Travel Bucket List

As I was looking at my blog since it started, I realised that it needs a direction. The direction that I am most keen and passionate about blogging is travel and lifestyle. I realised that I am in no position to offer beauty and fashion advice. Yes I like it myself, but I don't have a clue about latest trends, what make up to buy etc.

I simply stick to the basics and buy clothes when I need them. Therefore trying to keep up with the latest trends is more like research and studying for me rather, than a passion.

However, since my Barcelona blog, travel and lifestyle is something that I am definitely passionate about. It is hard to blog about travel when you aren't going anywhere. So this is the direction I am going to take my blog in, however it will be slow (or at least until I finish university). I simply don't have the time and money at the moment to try new places and things.

I you are not aware, then I am going to South Carolina for 3 months this summer to work at Disney's Hilton Head Island, and as soon as I graduate I am travelling around the world for a year! I will also be visiting New York for a few days, and who knows where I will travel this summer.
So this will be the time when I can really focus on developing this blog and become a proper travel blogger!

Of course, this is still a lifestyle blog, so I will still be blogging weekly and writing reviews about days out, new things I've tried. But university exams are looming ahead and there is only so much time I can allocate to blogging.

I thought I would write a travel bucket list, and hopefully I will be able to tick all these places off. I basically want to go everywhere, but I've managed to tailor it down to the places where I have always wanted to go and I am eager to tick off as soon as possible.

1. Los Angeles

The ultimate destination. For some reason, LA is my dream city. I want to live there! A lot of people who have visited there have said its tacky and overrated, but I don't care. It will never put me off wanting to go there. Maybe it's the idea of sun, beaches, Hollywood, mountains, the Californian coast line but all of it oozes charm and I really think it sums up me as a person. Plus, I've always wanted to go to the original Disneyland!

2. Australia

As soon as I graduate, this is one of the places I will be going. I want to explore the gold coast and witness the golden beaches for myself. I want to try surfing lessons and see the Great Barrier Reef. This popular travellers destination is a place where I want to spend christmas on Bondi Beach!

3. Vietnam

I've always been interested in history, so this country entices me to learn about its culture, and its war background. I've seen pictures of it and it looks so beautiful, making me want to explore the cuisine, cities, shopping, beaches, everything!

4. Thai Islands

I've been to Bangkok before but now I want to venture to the islands, like Koh Phangan or Koh Phi Phi. A top activity to do is the infamous full moon party. I also want to witness the sandy beaches on the likes of Phuket and Koh Samui.

5. Rome or Athens

I studied Classical Civilisation at GCSE, so I don't know much but I know a bit about the ancient history. I've never been, but always wanted to see the Colosseum or the Parthenon. Or venture down into the preserved city of Pompeii!

6. The Caribbean

It doesn't matter where, but I need to witness for myself the famous pristine, tropical beaches!

7. Hawaii

There's something about Hawaii that I've alway wanted to explore, and with it being apart of America, hopefully I will soon be able to visit it.

8. Marrakech, Morocco

I need to visit the markets and try my hand at haggling! Similar places like Istanbul also are on my list!

So these are my top 8, obviously there are many others but these were the ones that stood out. I have been lucky enough to already have managed to cross some off my list, like Paris, New York, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Barcelona. Let me know of the places you want to explore!

Disney HHI: Visa Appointment

Today was finally visa day! 

My appointment at the London embassy was at 11.30am, however I made sure I got to London in plenty of time as the queue outside is notorious for being long. I got to Bond Street station at around 10.30am and made the short walk to Grosvenor Square. It's easy to spot the embassy, just look for the queue! 

So I joined the queue just after half 10 even though my appointment wasn't for another hour because they don't really care what time it is at this point as there are so many people.

The queue moves quickly, just make sure you have all your documents to hand. These will be checked about 5 times! Also, there will be so many other people there for Camp America etc so not everyone there is for Disney (which I thought so I went up to randomers asking about disney, embarrassing!)

Once you're through security, which is basically airport style, you will be given a ticket and directed to a waiting room with an Argos style number system that directs you to a window. As it was very busy when I was there, I waited for around half an hour, but the time depends on the amount of people there.

Once called, you go up to a window where they check your documents again! Here they take your finger and thumb prints, so no papercuts! They also ask about reading your rights or something similar, although I couldn't understand the lady very well.

Once this is completed, you walk through to another room and visit another window more or less straight away. This is where you have your interview and your documents are checked for the final time. The questions are easy, just what you are doing, how did you find out about it etc. The stamp of approval is then issued and you are free to go! Your documents and passport are kept and sent back via courier.

Overall I was in and out within an hour and there really is nothing to be afraid of. For some reason I was nervous but it was very relaxed and really not a lot of hassle, as long as you have all the correct documents.

A few tips I would give are:

- Bring supporting documents just in case, like flight confirmations, offer letter. They only checked my passport, DS-2019, DS-160, and I-901 form but it's better to be safe then sorry. 

- Bring a visa size passport photo. You may or may not need it but if you do then you will need to hand it in. 

- Phones, keys and bags are allowed in now. I took the bare minimum just in case but they seem to be a bit more relaxed about it. Although it changes regularly so do check before you go!

- Getting there earlier means you will be out earlier, so more time for shopping!

So not a complicated process and now I can legally work in the US!
Currently all flights have been booked so all that's left is medical insurance, American sim card, travel insurance and to start packing! It's all feeling very real now, and I'm flying to New York on May 30th for a few days before flying to Hilton Head Island! 

Disney HHI: Visa Information!

It's been a long time since I posted a Disney HHI post...

So, I can finally write a blog post about Disney Hilton Head Resort Summer Program! After many many weeks of waiting to hear something, I finally had my visa documents arrive! These have arrived earlier than normal this year, which is really good as it means I can book an appointment for when I'm home and not at university.

The documents included my DS-2019 form and various other instructions which means I can now book my visa appointment at the London embassy. Exciting times Ahh!

As I was looking online, I saw that there were many blog posts from various other blogs that give you detailed instructions on the whole visa application. I've decided I'm not going to go into too much detail as it is the same for this program as it is for the normal Disney CEP. If you do have any questions then feel free to email me :) I have linked the ones I used as these were the most helpful, so thank you to whoever wrote them!

Yummy Jobs do send out detailed instructions of their own which gives you the links to the embassy website for you to fill in the DS-160, which needs to be completed first before you can arrange an appointment. This form takes a lot of time and patience! It requires a lot of detail, such as your last 5 visits to the USA, so if this is the case then you need all your old passports. After this is completed, you can then phone a premium phone number or use the new online system to book the actual appointment. It is here that you will need to pay the visa fee which is I think $160 (not entirely sure) so have your debit card at the ready. A lot of the time you will need to refer back to a particular form, such as your DS-2019 which includes your program and SEVIS number, so my advice is to have everything handy.

Unfortunately I couldn't come home for the weekend to book this, so I had to make do with skyping my parents for all the details, which wasn't practically best, but it was manageable. In the end I have an appointment booked for April 10th at 11.30am! I will post another blog post about details of the day, as I know that regulations change frequently so this will be an up to date post.

I will include a checklist about what to take to the embassy, as this tends to change often:



http://danatdisney.com/category/crp/visa-crp/

(although this post is related to the CRP, if you substitute in the relevant documents then it still applies)

Four Days in Barcelona

I've just returned from 4 days in Barcelona, and it was the most beautiful city I have ever visited in my life.

I went with 2 of my friends, and when deciding where to go away, one thing we were looking for was the price, and a place that people our age didn't go to just to go clubbing or smoke weed (a.k.a Amsterdam).

So when a good deal in Barcelona cropped up, we thought, why not?! I've always wanted to go to Barcelona but never actually considered it, so I was excited to explore the city for the first time.

When arriving there after an early morning flight, we were met with warm sunshine and the most chilled out city I've ever seen. As soon as you arrive you feel relaxed and everything is so quiet and calm. Once we got to our hotel (Hotel Condado, highly recommended!), we freshened up and headed off to explore.

Our first stop was the Sagrada Familia. I thought we could walk there, but it was a long walk from our hotel! But the sun made it all the worthwhile and once we were there, we were in awe of the amazing architecture! Obviously this is very touristy, so expect lots of people surrounding it.

Because the weather was so nice, we sunbathed a bit outside before making the long trek back (stopping for ice cream of course). Day 1 was filled with chill time as we had only had about 4 hours sleep, and was finished off with a lovely meal in the evening, followed by a 1 euro bottle of wine which was soo nice! Although having the wine sent me to bed, but it did give me a full 10 hours of sleep!

La Sagrada Familia

Day 2: We woke feeling refreshed and ready for a busy day of sightseeing. Our first trip was to Barceloneta to see the beach. It was very overcast at the time so when we got there, it was quiet and there didn't seem like a lot to do. 

So my advice would be to visit when the weather is nice to sit on the beach. We walked all the way up the beach and visited Parc de la Cuitadella. This place was so lovely for a spot of lunch, and we explored the various statues and buildings located in the park. The sun decided to come out, just in time for a next stop to the cable cars that head up to Montjuic! This view was breathtaking, make sure you do this! The cable car only costs around 11 euros for a round trip, and the view from the cable car is just as good as the view from the top. 

An overcast Barceloneta beach

Parc de la Cuitadella

View of Barcelona from Montjuic

There is a castle at the top of the mountain, however you have to pay and although it was only 7 euros, we decided not to as we were on a student budget. This meant we didn't see the fountains but we weren't bothered about it, instead we sat around the back where we got an amazing view of the harbour. After a little walk around the gardens and so many pictures taken of the whole of Barcelona, we headed back to our hotel to chill before venturing to Las Ramblas for our evening meal.

For dinner, we stumbled across this tiny mexican restaurant around the backstreets, and I really wish I had remembered the name as it was so nice! I would recommend it to anyone. After some Sangria and more wine, we headed back to get some rest before day 3!

Day 3: We headed to Las Ramblas to explore the gothic quarter. Las Ramblas is very busy and touristy, so beware of pickpockets. Visit La Boqueria food market, your senses will come alive with the sights and smells of all the fresh food. Make sure you have a fresh smoothie, I had a Mango and another fruit which I didn't actually know what it was, but it was the freshest most delicious drink I have ever tasted.  We then wandered down to the harbour to eat lunch, before exploring the narrow streets of the Gothic Quarter. For anyone that has seen the Cheetah Girls 2 movie, this is where they filmed the song 'Strut', so it was amazing to see the tiny shops and local cafes that were in the film.The streets are so beautiful, you feel enchanted by them. We also came across Barcelona Cathedral, and by this time it was so hot we had to take a break on the steps for a drink. This mean that I actually got sunburnt!

La Boqueria

Las Ramblas

Barcelona Cathedral

 

From all the walking, we headed back to the hotel to rest our sore feet and chill before our last evening. By this time we had figured that we loved eating in Las Ramblas, so we headed back there for traditional Spanish Paella, Tapas and Sangria! The flavours were exhilarating and the price was so good! to finish off our perfect last night, we headed to a bar for, yep you guessed it, more wine! It was the most perfect ending to the perfect holiday.

Day 4 consisted of wandering around and buying souvenirs before a flight back to the UK.

For anyone that hasn't been to Barcelona, don't even think about it, just go! You will discover what a magical city it is, and it will take your breath away! I will definitely be returning as I didn't have to chance to visit Parc Guell, and I would love to see more of Gaudi's architecture. But we did most of the city in four days and I wouldn't have changed a thing!

Ways to Save Money As a Student

So I was going through my recent posts and released its really obvious that they are thought about on the spot. Due to the amount of uni work I've had recently, I haven't being pay as much attention to my blog as I would've liked, and I've been writing pointless blog posts for the sake of posting something.

However, when thinking about what to actually write about, I had some inspiration. I'm a student and have been for about a year and a half. A couple of friends have been moaning about their lack of money and I realised, I'm quite good at budgeting! So, I thought I would share my advice as a student about how to spend and save money cautiously, where you can still splash out and afford things for yourself but are not left in your overdraft at the end of every term.

• The first tip is an obvious but sometimes not practical one. Get a job. Some people do this whilst at uni, and there are plenty of part time student friendly jobs. Club promoters recruit students to hand out flyers for student nights, although word of advice, you will annoy everyone that walks past and may not be liked as much! The uni will offer jobs for students as well. I was a student ambassador in first year where I would show people around on open days and visit schools to promote the university. The pay was very good, I think it was around £8 an hour which is very generous.
• If you don't want a job while at university, theres always the chance to work over summer. You have about 3-4 months off depending on your course, and many events companies hire students. There are dedicated student websites that only advertise student jobs so they are worth checking out.
• Sometimes a job is not always possible, so the next few tips are about saving on things associated with lifestyle.
• One way to save money on food is to look out for offers and only buy say crisps, or cereal, when it is on offer. This applies to fruit. I only buy the fruit thats on offer as it's quite expensive!
• Also, avoid big brands to cut down costs. Things like pasta are perfectly fine when they are value brands, however some people aren't keen on using value meat. I used to buy meat, divide up the packet and freeze into portions. That way I would get 3-4 meals out of one packet which is a lot!
• Another thing I would do is make my own pasta sauce by using half a tin of tomatoes for one meal, and flavouring with paprika or garlic powder and adding vegetables. This is so much cheaper than buying a tin of branded sauce, not to mention healthier!
• When out and about, buy packed lunch foods when spending a whole day in the library. I see a lot of people buying lunch or dinner from the local supermarket, which overcharge for food anyway, or buy it at the library which takes advantage and increase their prices. Buy a packed lunch box or plastic sandwich bags and make your own. It doesn't take long and will make a difference to your bank account.
• Apply this to hot drinks as well, buy a thermal flask and make your own tea, instead of spending up to £1 on what is effectively a small cup of hot water and a tea bag. Fine for every now and then but it does add up if you buy it frequently.
• Next, shopping! Get good use out of student discounts, although note that sometimes it doesn't make a ton of difference (e.g. topshop and 10% is not that good on some items of clothing). Sign up to websites such as studentbeans.com and they will email when companies are doing discounts specifically for students.
• Onto the main part of students lives- alcohol! My advice, don't splash out on Smirnoff vodka when you can buy Tescos own! I certainly can't taste any difference. And make use of bringing a hip flask into clubs (as long as they don't check your bag) to avoid buying drinks out.

After a night out, cook your own food instead of going to a chip or kebab shop.

All these little changes can make a big difference. By being a little more cautious with money, you can save a lot and get through uni without racking up too much debt. Too many people are reckless with money but if they were more careful, they wouldn't be left empty handed everytime they go home!

A Few of My Favourite Things (Spring Edition)

Another week has gone and it feels as if March is almost over! It's scary how quickly time flies.

So this week has been one of those stressful, hard and exhausting weeks and I am so glad that it's nearly over. I have had copious amounts of coursework due in, with 3 pieces still left to go. As I have been in the library most of the week, I haven't really given much thought to what I would blog about today (do I ever?) 

Flowers are blooming outside my house already!

But the weather was so warm this week that it got me really excited for spring. It's not long now till the clocks for forward and the mornings and evenings will be lighter, yay!

So here are my favourite things about spring:

1. Warmer temperatures and Sunnier days

There is nothing better than being able to sit outside with a cup of tea and not be freezing your arse off! As already mentioned, the weather has improved a few days and it's been warm enough to sit outside. It's still not warm enough to venture out without a coat, but its sunny and bright enough to wear sunglasses and to feel warmth radiating from the sun. All this vitamin D seems to put everyone is a better mood and I cannot wait for the days to be like this most of the time.

2. Easter treats everywhere!

If theres one thing I love more than sleeping, it's eating! Especially chocolate. Which makes Easter one of my favourite times of the year. And I love the fact that supermarkets have got walls full of any easter egg you could possible think of. For those who give up chocolate for lent, I do not know how you do it! Creme eggs, mini eggs, Lindt bunnies, hot cross buns, easter sweets uhmm it's making me hungry even typing about it! 

3. Brighter Colours

The shops are bringing in their spring/summer collections and I love seeing brighter colours everywhere. It is such a change from seeing the classic winter monochrome look that is so boring. Spring makes me want to dig out all my dresses, skirts, white clothing, wear bright coloured lipsticks everyday and to add something extra to my outfits. I instantly feel more stylish and summery and this improves my mood.

4. Flowers!

Similar to the warmer weather, but I love seeing the pretty flowers bloom whilst walking to uni every morning. Next to my house we have lots of daffodils growing and seeing them instantly makes me happy. It's depressing when you think how most plants die over winter so its a breath of fresh air to begin to see flowers and sprouting leaves on trees. When the sun's out, it can make where I live look so pretty compared to looking at it on a grey and dismal day.

5. Longer Days

My final point relates to when the clocks go forward, and the days are lighter! This makes it seem like there are more hours in the day even though there isn't, but keeps you awake for longer as when it gets dark, I instantly switch to bed mode. This means I can now go for a run in the evening and not have to worry about having to do it in the dark, or make more evening plans that can go on for longer. Also early mornings are now easier to get up for as it will be lighter. I also feel peoples mood's improve when they feel more productive from longer daylight hours. It helps with communication on early mornings if the sun is shining and generally makes a long day that tiny bit better.


So as we head into spring, one thing I will make sure I am doing is enjoying the English country. As I'm away all summer, I don't have the opportunity to experience British summer, although I will be experiencing US summer so I'm not complaining. But it's the little aspects of spring that makes living in England seem so lovely and nice. We may not have the hottest temperatures or be the country with the most iconic locations, but we do have a unique way of living that makes it so quintessentially British!

Top Tips for Exams/Coursework

So this week has been stressful. My university assignment deadlines seem to have crept up on me and are now due in within the next two weeks. So it's been hard to think about what to write so apologies if this is a random blog post.

I thought I would give some advice about exam stress and coursework deadlines. The end of march is the time when coursework deadlines are due for GCSE'S, A Levels and university degrees. Also, its the time when you need to start revising ready for summer exams. So, having been through GCSE's, A levels and university exams, here are my top tips:

1. Preparation is key 

I realised from AS levels that lack of preparation reflected on my grades. At GCSE's, you can get away with starting later, but my AS grades were appalling. For my A levels, I started revising earlier, writing revision notes, practicing past papers and making sure I knew, in detail, the things I was learning. It paid off! I got into my first choice uni and had good grades at the end of it. The same applies for university assignments, the earlier you start, the more time you have to make it better and get feedback from your tutors. I can tell you that tutors won't read your work and critique it a few days before its due in. I've started revising for exams now even though my first one isn't until the 4th May. It takes away so much last minute stress and allows you to achieve the highest grade. It may be boring, but at the end of the day it could make the difference between a 2:2 or a 2:1, or getting into uni.

2. Find the most effective way of learning for you

One persons idea of revision could be your idea of hell. We all learn differently and knowing the best way that works for you will make revision so much easier. I personally like coloured pens and flash cards as I'm a visual learner, but others prefer bullet point notes, interactive quizzes and many other forms. One thing I will say is that I believe past paper questions helps to perfect your exam technique as well as improving your knowledge, and this is the best form of revision to do a few days before your exam when you (should) know everything for that exam. Also, if your exam/unit has a specification, use this as a checklist and make sure you know everything! That way nothing will come up in your exam that you won't know.

3. Whenever possible, ask for help

One thing I realised at university is that if you want extra help/feedback, you have to get it yourself. They don't spoon feed you here like they do at school. Part of growing up is being able to do things for yourself. Your tutors will be more than happy to help you when they can, but it does take an email from you to receive it. Most of my uni assignments have had minimal instructions and guidance, therefore getting help and clarity has improved my work and it means I'm able to get a good grade at the end of it. The same applies for coursework on all levels, there is nothing wrong with asking and if you ask too much, all they'll say is they can't help you with that. Ask for help to clarify anything you don't understand when revising. It will be extremely beneficial to you and there is lots of help out there!

4. Utilise the facilities

In first year uni, I didn't enter the library till a few weeks before my exams, and I regret this so much. There is so much space to just sit down and revise. They have computers, macs, laptops, books, tables, study rooms, anything that can help with work. If you can utilise this, you will get so much more work done. There are too many distractions when I work at home, so go down to your local library, listen to some music and you will easily pass four hours doing work. Our uni library is open 24 hours and around exam time, I was in there till around midnight every night. I went with friends but plugged in to concentrate, but I found that I got a lot of revision done and my exam results reflected that. There is also a cafe, sofas and it was next to the union so if you do get bored, then you could go for a walk before returning to do more work. By doing this, it will motivate you to do work whilst you're there, so give it a go!

5. Get enough sleep

This is so important. Get enough sleep whilst revising and the night before an exam/coursework deadline and it can make so much difference. Your mind will be alert and awake, making it easier to think. Drink plenty of water and eat healthily, and you can get so much more revision done. At university we are lucky to have a consolidation period where we have no lectures apart from revision sessions, so it was easy to get a good nights sleep, then go to the library during the day. If you have a 9am exam, go to bed early. Try not to get anxious as this can prevent you sleeping. Keep calm and if you have prepared effectively, you shouldn't have any stress before an exam/deadline. Remember, for exams, they are usually only an hour to two hours long, which is not long at all and not worth losing sleep over. It will go quickly and be out of the way before you know it so do not stress about it!

I hope these tips help and are useful to you. Whatever level you are at, you are continuously being tested so these can apply to all sorts of things. By following these basic tips, it can make such a big difference and you will feel calm and collected, helping you to achieve your very best.

If you need any advice then feel free to contact me via twitter, mail or comment on here! I've been taking exams and doing coursework for 7 years now so I have a lot of experience.