2015 in Pictures

To build on my previous post, I thought it would be nice to summarise my year in pictures I have taken.

Here are my top pictures of 2015:

Starting off January with one of the best emails ever!

Driving in snow!

Enjoying a bright slushy with a view like that in Barcelona

Exploring the streets of Barcelona where the Cheetah Girls 2 was filmed- Life = made.

Witnessing a beautiful sky like this in the UK

Baking the perfect batch of Hot Cross Buns for Easter

Taking one last photo before the dip dye was chopped off

Buying this sweater, which pretty much summed me up

Saying goodbye to revision notes and year two university exams was such a relief

Taking silly photos with Charlotte on our way to Birmingham

Blowing out the candles of my Birthday and Leaving cupcakes, of course whilst wearing Minnie ears!

Landing in New York to see this this!

Getting to Times Square early because of jet lag and taking this picture!

Arriving in Hilton Head Island and seeing this view whilst cycling across this bridge everyday

Trying my first Mickey waffle

Receiving the badge of honour!

Getting up at 6am to see this everyday before work

Going to the beach whenever I wanted

Slicing my finger on a tomato slicer and having to get stitches 

Trying my first Chick-fil-a

Doing a ghost tour of Savannah in a hearse

Walking down Main Street and seeing this for the first time in over 5 years

Being inspired by Wishes for the first time ever

Witnessing another beautiful sunset

Seeing a shark in the ocean!

Exploring the beauty of Charleston

Another beautiful sunset

Feeling lucky to be able to have spent 3 months on this beautiful island

Taking a selfie of my last ever shift at work

Getting my first tattoo

Saying goodbye to this view

Fro-yo!

My welcome home!

Finding this photo from an asda shop which I had accidentally taken

Watching One Direction before they take a break

Seeing the natural beauty from many walks

Falling in love with London

Getting festive

Watching christmas carrolers 

Whilst sipping on a festive drink

Going back to Disneyland Paris after ages and being blown away by the Christmas lights

Seeing this view!

Baking Mince Pies which were delicious

And there we are. As another year draws to a close, take a look back on your pictures from the year and you can see just how much you have achieved. Memories are precious, so taking photos are a great way of preserving them.

I wish you all a happy new year full of health and prosperity!

x

That New Year Post...

I know that every blogger does a new years post of some sort, but I like doing them as a personal reflection on 2015 and things to look forward to in 2016.

2015 has without a doubt been one of the most adventurous and life changing years.

I am definitely not the same person I was this time last year. I feel that I have done a lot of growing up.

My perspectives on life have also changed a lot.

Throughout the year, I have discovered who I really am and have become so much more independent. I let go of fear preventing me from taking chances, and ventured to America practically on my own for 3 months to live and work there.

Along the way I have met some incredible people, and also learnt that sometimes it is better to have a small amount of close people around you rather than a huge amount of friends who don't really know or care about you.

As deep as it sounds, I really have felt like my eyes have been opened and I am seeing life for what it really is.
Of course I am still young and still have many more lessons to learn, but this year has been a real turning point in my life.

I look forward to 2016 where big changes will happen.

For starters, I will graduate university hopefully, and embark on my career path in London.
I also plan to travel more, hopefully around the west coast of America. I realised that family has become a big importance in my life, and I hope to spend more time with them.

Around this time last year I wrote a post of my new years resolutions. Looking back on it, I have actually managed to achieve most of the points on there. These include:

- Travelling: I have been lucky enough to see Barcelona, New York, Savannah, Hilton Head Island, Charleston, Florida, Liverpool, Birmingham, Disneyland Paris and various places in the UK. Not too Bad!

- Seeing my favourite artists in concert: I definitely did go see One Direction's last tour for a while, and really enjoyed it!

- Become Healthier: Mentally I have become healthier, however I am still aiming to get there physically. I've learnt a lot about my body this year and had a bit of a health scare, so looking after my body next year is a priority.

- Grabbing more opportunties: I've definitely fulfilled this one. I have driven in the USA for the first time, flown to NYC by myself for the first time, managed to secure an internship for 2016, finally got a tattoo, accepted a job working at Disney in the summer and many other small things like trying different foods, that can really make a big difference.

- Regularly updating this blog: So there was a little pause during summer because I was so busy but overall, I've not done too bad.

- Learn a new language: Ok so I didn't manage this one, but to be fair I haven't had the time.

- Finally, Spend my hard earned money from last year: I definitely accomplished this one!

To summarise this post, my advice to anyone out there is take the motto 'life's too short' seriously and grab every opportunity you can.

This may not necessarily mean saying yes to everyone or thing because of this 'FOMO' thing. It's more about choosing which opportunities you are really gonna benefit from and most importantly, enjoy.

The only way we can learn who we truly are is if we gain life experiences that develop us as people. I think taking the time to evaluate what you want in life, rather than what other people want from you in life is something all of us can benefit from.

On that note, I wish you all a healthy and happy new year!

Battle of the Christmas Drinks

This post is about Christmas drinks! Yes I know what you're thinking, Christmas has been and gone, but I started this around 2 months ago. I wanted to try as many Christmas themed drinks as possible, and only managed about 5 but I have included my thoughts on the most popular flavours:


So I just tried the famous  Gingerbread Latte from Costa, which is one of their festive special edition drinks and my first ever holiday drink!

Yup, I've never tried any Starbucks, Costa, Pret, even McDonalds festive drinks ever! Call me crazy because it was the biggest mistake of my life!

So I had an epiphany, why not try as many festive themed drinks as possible and review them all? At first this sounded like a good idea, who wouldn't want to gorge calorific, sugary drinks and call it research?!

Then I realised how bad they were for you, so for 'research' purposes (and so I don't get diabetes), I will be trying the skimmed/non-fat sugar free versions. Also, these things aren't cheap and due to being so busy, I only got around to trying ones from Costa and Starbucks.

Disclaimer:
This is my personal opinion and taste, which differs from every single other person, so just because I don't like something doesn't mean you will too!

Up first is...

1. Costa Coffee Gingerbread Latte 

Well, this was delicious in every sense. I had it with no whip because I hate the stuff, but as soon as I took one sip of this I was succumbed to that warm, festive feeling. The gingerbread is prominent throughout the whole drink, not just the first few sips. It also meant I could enjoy a coffee without the need for sugar because the sweetness finishes it off nicely. If you are a fan of gingerbread, this is the drink for you. It was sensational! Extra points for the cute cup designs as well.

2. Costa Coffee Caramel Fudge Hot Chocolate

Admittedly I tried a sample of this as I'm not a big fan of hot chocolate, but nevertheless it was nice. I failed to taste the difference from normal hot chocolate's though, which made me question why it was a festive drink if there was nothing festive about it. It was pretty sweet, too much so that a full size drink would have been too much for me. Last year I believe they had a chocolate orange drink which they never bought back this year, to many peoples anger, and I couldn't help but feel this would have been better than the fudge version this year.

3. Starbucks Toffee Nut Latte 

Well this surprised me. I expected it to taste like a generic toffee latte, but the nutty flavour really stands out. I'm not the biggest fan of nuts (no pun intended), but this adds to the whole drink. It's subtle enough to not overpower the sweet toffee syrup in the milk, yet it adds a nice festive touch. I found myself wanting another one straight after. Again, I went for no whip but it was still really nice and I would definitely recommend trying it! I would even go to say that it is worth the more expensive price than the other coffee chains, just because it is quite a unique flavour.

4. Costa Coffee Black Forest Hot Chocolate

Another sample I tried, but I was remarkably surprised by this drink. The cherry flavour really is prominent in this drink and compliments the chocolate well. It really is like drinking a Black forest gateau. So if this is one of your favourite desserts, then this drink is the one for you!

5. Salted Caramel Cappuccino (Costa)

A cappuccino is by far my favourite coffee drink so I was very excited to try this. I love salted caramel as well, and when I received the drink it was topped with gold chocolate! How cool is that?! So when I took a sip of this I was a little disappointed. I could taste the caramel, but no salt. It tasted like a regular cappuccino but with a pump of caramel syrup. It did redeem itself with the gold chocolate though!

6. Starbucks Gingerbread Latte

So my last taste test was the Gingerbread Latte from the American chain, so I could do the ultimate comparison between Costa and Starbucks. I have to say, this was good, but Costa ever so slightly won in the taste test. In fairness, they do taste pretty similar so it was hard to distinguish which one was better, but maybe Costa had that little extra drip of syrup.

So that's all I managed this Christmas because these drinks ain't cheap!
My favourite and winner of this experiment has to be Costa's Gingerbread Latte, just because I love ginger and the cute cups made it slightly better than Starbucks!
However, it is followed closely by the Toffee Nut Latte which was unique and still just as delicious.

Hope you enjoyed this experiment, I know I have! Now it's time for a sugar detox as I wallow in post Christmas depression. See you next year!

WDW Guide: Epcot

Oh Epcot. You either get it or you don't.

I've heard a lot of people say this is their least favourite park because it has no solid theming throughout.

Like Animal Kingdom, this park should not be underestimated. This is Walt's baby, as EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Centre of Tomorrow, and he had a heavy influence on the attractions seen their today.

It can easily be done in a day, or half if you are hardcore and don't take in all the details.

Popular rides here are Test Track, which most definitely will have a long queue in peak times, so fastpasses or single rider is preferable on this attraction.

Similarly, Soarin' is popular and has the slowest and most boring queue in the world so try and get a fastpass for this (single rider isn't applicable).

Other attractions include going into the big 'golf' ball, called Spaceship Earth, and Mission Space. These are great to experience, but I wouldn't say they are must do's in my opinion.

There are other low key attractions at the park, but since I haven't ridden them, I feel I can't really comment on them.

The other big attraction is the World Showcase, an area featuring 11 different countries where you can walk around each pavilion and immerse yourself in the different cultures.

Mexico

The countries featured are Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, United States, Japan, Morocco, France, UK and Canada.

UK

Each pavilion features the architecture typical of that country, as well as merchandise, food, drinks and some attractions/entertainment.

Morocco

This could take half a day to walk around if you really wanted to see everything, but if you aren't that bothered then I would suggest visiting Mexico, Morocco, France, Japan and China.

Of course, as I'm British, a visit to the UK is a must for me!

I ate at the Akerhusus Banquet Hall in Norway for breakfast, as it was character dining and included in my disney dining plan. You get to meet most of the princesses who come around to your table for a chat, as well as performing a princess parade around the restaurant where they lead little prince and princesses around in a procession.

The food was nice, in a buffet style featuring traditional Norwegian foods along with the usual american fare. They also have a hot plate with sausages, bacon, eggs and hash browns which can be replenished if you ask the servers.

To work of all the food we ate, I wandered around each country, stopping to buy a drink in the Rose and Crown pub in the UK and also to take a look at the delicious french patisserie in France. Next time I go, I will most definitely be buying a treat from there.

 

My favourite shop was Karamell-Kuche in Germany, where they sell a selection of Caramel treats. The smell of that shop made me want to live there forever. It smells like a Werther's factory a.k.a. heaven!

Germany

Here you can buy caramel apples, caramel corn, caramel chocolate, caramel cupcakes... yeah you get the gist! Unfortunately I didn't get anything which I really regret but next time, that will be my first stop.

Another highlight at Epcot that stood out for me was browsing the merchandise at Mouse Gear, which I think is one of the best places to buy merchandise.

Also, you can have a go at tasting the flavours of fizzy pop from around the world. Some are horrible (Beverly) and some are yummy (Fanta Melon) but its fun to try them all.

To end a long day here, IllumiNations is the evening show to watch. Not only are there spectacular fireworks set to an amazing musical score, but it is also magical to watch at various places in the world showcase where the lights on the buildings are in sync with the show.

Definitely make sure you see this show, and if you want to splash out then certain restaurants around the world offer dining packages where you can eat in the perfect firework viewing area.

WDW Guide: Animal Kingdom

If you find yourself visiting WDW then I have blogged about my 2015 experience of each park. This first one is about Animal Kingdom!

 This park often comes at the bottom of peoples top parks list, but I think it is underestimated and it is great for kids who love animals. The thing I enjoy most about this park is the theming. It is so wonderful to be able to walk around and feel like you are in Asia, then to walk across to Africa, and if you have an appreciation for this then take the time to have a wander around.

There aren't as many rides here, but the ones they do have are great. Do check out:

- Kilimanjaro Safaris

Your driver can really make this ride so much better so it does depend on individual experiences as well as whether the animals are actually awake and not hiding somewhere! If you're lucky, this can be a really great attraction.

- Expedition Everest

A high speed rollercoaster that goes backwards! It took me by suprise at how fast it is but most kids and adults will enjoy this and the queue theming is amazing.

- Festival of the Lion King Show

A great choice for a chance to sit down on a busy afternoon. The Lion King's famous and well loved songs are recreated with dancers, actors, singers and guest interaction. This is one of the best shows of WDW so do make sure you check it out.

- Kali River Rapids

You may or may not get soaked on this, so be prepared! Queues for this can get really long so try and fastpass if possible. It's great fun for the family and one of my favourites.

- Dinosaur 

This has been at this park since I first visited when I was 4 or 5, but this was my first time riding it and it was actually fun! Very bumpy so not for those who hate rides, but the storyline is cool and usually the wait isn't long.

If possible, take a walk around the Maharajah Jungle Trek which offers you the chance to get close to animals and takes you away from the busy crowds.

 Where we ate:

Yak and Yeti Restaurant
Amazing cuisines from Asia/Africa and I tried the chicken tikka masala which was amazing! After craving one for months as America don't do Indian cuisine as much as the UK, this was the perfect treat that reminded me of home and was delicious.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Selection of sorbets

Do check out the other choices of food as street vendors are everywhere and offer so many cuisines as opposed to the usual American food. Here you can stimulate your taste buds with the different flavours from all over the world.

Animal Kingdom is a great park to visit in one day but can also be a great choice for a relaxing day at the park if you are not bothered about getting everything done in one day. Do not miss this park out because of other peoples advice. WDW wouldn't be the same without it and with the upcoming expansion, this park has great potential.

A weekend in Disneyland Paris

Having worked for Disney this summer and enjoying the perks of free entry into the parks, I decided to help alleviate my post disney depression with a Christmassy trip to Disneyland Paris.

I last visited around 7 years ago so this trip was planned with my friend who hasn't been since she was young, and nothing beats seeing the face of someone when they see the castle for the first time!

Day 1

We started the trip on a cold Friday, arriving at the Hotel Cheyenne. I've stayed in this hotel before and had good experience's from it, but it's basically a budget Disney hotel within walking distance to the parks (around 20 mins), and with a Western/cowboy theme.

The room consisted of a double bed with bunk beds, obviously being aimed at kids. The theming of the room was nice but it is the outdoor theming that makes this hotel! As you walk through the surroundings you really feel like you are in a western village! It really is perfect for kids and not badly priced either.

We hit the Disneyland Park straight away. Thankfully it was empty and we waited no more than 5-10 minutes for any ride. We literally went on everything and pretty much covered all the rides in one afternoon. Our favourite rides were Space Mountain: Mission 2 and Buzz lightyear! 

Buzz Lightyears Lazer blast

Fantasyland

One disappointment was that Big Thunder Mountain and It's A Small World were closed! Two of the classic disney rides and we couldn't ride them but if you go, make sure you pay these a visit.

For dinner, we exited the park and wandered into the Disney Village, which is full of restaurants and shops just outside of the parks. We went to Annette's Diner, an American themed restaurant that do the best burgers ever! Thoroughly recommended and very yummy!

We also headed to the Sport's Bar for cocktails which are a little pricey but hey, it's Disney!

Day 2

We were up early for our second day and after filling our bellies with french croissants from the hotels complementary breakfast.

We ventured into the Walt Disney Studio's Park for our second day. Our first ride; Rock N Rollercoaster! This is a high speed roller coaster that rides to the sounds of Aerosmith and really is so much fun! We enjoyed this so much that we ended up going on it three times!

Another favourite of mine is Tower of Terror, but this is not for the faint hearted! Other rides we tried were Crush's Coaster, which was an unexpected surprise that we actually really enjoyed. 

The new Ratatouille ride is definitely worth going on as it uses really clever cutting edge technology that makes you feel like a rat.

One thing I preferred from this park was the theming. Just wandering around makes you feel like you are in movie sets and it really is from the clever work of Disney Imagineers. If you have time, have a look at all the little details of this park. 

For dinner we went to the Rainforest Cafe , also in the Disney Village, which is pretty much the same as the others located around the world. We treated ourselves to some yummy cocktails before heading to the Disneyland Park to catch the Disney Dreams fireworks and to also get a look at the Christmas lights all lit up. It added the perfect festive touch to the holidays!

Disney Dreams

Day 3

Today was spent watching the shows and parades. One we enjoyed the most was the Frozen Sing-a-long which is perfect for kids (and adults) that are obsessed with the film. 

We caught the Christmas Parade which features an appearance from Santa himself and we also watched Micky and Minnie turning on the Christmas Lights. The addition of fake snow makes its really Christmassy and is the perfect touch!

There is also a night time parade which is great to watch when it's dark and gives you the opportunity to see more of your favourite characters, but it was a little cold waiting for them to arrive.

Our evening meal was in the one and only Cafe Mickey, which is a character dining restaurant where Mickey and his friends come round to you table and gives you the opportunity to take pictures. It's a little pricey and the food isn't great, but you are paying for the experience which you can't get elsewhere.

Day 4

Our last day was spent shopping in the Disney Village and have a last minute wander in the parks. Our hotel let us leave luggage in storage so if you have a later train you can still enjoy your last day in the parks before heading back.

If you think this is Walt Disney World, it's not. It's smaller and different in it's own unique way. One disappointment for me was the lack of magic the staff had. WDW really has the best people working there and they make the experience ten times better!

Disneyland Paris is great for a little holiday or detour from Paris and for getting a disney fix. When it gets it right, it's an amazing place and you are guaranteed to feel like a kid again, but if I had to choose, a trip to WDW would always come in first place. Don't let that put you off as a kid will always feel special no matter which Disney park they visit, and there is nothing better than seeing their face light up at the sight of the castle!