Poland

Posting this almost a year after the trip is impressively slow even for me. You'd have thought that during a year spent mainly locked down and with limited socialising I'd have found time to write this but hey ho, here we are.

Back in January, when covid was merely a word I'd seen on a news story that seemed a world away from my life, meg, katie and I embarked on a little holiday in our inter-semester break to Poland. We had originally planned to go to Russia but flights were too pricey, and we found a cheap deal flying from Bristol to Warsaw and back from Krakow.

We all knew we wanted to go to Krakow and Auschwitz, but thought a week might be too long. After a little googling we opted to visit Warsaw too while we were in the area x We knew that they were famous for their Christmas markets but hoped we'd find stuff to do in January, other than be extremely cold at all times

Due to flying Ryanair we opted to travel without check-in bags, and so each had a small rucksack with our possessions for the week. All of the bristol airport staff spoke to us in Polish which threw us off, turned out the flight was almost entirely Polish nationals popping home and they were surprised English people were off to Warsaw. We started to worry that we were going somewhere obscure, but it was all good. 

WARSAW

When we arrived in Warsaw we took a taxi from the airport to our air bnb for £16.90, and were all extremely excited at how cheap everything was, a theme which continued throughout the trip. 

What to do:

We visited a questionable art gallery because it was either very cheap or free. Most paintings featured someone naked with obscure genitals, but it was worth it to get out of the cold.

The main square was so pretty, and we tragically utilised the cheaper versions of western shops. I had a debate about a coat and pretty sure we dedicated approx a whole afternoon to it in h&m. sorry meg and katie.. The streets were cute and cobbled and there were lots of bars. There were still Christmas lights up despite it being January, and overall it was just very sweet

Uprising museum- We went to the uprising museum to learn about Poland in WW2. It was very interesting and cheap entry, but the layout of the museum made no sense and we learnt about it all backwards. Probably our fault tbf x

Light show- We went to the Royal Garden of Light show and omg it was so nice! It was truly really pretty and a lovely way to spend an evening, though we were so cold after walking around we ended up in a random restaurant just for warmth. Would very much recommend

Walking tours- We did a lot of walking tours while in Poland, but in Warsaw we just did a Jewish quarter one. It was so interesting to learn about and see the ghettos, but as I keep saying, really cold.

Ice skating- We went ice skating in the main square, it was outrageously cheap. The locals were amazing, and there weren't many tourists there other than some Ryanair cabin crew. It was perfectly located near some bars ready for a post ice skating bev

Dumpling class- This was rated as a top attraction air bnb and trip advisor so we did it. The class was run by the lady who owned our air bnb and although pricey this was so much fun! We made pierogi, a Polish dumpling, and we made vegan ones. They were delicious and we ate a concerning amount. The class was in a group with other tourists and was genuinely so fun, and really cool to meet other people

What to eat:

We cooked a bit in our air bnb, as supermarkets are cheap and we had our own kitchen. Poland generally wasn't amazing for vegans. That said, we had some nice food.

Falafel Beirut- There are a lot dotted round with excellent vegan options. I had such a yummy falafel wrap mmmm

Bar Max and Dom Whisky- We went to this really cool bar where the cocktails were amazing and so extra. I had a pina colada and then proceeded to eat all of the fruit like some rabid bird.

I also found a vegan bakery where I got some pastries to take away, and an amazing cake shop where I had vegan cheesecake and coffee mmmm

How to get around:

We used uber a lot as it was so cheap, walked excessively despite the cold and also used Lime once. They're electric scooters you can hire, I was obsessed and went way too fast. If you're not living on the edge you're taking up too much room xx

To get to Krakow we took a Flix Bus. This was traumatic as our uber to the station where it left from got stuck in loads of traffic, and our ETA got later and later. It dropped us off in the wrong place and we ended up sprinting to the bus, Meg having to take her inhaler. Other than that the bus was absolutely fine and a bargain.

Where to stay:

In Warsaw we stayed here. It was a lovely air bnb, a bit hard to find on our first day but in a great location and a bargain.

KRAKOW

What to do:

Walking tours- God we loved a walking tour. You can pay what you want, and these were genuinely really cool. My favourite was the macabre one where we learnt about notorious murders and creepy stories, bc I'm morbid lol x

Wawel Royal Castle- We visited the castle and did an audio tour which was okay but probably too detailed for my short attention span. It was however very pretty and I took excessive photos (shock)

Auschwitz- From Krakow we did a day tour to Auschwitz. It was as sad, interesting and hard to comprehend as I had expected. 

St Mary's Bascillia- The most beautiful church, the inside was just amazing to look at and these photos don't capture that

Salt Mine- Lol we had a bad experience doing this. Everyone told us how great it was so we went with high hopes, annoyed that it was more expensive than we wanted to pay. We were the last tour of the day and were literally rushed round with our group. There was an optional bit of the tour at the end which we wanted to do but the tour guide advised us not to, I'm fairly certain it was so that she could go home. Overall it was cool to see and hopefully we were alone in having to practically sprint around. We also visited some tiny little palace thing nearby? Not even sure what it was but we got a nice photo of it lol

We also did park run, which I imagine isn't everyone's idea of fun on holiday but hey we had a great time

What to eat:

Again, some questionable cooking in the air bnb helped us through tbf and had a lot of bread rolls with some vegan sliced ham i found in tiny supermarkets- what a win

I was very excited to find coconut milk in a cafe but angry it was a whole extra £1!! Still fuming 11 months on x

I reeeeeally wanted to try Chimney cake and they sell vegan ones around Krakow, however it was sold out when we arrived :(  We did find some adorbs cafes for vegan coffee and cake though so cannot complain

Taco Mexicana- This was yummy, cheap and had vegan options, i love mexican food

We also found a lot of cheap bars (always a winner amirite) for drinks and staying warm. Have I mentioned it was cold x

Where to stay:

We had another great air bnb, which we had been concerned about as it was so cheap. Turned out be great, here's the link

How to get around:

We managed to navigate taking the public bus to the salt mines but didn't have the right change to buy tickets and were so nervous I'd started to plan a life in Polish prison. Not even sure how we resolved this but it worked out okay

Everywhere else, I'm pretty sure we walked or took ubers. The perks of writing this months later x

Writing this has made me miss holidays even more than before, hopefully before long we'll all be back on a Ryanair flight cringing as the other passengers clap as the plane lands

Laura x

Love will tear us apart: a brief guide to my romantic history

At the ripe old age of 23, I feel a strange sense of urgency to settle down. Due to a gap year and a 4 year uni course, I'm graduating after most of my peers. The idea of starting a career, moving, and having to meet a whole load of new people was scary enough before the pandemic, and now even more so. Just to add to that, before entering a period of indefinite lockdown, I found myself newly single, and was gripped by a feeling that I was lost which began to drive me insane. I had assumed I'd meet the love of my life while I was at university, and since that hasn't been the case, it feels like there's a rush to make sure that I find "the one" and am ready to settle down when I enter my 30s, by which point I will be armed with a newborn, and a newfound love of aperol spritz.

So much of my life has been spent thinking about men, which possibly makes me the worst feminist ever. I worry about how they perceive me, whether they are attracted to me, how I can get and keep a nice, stable, long term boyfriend. I sometimes wonder if I'm being too picky, but then again, one of the few men I've met from dating apps was a proud Trump supporter who slept in his parent's living room, and had 13 cats. Even he seems to be having more luck in the dating department than me. Perhaps I am simply destined for a life of settling for someone I'm not 100% sure of, and should just invest in some animal fur allergy medication. 

I think my lack of luck in love hit me hard when I was 16. Prior to that point, I'd pretty much always got what I wanted. Not in a brattish way- I never did get that sand moulding kit or nail art set I circled every Christmas in the Argos catalogue. But when I tried something new I managed to achieve it, whether it was getting into grammar school, convincing my parents that I needed another hamster, or getting a job in a bakery (probably because I'd accept £5 an hour as an excellent wage). So when the first boy I kissed wasn't immediately infatuated by me, and in fact, didn't even message me afterwards on Facebook, I quickly realised that situations involving boys were a bit more complicated than the world of girl's school school reports, and I was not guaranteed an A every time. 

My first relationship has probably shaped my outlook on both love and life more than I really expected. It was messy to say the least. I didn't question the fact that we didn't put a label on the nature of "us" for 6 months, and I felt like it would be extremely wrong of me to ask, to check we were on the same page, for fear of losing him. This quickly became a theme for how I approached all romantic encounters- if you ignore problems, they will solve themselves. The ending of that first relationship was bad. Being cheated on by the first boy to tell me he loved me felt like every negative thought I'd ever had about myself had just been permanently confirmed. It was as if every concern I'd had that I was unlovable was true, and everyone knew it, and as I spent days and weeks crying in the kitchen while I waited for the kettle to boil, or as I walked home from the bus stop after a night out with my friends, a cloud-like feeling of emptiness came over me. I think the whole experience left me a kind of bitter that I was not before. 

I spent the next year single, making the occasional questionable choice that just became a story to laugh about later. But the feeling that I had had something and lost it was one that I struggled to move beyond. Questions entered my mind: why did my friend's boyfriends love them more than mine had loved me? Why had I spent the whole relationship being unsure if I was in love, or what love even was? Was there something wrong with me, that meant he had to find love somewhere else, and was this going to happen when I was in relationships in the future?

A few months after this bad first break up I remember vividly sitting in the back of a friend's car on the way home from a party, and the guy sitting next to me showing me a note he'd written on his phone. "I fancy her so much" it said, referring to our female friend sat in the passenger seat. I smiled, feigned happiness for them both, then cried into my pillow when I got home. This kind of reinforcing experience repeated itself; a couple of years later, a bartender waited until my friend went to the toilet then came to ask me if she was single. Multiple people have matched with me on Tinder, purely to ask if my friend in the fifth photo was available. A guy I knew well once joked that I was probably a 7/10. These occasions just felt like confirmation that I was destined to take on the "ugly friend" role; one which I had seemingly forgotten I'd auditioned for.

Not look after the first break up I discovered the world of casual relationships- perhaps in an attempt to fill the void that the first relationship had left. I quickly realised that they are not fulfilling. What seems fun and exciting at first, and what I convinced myself was less hassle than a full blown relationship, actually turned out to feel a lot like watching the guy you thought you were going home with kissing someone else in front of you, and a lot like no one else actually wanting to kiss you either, ruining your plan to somehow 'get even'. It also felt like never being sure you'd get a text back, and also being permanently sad that you couldn't do nice coupley things like go for brunch, because that would definitely not be casual, and definitely show that inside you just wanted someone to cuddle for the rest of your life. I was much less carefree and cool at 19 than I'd let anyone believe. 

I was wildly optimistic for university, expecting love to just waltz right into my halls. And in a way it did. During my four years at university I was in 2 relationships, which shaped my experience of the place, and showed me the joys of being half of a pair with someone else. Being introduced as "my lovely girlfriend" to people made me feel like I finally had a title. Yep, that's right. This crippling social anxiety might make me seem shy and nervous, but now that we're all aware that I am actually worthy of affection because someone's chosen to be with me, I must actually be more exciting than I'm coming across. I liked the comfort and routine of having someone to eat dinner with, someone to bring cereal to in bed in the morning, and someone to meet up with for breaks from the library. 

But even while in these relationships, I found it daunting to know that it would either end in a life together, maybe marriage and kids, one of us dying prematurely, or, the only alternative: we'd break up. The thought scared me constantly. I'd sometimes look across at the boy sleeping next to me, trying to imagine if we'd be producing offspring and going on holidays to France in a sweaty car, and later going on trips on coaches to the seaside all wrinkly and grey, or if we would not. We'd be strangers who'd cried together, laughed together, and seen quite literally all of each other, but one day we might say an awkward hi if we saw each other in the street, then message the group chat to discuss how painful the encounter was, for our friends to shower us in sympathy and say they never liked him anyway. And the answer was of course, the latter. I have been thrown back into single life, existing as a one, twice in the last 18 months.

I miss weird things after break ups. I remember obscure things in too much detail and feel like they constantly replay in my head. I miss their family liking photos on Facebook. I miss their pets. I miss specific foods we ate together, and the familiarity of someone knowing exactly how you like your tea, or which sweets you'd choose in the 3 for £1 deal (cola laces, by the way). I miss thoughtful actions like someone surprising you with ice cream they thought you would like, or being able to pick out a gift for someone based on something they mentioned in a conversation months ago. 

In my 20s, I feel as if everything is oriented around romantic life. As a teenager my little girl gang was very much the centre of my universe. Yes, we still wanted boyfriends. We used to play a game called "never would I ever" because we hadn't been within about 3m of a male outside of our family since starting year 7. We'd confess to whether we'd hypothetically have sex on a second date, or if we'd date someone 5 years older than us. It felt like everyone's first romantic encounters were happening to us all. I'd live vicariously through all my friend's first kisses. We'd sit in sixth form assembly on a Monday morning providing updates to anything that had happened over the weekend, and there was an element of competitiveness, not to be the last to participate in this new found territory of experience.

It's somewhat inevitable that when your friends gets into a relationship, the friendship changes. I noticed one year that when we tried to arrange meeting up as a group of girls, someone mentioned that everyone was welcome to bring their romantic partner. As a single person I felt like a toddler throwing her toys out of the pram by being internally bitter that I had just hoped that it would be the girls. I wasn't even 100% sure why. After my first break up, and possibly even before, I felt like every couple were bragging. That their happiness was not genuine, but rather a display, to remind me that I had not achieved what they had. Making small talk with people's boyfriends as a single person sometimes makes me feel childish, and as if I am constantly wearing a badge which says "I can't make a relationship work, so I've probably got some major flaws which you and your partner don't have".

Being a one feels a bit tragic sometimes. That was, until I recently read Dolly Alderton's Everything I Know About Love, and felt as though my life had changed forever. She makes the very valid point that who you meet, how they treat you, whether you both want the same things at the same time- it's just luck. It's purely down to chance. Your friend might meet the person she marries at 13. Another friend might be the greatest person you know and still be single, dating weird men who shouldn't be allowed to reproduce anyway, at 30. You can scroll through tinder for hours, and still swipe left on someone you'd actually fall in love with if they just hadn't picked that photo where they're holding the giant fish they caught.

The most fulfilling and rewarding relationships I have experienced have been platonic. Break ups make me feel like someone has ripped my heart out of my chest, stamped on it repeatedly, and then left it for me to try and repair. But I have never had to do that repairing alone. I have always been surrounded by the kindest, most patient friends to get through those times. Friends who will drop round presents at my house when I'm crying on the sofa. Friends who will text me in the morning daily for weeks after to ask how I'm doing. Friends who will listen and reply to the 7 minute long voicenotes of me tearfully describing the phone call me and an ex have had. Friends who will consistently and unrelentingly hate the boy I'm crying over, even if I repeatedly tell them that he didn't really do anything wrong. Friends who will take photos of me laughing and having fun purely to try to prove that I'm doing okay. Friends who will remind me to delete the photos, and the messages, to block his number, but who will stay support me when I admit that I've spoken to or seen him again, albeit sometimes through gritted teeth.

It has taken me a long long time to come to terms with the fact that it is okay to be single. I really like the quote "I'm fucking gold, but if you prefer silver, that's okay". Someone else's inability to love you like you deserve to be loved is not a flaw on your part. You do not need to change how you are to somehow make yourself worthy of another's affection. It's easy to reflect on all the "what ifs" after a failed relationship and wonder how maybe, if you could have acted differently, something might have worked out. But you have to stop wondering at some point. Relationships are a two-way commitment, and your love alone is not enough to save them. Everyone is going through life at a different pace, and if someone is not ready to commit to you, you can't force them to, and you shouldn't.

Instead, you should make plans with your friends. Do all the coupley things you had planned to do with a partner with them. City breaks with friends are just as fun. As are beach holidays. As are date nights. Your friends can learn exactly how you like your tea, and you can buy your friends ice cream that you knew that they would like. Your friend's family can comment on pictures of you on Facebook. As a single friend you get to do weird things, like meet up with strangers from Tinder which leave you with obscure stories and answers in games of Never Have I ever. You get to sleep in the middle of your double bed, and wake up exactly when you want to. You don't have to check that your partner is having a good time at the party you brought them to where they don't know anyone. You don't have to argue over whether they message you enough. You don't have to watch them play COD with their friends, or pretend to be interested in a boring sports match on TV. You can leave social events whenever you want to. The best encounters and friendships in clubs definitely occur in the girl's toilets, anyway. And climbing into your friend's bed after a night out and discussing all the ridiculous things which happened the night before is actually more entertaining than waking up next to a random you met in a club.

And with time, you will meet people who you want to be with. And it may or may not work out. And the same will happen to your friends. The most stable couple you know might decide that it just isn't working any more. Your single friend who screams when any man approaches her and who views men as the enemy might end up all loved up and ready to reproduce before you. And that's okay. It's not a race. In the same way that the big rush to have your first kiss turned out to mean nothing, so does this. You are still attractive, and funny, and intelligent, and worthy of love and affection whether your facebook bio says single or in a relationship. And if he's got 13 cats, have some fucking self respect and book an uber home.

Platonic love is consistent, and it's stable. It can involve going months without seeing someone and knowing, every time, that you still have the same connection and familiarity as if you'd seen them every day. Platonic love leaves you laughing until your stomach hurts and until you're crying, making the same shitty jokes and still finding them funny. It's being able to discuss your first period, or whether or not you should shave your arms, or wax your upper lip. It's doing drunken karaoke to abba or britney spears and not feeling at all embarrassed to know all the words. It's not the same as romantic love, and it doesn't try to be. It's different, but it's important, it's valid, and it doesn't leave you on read, or crying yourself to sleep wondering why you weren't good enough. When I told one friend I'd been dumped, she just replied "girls are better anyway. men are just penises on a stick", and if you take nothing else away from this blog post, please take away that.

Lessons I have learnt over the last 6 years:
1. If he wants to text you, he will.
2. If he's having doubts, it's probably time to call it a day.
3. Whatever you need to do to get closure, do it. Even if your friends think it's a bad idea.
4. If he doesn't want to tell people about you two- to his friends, to his parents, to anyone- It's a big red flag, and you should exit the situation immediately.
5. You can't ignore the small things. Because they keep adding up to a very big thing. Address them as they happen. If you can't resolve them, realise that now.
6. Effective communication is at the heart of every successful relationship, romantic or platonic.
7. Always pee after sex.
8. Your friends not thinking he's fit is irrelevant. Unless you want them to sleep with him, too. In which case, you've probably struggled to relate to any of this blogpost.
9. After a break up, move all of your photos together to a folder on their own, and store it on your laptop. Opt to "see less" of them on Facebook. Mute them and their friends on Instagram. Archive your conversations.
10. It does get easier. You do think about them less. Being told this at the time is not helpful because it doesn't feel true, but it really, 100% is.
11. Cry. Whenever you feel like crying. It helps. Even if you're crying all the time. Even if you have to keep drinking water to prevent dehydration. Let it all out. It's healthy.
12. Being a cool single aunt who is mysterious, elegant and always on holiday is a big vibe and how I'm always trying to be, anyway.
13. If Jennifer Aniston can get over Brad Pitt, you can get over anyone.

Laura x

Nostalgia

I finally got round to making a compilation video from clips of my trip to Asia last summer

The video features India/Bali/Java/The Philippines and the song is Sirens by Icarus

Making this has made me very nostalgic, and I can't wait until all of this is over and I can once again be living out of a backpack, seeing and learning about new places, climbing mountains, eating street food, taking night buses and trains and feeling a mixture of carefree and alive (sorry to get all cringe lol)

Laura x

Being Sane in Insane Places: Life Under Corona

Okay, just a disclaimer. I'm not tryna be an influencer, and I'm not here to preach about productivity and sourdough and yoga (well maybe a bit, i really rate sourdough). But essentially, I'm not long into isolation, and with some questionable mental health already starting to kick in, I thought I'd share some tips with you about how I'm trying to stay as sane as possible through this crazy time.

I also wanna say that this post is mainly aimed at students who are now stuck at home with work to do, rather than those (ANGEL) frontline workers. I know you ain't got time to be making sourdough, u da best. For anyone else, we staying home for them. I don't care how much you wanna see your pals, people in intensive care wards will be choosing which patients to prioritise for ventilators. You can live without what you're choosing between, other people can't.

ALSO - i've tried to link everything that i mention where possible. i am rubbish at using this website, so idk how to show that stuff is linked, but most names etc. are!!!

1. JUST COPING IS GOOD ENOUGH

If you're spending the majority of your time atm in bed, wearing pyjamas which have started to smell, resembling some kind of wild animal, and seeing yoga and making sourdough as a world away, that is SO OKAY.

This is a VERY WEIRD TIME.

Everyone feels uncertain and confused to different degrees, and if ur struggling and not being productive and feeling like a bit of a mess, don't panic. U got dis. Just make sure ur eating, staying hydrated, and even getting outside to get a lil vitamin D. don't stress. You don't have to be your most productive self rn, and there will be some netflix and podcast recommendations later in the post xo Try and eat right, try and communicate how you're feeling to those around you.

YOU WILL BE OKAY. And if it's stressing u a lot, try and ignore the news

2. GET THEM ENDORPHINS

Right so you've made it out of bed, but you can't stop worrying about that little old lady whose elbow you knocked in the aisle in Lidl, and your thoughts are mainly Sims 2 related, and you haven't spoken to another human in some time. Who the fuck wants to do exercise now????
Well, it might seem like the worst idea since the start of time, but once you've got some dopamine cruising through your brain and you're a sweaty mess with bits of dirt from the carpet stuck to the skin on your stomach, you'll start to wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

BUT WHERE TO BEGIN?

I've spent a concerning percentage of my life at gym classes, and will be eagerly queuing at the door the day they re-open. In the meantime, YouTube is your friend. Instagram at a push, too. Also we still got our one exercise outing a day, and I am loving using this for a morning walk atm. Just avoiding everyone else like the plague (err quite literally)
(I just wanna say though- it's so fine if you don't wanna work out. A lot of people don't work out usually, and it's so chill if it's not your thing, even if your instagram feed suggests everyone you've ever met is prepping for a summer six pack. Personally if i don't move enough i start to go insane, but like i said, personal pref !!)
My personal favs are:

Blogilates

This woman is amazing, and year 9 Laura used to do her workouts before school. A lot of them are apartment friendly (so not jumping or loud noises involved), equipment free but also still get your heart rate up. Such a good variety in length. I recommend the 100 workout if you just want a quick burner, the 1000 if you're feeling like a machine, and they're all just a fab way to procrastinate any other tasks

Joe Wicks aka The Body Coach

What a man. Maybe it's partly that I am just very much in love with him, but his workouts are SO GOOD. I love the HIIT style, and the fact that they're about 20 minutes. Nothing more intimidating than committing to a workout over 30 minutes- you think I'm willing to sweat and be in pain for that long?! Well, I probably am to be honest, but it's much nicer in a 20 minute chunk, and if you're feeling particularly adventurous, you can do 2! Most of his don't require equipment, but a couple do if you're lucky enough to have weights around the house. I don't have favs to recommend but they are all good!!

Yoga with Adriene

Okay, I promised no yoga but here we are. Cardio isn't for everyone, and I feel like this is prime time to get hella flexible. My favourite party trick is my ability to do the splits, which is probably because some joint or ligament somewhere has popped out and requires medical attention, but hey ho. This is my fav channel, because some of the workouts are so short! The in-bed yoga is my fav, and particularly good if you're struggling to sleep with all the impending doom occurring outside (CUTE). She also has meditation videos if that's your jam.

3. MAKE SURE YOU'RE FULFILLING YOUR BASIC NEEDS

All I want to do atm is stay in my pyjamas and eat the contents of my cupboard. BAD IDEA- mainly just bc there are food shortages and all the good snacks might be gone when u go to do ur essential shop.

I personally don't believe you need to dress like you're going to an office every day, but do try to make sure you're doing simple things like brushing your hair and teeth and if you're feeling especially fancy: SKINCARE.

Now's the time to be piling on those face masks, exfoliating, toning, all that shit. Gonna come out of isolation a dewey queen, amirite.

Personally, the things that are helping me feel like i'm in "work mode" are:
-wearing a bra
-wearing jeans every day

(plus other clothing lol) just bc they are two things which I wouldn't relax in. For the first few days I was living the pj life and doing a solid 0 uni work. I'm not doing much more now, but this has stopped me popping back to bed for a nap every 10 seconds.

4. FUUD

Also, make sure you're eating normal things!!! The other morning I had half of my birthday cake for breakfast. A healthy choice, I think. Something that truly keeps me sane is eating the same kinda thing every day, and while cake for every meal is fun, it's not sustainable for the forseeable future, especially when you gotta be boosting your immune system. You don't need to be on that acai bowl, massaged kale and courgetti salad bs, just try and cover the food groups. And if you normally take supplements (yeah vegans am looking at u) keep it up.

Here are my fav simple recipes which can easily be adapted and simplified based on what u have in the house:

-Peanut noodle stir fry

-Satay massaman curry

-Vegan fajitas (you don't need a recipe for these lol but thought i'd throw one in

I also make a lot of soup and have it for lunch every day- filling and easy with some breeeead. Just sautee an onion and some garlic in some oil (real nice and sizzly) and add veggies, season, veggie stock, add water and leave to simmer on the hob. Blend if that is an option for ya My fav variations are:
-a mushroom one which is baso a punnet of sliced up mushrooms + coconut milk
-tin of tomatoes, a load of red lentils
-a whole bag of sliced + chopped up carrots

But essentially just try and eat good, and also get creative with what you have in your cupboards. When you do need to go food shopping, plan for meals instead of just buying random components. Stick to a list, it will make yours and everyone's lives easier.

Also use this website to list what u have and it gives u recipes!! ur welcome

ALSO BAKING IS SO FUN. you can make super simple flatbreads using just flour and water, or now is ideal time to whip up a sourdough starter!!! Lol. You can just do it with flour and water I'm p sure, but the easiest recipe I could find was this. Thank me later sourdough is THE ONE.

If you're lacking in ingredients here's a load of cheap recipes, some of which have like 3 ingredients. We eating good in this pandemic, amirite x 

5. MAINTAIN SOCIAL CONTACT EVEN IF IT'S NOT FACE-TO-FACE

Some of you may be on lockdown where u don't wanna be, and that's p shit. When u feel sad that ur not with your best pals or cuddling your dog, try and think of why we're doing this!!
There are lotsa people who won't survive this. Whilst we get to look at it as a weird time, getting bored of seeing the same faces in the kitchen and running laps around the garden, the reason we're all doing this is for the people who are either working in or lying in the beds of ICUs, so kick back, download House Party, and at some point, TikTok, and roll with it.
Ideas for fun ways to be creative with social distancing:

-KAHOOT- my housemate made an AMAZING quiz for my isolation birthday party, where we sent her embarrassing confessions and she made them into multiple choice quiz questions. You're gonna get very close with whoever you're isolating with, so you might as well speed up the process by sharing your bodily fluid-related tales over a fun game xoxo

-HOUSE PARTY- Okay literally everyone is on it, including my parents. But it's basically just an app which allows you to group facetime, and also do games like Heads Up with that one housemate that abandoned you (not bitter at all) x x x

-CALL YOUR GRANDPARENTS !!!! Okay lol this isn't the most creative suggestion, but if you've got any elderly relatives or family friends who you think might benefit from a friendly chat or check in every once in a while, now's your chance. They might not be aware of how to download houseparty, so we gotta keep them entertained

-GOLF BATTLE- I can't believe I'm including this in a blog post, but a great app for playing golf with all your friends xoxo lol i love being cool !! 

6. STICK TO A ROUTINE IF U CAN

I bloody love following a routine. I rate structure. I even like organised fun. Basically, I'm a great time all round!!!! But for real, if you can feel your mental health taking a hefty dive deep towards some sweet sweet ~isolation depression~ try and give urself some structure!! Whatever works for u, but i love having a reggy sleep pattern, eating meals at a consistent time and planning for lotsa breaks and activities. DON'T PANIC if you're not you're usual productive organised self. We're here for a long time (not a good time, lol) so you can take them breaks. Think of all that commuting, both to uni and to the pub, which will no longer be occurring. I reckon a 20 minute break for every 20 minutes worked will balance it out xoxo

The main fav things which are keeping me from going fully mental atm are my daily exercise walk (the only time i'll be thanking boris for anything) and every night at 8 me and my housemates watch a film on netflix. the rest of the day feels a bit like filling the time between those two things xo

Here's my structure lol in case u are interested in my WILD isolation life!!!!
7.50- WAKEY WAKEY clothe and make coffeeeee
8.10- leave the house with coffee and go for my state-approved exercise outing
9- return home and eat brekkie
9.20- a bit of half-hearted uni work
11- workout time xoxo
12- shower, clothe, and most likely eat lunch
12.40 - half- hearted uni work round two
3/3.30 - break in the garden with my housemates
3.50/4 - half-hearted uni work/golf battle/watching everyone who goes past the house out of boredom
6.30- start makin dinner
7.30- last attempt at half-hearted uni work
8- Movieee and generally doing very little
10.30- go to bed - lol there's not a lot to stay up for in a pandemic xoxo

7. TRY SOMETHING NEW/ DO NICE THINGS

This is prime time for doing something weird. I'm tempted to get a fringe just bc if it looks as shit as i'm anticipating, i don't have to see anyone for a while. I was also planning to:
-get really flexible
-learn to bake great bread
Well, i haven't stretched at all in isolation (excluding post-workout, am not here for those DOMS) and i made one great loaf last night, so i'm p sure i'm done with those aims.
But for real, one of my friends has decided it's time to start crocheting, i wanna do a teeny bit of yoga at some point, and yeah it's just time to read that book you've been putting off, listen to that podcast, watch that film, etc etc. I've also rediscovered my Nintendo DS, and ngl, Cooking Mama is even better than I had remembered.

Here are my recommendations for tings:

BOOKS

For reading I recommend the Kindle App, books are cheap and you won't get corona from them!! Also save the trees.
I hardly read when I'm at uni and when I do read I just download cheap stuff off the Kindle app, but I love The Rosie Project, Shantaram, Lion/A Long Way Home, Behind Closed Doors, This is Going to Hurt, The Body Keeps the Score (ok this one is probs only interesting if u like psychology/trauma)

PODCASTS

I listen to Podcasts on Spotify. They are ideal for listening to on that daily exercise walk if u have premium bc you can download them. 

I bloody love true crime (don't @ me i know it's weird) and my favourite podcast ever is My Favourite Murder but I also like Crime Junkie

If true crime ain't for you then The Mortified Podcast is where adults read their teenage diaries, Shagged Married Annoyed is meant to be really funny but I am yet to listen, and My Dad Wrote a Porno is a classic xo

STUFF TO WATCH

I have the attention span of a child who's eaten blue smarties so if it's made it here it's done something right. Most of these are on Netflix

SERIES: You, Unbelievable, The Stranger, Happy Valley, Sex Education (is alright everyone else loves it tho), Love is Blind (haven't even watched it), Black Mirror, The Simpsons (apparently on All 4 for the first time ever???), Gilmore Girls/Friends (lol these are two i've watched maybe a billion times over the last 13 years and have no plans to stop xo)

FILMS: Lion, About Time, Juno, Me Before You, Spotlight, The Lost Girls, Little Miss Sunshine, Lady Bird, all the harry potter films (lmao i literally have the taste of an 8 year old I know) 

Okay i can't think of anything i've ever watched but i'll add if anything comes back to me

8. DO SOMETHING GOOD

You can do some nice tings to make the world a better place!! Cute.

GIVE BLOOD - stocks are starting to get low and people still need blood. Really ain't that bad and i fuckin hate needles. Go to this website to find your nearest appointment, and u get free biscuits

BE AN NHS VOLUNTEER- you can volunteer to do loadsa stuff like picking up people's prescriptions, taking them to appointments, or calling them regularly to check up on them. Lots of local areas have similar initiatives. Sign up here!

REPORT SYMPTOMS- Use this app designed by King's College to track symptom progression and help research Corona! Super simple and easy and you only need to log when anything changes. It's called Covid Symptom Tracker

In conclusion, writing this post has been helpful to me if no one else lol. like i've said a million times, this is a strange time to be alive. be compassionate, make good choices, only go out if it's necessary. i wanna be able to look back at this time and feel like i did everything i could to not be a dickhead, and i'd like to think everyone feels the same. so yeah friends, let's make the most of it whilst also considering that just bc ur not in a risk group doesn't mean that your choices won't affect someone who is!

Laura x