2016 in pictures: One of the best years of my life

Can you believe another year has passed?!

2016 went by so fast, and I can't believe that 2017 is here already! Last year, I wrote a blog post which summed up 2015 in pictures instead of words. I love looking back at the memories made, so I thought I would do the same for 2016 using pictures I have taken on my phone.

It's a long one, but without further ado, here is my 2016 in pictures...

Raising £250 for Breast Cancer Now by hosting my own charity coffee morning!

Geeky I know but who knew how much self-satisfaction you can get from growing the correct bacteria needed for your dissertation?!

Feeling like a scientist by creating and presenting my project at university

Making it through the cold winter to see sunnier, spring days like this

And witnessing an evening sky like this

Finally handing in my 8000 word research project, yet still having 3 exams to go before the end. So close, yet so far...

Having a cute revision buddy to keep me going... almost there!

Moving back home after 3 years at university

Spending my 21st birthday eating Hummingbird Bakery cupcakes in Portobello Road

And partying in Soho!

More baking!

Cycling through the Kent countryside in preparation for my charity cycle ride

Waking up on Friday 24th June to this news headline

Stopping in a random French village for the best tasting coffee whilst cycling to Paris

Arriving in a drizzly Paris with the view of this statue's bum after cycling over 400 km!

Graduating from university with a BSc in Biomedical Science!

Watching Glastonbury on the big screen and in the sun (and secretly wishing I was there)

Spending many summer evenings with walks along the beach

Returning to a country I love despite the horrific events Turkey has suffered in 2016

Taking a mud bath in Turkey

Seeing a natural wonder of the world at Pamukkale

Taking this photo (my favourite photo and memory in the world)

Dancing the night away to live country music in Nashville

Watching the sun set over the Memphis skyline

Wandering through the city that was one of the homes of Rock n Roll

Staying in this hostel (yes it really is a hostel!)

Waking up somewhere in Utah/Arizona to this view!

Coming close to a tarantula (my biggest fear)

Walking through our Vegas hotel hungover and in our robes

Wandering around the Las Vegas hotels in awe

Fulfilling a lifelong dream of going to LA

Taking a spontaneous trip to San Fran

Escaping reality at the happiest place on earth

Flying (literally) over the Grand Canyon

Getting festive!

Drinking copious amounts of mulled wine

Seeing this view of Oxford Street from a rooftop bar

Couldn't resist adding a picture of a London skyline

Seeing in person the famous stairs in the Spice Girls 'Wannabe' music video

2016 was actually a really good year for me, despite what everyone thinks of the year! I think life is what you make it (Hannah Montana quote right there), and you can choose to look back on 2016 as the worst year of your life, but what are you taking away from that outlook?

Take the negatives, embrace them and learn for the future. Even though terrible things may have happened, to the world or personally, remember you are never alone in this world which can make such a huge difference when coping with difficult periods of your life.
If you have an optimistic view on life, you will always see the good things which in my opinion, is what makes life so god damn special. If you can appreciate what you've got then life becomes amazing and worth living! So to end, stop comparing yourself to others, recognise the important people in your life and most importantly, make sure you enjoy the life you are living!

I wish you a happy and healthy new year!

Love, Charlotte x

It's always time for cereal...

If you are visiting London and want to eat somewhere unique, different and quirky, then look no further than this post!

I'm a big fan of cereal but I do get bored of having shreddies every day. But, if you visit the Cereal Killer Cafe in either Camden Market or Brick Lane, then prepare to be blown away.

On a busy sunny day in London, we headed to the Camden branch of the cafe. The menu is laden with a vast array of cereals from all over the world.

If you fancy chocolate, honey, smore's or peanut butter flavoured cereal, you will find it here. The amount of cereal's on offer is mindblowing, and trying to choose one comes with difficulty.

I opted for one of the cereal cocktails, where you get a mix of different types. Mine was called the 'Lion King', which was a bowl of chocolatey/caramel sweetness. It even came with caramel milk, however I'm one of those weird people who prefers eating cereal dry and opted out of the milk.

If you think this cereal won't fill you as a meal, don't be fooled. The medium sized bowls don't look like much, but in real life, it counted as my lunch.

My advice would be to eat in, where you can choose to sit on a bed whilst you eat. If you are an 80/90s kid, you will be transported back to your childhood bedroom, complete with Spice Girls wallpaper and beany baby's.

The prices are expensive for cereal, but when you think about the types of cereal and the overall experience, it really isn't overpriced at all.

The Proudest Moment of my Life

If someone would have said to me 6 months ago that I would have been able to cycle from London to Paris in 3 days, I would have laughed in their face and told them there is no chance of it happening.

But it did.

Writing this, I can say that this is one of the proudest achievements that I have completed. It's not everyday you meet someone who can tell you they cycled over 200 miles, through the sun, rain and wind to arrive directly in front of the Eiffel tower and be able to say "I made it".

It was a gruelling challenge, that pushed my body and mind both physically and mentally.

Not only do you have to deal with the looming hills and long distances between breaks, but you are also running on very little sleep and relying on sugar and adrenaline.

Day One

My challenge started early, with a 5.30am rise in London to meet at Hersham playing fields. As it was July 1st, I was expecting a calm, summer sunrise but unfortunately this being Britain, we were greeted with the cold, wind and rain.
As we set off in our groups, we cycled out of the busy streets of London and left the city for the rolling hills of Surrey. At this point, as the distance racks up, I started to doubt whether I could pull this off. The hills are steep and challenging, but it is the moments when you see how far you've come, but how far you've got left that are the most difficult.

I have to admit, I did very little training for this. It was my own fault, but training would have helped a lot! However, I did not let this stop me and make me give up! I powered through, determined not to make it into the support vehicle.

After a challenging day, we arrived at Portsmouth in the evening (after the most horrendous hill), proud to have completed day one. A quick shower and some carb loading, and we were boarding the overnight ferry to Caen, ready for day two.

Possibly the worst selfie in the world

Day Two

As 4.45am dawned, we had arrived in Caen with possibly the worst nights sleep ever, having only a chair as our beds. Nevertheless, we prepared ourselves for day two, with 87 miles of the French countryside between us and Evreux.

I have to say, the best parts of this trip are cycling through the picturesque French villages. I stopped for a coffee in one and it looked like a movie set. Just being able to see France like this makes the cycle worth it.

This was the hardest day, with the weather doing all it possibly could to dampen our spirits.
But it did not defeat us, all this hard work and fundraising could not stop me from giving up. As the miles slowly increased, we arrived at Evreux in time for a traditional French meal and a well deserved nights sleep.

Day Three

The final day rolled around, and this time, the 5.30am start was taking its toll on me. However, as soon as we started cycling again, the adrenaline kicked in and the thought of arriving in Paris at the end of the day motivated me to keep going.

After 74 miles, we reached the outskirts of Paris, and together as a team, we cycled through the (rainy) Parisian streets. Thanks to the Euro 2016 football being on, and with France playing that evening, the French morale was high, and this only encouraged us to make it to the Trocadero.

This had to be the best feeling in the world. Seeing the Eiffel Tower in front of you, having cycled there from London, was a euphoric moment. It just proves that no matter what you set your mind to doing, you can achieve it! I have surprised not only my friends and family, but also myself on what I am capable of achieving. This trip was so surreal and I encourage anyone who gets given the opportunity to do something like this to grab it with both hands.

Of course, the most important aspect about this trip was that it was raising money for Breast Cancer Now. Collectively, we raised over £270,000 for the charity, with myself contributing over £1000 to it.

I am so thankful for the generosity of the general public, who helped me to do something so special for the charity and to help save lives in the future. If you still want to donate, then you can at:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Charlotte-Davis20

On a final note, I would just like to say the biggest thank you to anyone who supported me and donated to this worthy cause. It has really surprised me that although there is so much pain and hatred in this world, love and unity will always conquer.

Thank you for reading this post,

Love,

Charlotte

A Peep Down the Rabbit Hole...

A weekend in London would not be complete without visiting somewhere I hadn't been before, and this time it was the turn of the British Library.

Nestled around the corner of St Pancras station, and right next to that hotel where the Spice Girls filmed there 'Wannabe' video (just so you know), this building takes pride in the rich historical legacies it holds.

Recognise these steps?

It was also the perfect place to host the latest exhibition about Alice in Wonderland.

The small Alice-inspired display is perfect for somewhere to pop into briefly without taking up too much of your time, and educational in the sense that you can learn about Lewis Carroll and the evolution of Alice in Wonderland, and how it has been shaped by illustrations throughout the decades.

You will be able to view the original manuscript, as well as take in some Alice memorabilia.

The exhibition is small, but it's a great opportunity to visit the British Library and take in the extensive sources of literature. There is also a pop up shop to accompany the display which sells really unique souvenirs, from copies of the book to apple crumble smelling candles and small bottles of wine with 'Drink Me' labels on.

I personally wanted to buy something unique as it is a pop up shop so the souvenirs are only available for a limited amount of time. I came across this cute trinket box that looked like a macaroon, and with my love of baking, I thought it was perfect for me and I could store jewellery in it at the same time.

Of course a trip to London would not be complete without trying out a new restaurant as well, and so we took the tube to Warren Street and walked to Charlotte Street (best name in the world) and explored the vast array of restaurants there.

You can get anything you want from Hawaiian, Italian, Vietnamese and loads more. Seriously, this is a whole street lined with food from all over the world.
Eventually we settled on a cool looking pizza place called Icco, where they do amazing Italian style pizzas. My advice would be to avoid rush hour if you want to get a seat, or alternatively takeaway one of the many pizza choices. But do check out this cool, inexpensive restaurant if you are around that area.

There's always room for dessert as well as after taking a long stroll for Goodge Street to Camden via Regent's Park, we managed to find a cute little cafe called Camden Coffee House tucked away down a side street for a nice cup of tea and a indulgent triple chocolate cookie after a day well spent in London.