Hilton Head Island: America's Best Kept Secret

This is one of America's best kept secret.

Hilton Head Island is a hidden gem on the east coast of the USA. It lies southwest of Charleston in South Carolina, and northeast of Savannah in Georgia.

I had the opportunity to live and work there for nearly 4 months this summer, and felt the need to share my discovery with the travel blogging community. Although it is a well known vacation destination for most Americans, Hilton Head is relatively unknown here in the UK. When I was offered the job, I had to do a lot of research of where exactly I would be living.

One thing I will highlight in this post is that I left the island with great sadness. It's beauty captivated me and made me want to return for the rest of my life.

Set in the state of South Carolina, this Lowcountry resort oozes the southern charm that the south is known for, yet it provides an escape from the buzz of the mainland and daily life.

It is surrounded by postcard perfect beaches where you could spend all day sunbathing and dipping in and out of the warm atlantic ocean. Be careful of sharks though, I happened to see many whilst out there!

The summer sun and heat makes this place a great destination to catch a tan, yet the sea breeze keeps the humidity under control for an overall pleasant climate.
Being an island, there's plenty of delicious and fresh seafood restaurants to choose from including the famous Salty Dog Cafe which is internationally recognised. If you visit there, buy a t-shirt!

The island is home to the official marine animal of South Carolina, the bottlenose dolphin, so a dolphin cruise is a must! Other island activities include paddle boarding, surfing, kayaking and the well known mode of transport, biking! The island features numerous bike paths and scenic routes for a leisurely afternoon bike ride.

Golfing plays a big part in the island, and I actually rented a villa where the golf course was literally my backyard!
It is also home to a PGA golf tournament in the Sea Pines resort. To get a fantastic view of the golf course, go up the Harbour Town lighthouse to take in the stunning views.

 You will find many beautiful houses that are owned by wealthy families here, but the island isn't expensive to vacation. Hotels like the Marriott, Omni, Holiday Inn as well as a Disney Vacation Club resort are found here. These accompany the array of bars, restaurants, shops and clubs found on the island.

Off the island, you have the chance to explore the nearby Old town Bluffton for a taste of the quintessential southern charm.
Savannah is only 45 minutes drive away and is known as one of the friendliest cities in America.
Charleston is a must to visit as well, and is only around 2 hours drive from the island.

Although you cannot fly directly to Hilton Head from the UK, you can get connecting flights that stopover in Atlanta, Charlotte and New York. I thoroughly recommend that you visit this island if you are looking for somewhere different to visit, or like many people do, you are looking for somewhere to stop off and stay on your way to Florida or the surrounding states.

A few days spent on this island will leave you feeling well rested and eager to return to the charming island that is Hilton Head.

What I learned from second year of university

Another university year is about to begin and as I'm going into my final year, I thought it would be useful to share my experience of second year. You will find lots of posts about freshers and how 'wild and crazy' it can be, but what no blog posts ever say is that first year is a good time to prepare for second year.

It was tough. That's one thing I found out. There were times when I felt down and whilst I wasn't depressed, I certainly felt lonely. It may have been my course, or it may have been the fact that my first year was amazing! Whatever it was, I'm glad to have survived second year and now i shall embrace third year as the final hurdle before finishing my education!


- Second year gets a lot harder

The first thing my course leader said was that second year is the toughest out of the 3. I couldn't understand this. Surely third year, the year that actually counts, is the hardest?

I found first year really easy and felt like it was one big catch up year so that everyone from a variety of different backgrounds is bought to the same educational level. I found that this is true, by the results of my first year exams! Plus it doesn't count so you only need 40% to pass onto second year.

However, second year isn't so easy. I found is extremely tough! So tough that I have experienced many lows. It has gotten to the point where I have considered on more than one occasion of dropping out of uni. I found that I suffered from anxiety as well, which is a first for me. There were a lot of struggles and it certainly did not live up to how good first year was.
My one bit of advice is to power through, no matter how hard it gets. If it doesn't go to plan, you still have third year to make up the grades.

- You won't want to go out as much

I have to say, I partied hard in first year. I frequently went to lectures hungover and going out 2-3 times a week was the normal thing to do. However, this changed dramatically in second year!

With the amount of work, it is impossible, but I also found that I favoured a night in watching Gossip Girl over a night out in a club. This also coincided with me actually suffering from hangovers, which I never used to get in first year. Now, it takes me a whole day to recover, and when you have mountains of work due in, it isn't the most practical idea.

On the plus side, you save a lot of money and live a healtheir lifestyle!

- You will drift away from friends

Living in halls meant you go to know so many people. You will barely speak to these people in second year! I was close to the girls in my flat, but as I didn't live with them in second year, I hardly saw them and when I did it was on a night out so was very brief.
This is just one of life's things. It is a natural occurrence and you will make so many new friends.

- The library will become your best friend

Towards the end of the year, the coursework will start to build up and you will find that staying in the library all day will become a daily occurence. Especially around exam time. You will also find that the library will get so busy that sometimes there won't be a single computer free (depending on your university).

One piece of advice I will give you is to break up your day by going to the gym/going for a walk. You will go insane staring at a computer for 8-10 hours. If you want to remain sane, make sure you do go home.
Libraries are open 24/7 but that doesn't mean you have to live their whilst exams are on, as some people do and you can smell them. Just so you know, most libraries don't have showers.

I am extremely proud of how I handled second year and my exam results surprised me. I worked hard, probably too hard, but at the same time I learnt so much about my personality and learning styles.

Now to do it one final time to complete my degree. Wish me luck!

City of the South: Charleston

Finally a blog post! I wrote this during my time in South Carolina, and have finally got around to uploading it.

I've been living here in South Carolina for nearly 3 months now, and recently had the opportunity to visit one of the well known cities of the South, Charleston.

It's previously been ranked as one of the friendliest cities in the US, and having been to Savannah already, I was expecting the same sort of vibe.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

Charleston Church

Charleston sits on it own in terms of culture and let me tell you, it's one of the best cities I've ever visited.

Charleston stole my heart, from the vibrant shopping scene on Kings Street, to the tranquil views of the Atlantic ocean from the marina and downtown. Charleston oozes southern charm in every crevice. 

The buildings look quaint with the typical porches and rocking chairs. The brightly coloured, carribean style mansions near the bottom of the city provide picturesque promenade walk views. All I could vision whilst walking by the water was myself sitting on the balcony in a rocking chair, watching the sunset and boats go past.

Waterfront Promenade

Of course, this city has had its fair share of devastation, which I found out whilst walking past the church that was struck by the horrible shootings this year. Every part of the pavement outside was filled with flowers, something I find so ironic. How there can be so much love outside a place where one person walked in with so much hatred.

Southern Style House

Charleston still however retains its vibrancy and beauty. It's a college town, so along with high street shops, you'll find college outfitters which is a great place to pick up an actual american college tshirt. 

Eating wise, you'll find everything from Mediterranean and oriental inspired cuisine, fast food, local eateries and of course south style cuisine.

If you ever visit the South, make sure you try corn bread and hush puppies! They are a delicacy.

My time in Charleston was short but sweet, and very rarely do I leave a city with sadness about not knowing the next time you will visit. To experience the beauty of the USA, make sure Charleston is on your list of places to visit.