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.

As One Door Closes, Another Door Opens

There is nothing like a traditional ceremony to mark the end of a chapter in your life, and the beginning of a new one.

I attended my first graduation (and hopefully more to come) last week, where I wore the black robes and graduation cap to officially graduate with BSc degree in Biomedical Science.

On one of the hottest days of the year, everyone dressed up very formally and wore their robes with pride, including me. There's something about wearing graduation robes which makes you feel important, or an extra in a Harry Potter movie. I didn't want to take it off at the end of the day!

The day was more than my outfit though, it was the sense of achievement that could be felt in the room, and seeing everyone walk on that stage and shake the chancellors hand. It made me feel proud of what I have done, and even better for making not just me but my parents proud as well.

The graduation ceremony was over in a flash and thankfully I didn't trip in my heels whilst walking across the stage! After hanging around after the ceremony to chat, take pictures of me throwing my hat in the air, and have a well deserved glass of prosecco, I found it was time to leave the city where I had spent 3 years living and studying.

Whilst driving out of the city, it was sad to leave behind some of the best memories of my life, yet I felt happy to leave some of my worst (university is not always the best moments of your life).

I couldn't help feel excited for the future, as those three years made me realise who I want to be and what I want to do with my life.

I am so grateful for everything I have learnt from university, as well as the mistakes that I have made. It has given me so many opportunities and so many new perspectives.

If you happen to be reading this and are at/going to university, you will come out a new person. It will make you grow, and the graduation ceremony is so worth all those hard times. Giving up is easy, but you will grow more as a person if you take the hard route.

And so I shall leave this post with one of my favourite quotes of all time, from a man I admire and who inspires me to keep dreaming.

"If you can dream it, you can do it." 

Walt Disney 

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

What I Learned From Final Year at University

So this week I officially came to the end of my degree!

It's been tough and a real learning experience for me. There have been many ups and equally many downs, but I guess that's the whole point of life.
I think it's nice to sum up final year with lessons that I have learnt myself. Of course, everyones university experience is different, but seeing as mine has come to an end, here are a few things I've picked up on:

1. A lot of people actually start to do work

When I first started third year, I missed freshers due to being in America. As soon as I moved back in, I wanted to go out and see everyone that I hadn't seen all summer, but even after the first week, most people had kickstarted their coursework, lecture notes etc. This completely shocked me as I felt like I had to start putting effort in, but I suddenly realised that I do the work and could have fun at the same time. Some people find the balance tough, so just because everyone else seems to spend all day everyday in the library, doesn't mean you have to. There will be a point (around disso hand in time) when you have no other choice but to practically sleep in the library, but my advice would be to enjoy freshers one last time and let loose before starting the work.

2. You have to grow up a lot

The was a point at the start of third year when I realised that graduating uni isn't all that bad, and the thought of starting full time work in the real world started to feel like the next adventure. I didn't seem to dread finishing, rather I was kind of looking forward to it. I started searching for graduate schemes or travelling programmes I could do after university. Also, although I enjoyed going out, it started to get a bit tedious and repetitive after going to the same club nights for the past 2 years. Nights in suddenly seemed more preferable and I started opting for staying in and completing uni work rather than a night out.

3. Make the most of third year

Your final year is easy when it comes to having a solid foundation of friends and knowing the university lifestyle inside out. One thing I will advise is to enjoy and savour being a student for one last year. I did this by joining a new society, where I made so many new friends. I also joined up to the universities RAG adventure cycling from London to Paris. These opportunities aren't easily available after uni, and it provides another way of meeting new people. It also helped keep me motivated with the last year of uni, and meant that I really felt like I had made the most of final year.

4. Enjoy the small things

You don't have to go all out for your third year, but simple things like going to the union for a snakebite or using our student discount at restaurants and shops means you are taking advantage of the last time you can enjoy these pleasures.

5. Don't pay attention to anyone else around you

Some people had already finished their disso before I had even started mine, which slightly scared me! But then I realised, each course is completely different. For starters, I was not doing a dissertation but rather a research project. Also, some of the people posting it on facebook went to a completely different university which means they operate in a whole different way. So relax, and focus only on you.

6. There will be a point where you will need to do some work

This happens at different points for everyone, where you get a sudden wave of realisation that you need to stop your partying antics and procrastinating, and buckle down to some work. Your finally year is not for partying, get that out the way in the first two. This is the year that people go to university for, to get that degree. So the sooner you start motivating yourself to work hard, the better and easier it will be. Don't listen to that person that calls you boring for choosing the library over the nightclub, at the end of the day, you are accumulating a lot of student debt to get a good degree, so it would be stupid to throw it away for a few nights out. The summer is for chilling, relaxing and partying. Right now, get those books out and start organising your education. It's only temporary, in a few months it will all be over and it will all be worth it when you're celebrating with a good degree classification at the end.

Final year doesn't have to be stressful. If you remain organised and on top of your work, it can be quite easy.
I warn you now, you cannot breeze through final year without stressing, panicking and maybe crying the odd time. I certainly did not, and there were times when all I wanted to do was give up, but knowing that it was only temporary got me through.
They say you get out what you put in, and I truly believe in this saying. I was one of the last person I knew to finish my exams, but I remained focused and tried to not let that hinder me from trying my best.

On a final note, if you are contemplating going to university, I would say go for it. It truly is a learning experience and builds you as a person.

I wish you the best of luck wherever you are in your education ladder!

Confessions of a third year student...

These days, my life seems to resemble a pair of scales: balancing a social life and sanity with final year university work and insanity.

My lack of blog posts and ideas have been a result of this. I knew this was coming and I tried to prepare myself for the stress and copious amounts of work that would come my way.

I won't sugar coat it, final year is hard, it's meant to be. 

As we approach the end of April, the deadline for my thesis is just around the corner. I've spent pretty much every day since January in a laboratory, desperately trying to gather results to give me something to write about.

This is the life of a final year biomedical science student. It's not fun, but at the same time I am weirdly enjoying it. For those who choose to study a scientific course, then it is most likely that you will end up doing a research project. Not only do I think it is harder than a dissertation, I also think it is waay more stressful but at the same time way more rewarding.

Having to design, plan and conduct a research project by yourself is hard and without proper training, it means you have to use your own initiative on a daily basis to make sure you actually know what you are doing. There were times when I felt like crying in the lab because I had no idea what I was doing and none of my experiments were working. This is where patience comes in handy.

I've learnt so much in a matter of months, not just to do with my course but to do with myself. I definitely do not want to go into research as a future career, and I have also realised that the best way to complete something is to just sit down and get on with it.

I suppose the one thing that keeps me going is that it'll all be over in a couple of months. It's actually scary how quickly time goes when you are so preoccupied with various assignments and revision.

I think it's this point in a degree where you have to make sure you have chosen the right course and that you enjoy it. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to find the motivation to do anything.

Gone are the days of partying almost every night. In fact, after a days work I feel mentally exhausted and the last thing I want to do is get glammed up for a night partying into the early hours.

The coping mechanism's I have acquired are getting enough sleep, which is incredibly important and really effects your performance. I also try and go to the gym a few times a week, as well as going to local dance classes as this fulfils my other passions. It makes for a really good break and keeps me sane.
The most important one however is to START EARLY! I seriously cannot emphasise this enough, the earlier you start, the less stress and panic there will be towards the end. If you find yourself with spare time, make a head start. You will thank yourself for it later.

I can't say I have changed my diet to enrich me with brain boosting omega-3 or anything, I simply indulge in chocolate most of the time to satisfy that sweet craving and as a reward for all those revision notes I made. And there is nothing wrong with that. I also have become a procrastibaker, as you can see from the pictures below!

Blueberry Cake

Strawberry fairy cakes

Easter egg chocolate cakes

So I guess this post is like a diary entry and when it is all over I can read over it and take comfort in the fact that it's all over.

How To Deal With Rejection

 Rejection, isn't it the worst feeling in the world?!

It makes you feel like you aren't good enough or makes you question why someone didn't like you.

This post has come about because today I received not one but two rejections in the space of an hour, and it occurred to me that at some point in everyone's life, they have been rejected, probably multiple times.

Whether its from a job, your crush, friends, family or even from your pets, it has the ability to crush your dreams in a matter of seconds.

I've personally experienced rejection from a lot of things like jobs, universities, friends and boys! It sucks!

The idea I will probably face even more rejection in the future scares me a little! So this is why we must learn to accept rejection, develop a (extra) thick skin and use it to improve ourselves.

If it's one thing that most successful people have in common, its that they have been rejected many times before they became successful. Take JK Rowling, who got rejected from multiple publishers when she sent them Harry Potter. But all it took was one acceptation to turn her into a multimillionaire who is the author of one of the most successful book series in the world!

Rejection is necessary for us to re-evaluate ourselves and improve, so that next time, rejection doesn't take place.

Yes other people are luckier and face very little rejection, but I truly believe that they cannot be the best version of themselves because they haven't had the chance to experience a situation where you have to critically analyse yourself. People that don't deal with a lot of rejection are disadvantaged, as they cannot take this on board and learn to rethink in situations, or come up with different solutions to one problem.

Having this skill means that you can identify the areas of your life that need improving, and do something about it to make it better. 

If you find it hard to deal with rejection, just remember that everyone is different and this means that you may not be suited to a particular person, career or relationship. But having this variety of personalities means that there will be plenty of other options. We are fortunate to live in a society where there are so many opportunities around us so being rejected from one thing allows us to explore other pathways and open our minds.

I was lucky with the rejections I received today because they made me realise that I didn't really want those jobs in the first place, and therefore it made my career decision even clearer.

Take the rejection onboard, use it to figure out what possibly went wrong, then try and improve on this. If that fails, try something else!

I will leave this post with a quote from one of my favourite movies. This film is not very popular or heard of and may sound silly, but I used to watch it many times as a child and I'm grateful that this quote was instilled in my brain!

 'You try. You fail. You try. You fail. But the only true failure is when you stop trying.' Madame Leota, The Haunted Mansion, Disney 2003.

This quote then follows, which pretty much sums up how you should deal with rejection the next time you receive it.

'Jim: What do you want me to do? Huh? 

Madame Leota: Try again. '

WDW Guide: Magic Kingdom

Saving the best park till last, this is a guide to the main park of Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom.

As soon as you hop off the monorail, boat or bus (these are the many different ways to get to the entrance), you will be greeted by the vision of Walt Disney.

This park oozes the classical Disney themes throughout. As you wander through the turnstiles and under the bridge of the rail station, you will be greeted with the town square. Carry on walking and you will see the sight that makes my heart melt every single time: Cinderella's castle.

Main Street USA is a wondrous place to walk down. Here you will find a vast array of shops selling all the merchandise you can think of. If you want candy, character ears, ice cream, christmas decorations or anything else, you will probably find it in one of the shops. Do take the time to wander in and out to take in the detail, and escape the heat for the AC!

For coffee lovers, a Starbucks can be found here as well.

Main Street USA

Directly in front of the castle is a statue of Mickey and Walt which I really think is worth a picture. The castle often has welcome shows featuring dancer's, princesses and the famous characters. It is a Disney way of welcoming you to the Magic Kingdom.

The various lands surround the castle where the attractions await. I don't think there is a particular route you should go, as it will likely be busy everywhere unless you get there as soon as the park opens. The lands are summarised below:

Tomorrowland

Sci-fi is the theme of this land with Disney favourites located here such as Stitch's Great Escape, Monster's Inc laugh floor, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (very popular) and Space Mountain (also very popular).

My top tip: Go on the People Mover. It may not seem like a thrill ride but it won't be a waste of time and its great to have a quick rest. You can also get great views of the castle and see the rides in Tomorrowland from a cool behind-the-scenes view.

Also, make sure you catch a character dance party. These are so much fun and are great for making you laugh. Details of these are available on a program at the entrance to MK.
If I could give advice on what's not worth doing in Tomorrowland, it'll be Walt's Carousel of Progress. Its great for Disney fans but in my opinion, not worth the time doing if you are only there for a few days.

Fantasyland

Every little prince and princesses' dream place is Fantasyland. Here you'll find the classical Disney fairytales played out in various forms, such as roller coasters, tea cups or even a flying elephant. 

Must do rides are Peter Pan's Flight (be prepared to queue or get a fastpass), Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Under the Sea- Journey of the Little Mermaid and Dumbo the Flying Elephant.

I actually couldn't do the mine train as the queue was ridiculously long but I've heard that it is good. You can also get fastpasses to meet the popular princesses or if you love Beauty and the Beast, then you can meet Belle at her Enchanted Tales.

Be Our Guest

One thing I love doing is the carousel. If any of you have seen Saving Mr Banks, Walt Disney rides it in Disneyland, CA. Whenever I go on the carousel in any Disney park, I feel like I'm being transported back to when Disneyland was brand new and Walt could see his vision become reality.

Recommendations for eating here are Be Our Guest, which is very popular and sadly we weren't able to go. We did eat at Pinocchio's Village Haus, which is a great QSF&B serving pizza's, salads and flatbreads. Do try the Blue Raspberry frozen slushy, it is seriously the best thing I've ever tasted but it will turn your tongue blue!

Flat bread and Blue Raspberry slushy 

Also, don't forget that you can board the railroad here to take you around the park, which is great if you want a little sit down.

Liberty Square

The next themed area is Liberty Square. Catch the Haunted Mansion, a classic Disney ride. Apart from that, I'd recommend the riverboat if you have nothing else to do. Liberty Square is quite small, so really the Haunted Mansion is the main attraction.

For food, the Sleepy Hollow is famous for the waffle sandwiches although I am yet to try one!

Frontierland

Home of two of the mountains and the former being my favourite ride- Splash and Big Thunder! These are the top attractions and can have hefty wait times so fast pass is recommended. Some cool themed merchandise are also located here.

Adventureland

Do ride the Jungle Cruise, a hilarious boat ride that is so enjoyable because of the Cast Member operating the boat. Pirates of the Caribbean is another favourite. For kids, they'll love the flying carpets of Aladdin and if they are keen explorers, the Swiss Family Treehouse is cool to climb and get great views of MK.

If you want to meet Aladdin and Jasmine, you'll find them here also!

One thing I will always get in Adventureland is a classic Dole Whip. Opt for pineapple, vanilla soft serve or a mixture of both. The float comes with pineapple juice, but either in the Floridian heat is refreshing and will cool you down nicely.

Overall, this is a miniature version of a guide to MK and is based on what I have experienced and therefore recommend. MK really requires two full days to get everything done. 

Do not miss the Festival of Fantasy Parade or the night time Main Street Electrical Parade. Make sure you pick up a program with the parade routes and times to ensure you get a good spot.

Festival of Fantasy Parade

At the end of the day, you can saw goodbye to MK by watching Celebrate the Magic. Projections of famous disney scenes can be viewed on the castle itsself, followed by the night time firework spectacular that is Wishes.

Celebrate The Magic

Wishes

This will send shivers down your spine and almost make you well up (it did to me). It's times like these when I watch the show and realise how special Disney can make people of all ages feel. It'll be at this point when all the planning, money spent and travelling to get to MK is way worth it. You will not want to leave after this. 

I hope this has given a good insight into the main park of Walt Disney World. What you do with your time is up to you, and members of your party of all ages will feel so special in this park. 

If you are going, I hope you have the most magical time!