tostas. We didn't even have a sit down dinner we just stayed in the bar and ate 2, they were so filling couldn't even finish, as much as we tried. But if you want something really Segovian then have Cochinillo it's, in english terms, Suckling pig, so a baby pig normally 2-6 weeks old roasted whole. It's not my cup of tea but if it's yours then Segovia is the place to get it.

The beautiful view from the cafe next to the Alcazar

Sober these streets are beautiful, I imagine after a caña or two it could be tricky 

Segovia wasn't the only place I visited that day. I also visited La Granja, but that's a post for another time. so this is where I leave you.

Thanks for stopping by.

Zoe

xxx

Have you and your heart got a second home? comment and tell me below!!

I'm shit, but things will change

Well this is awkward isn't it. I've done it again. I'll blog regularly, she said, It wont happen again, she said. Now, like a grovelling Ex you thought you had got rid of, I'm back. This time new and improved...or so I hope.

My last post was February 2015, I was writing from the chair in the corner of my East Croydon flat probably eating pizza. Now, it is June 2016 and I am writing from my sofa in my flat on Calle Mayor, Madrid finishing an ice cream. As you can tell, things have changed. But I can say one thing, I was right, I did grow up.

So what happened? I got an acting job based in Madrid and of course, I accepted it. August 2015 I boarded my first solo flight, said goodbye to my family and flew to Madrid. Since then I have traveled almost 40,000 around Spain, bilbao to Gibraltar, Santiago de compostela to Valencia and all the places in between. I've laughed, cried, loved, lost but most importantly, I've learnt. About myself, about spain, about languages about people. You name it, I have probably learnt about it.

Sevilla

Valencia

You're probably thinking, if you went all over Spain you would have things to write about, I do and I will use the photos I have taken. But at the time it was busy, and a lot of hours in the van eating Pringles and singing along to the Radio but also a lot of hotels without wifi which just makes things difficult. But the biggest reason I stopped is because I wanted to just experience everything without worrying about finding WIFI. But now, I am about to leave Spain, and move to Austria with a few weeks in England visiting family in between. Now seems like the perfect time to document my life, share my shower thoughts and pearls of wisdom, show you my life and maybe make some friends along the way.

Bilbao

So for now I will say, Hasta Luego. I will be back soon with another post. This time, it wont be an apology.

Keep exploring, keep loving

Zoe

Growing up...ish

Well this is awkward isn't it, said I would be here weeks ago.

Well, the thing is a lot has happened. Work happened, Christmas happened, I celebrated staying alive for 22 years, That happened. Then I moved to London, got a new job and had an audition all in the space of 24 hours. You know, When Taylor Swift sang about feeling 22, I never thought she meant the feeling of lugging around suitcases on the tube and having no clue what to do when your kitchen starts filling with water from two places or just being poor in general because I don't really feel that's song worthy to be perfectly honest. But oh well, I am now in my London flat with my friends from uni which feels pretty cool at the moment. It's something I wish I could go back and tell my 11 year old self because even now I don't believe it, but doing something you wanted to do since you were little feels pretty good. Moving to London with little money in your pocket is a terrifying thing to do, and if I'm honest I feel like I'm at university at the moment so I don't think the utter horror and fear of being a grown up has properly hit. It'll probably come when the rent and bills come out next. But as for now, I'm living in one of the cities in the world, with my best friends around me and something interesting happening around every corner so I'm pretty content with my life at the moment.

NO LONGER TOURISTS!! YESS!!

Now I'm half settled and I actually have things to tell people about I will be around a lot more often I feel. I can feel your excitement from here. 

So! Until next time virtual friends!

Ozie

xx

Have you got any tips about moving to a new place? have you got any suggestions on things I could go and do in my new city? leave them in the comments below!!

[Thoughtful Thursday] - Money can't buy you friends

Hello you lovely lot!

I was thinking recently about what to write about and I was chatting to my boyfriend who was telling me about his day at work. Now he works at a music venue in London and he was telling me that the other day one of the richest men in world came in, he was by himself in terms of company but he did have his body guards around him. When he arrived he sat at the bar where he remained all night talking to the bar staff. A couple of hours in he tipped all the staff £40 and not long after another friend of mine was getting ready to end her shift and leave with a few others who were also about to finish. When the man realised that some of the staff were about to leave him he started throwing offers at them to stay, £50,£100, £1000 it went up and up, he started saying he would buy them a car if they stayed then it went to "point at a house and I'll buy it for you". These were people he had only met a few hours before.
It makes you think, so many people put so much emphasis on how much money they make, and how rich they want to be. But how much happiness do we sacrifice when we focus on how much money we want to make. This man had more money then many of us well ever earn in our lives, yet I would say if you went through your contacts there would be someone who you could rely on, to cheer you up, to come and see you, people who would be there for you weather you had money or not. We may not be able to buy strangers homes at the drop of a hat, but we have people around us who will be there for us for free, They are there for us because they love being with us. I think that's a pretty special thing we take for granted.

Having friends who will be there for you even if you tell them to dress like they're OAP's, now that's the type of friendship I love. 

 Whats got you thinking this week?

October favorites soon to come!

Speak to you soon!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Ozie

xx

Finding Happiness

Have you ever woken up and felt awful about life and feel completely empty and that your going no where in life? oh come on of course you have.

The reason I ask is because that how most of my week was. If you have looked at my blog before you my recall me being happy about a job that I was offered. It may have only been a little Barista job but I'm saving up for a place in London with my friends and I needed money and I was happy to finally have something to do. But, after starting it I realised, even after the first day, It wasn't going to make me happy. I think gut feelings count for a lot, I think you have them for a reason, and on my very first day I walked out thinking that even though they are paying me if they said I didn't have to go back I wouldn't want to. Whenever I have worked in the past, be it paid or voluntary I was always happy to go in and even do extra time if needed, but this was different. I was soon having midnight panics about going in, being on the brink of tears all by myself whilst at work and in tears as soon as I shut my bedroom door. Then last Saturday I met up with on of my best friends from home, we were having coffee and I was spilling all my work worries and hate on the table for him to endure. After finally shutting up he looked at me and said "What would you do if it was a guy who was making you feel like this and treating you this way?" I told him I would leave him. Suddenly everything became a little clearer and I was putting myself through hell when if it was anything else I would walk away and know I would feel happier. The next day I had the worst shift yet and I realised that that was enough. The job may be okay for someone else but It was making me miserable and I had to leave. So I did, the next day my resignation was handed in.The bad feelings didn't go away straight away though, I felt bad for leaving some of the girls I worked with and the thought of my manager being angry at me terrified me and I have spent time being sad about being back to having no job and feeling invisible to the world. But recently I have had time to reflect on what I was sad about and what it means in the grand scheme of life and the truth is that it wont mean that much. I am 21 and have a head full of dreams and a heart full of love. Just because things aren't going how I like them too now doesn't mean they always will, I am going to have so many more things go on in my life and this is going to be nothing but a lesson when I look back. I am going back to Yoga, back to Reading, back to dreaming and exploring. We have to do what makes us happy and when we aren't happy we have to remind ourselves what counts in the world and how important out worries really are. 

Spent Sunday in a cosy ball with a book, It's the simple things which make you the happiest

Hopefully it won't be too long until I blog again. I have a couple of product reviews up my sleeve so I shall see you then!

What makes you happy? have you had any glittery sparkly moments of clarity this week? share in the comments!

love love love 

Ozie 

xxx

So your going to Uni...

So, you have got in to university! May I join the crowd of people to who, no doubt, have already given you their congratulations. I am sure by now you have purchased all your cutlery, utensils that you may never use (some you don't know how to use), and had all your goodbye meet ups with friends and the butterflies will probably be making home in your stomach by now too. Although these are all brilliant things and obviously uber exciting I imagine you have worries and doubt in there too. But don't fear I am here to help you with all your fresher needs so listen close!

1. MAKE YOUR ROOM AS HOMELY AS POSSIBLE-  You have probably been told this a lot but honestly it makes such a difference. This is the room that you will go to when it's cold outside and the only place you want to be is at home on the sofa with a blanket. Make your space your own; posters, photos, plants, fairy lights, Blankets ect. You are given a blank canvas, make it as homely as you can. Even if it means bringing the teddy you had when you were small, sometimes it's just the comfort you need when you are low. 

   

   My Dorm room on the day I arrived at Uni
   
   
   

2. KEEP YOUR DOOR OPEN- if only for the first couple of days. When I moved in to halls we all kept our door open we could see each other going down to the car to collect the rest of our stuff and the constant in an out led to us having small hellos and awkward 'too much stuff in the car' jokes with each member of the family. But the little meetings softened the awkwardness of real conversations. When your parents leave you will want someone to talk to, if the door is open then making new friends is so super easy. Someone in my flat and the rest of us were to affraid to knock. (Turns out he was buying us pizza anyway, which is also a good way to make friends FYI)
3. BE YOURSELF- University is a crazy time in your life and everyone wants to prove themselves. People will go overboard to make themselves popular with their new friends. But remember you can't keep it up for ever, Do what makes you happy. If it means not going out clubbing and instead putting your jammies on, ordering pizza and watching netflix then so be it. You will no doubt find some people who enjoy the same things as you and you will get on like an SU on fire. Don't panic there are best friends for everyone on university campuses.

           4. EAT WELL- My course was 40 hours a week and I would often come home and could not              be bothered to cook something so the trusty super noodles on toast. But trust me when I say,  

           veggies are your friends. It's crazy how much your diet can change your mood, your skin,                    your ability to stay focused. I know it seems obvious but the amount of bugs that go round                  halls is ridiculous and you need 

           5. USE YOUR COMMON SENSE - Getting your first taste of freedom can be brilliant, Going            out when you want, coming home when you want, not having to tell people when you will be              home, its brilliant! but keep your wits about you. There are trouble makers in every town or                city and yours wont be any different. One of my friends got mugged in freshers week because              some guys were saying he was cool and he should go and party with them, they then took his             stuff and left him in a place where he didn't know his way home. I'm not saying this to scare               you but sometimes we need reminding we are not invincible if they seem a bit strange stay                   clear. Simple.

      

          6. MAKE THE MOST OF IT!- This will be the quickest and best three years of your life. I                 would give anything to go back and I'm sure most people would. I miss the freedom, I miss my          friends, I miss our adventures, I miss the conversations we had when others were in bed and we          took our duvets to the front step to laugh under the stars without waking the house up. Blog it,            Scrap book it, take proper photos and print out. Do all you can to keep the memories alive you            will want them to look back on. Graduation will come up sooner then you think so live it as                much as you can. It's an experience you will never forget

Dress from Asos 

          

 There will probably be more things to the list but at this moment in time these are the pearls of wisdom I am passing on to my cousin who is leaving for uni on Saturday. 

Do you have any uni survival tips? What do you miss most?

Love 

Ozie 

xx