maga

I didn't go on holiday this summer (unless you count drinking until I passed out every day at Reading festival), but in September me and my gap year buds were passing a travel agent and saw a sign for a week's all inclusive holiday in ibiza in October for £369. We joked about going but after discussing it decided it was actually feasible. Me and lauren went to the travel agent and discussed it, looked at some hotels and went back again to book it. Molly couldn't come bc of money which was sad but better to prioritise our actual travelling,espesh as we need to pay for our flights in full soon. Anyway, me and lauren went for a chat with the sweetest travel agent who described the holiday as a 'billy bargain' and showed us loads of hotels. He found some in mallorca and let us make our choice with a cup of tea (he was the best). We settled on some apartments in magaluf, as although I'm not a massively party person I do like going out and given it was the end of the season it wouldn't be too mental. We ended up paying £345 for flights from our town, transfer to and from the hotel, a room in a 4* hotel and all inclusive food and drinks for a week. 

It went really quickly in the build up to it bc of working full time, and I ended up packing the night before we left after a shift. Lauren stayed over and my dad took us to the airport for 7am where we had breakfast before flying over to mallorca. After the coach transfer dropped us off in the rain at a hotel which was closed I started to think we'd made a massive mistake coming to mallorca. But we walked to one round the corner and discovered we'd had some kind of upgrade, ironically to a hotel we'd only decided against because it was an extra £150 each. Our apartment was modern and massive with a flat screen TV. 

We went out the first night on a horrific bar crawl we were stupid enough to agree to after being pressured by some promoters. We met 2 fairly normal guys and the rest of the people were sooooo weird- in particular a group of overweight women in their 50s rocking some 'made in Scotland, destroyed in magaluf' neon t shirts; stunning. 

We spent the days lounging by the pool, reading, eating, and wandering round the town. We went to the beach most days where I swam in the sea as it was so much warmer than the pool. One night we went out for tapas at a little Spanish restaurant and cocktails at the beach which was fun. Our hotel also had a gym which we went to for half an hour or so most days and its own waterpark. It would have been more fun in summer as the water p much blinded you as you went down the slides but it was still cool.

We also went for a few wanders around the local towns, once in search for a crepe during which we were offered sex by a guy who was drunk at about 3pm (no judging here) and also just around a rural area where we found 2 cats and their litter of 8 kittens omg!!

On the second to last night we had a really good night out at an actually lively club. We met a lot of weird people, including a man of at least 70 who touched us both and some guys definitely on drugs who bought us shots who then stared at us throughout breakfast the next day. But we also met a really sweet guy who helped fend of the 70 year old and danced with us. At around 4am when there weren't many people left a guy asked me to dance, but properly dance, like spinning me round and stuff. It was very cute, and it turned out to be a nice group of guys in their 30s who were not creepy which was a very pleasant surprise. We talked and it turned out he'd travelled a lot, and he gave us a lot of advice on where to go on our gap year travels. It was very sweet.

It was such a fun week and a nice and well needed break from full time work which I am dreading returning to tomorrow, however it has made me even more excited to go travelling ahhh :))) 

Laura x

Gap yah

I think I decided to take a gap year when I was 16. A couple of my brother’s friends travelled round asia and I’d scroll through their Facebook photos while doing my gcse and get ridiculously jealous. My friends and I loosely started to plan it, and while my family considered it to be some silly vague plan that would never happen I became increasingly certain that I wanted to take a year out. While I started thinking about uni I always did so knowing I’d be going a year after I finished a levels. Me and my 2 friends who were certain on going set up a Facebook message where we’d chat and plan. I applied for deferred entry at uni and ignored my family’s fears that I’d be attacked and mugged on my travels. 

Our vague asia plans were finally narrowed down in august after we’d finished our a levels and a meeting with a travel agent. Our plan then, which still is our plan, is to travel to Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Singapore and then fly across to Australia. We’re spending 2 months in asia and 1 month in Australia. While I am beyond excited, the only downside is the fact that we’re not going until March. After finishing exams in mid June I started working full time soon after. With various expenses; going on holiday, staying with friends, general life, I’ll need to work pretty much full time in order to afford it. Our flights are around £1300, various tour things around £1500 and £4000 spending money (£1000 a month in asia and £2000 for australia).

I work in a restaurant of a hotel, doing between 35 and 60 hours a week. I have such a love hate relationship with it, but I’m not sure if I like it more or less than sixth form. I’m pretty much exhausted all the time and I’ve gained so much weight from all the free food but it’s been a really interesting experience and I’ve met lots of fab people. But I will be very happy to leave hahaha. 

It’s v weird seeing all my friends at uni, watching endless snapchat stories of freshers and seeing their new friends while I sit in the staff room counting down the hours until my next day off. I’m very glad 2 of my best friends are here bc we’re going travelling together, and I have a group of friends who aren’t at uni this year so I’m not actually alone. And being away from them has made me appreciate my friends even more. 

So yeah, this is a lil update off my gap year so far. Not exactly glamorous, but this is the boring but necessary part which I hope will be worth it when I’m travelling. I have my vaccinations next week which are a nice (could be nicer tho) reminder that it isn’t too far away!

Laura x

summer 2015

I am so behind on posting. I wish I could catch up but for now here is a little summary of a summer which consisted of a lot of tears, a lot of alcohol and a lot of working. But the rest of the time was surrounded by the best people in my life
. Most of whom have fucked off to uni :( anyway, here's a video of some of the moments I remembered to film

https://vimeo.com/138230805