Post-holiday, Pre-uni blues

Now that my lovely, beautiful, sunny holiday in Mauritius is over and my friends have all gone home after our New Year's celebrations in London, it is back to the grind of work work work, dissertation, dissertation, dissertation. And I've got to say it's thoroughly depressing. The only thing keeping me going is the thought that in just over 5 months time (on the 20th of May, to be more specific), all of this will be over. My work will be done and dusted, and all handed in, leaving me free to enjoy a few weeks of a Cornish Summer, before I (fingers crossed) head out to America to begin my Summer Camp adventure!

And after that...it's a round the world trip with my best mates. So enjoy me while you can, England, I'm gonna be gone for quite some time!

Hello, Sunshine

For Christmas I went to Mauritius with my (very extended) family...that is, my dad, my elder sister, my two younger half-sisters, my ex-stepmum, her new boyfriend, and their two-year-old (whom I consider my sister). See, I told you it was complicated.

The view from my sun lounger

Because of all the snow in London, we nearly didn't even make it there, which would have been an absolute disaster, but has luck would have it, it stopped snowing for just long enough so we could make it out of the country...we were the first flight out to Mauritius for five days! Phew...Christmas would have been lame if we hadn't been able to go - we'd already done Christmas dinner and presents and everything, so that we wouldn't have to carry extra stuff on the plane.

Anyway, after a long 12 hour flight, we arrived in hot and sunny Mauritius and quickly sorted ourselves out in our rooms at the Sugar Beach Hotel on the west coast of the island and were soon lying on the beach, soaking up some rays. It was beautiful, with white sands and blue sea, a book in my hand, and music in my ears. What more could a girl ask for?

Family Lunch

Over the week, we did nothing and everything. Everyday we'd eat ourselves silly at the buffet breakfast then play in the pool and lie on the beach before having an incredible lunch of sushi, noodles, salads, burgers, grilled sandwiches, fish...we ate it all! After all that food we thought it would be best to do some exercise, so we'd all go off to the watersports hut and go sailing or kayaking or on a pedalo. And about halfway through the week I got a quick wind-surfing lesson and went out on the sea for a few hours, using every muscle in my body to pull up that hefty sail. It was so much fun, I didnt want to stop, but when a big fish decided to sink it's teeth into my foot I thought it was time to call it a day!

Sunset over the South Pool

In the evenings we'd go for dinner in one of the hotel's three restaurants - at the main buffet they had a different theme every night, so one night it was oriental food, one was Lebanese, and of course there was Christmas dinner on the day itself. After stuffing ourselves to excellent sufficiency, we'd head over to Tides bar for some cocktails and dancing. Well, I say dancing...but I really mean that Thalia (the 2-year-old) had the time of her life dancing to the live band, while the rest of us watch on, thinking how cute she was! On some nights there were also live dance shows, ranging from belly-dancing to a traditional Mauritian dance display on our last night, a fantastic way to end our stay.

So, if anyone fancies a Christmas getaway, I would definitely recommend Mauritius. It's got everything you could want and more. But most importantly, it's not cold, grey and wet, like England!

I'm Baaaaack!

I'm well aware I've been pretty absent recently, apologies for that...life's been pretty hectic. Oh, and my laptop broke and I've only just gotten it back...a month later!

So what's been happening, I hear you cry?!

Well...where did I leave off? I was back in London after numerous holidays and fun travels and before long the monotony of being in one place was really starting to get to me. So fortunately I managed to get week's work placement at Tiger Aspect (a TV & Film production company) in the editing department, which was amazing as I got to really experience how it all works in post production and I actually got to sit in my own edit suite and play around with a cut of the BBC programme 'The Deep', as well as working with a director to put together a rough cut of a pitch video for a new show.

Tiger Aspect Avid Edit Suite

It was so much fun working there, and I really hope to go back in my Christmas holidays...it really has just confirmed that editing is definitely what I want to do after Uni, and now I'm so excited to get stuck into my final projects and just work on my craft.

I would have love to do another week at Tiger, but I'd already made plans to go with a friend to Paris the following week to see Canadian band, Stars.  Time for another adventure...but more on this another time - out escapades deserve their own post I think!

For now, I'm back in Falmouth...term has started and I'm finding that 3rd year is freakin' terrifying! On the plus side though, it'll all be over soon and then I can disappear off round the world!

Oh, and I got a car. A Seat Arosa. He's a beauty. Bucket List Number 49 - complete!

My lovely car...any name suggestions?

That's all for now. Byeeeee
x

And So It Begins

Finally my summer travels have begun, and although not quite as exciting or adventurous as it would have been had I won the STA WTI, I am just ecstatic to be going anywhere, to be moving, to be on the road.

I'm currently in Tuscany, Italy, staying in the most beautiful villa about an hour south of Florence, with my Dad and two younger sisters. It. Is. Heaven. The weather is glorious, the food delicious, and the pool is the exact right temperature - not too cold, not too warm, just perfect. Oh it's a hard life.

We've really just been doing nothing since we arrived. Just lying by the pool, reading, listening to music...mostly waiting for the next meal! And I wouldn't have it any other way. Although I think tomorrow we're going to Siena for a bit of a change of scenery.

I'm here until Friday and then it's a nice long train journey to Nice, France (I think I have to make about 3 or 4 changes...that could be interesting as I really don't speak a word of Italian. Or French for that matter. All part of the adventure I suppose!) and then on to my Grandma's house in a little village called Coursegoules, up in the mountains. It's so beautiful there, and I've been going every year since I was three, so it's kind of like a home-from-home.

And so, the journey continues...