2014

We may be 10 days into the new year, and despite my absolute hatred of all things new year (which you can read about here), I've decided to make a little list of things I'm looking forward to and hope to accomplish this year. The past few years have been a bit rough for me (more on that in another blog!) so hopefully this year brings good things! 

In 2014...

• I turn 21 in March! Which I am very excited about. I get ridiculously excited about birthdays. Mine, yours, the guy down the streets. They are way, way better than Christmas. At Christmas you have to watch everyone else open their presents for AGES and pretend to look all interested. On your birthday, all the presents are for you! Maybe this is where my only-child-syndrome again rears it's ugly head... Anyway, I obviously need a new dress and new shoes which searching for is currently taking up 90% of my waking hours. Don't ever tell me my priorities are wrong. 

• I HAVE TICKETS TO BEYONCE! Now, me and my bestie Cara (whose lovely blog you can read here) have tried to get tickets for Beyonce about 4 times with no luck. We had to settle for V festival tickets last year which resulted in me driving over 4 hours in a round trip and on motorways for the first time. We also contacted a random man, who we found on Google, to see if we could stay the night in his campsite. How we evaded death that weekend is beyond me. Now, we have tickets to see her at the very safe O2 Arena which involves public transport only and staying at Cara's nearby house. Lovely. 

• 2014 is the year I graduate (wah). Despite being totally not ready for the real-world and reluctant to leave my little Bristol bubble, I am excited to buy a new outfit and wear one of those hats. However, when I learnt we don't throw them in the air at the end of the ceremony Laguna-Beach style, I was extremely upset and considered whether I wanted to attend at all.

• After graduation, Cara and I plan to go travelling. I say plan because whenever we both get involved with something, it usually goes very, very wrong. The above Beyonce example is a great one. If we try and go travelling together, we'll probably end up going to different airports, taking Euros to Indonesia, missing the flight altogether or getting on the wrong one and ending up in Baghdad. All of these things are more than possible. In fact, probable. 

• This is the year that I will complete my 10k run. Those of you who know me personally know that I scheduled this for last year but unfortunately couldn't do it as my mum was taken ill the day before (that woman's got timing). However, I am rebooking it for this summer which happens to be the day before I graduate so awkward stiff walk here I come. For anyone interested, my donation page is here. I've raised over £1000 so far for the Stroke Association which is one of my biggest achievements and of which I am very proud. But, I've gotta give people something for their money so training here I come (ugh) which leads me to... 

• Lose weight! And get fit. Everyone's goals but I really have to. University life has not been good to me. 

• By the end of the year, I hope to have moved out or be very close to, with the ideal location being London. I hope to not be forever unemployed and I hope to not be watching Jeremy Kyle all day everyday. Although I do love that, I guess I want a career. Going to an all girls grammar school coupled with my aforementioned love of Queen B has made me into a bit of a raging feminist (think 'the shoes on my feet - I bought 'em'). 

2014 is going to be an important year for me and who really knows what's round the corner after graduation. If there's one thing I've learnt over the past few years it's that the minute you make a plan, life has a way of ruining it. So I'm going with the flow. It'll be interesting to look back on this post next year and see how many of these things I actually did. If nothing else, at least I'm pretty sure I can achieve the turning 21 one. 

What do you hope 2014 brings for you? 

5 good reasons why Bristol is the best

Not too long ago Bristol was voted the best place to live in the UK. To someone like me who has lived there for nearly 3 years for university, this comes as no surprise. It really is the most beautiful, lively place to live with so much to do and see. Maybe that's just because my hometown is extra awful but if you're ever close by I would really recommend visiting some of these things: 

(Apologies for the photo heavy post!) 

1. Clifton Suspension Bridge/Clifton in general

It was difficult to choose a picture of the bridge as I quite literally have about a thousand photos on my phone (so please excuse the poor quality). My favourite time to go and see the bridge is at night when it is all lit up and looking pretty, but it's equally impressive on a summers day. The best views are up around the Downs that surround it or in the White Lion bar whose terrace looks out onto it. Clifton in general is such a nice area to wander round with boutique shops (I recommend 'Bar Chocolat' as a coffee pitstop for the best hot chocolate in Bristol) and the zoo is well worth a visit too.

Taken from the inside of Bar Chocolat on a cosy Christmas evening. Look how cute the streets of Clifton are!


2. Wills Memorial Building

Same as above, choosing from a thousand photos on my phone but how can you resist?! Wills Memorial Building is the focal point of the University of Bristol. I can still appreciate how pretty it is despite having had exams in the 'Great Hall' here every year of my life since starting, which is more than a little intimidating. They run tours up to the top of the tower which I haven't done but apparently has great views of the city.

Not a bad view on my walk from home to uni every day!

3.  Harbourside

A short walk down Park Street (the huge hill) from Wills Memorial Building is the Harbourside. As Bristol's only water area, this is such a nice place to be on a summers day. There are loads of shops and bars that surround the area and there's even a water taxi that can take you further down along the river (which I am yet to try)! I think it only costs 50p though so maybe we should look into that instead of a road taxi on a night out..

This is a photo I have taken from the top floor of M Shed, a museum that regularly has different exhibitions and a history of Bristol. This is the opposite view of the previous photo, looking back towards the city centre. The floating harbour is one of my favourite places to walk, especially when my mum and dad are in town to visit, because as a student it's an area we often overlook! 

The harbourside area in the evening.

4. Cabot Circus 

Now I've impressed you with my cultural appreciation of the architecture of Bristol, I'll get down to one of the main reasons Bristol is so great: the shopping. Cabot Circus has had a lot of investment and they have literally every shop you could ever want to visit. And if that isn't enough, Cribbs Causeway is a short bus ride from the centre and also has a vast array of shops and really good restaurants. On the top floors of Cabot Circus are a crazy golf course, beauty salons and loads of places to eat, including the newly opened TGI Friday's which is, obviously, amazing. Cabot Circus is a fair walk from where I live but the trek is always worth it. I'm making the most of my student discount for the few months we have left together (sob). 

5. Banksy



One of the things Bristol is most well known for is the street artist Banksy. Many of his works can be seen in various places of the city. However, it isn't just Banksy who will you spot on your travels. Many other graffiti artists have works around the city which are just as good. This one just a short walk from my house that I found the other day.

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There are, of course, some lessons to be learnt about Bristol though. It is very hilly so wear some comfy shoes! It's also pretty expensive. When I hear about how cheap my friends in Manchester Uni and beyond rents are it comes as quite a shock! Think London and then you'll be pleasantly surprised when it's juuuuust under that... 

Having said that, it is well worth it! So get planning your weekend away here but most definitely pack your umbrella and hope that you miss the 1000 inches of rainfall we get per month because as much as I've bigged it up, Marbella it ain't.