Weekend trip to Budapest – Budget and Cost breakdown

Hey guys!

Last weekend I finally went to Budapest which has been a must visit winter location on my list for a while now. This will probably be my last European city break before the Summer because I am really trying to go to some of the bigger countries this year. Budapest however was very cute! The architecture around the city were beautiful and the cold weather didn’t bother me at all, although I do prefer warmer countries.

The best way to get around Budapest is on foot and I would recommend you doing that because you will be able to take in the views and still get enough done in a day.

If I had to choose between Paris and Budapest, I think I would choose Budapest, it is an excellent city to relax, have a spa day and still do fun things. If you however want to shop well, you might want to stick to Paris.

So how much did this all cost me?

Flight and 4* Hotel for 1 night - £127 pp

Airport transfers - £50 – this was in London as we chose Luton airport for cheaper tickets, but I regret doing this. The airport isn’t very accessible and some of the staff there at security was some of the rudest I’ve ever met. Next time I’ll stick to London Stanstead Airport!

Spendings in Budapest – roughly £75 but could have been £50

Total = £257 for 2 days in Budapest

I spent the minimal amount of money and to be honest I could have saved about £25/£30 but we made the mistake of getting on a Hop On and Off tour. These are double decker red bus tours that will be offered to you the moment you land and all around the city. We used the bus once so technically I paid £30 for one bus journey. The bus tour was poorly organised, and I am not sure if it was whether it was down to the company that we booked it through or if all the bus tours are like this. We were recommended the bus tour because people we know had a good experience on them. We can’t say the same for ourselves.

The buses were generally overcrowded, we got on and there were no instructions. We were supposed to receive audio earphones to listen to the tour – but we didn’t. Poor girl who was working on the bus was just falling all over the place. We didn’t really know where the bus was going and just sat on it looking out the view. I would’ve preferred to learn something about the area we passed etc. When you buy the tickets, you get told that a lot of things are included in the price and then you walk around the city looking for these stops. Maybe it was just us who had a bad experience because of our limited time there. However, even if we had longer, I wouldn’t like to spend so much time trying to find bus stops for a Hop on and Off bus tour.  The company we booked it through was called the Giraffe company.

That’s just the cost break down for now and I will be making a post with the Itinerary for Budapest soon!

Have you guys been to Budapest before? How was your experience? Have you tried the Hop and Hop Off tour before? Were we just unfortunate or are they not that good.

Let me know in the comments below! 😊

How to Travel Solo as a Girl, Stay Safe and not feel Alone!

Hey guys,

as I mentioned in my last post I traveled to Lisbon by myself and I've been wanting to do this for a very long time now. My ideal would have been to travel to a country in another continent solo but that would be a big leap and I wanted to make sure I get the confidence in a country quite close to home. This solo trip has actually changed me as a person and I am so glad that I did it. When I got there I was still very nervous but I was not scared about getting lost. I was more worried about feeling lonely and not having a good time because I won't have anybody to talk to. It was nothing like that though. As soon as I got to the Hostel I got to know the staff and I took part in a walking tour where I got to meet people and continue the rest of the day with them. Something I really didn't think was that I would enjoy the time that I spent by myself. That was probably the best part. Sitting on a ferry or by the water and just watching the sunset and reflecting on life. It all sounds so cliche but it was actually the best experience.

During the new year I remember uploading blog posts about friendships and how I felt about life at that moment! My friend gave me the advice to take some time for myself and book a trip by myself which would help me heal and just take a break from everything and everyone. It was the best advice I had received and in that moment I decided to do it and the ticket was booked within 10 minutes. My impulsiveness has helped me to make a positive experience out of it.

Safety -- I really didn't feel watched and luckily didn't make any bad experiences. However, it could have gone both ways so I was lucky but I was also very cautious and didn't come across as vulnerable. I always had a safety alarm on me. I made good conversation with people without revealing too much about myself.
I would say that I had a good balance between solo time and being with people. I really wish I had been there for longer than a weekend, that's how much I enjoyed it and I really thought I would try to run back home from the experience but I really did not want to come back home. I wouldn't have minded setting into the world adventures all by myself and just keep moving to other places and countries. I was also pro-travel but this trip changed my entire mindset so quickly. I was high on life and it still hasn't worn off. I am ready for the next solo adventure and I urge you all to do it once at least while you're young. I honestly cannot wait for the day where I will be telling my kids this full story in detail and I am so glad and happy that my parents let me go on this trip.

My First Hostel Experience - Home Lisbon Hostel

Hey guys,

last weekend I went to Lisbon and prior to that I went to Amsterdam and I also celebrated my 22nd birthday so the following posts are not going to be in a chronological order but I thought it would be best for me to write about the experience while it is still fresh in my mind.

In all my travels I have so far only stayed at Air BnB's or Hotels so far. Lisbon was also my first ever solo trip which I will write about in more detail. During my stay in Lisbon, I stayed at Home Lisbon Hostel and I paid 21 euros for a stay in a room shared with 3 other people and a private toilet. The prices were really reasonable and the place was well worth it. It was located in the heart of Lisbon and the staff of Home Lisbon Hostel was excellent. As I arrived there they told me all about the Hostel and provided me with a map with details of how to get around the area.

The interior of the hostel rooms and the common areas were very tidy and the staff of Home Lisbon Hostel was very approachable and friendly. I had told them that it was my first time in a hostel so they took extra care of me and ensured that I am having a good time and mange to meet people. They provided a breakfast buffet for just 3 euros which was great. Obviously you have to clean after yourself in a Hostel but for the price you pay one cannot complain.  The Hostel also has various activities for such good pricing such as a day trip to Sintra, walking tours around town and from what I remember I am pretty sure they offered surfing trips (but do double check). What I really liked about my stay was that the hostel opened up options to meet people and get to know people from various countries. On the walking tour I met 3 guys from Dubai, Colombia and the Netherlands. After the tour we decided to stay together and travel to the part of Lisbon called Belem. I was really nervous at first but once I knew that these guys were safe and I could trust them I wasn't as awkward and shy.

My roommates were a family from the US which was to my surprise as I expected to stay with solo travelers. However, anything is part of an experience and I felt safe around them. We talked to each other a little and they explained to me how the US government is structured because I am currently reading Barack Obama's book "Hope of audacity" and struggled to understand some parts as I don't know much about the US politics and their constitutions.  In return I exchanged my knowledge on Brexit as to them it is all a bit confusing and they didn't understand the purpose of it. To be fair neither do I haha.

I really believe that my entire trip would've been half as good if I didn't stay in a hostel and had the opportunity to meet people. I booked my stay at Home Lisbon Hostel through Booking.com

I would definitely recommend staying once in a Hostel when you're young and traveling solo but it is also cheap and cheerful for when you're traveling as a group. However, I have seen Hostels which aren't as great in the UK. So I would definitely read reviews on hostels and make sure it says that they're tidy and that the bedrooms look good enough. I was lucky with a good first Hostel experience but it may not always be the case. I always think, any experience whether good or bad is a life lesson.

                      The view from my room.

Are The People In Our Lives ALL Temporary?

June 2015 - after you guys read this post I would like to add that this friendship I would be heartbroken about if it was to ever end! 

Hey guys,

this is probably going to be my last post of 2018 and an accurate representation of how I am feeling at the end of this year. I have been having many thoughts lately but I reckon it comes with me slowly entering and getting deeper and deeper into my 20s. I would really like to know if I am the only one feeling/having thoughts like this or what your thoughts on this topic are as I already know it is going to vary. So please at the end of this post, I would love it if you could take the time to leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! :)

2018 has been the year of my personality growth. It has been a year where I have had lots and lots of people around me yet felt like there is nobody ultimately understands me.  One thing that I am definitely aware of that I value friendships a lot and that more than most people so when I don't see people responding to scenarios the same way I do it does tend to leave me confused. I am used to giving but not receiving the same back in return in that sense, but that is probably I put too much energy and thought into friendships - not because the person isn't doing enough. I feel though that this is what makes me the person I am and I shouldn't give that up just because people aren't the same way.

So now having explained what I am like in any sort of relationship - friendship - family bonds etc. I am wondering are the people in our lives all temporary? There are the different scenarios:

TEMPORARY FRIENDS - the friends that you meet at the different stages of your life - school, university. Somehow it results in being called "drifting apart" because you don't see each other everyday anymore and that's the only reason why you aren't friends anymore.
 That leaves me with the thought - I mean if I know this friendship is not going to exist in 5 years time shall I just walk away now or would that leave me as the rude person? I don't like to waste my time nor energy but neither do I like to be on bad terms with anybody.

LOVE  - Before I start this line, I would like to clarify I am not a bitter single and I am happy for everyone around me that has found love. For me, I am still enjoying doing things on my own and I want to enjoy this state for a bit longer and nobody has swayed me from that point just yet.
I'd say 80% of my friends are actively dating or in a relationship and it is becoming apparent to me that to some people friends are part of their lifestyle but that is all it is. If their friends walked away from the friendship it is okay because they still have their partner, no active effort will be made to "save" the friendship.

Having that said as a disclaimer I can not tell how I will be in a relationship myself but I would ideally not be so affected by whatever this thing called "love" does to people haha.

CHILDHOOD FRIENDS - these are the friends you basically learnt how to write/walk/swim with. The friendship that has lasted 15 years. As you get older you still call each other friends but your lives just have no correlation anymore and you hardly know each other. Are you still allowed to call that being friends? When you see each other it feels great but rather a session of recollection of the past rather than new memories being made together.

So I would like to end this post with a few questions and it would be great to know what you guys think. Are people temporary? Are they just part of our overall growth as a person but they will leave at some point? Do I put too much thought into friendships? Does it sound like I am expecting to be "entitled to someone's time" because I am expecting the same sort of energy or input back from people? If I have already got bad intuitions about people, and it is affecting my vibes - do I walk away already or wait for the so called "drifting away"?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

The Ideal Friend of an Entrepreneur

Hi guys,

I deeply believe in your mindset and mood is determined by what you feed your brain and we do this on a daily basis in the most subtle ways and we may not even realise. The things we see on our social media, the people we are surrounded and their attitude toward things.

When people start a business, music career or a journey of their own entrepreneurship the true colours of most friendships tend to show. The vibes I receive from my friends toward my blogging work does definitely help me in positive ways. I've cut those that don't help me grow as a person out one by one. 

You can support an entrepreneur in many ways - by following their work, by sharing their content via social media or even referring people to the work. Content creators and business owners go through a tremendous amount of hours of work to the point up to them publishing or releasing their work and having friends that do this could mean this to them more than anything else you could do for them. I am sure that I am not talking for myself here but for the community of entrepreneurs. 

The people that entrepreneurs favour the least, are the type of "friends" that only come out to congratulate you when you are doing well and are joining your moment whilst it lasts. Or people who are only willing to work with you once you are making a positive progress and turn around and say "I knew you'll make it" but didn't actually support you in the process. You'll hear them say "congrats my girl", "that's my boy we went to school together" making sure it is clear that you are friends. Whilst this is very sweet and also appreciated, it is way more appreciated when these friends are there when you are working up to this point in your life by doing the smallest favours. This may be in my case saying things like "oh why don't you take a picture of that for your blog" or "shall I share your song".

I believe not all friends are aware of this and that's why I wanted to shed some light to this. It is in no way meant to be shady but more of a suggestion to all of you out there who may have entrepreneur friends and would like to really support them but don't know how to. And on this note I'd like to also add a warm thank you to all my friends that are continuing to support me.  

Florence + The Machine VIP Lounge Experience| Do a bit of Debenhams

Hey guys!

Two weeks ago I was invited to the Florence + The Machine concert by the Debenhams team! I was thrilled to attend this event because not only did I need a break from my student life but I was really looking forward to connect with other bloggers from the UK! It has been such a long time since I have had met fellow bloggers.
I haven't attended a concert in such a long time and Debenhams had a VIP lounge booth booked at the O2 Arena which I experienced for the first time as well! We were spoiled with drinks and food all night whilst listening to Florence + The Machine whose live voice is amazing by the way!
I knew some of Florence + The Machine's songs prior to the concert but not all and I was so happy to have attended the event, I felt like I got to know more about her in such little time.

Debenhams also sorted me out with an amazing outfit which I fell in love with. I also picked an amazing outfit from Debenhams which I fell in love with. The Quiz jumpsuit was the perfect fit and just gave me the classy elegant I was looking for and I also got stunning Steven Madden heels from Debenhams as well.
What really shocked me was how perfect the fit of these outfits was! I received the outfit the day before the event and I was a bit worried what if it wasn't the right size and I wouldn't have had enough time to return any items or go to a Debenhams store nearby but I fell in love with the outfits I received straight away! The fitting and outfit sizing guidelines were perfect. I never really ordered outfits from Debenhams before, I always thought that they didn't have outfits appropriate for my age range but they actually did! The Debenhams bodycon dresses have such a wide variety.

On that note, I'm off to bed it's getting late and I have to resume to my student life tomorrow. Having said that, I have just confirmed my first blogger event attendance for 2019 already so it definitely doesn't end here.

That's it from me for now lovelies, I'll be back with more soon.

7 Signs That You're Burning Out | Mental Health

Hello guys,

We live in a society where working hard and grinding is promoted so positively which is definitely a good thing and I do agree that it's important to set your goals at high importance. However, there is a fine line between a healthy mindset and the goals overwhelming you and overworking yourself to cause a burn out.
Lately I've been feeling like I've hit a point in my life where I've completely burnt out and have no energy whatsoever left to get back out of it. Usually, this is not like me at all, I have always had a lot on my plate but I manage to get back up after resting for a day. At this point I am counting down the days left till the end of term because I know the only way for me to gather my energy again is to take a few days rest and the calendar is already so full that I can't find those days. Anyhow, I don't want anyone to miss the signs like me and get to this point of burning out so here are the early signs you should look out for...

1. It takes you less than 5 minutes to fall asleep
Do you come home, get ready for bed and you don't even have to try, you shut your eyes and you're out! While taking long to fall asleep is a sign of insomnia, falling asleep too quickly isn't healthy either.

2. Mental Fatigue
You sleep enough but you mentally just don't feel with it. Constantly feeling weak and tired.

3. Always zoning out
Are you surrounded by a crowd but you find yourself always zoning out and thinking about the work related things you still have to do?

4. Struggling to look after yourself
You have no motivation to cook, eat and are more likely to fall into eating habits are not your usual self. Simple chores start to feel difficult and start piling up.

5. Working through a list
You're working through a list rather than wanting to get it done.

6. Immune System - getting ill frequently
Is your immune system giving up on you and you keep getting ill?

7. Isolation
You don't feel like socialising with anybody and you start to detach yourself from everyone.

These are just some of the signs and don't avoid them, do something about it before you're in my situation!