Do something amazing today!

Ive had this blog for a while and haven't updated it as often as I would like to.... Things get in the way - work (been doing a lot of that lately), studying, seeing friends and family,  travelling and other things.  Spare time has been a little bit of a luxury lately... But at least I'm making use of it :) Its always better to be busy than bored.

As the new year approaches I got thinking about new years resolutions.  These sound cliché and I'm sure most resolutions don't make it past mid January, but is planning improvements to your life really such a bad idea?? Most lists end up with the same old things ... quit smoking (not an issue as I've never smoked nor do I intend to start), get fit and eat healthy (ok we could all do more of that), drink less (ditto), work hard. But what if we all set out to do something amazing? Something that either changed us, or our outlook on life or made an impact somewhere in the world. The world would definitely be a better place!

This post is partly inspired by Tristan Cano, a man in his early thirties who tragically passed away this week after battling a brain tumour for a while but who's zest for life truly inspired anyone who knew him. He made it a point to travel the world and not put off anything that made him happy but which most of us put off till tomorrow. Something we can all learn from and which has given me alot to think about in the past 24 hours. A sad loss but he was a truly inspirational human being!

So back to the outlook for 2014 ... Well I still have a hundred or so things on that list of mine to tackle and things don't happen unless you make them happen! Life's too short to sit around. Turns out a fluffy management course about visualising what you want actually worked and inspired me to make the most of the somewhat limited time we have to make a mark on this place.

Looking back at 2013, it's been a pretty amazing year what with 12 countries visited (Oktoberfest and my Eastern Europe adventure were a highlight), charity treks completed,  my Masters nearly done,  a small stint as a TV  cooking show contestant,  a promotion to a role that has been challenging but I've loved,  catching up with old friends and making tons of new ones, and some rewarding moments which I've truly treasured (most of these just one on one conversations and shared moments but those are the things that matter). There have been highs and lows and times when my life has been an emotional rollercoaster but I definitely can't complain and there's a lot to be said for getting off your backside! 

So what's in store for 2014?

Well I haven't finished making that list yet. Midnight at new years doesn't need to be a deadline. 

Here's a preview though :)

I'm trying to decide between trips to: Morocco,  New York, Scandinavia,  Turkey,  Australia,  Central America,  South East Asia or South Africa. Unfortunately I only have 5 weeks of annual leave to play with but the world is a beautiful place and deciding is taking longer than I thought.  Front runners are currently South East Asia and Turkey. Thanks for all the recommendations guys!
I also think there's a lot to be said for giving something back. I'm trying to incorporate a bit of volunteering into my trips as it always makes them just that little bit more special.  Also gonna try and pick a new charity each month to support and mix it up a bit.
Then there's all the stuff on my list ... I want to continue to explore my passion for food,  try some extreme sports, explore a business start up idea with a friend, graduate from my masters...  maybe even jump out of a plane - why not?  Who knew making new years plans could be so exciting!!

 

And with a shamelessley stolen and incredibly cheesy copyright internet photo I'm gonna end this post with a challenge. Are you gonna settle for an ordinary life?  Or are you gonna plan to do something amazing today, like Tristan urged us all to do .... because if you don't make things happen then you're the one missing out! People always find excuses like they don't have time, money,  energy ... but if you set out looking for excuses you'll find them and if you really want something then there's always a way to get it. So stop worrying about stressful jobs,  failed relationships, bills, the bickering and bitching and the mundaneness of daily life and get excited about doing something amazing, however big or small.

For all of you who shared 2013 with me thanks for making it what it was!

Happy 2014 people.  Let's hope it's a good one filled with plenty of adventures!  Xxx

#78 - Drink beer at Oktoberfest

Ok this is a bit of a weird one to have on the list as I'm not really much of a beer fan. Actually I can just about drink a Corona on a hot day at home and although refreshing I can never bring myself to have that second one as I feel super bloated and it tastes bitter after a while. However Oktoberfest has always appealed to me. Getting immersed in Bavarian culture whilst having one big party with millions of people from around the world - whats not to like (apart from the copious amounts of beer you're required to drink to get truly involved).

Although this has always been something I wanted to do there are SOOOOOOOO many destinations on my travel list that Germany really wasn't ranking very highly in comparison to the likes of Central America and South East Asia. But then I went on a Busabout tour of Eastern Europe and a few people on our bus had been and kept raving about how amazing it was and Busabout happened to have an Oktoberfest offer going at the time so it was literally get home from Croatia, request annual leave and book Oktoberfest!! I'm really impulsive when it comes to booking travel! 

I was so excited about the trip but it amazed me how many people hadn't heard of Oktoberfest!! Its something that I've always known about and thought this was the norm. The basic history behind it (in a nutshell) is that a royal couple in Germany in the 1800s decided to get their country on board by celebrating their wedding in Munich and hosting a big festival and event with beer, horse races etc so that everyone felt part of the celebrations. The people loved it so much that they begged to celebrate the anniversary every year and although the horse races and other stuff got lost along the way its still celebrated today and is one of the biggest festivals on the planet and a tribute to all things Bavarian. Thankyou King Ludwig I and Therese for throwing such an awesome party!

So after an amazing summer I set off to meet my friend in Munich for some German beer-drinking shenanigans. Due to flight connections I got to our (freezing cold!) campsite the night before she did and had only been there a few minutes before I was told to grab a beer. They have beer vending machines in Germany!! No jokes!! Who needs Pepsi when you can have a giant can of Lowenbrau I guess! Anyway I took it easy the first night and just had two, which was probably a good call as its not easy to sleep in a tent in a campsite full of drunk people when its freezing cold. Once my friend arrived the next day we went to explore Munich city centre, which included shopping for Lederhosen and Dirndls and having dinner (sausages of course) and drinks (litres of beer) at a traditional beergarden. We tried on about 6 dirndls ... loved most of them (seriously these things are so flattering, they look good on anyone) and ended up spending 80 euros on a traditional Bavarian outfit which I don't think I'll ever pull off other than being a German beer maid at the next few fancy dress parties I'm invited to.

The next day we were up at 7 and queuing outside the beer halls before the doors opened at 9am. By 9.15 I was sitting at a table with a bunch of new friends, all kitted out in the finest Bavarian wear, with a giant 1 litre stein of beer in front of me. For  breakfast. Normally the thought of that would make me sick but the atmosphere was so amazing that the time of day didn't matter (although you can spot the bags under our eyes in all the photos). The outfits were a good call ... all over Munich everyone was sporting them and you would have looked out of place in a beer hall without one. These tents are massive with between two and eight thousand people seated in each tent at any given time and everyone is all dressed up. Germany efficiency is brilliant too ... the toilets remain clean, anyone being a drunken idiot gets kicked out and if you don't have a seat you don't get service. If anything the only disappointing thing was that I expected to see a buxon blonde with massive boobs and braided hair serving my beer in order to live up to the stereotype but most of the woman were practically Amazonian and in their 40s and amazingly strong to be able to carry 10 steins of beer at any given time through a rowdy crowd. After the first one I needed two hands just to hold up one!! We had an awesome first day. The bands add to the atmosphere and everyone dances on the tables and clinks their steins together, whilst drunk people attempt to learn the lyrics to german beer drinking songs and nursery rhymes (the song repetoire is rather limited!). There's also plenty of food on offer which is great cos about 3 standard beers fit in each of those steins and the alcohol percentage is much higher than in the rest of Europe so after two you're already buzzing. Easily solved by eating ridiculous amounts of sausages, schnitzel, roast chickens, pork knuckles and pretzels ... german cuisine really isn't friendly to waistlines. There's also a massive theme park surrounding the tents in case you get bored of beer and dancing (not likely!) and feel you can resist the urge to spew on the rollercoasters.

The best thing about the festival is the atmosphere. Someone I know calls it the happiest place on earth and that sums it up pretty well. Its like Disneyworld for adults but with more alcohol. On the second day we went beer tent hopping. It was later in the day and the tents were largely full so we had to gatecrash tables to get served because of the table service rule. This meant we met a ton of Germans, Austrians, Romanians, Italians etc ... all of whom welcomed us onto their table, clinked their glasses and shared laughs, dances and stories with us. There was one couple who even told us how they'd met at Oktoberfest 7 years ago, got married the following year and go back every year for their anniversary. Cute! All this whilst dancing in dirndls to german folk music on benches drinking beer in the middle of the day. So awesome.

So basically if you can do it go!!!!  I'd love to go again some day. And don't worry if you don't like beer ... German beer tastes different to the stuff on tap at home. Less gassy and much more flavoursome. Loved the Augustiner brewers and the Paulaner Weissbier was immense!

The trip was also an eye opener. Germany is an amazing holiday destination. Munich and Bavaria were gorgeous with its castles and culture and I decided to extend my stay for an extra week and explore Berlin, which I fell in love with. I went on my own (which everyone should try at least once) and met some amazing people in the city and consumed even more beer and sausages. The city is steeped with history and culture - I went to 4 museums in one day and wasn't remotely bored ... A royal castle, a museum on Nazi occupation, world war II history ... all amazingly interesting. Then there's the beautiful buildings and the bohemian atmosphere of East Berlin with its street beggars asking for weed money and graffiti on every corner. Not to mention the nightlife ... we went to a ping pong bar (not the Thai type - one where drunk people play competitive ping pong), a gothic metal bar, a hippy bar, an underground drum n bass club and a commercial house club in the same night - on a Thursday. Its now one of my favourite European cities right up there with Budapest, Barcelona, Krakow and Hvar. What can I say Germany ... I am now a fan!!

#78 - ACHIEVED

  

- Difficulty: 3/10 (Flights are expensive and if you'd rather do hotels than camp then prepare to fork out some cash)

- Thrill factor: 7/10 (Was so excited the entire time and I didn't even try any of the rollercoasters)

- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 7/10 (lived up to my expectations 100%)

- Recommend to a friend: 10/10 (If I could go every year I would)

#66 - Go to a music festival

Ok  so this one should have been ticked off a long time ago. I love live music!! Whether its supporting local bands at a tiny club or going to a massive megaconcert I love the atmosphere and the passion that goes into the music. Over the years I've been to several massive concerts from Foo Fighters to Bon Jovi to Biffy Clyro to Backstreet Boys to Chambao to David Bisbal as well as a few dance and electronic music festivals - my music tastes are quite diverse to say the least! I've also been to small one day festivals with great lineups but running from 2pm til midnight or similar. However I always wanted to go to a massive 3 day festival on the lines of Glastonbury or Download. 

This year when the Optimus Alive lineup in Portugal was announced and featured Stereophonics, Greenday, Kings of Leon and Biffy Clyro I jumped at the chance as I actually had enough annual leave to take time off work (a rare commodity these days!) and it had the added bonus of being driving distance from Gibraltar and likely to be decent weather.

I bought my tickets and then almost couldn't go as my friend had to pull out cos of work commitments but thankfully at almost the last minute we got together a group of 8 people, some of whom I didn't know very well, and we took the 7 hour road trip to Lisbon. (Lisbon is a good city to visit btw - its a bit dirty and unkept but still beautiful). 

Optimus Alive was one of the best organised music events I've ever been to. Everything was seamless and hassle free from wristband exchanges, to shuttles to the venue, to decent toilets and no beer/wine queues .... and even more surprisingly all the bands started on time. I definitely recommend attending it and will be going again!! 

One of the best things about festivals with such a massive lineup (running from 5pm til 5am across 3 stages) is that you get the occasional surprise act that you love. My favourite live act were Two Door Cinema Club, who I was familiar with but didn't think I'd love so much, though by the same token I was suprised that GreenDay were disappointing live considering how much I loved them as a teenager. Kings of Leon and Biffy Clyro were awesome, Of Monsters and Men and Vampire Weekend were brilliant and should have had a spot on the main stage and I had the most fun dancing to Jurassic 5's set with my 'team wine' dance buddy Jo. There was also an amazing Mozambique band which we discovered in a tiny stage covered in gold tinsel on the way to the portaloos. It was an exhausting three days but so much fun and was great to party with new friends til the early hours of the morning to the sounds of some amazing bands. There's also the awesome conversations you have with random people from around the world whilst waiting for Two Many DJs to start their set, or queuing in the food court for some Bifanas and Pasteis (love Portuguese food!) which add to the festival experience. Met Kiwis, Germans, Portuguese, Spaniards, Aussies, South Africans, Brits and more. The fact that the festival was in a city that I'd never been to was also an added bonus as we got to do some sightseeing during the day. 

The only negative thing about the weekend was going to work the next day after getting home from Portugal at midnight with no voice and a body abused by excess wine, cider and festival food. The rest was amazing and I can't wait til the next one!! Beats any concert/festival I've been to hands down. In the meantime some great memories were made, as well as some great friends too.

#66 - ACHIEVED

  

- Difficulty: 2/10 (Nothing difficult other than requiring a bit of stamina)

- Thrill factor: 7/10 (Great feelng when your favourite band plays your fave hit)

- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 7/10 (music is so much better live)

- Recommend to a friend: 10/10 (if you haven't been to a festival yet - Go!!!)

#131 - Visit Auschwitz

As I mentioned in my last post I just got back from a trip to Eastern Europe ... one of my favourite parts of the world. One of the things that sold us when choosing the itinerary was that, rather uniquely for a tour company aimed at 20-35 year olds, it included a trip to the concentration camps at Auschwitz. I'd always wanted to visit Poland and, with it being such a large part of Europe's recent history, visiting Auschwitz was something I'd always wanted to experience. 

So we got on our bus and drove from Olomouc (Czech Republic) to Auschwitz (Poland). Our bus broke down along the way and we had to hang around at a service station for a couple of hours whilst we waited for a replacement but despite that thanks to our very organised Busabout crew we got to Auschwitz on schedule. Word of advice: I don't recommend you listen to upbeat dance tunes as you drive towards the camp (or phat beats as they were known on the bus). It means that arriving at such a sombre place is a bit of a shock to the system. 

Auschwitz is very humbling but be warned its a fairly depressing place from the word go ... at the end of the day its a Nazi death camp and the horror stories of the stuff that went on there send shivers down your spine. But its in our recent history, it happened and its not something that should be forgotten easily.

We had a guided tour and spent an afternoon there. First we went to Auschwitz I, the entrance of which was surrounded by watch towers, halt signs and barbed wire. We then proceeded to walk around the buildings in the camp, most of which have  been turned into museums. Now its hard to explain this, but most of the group felt like Auschwitz wasn't what they expected at this point. I don't know if its because it was around 33 degrees and the trees were in full bloom and it was full of tour groups but in my head I imagined it to be bleak and grey and not red brick buildings surrounded by grass and trees. Once inside the museum buildings it was a different story though and the bleakness came through by the bucketload. Some of the most impacting things that almost brought tears to my eye were the room full of hair that women had to have cut off by Nazi soldiers, room after room of luggage, shoes, combs and other personal possessions, photos of some of the prisoners at the camp with dates of how long they were at the camp before they died, the execution wall, the cramped stable-like beds the prisoners slept in, and most of all the standing cells - a one metre squared prison cell were 3-5 prisoners were locked into standing up and where ultimately most of them died of suffocation or starvation. We then went on to see the gas chambers and moved on to Auschwitz II - the Birkenau camp. 

Birkenau was more what we expected - the camp that appears in all the films and history books with the train platforms and wooden shelters. It was scorching hot as I mentioned before so at this point between the emotional impact of what we had seen/heard and being physically drained by the heat the mood was quiet and sombre and we were all struggling. We got to the Holocaust memorial and all reflected on how something this horrible could have happened in our grandparents' lifetime. Our tour guide was very knowlegable and gave us a lot of history and insight into life (if you could call it that) in Auschwitz. 
It was a humbling experience that puts life into perspective and makes you realise how lucky you are to live in a country that isn't gripped by war and where something this horrible would never be allowed. I can't even begin to imagine the fear the prisoners had when they were living in these conditions, ripped away from their families and possessions, and for many millions of them ultimately died under the Nazi regime. It really is quite shocking stuff and visiting the camps only gives you a small insight into what it would have been like - that alone is a difficult experience and although I didn't cry I was close to it a few times. It really is an emotional experience and worth going to to see for yourself.

There was a particular plaque in one of the museum walls that really summarised the experience for me.  “The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again.” - George Santayana

#131 - ACHEIVED

  

- Difficulty: 4/10 (Not for the senstive soul - its a really emotional day)

- Thrill factor: 1/10 (Really quite sobering experience)

- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 7/10 (experiencing history first hand)

- Recommend to a friend: 7/10 (very sad, not quite what I expected, but we should never forget it happened)

Some things that should have been on the list but weren't ...

So I just got back from an amazing trip around Eastern Europe with Busabout ... 12 days, 5 countries and some amazing people! It was a jam packed trip with everything from pub crawls in Prague to visiting Auschwitz to tobogganing in the Alps and pretty much everything you can imagine in between. Eastern Europe is grossly underrated and I try to go at least once each year (so far been to Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, Poland and Slovakia and can't wait to explore more).

So here's some things from my trip that probably should have been on my Bucket List but I didn't know how amazing they would be til I actually did them!

#1 - Go on a bus tour!

I've always been against cruises, despite their popularity, because you never seem to spend long enough in each port to really experience the place. Bus tours on the other hand mean you stay overnight in the place so can experience the nightlife and atmosphere and get up early and see the sights the next day. The Busabout Classic Rhapsody Trek itinerary was great - we had culture, history, nature, partying, food, adventure all in the 10 day trip (we added a few days either side and made it a longer holiday). On  top of it you get to make lasting friendships with over thirty like-minded people from across the globe who I can't wait to see again soon! Already looking into other tours such as the Ottoman or Baltic tours they run or even ones in Scotland. Def need to repeat that experience as with all my travelling it ranks in my top 3 holidays ever. Busabout are a great company too! Our guide Stu was awesome and he's helping us to arrange our next Busabout trip to Munich in September for Oktoberfest (that's #78 on the list soon to be completed!) which some of our other Eastern European trekkers will be joining us on ... Cannot wait :D

- Difficulty: 1/10 (Tour companies such as Busabout make it hassle free)

- Thrill factor: 7/10 (Was so excited throughout as the trip was amazing)

- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 7/10 (saw so much of Eastern Europe)

- Recommend to a friend: 10/10 (one of my best holidays ever)

#2 - Ride a tank

I've never actually thought about this long enough to put it on a bucket list but when I saw it as an optional extra on the trip itinerary I jumped at the chance. A bargain at €15 and worth every penny. TANKS ARE AWESOME! I got a bit carried away and as we pitstopped in a service station in Slovakia, I ran into a charity shop and got a camouflage print t-shirt for a bargain price of €2,50 which I tore into a makeshift commando costume much to the amusement of the locals and my trip buddies. We then pulled up on the side of the road in the Slovakian countryside to be met by a crazy ex-army Slovakian guy who had bought a tank and kept it in a field to drive the occasional group of tourists around it. The guy was certifiably mental and drove us through mountains, trees and rivers at full speed whilst we held on for dear life (no harnesses, safety equipments, straps etc ... Eastern European health & safety laws are obviously more lax than the rest of the EU and the UK where I'm sure no insurance policy would cover such craziness). I had no voice at this point of the trip from too many pub crawls but still managed to scream my lungs out, which only made him go faster and amusingly turn around to smile at the passengers - which meant he was driving a tank without looking where he was going. One of the funnest things I did this trip and I recommend you do it if you ever have the chance!

- Difficulty: 6/10 (its probably quite hard to find a place with a tank you can ride, and be prepared to hold on for dear life)

- Thrill factor: 9/10 (absolute craziness but exhilirating)

- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 3/10 (not lifechanging but awesome nonetheless)

- Recommend to a friend: 8/10 (random but so much fun!)

#3 - Visit Plitvice National Park

As with most people (including myself before last year) you may not have heard of Plitvice, but these national parks are a UNESCO site and consists of acres of amazing lakes and forest. What is really astounding is that each lake is a different colour from vibrant teal to bright aqua to a calming brown to a striking emerald green. Complete with waterfalls, wooden footpaths, a lake you can hire a boat and row across and generally jawdroppingly beautiful scenery its one of the most gorgeous places I've ever had the chance to visit and a must-see for anyone visiting Croatia. We spent the night before at a campsite a couple of kilometres away in small bungalows and spent a good 5 hours at the lakes but would have easily spent days there wondering through the park's natural beauty. 

 
- Difficulty: 1/10 (just get yourself to Croatia)

- Thrill factor: 3/10 (not so thrilling but get ready to say 'Oh Wow' alot)

- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 3/10 (worth it for the natural beauty)

- Recommend to a friend: 9/10 (one of the most beautiful places I've ever visited)

#4 - Polish vodka tasting

Did you know Vodka is actually Polish and not Russian? The word was first recorded in Poland in 1405 and historians have found that even though it was widely consumed and brewed in Russia in the 9th century, it happened even earlier in Poland in the 8th century (random alcohol history lesson for you there). Polish vodka isn't for the faint hearted at over 40% proof in most cases but they have a wide variety of flavours. In Krakow we tried original vodka as well as bison grass flavour, citrus, cranberry, hazelnut and others. We did vodka tasting before dinner (which preceeded a pub crawl) so not sure how we made it to the end of the night and still felt fine at 8am the next morning for our walking tour. Our theory was that the vodka was purer and better quality resulting in hangover free mornings. My favourite was definitely the hazelnut vodka which, in a shot with a dash of milk, tastes almost exactly like Nutella. Definitely something to try if you're ever in Poland! Incidentally a night out in Krakow is one of the best nights out you'll have in Europe (possibly due to the quality of the vodka haha).

- Difficulty: 6/10 (if you can hold your drink you'll be fine)

- Thrill factor: 6/10 (our prequel to Krakow nightlife which is immense)

- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 1/10 (basically just drinking)

- Recommend to a friend: 7/10 (vodka actually tastes nice in Poland!)

#5 - Visit a church decorated with human bones

Ok this sounds creepy, eerie, disgusting ... you name it. But ever since my friend Kate went travelling before university and mentioned it to me I've always wanted to go to the bone church in Kutna Hora. Kutna Hora is a few hours from Prague so you can day trip or just do it en route to some of the awesome Moravian cities in the area like we did. The church looks like a standard church from the outside. There are a lot of these in Europe (Eastern Europe especially) so they all start to look the same. Once you're inside however its a totally different story! The Sedlec Ossuary (commonly known as the Bone Church) is estimated to contain the skeletons of between 40,000 and 70,000 people, whose bones havebeen artistically arranged to form decorations and furnishings for the chapel including a stunning chandelier. Basically a half-blind monk in the 16th century was tasked with exhuming and stacking the bones after a massive war and in the 19th century a woodcarver was tasked with arranging them and he got a bit carried away (another history lesson for you). The outcome is a rather morbid collection of skull alters and coats of arms and chandeliers. Creepy but has to be seen. As one of my fellow travellers put it "you wouldn't wanna get married there, but its cool".

 - Difficulty: 1/10 (worth a day trip if you're ever in Prague)

- Thrill factor: 5/10 (it takes balls to hang around inside such a creepy place)

- Sense of acheivement/fulfilment: 1/10 (more eerie than fulfilling)

- Recommend to a friend: 7/10 (so creepy its hard to describe unless you visit yourself)

So there you have it ... five of the top things I recommend you do from my latest Eastern Europe trip, although I'd happily recommend everything we did! 

Happy travelling!

 

Signs of life

A couple of my friends have been posting some really awesome blog posts lately and its made me realise that while I started out with the best of intentions and was getting over 1,000 views I haven't actually posted anything in over 2 months :/

Sorry!!!! I didn't mean to abandon my blog but to say that I've been busy recently is a MASSIVE understatement. 

However, the good thing about being busy is that a lot of the things on this list are progressing nicely :)  No point making a list and just glancing at it from time to time thinking 'I really want to do that' and just waiting for it to happen. If you want things to happen you have to MAKE them happen (although sometimes chance also has a part to play). 

So just at a glance (click here for the full list if you can't find it!):

#14 - Plenty more exotic meats eaten :) ... really impressed by both goat and blesbok (a South African antelope), as well as ox heart, all of which I tried on a recent trip to London. I swear they get tastier each time.

#16 - Haven't quite gotten round to attending culinary school yet but I did get to test out my chef skills by participating in RockChef (where the prize was a week at culinary school). A blog post will follow on that soon but the show hasn't aired yet and I'm sworn to secrecy by my contract! That it was an amazing experience is all I can say for now.

#19 - I've sort of half written my blog post on my incredible Cancer Research charity trek through Peru. This one should follow shortly hopefully!

#25 - Part of the reason why I've been so busy is because I've been flooded with Masters degree deadlines. I need to submit my dissertation proposal in the next week or so  ... so althought its tough I should be graduating in February 2014! Fingers crossed. 

#28 - OK so I don't have over 100 subscribed followers on my blog, but I'm amazed by the number of blog views I've been getting ... especially from the US! Hi to any stateside readers. 

#48 - I did organise a massive charity event for about 3000 people ... but again I still haven't got round to writing up this post!

#66 - Already enjoying the planning stages of our trip to Portugal to go to the Alive festival - Greenday and Kings of Leon ... yes please!! Also planning to go to some summer dance festivals too ... yep my music taste is just a tad eclectic, but I like it that way.

#77 - I will be adding some more European capitals to the list this year :) .. Prague, Bratislava, Torshavn and Copenhagen. Can't wait for my Busabout Eastern European adventure (I am aware that Denmark and the Faroe Islands are not in Eastern Europe, those are with work so I'm slightly less excited about those)

#131 - I'll be visiting Auschwitz on 16th June ... I think I'm gonna be a sobbing emotional wreck but somewhere I've always wanted to go. 

#142 - Currently looking into a volunteering project for 2 weeks in Uganda for this winter. I sponsor a child there so always wanted to see what life for her is like. Really hoping it happens!


Sooooo basically, though I haven't had time to write anything up for a while .. stuff has been happening. And I'm sure this list will continue to grow as I think of more amazing experiences to add. There are still sooo many things that I need to make a start on if I'm ever gonna get all this stuff done ... unfortunately stuff like annual leave and bank balances gets in the way of some of them - but hey nothing is impossible!

#12 - Volunteer in a developing country

I'm a bit believer that we're put on this earth to make a difference and that what you get out of life is simply a result of what you put into it. As such I've been associated with a myriad of charities since as long as I remember. 

Indifference annoys me ... if I see that there's a problem or something going on that upsets me I want to find out more and do something about it rather than just ignore it or moan about it. There's a lot of things in life that aren't fair. The fact that we live in a life of gluttony, excess and abundance when some people have nothing at all is the most unfair. 

I have few regrets, but one of them is not saving up to take a gap year before/after uni and going to do some volunteer work and travelling. I was skint at the time and decided I needed to go straight to work and that I could do a gap year further down the line. At the time it was the right decision but then I got a job I like and a mortgage and going away for that amount of time became close on impossible (unless there's a lottery win in the near future!). The good thing is that I've prioritised travelling and volunteering so any money that's left over after house payments, bills, eating out and parties goes on some pretty amazing trips. I've taken 28 flights this year and had some amazing experiences so can't really complain at all :)

Sooo back to list item #12 ...

I've been an ActionAid supporter for some time. I sponsor an awesome little girl in Uganda and support some of their other projects too. When you support ActionAid you get sent newsletters and magazines from time to time. It was there that I spotted an opportunity for a First Hand Experience ... they were looking for volunteers to go an build a school in Kenya and experience some of their work in the country first hand. Despite my families reservations and conviction that I would definitely die out there I signed up and started fundraising. You have to raise a minimum of £3000 per person before you go. My friend heard I was going and decided to sign up shortly after so that soon became a £6000 fundraising goal for an 8 month deadline. It was tough. Here's the part where I thank my awesome friends, families and community for attending the numerous pub quizzes, food festivals, charity gigs and raffles that we held to raise the money but we did it. This part and the millions (ok I exaggerate - maybe about 12) of injections that we needed to have was the fairly painful - but we knew it would be worth it. 

So flights were booked, equipment was purchased, kit lists were made, visas were obtained ... and then ... a bout of terrorism strikes Kenya the week before we were due to leave. Literally days before our departure date there were shootings and kidnappings on the Kenyan coast, followed by a few suicide bombs, and the country was on high alert. As nervous travellers we were awaiting the results of an ActionAid risk assessment which initially said we were ok to go (sending my family members into a panic) and then as things escalated said the trip was cancelled. Gutted!!! All that planning and excitement for nothing (though timing wise the trip being cancelled was a bit of a God send as I had alot going on in my personal life at the time).

ActionAid offered us a refund or a transfer onto a similar project in Nepal a year later. So we waited a year and off we went! It was my first time in Asia so I was really excited as we met the other volunteers at Heathrow airport. 23 of us in total of different ages (ranging from 25 to 82!) and different backgrounds. After a long trip to Nepal (Gib-London-Delhi-Kathmandu) we arrived in the very dusty capital for some sightseeing and food and the next day we took a Buddha Airways flight to Nepalgunj and a three hour incredibly bumpy bus ride (so bumpy that on the return journey someone hit their head on the roof of the bus and required medical attention) we arrived at Dang to work on our project. We were helping Kamaiya people (people who were born into bonded labour and forced to work in slave conditions for landlords to pay their families debts) to build houses in a small village - 25 houses in all. After a crash course in cement mixing, foundation laying and brick work we were good to go, working alongside local masons and communicating in our limited Nepalese, their limited English and a whole lot of pointing. By the end of our time there we managed to sort the foundations and damp proof course on all the houses :) ... A real acheivement saving the community months of work.

The 10 day trip was brilliant!! The work was hard, as carrying sacks of rocks and mixing cement in that heat does take its toll but I've never met such grateful and welcoming people as the villagers there. These people literally have nothing - 10 of them sleep in a room smaller than my living room, they rely on two wells for cleaning, eating and showering, there is no infrastructure. Yet they greeted us with chains of marigolds, laid carpets down for us and fed us nuts, bahjis, rice wine, cakes or whatever they could afford. It was brilliant and so so humbling. Little kids would run after us gesticulating for us to take photos and show them on our digital cameras as they had never had their photo taken or had access to a mirror - they got so excited when I said I'd post their photos over. We had the chance to visit some other village projects and a school and these kids, who have no idea what the iPad generation, is would spend hours entertained with a simple song, blowing some bubbles, or a made up game with a pile of rocks. Give a kid a pencil at home and they'd throw it in your face but there you became their friend for life. It was emotional leaving camp but I'll definitely be doing another community project or build again ... maybe in Uganda where my sponsored child lives as I still feel like I missed out on the opportunity to go to Africa! 

#12 - ACHEIVED

Difficulty - 8/10 (fundraising that amount of money is hard and the work was quite physical)
Thrill factor - 6/10 (Nepal is an amazing country and trying not to get runover in the street is a bit of an adventure)
Sense of acheivement/fulfilment - 10/10 (most rewarding thing I've ever done)
Recommend to a friend - 10/10 (it really puts things into perspective)