Jaisalmer // India

It may have taken us 9 hours and 600km to get here but Jaisalmer is easily the best part of India Charlie and I have explored so far. A pretty easy statement to make considering we've only actually visited two other places but Jaisalmer has made an impact on both of us and we're both fairly certain that this place will be one of our highlights.

Mandawa // India

"Everything is possible in India, baby."

Our driver, Babu, says this literally every 5 minutes because the most absurd things happen every 5 minutes. The amount of times a cow/dog/sheep/goat/camel has almost flown through the windshield is unbelievable. But I will admit, it is a relief to be in a car rather than enduring a 17 hour train journey to Jaisalmer.

New Delhi // India

"I think I've underestimated India"

One of the first phrases Charlie mumbled as we weaved between tuk tuks, cars, people, not only trying to prevent ourselves from getting run over but also trying not to trample any of the children that lay on the floor rolling in the dirt. I think it's probably safe to say that both Charlie and I have underestimated India considering it has taken us 2 planes, 1 tuk tuk ride, 1 train, 4 people attempting to help us and 24 hours to finally get to a hotel. 2 of those hours were spent in a tourist office trying to figure out what the hell we are going to do in India for the next 20 days.

Backyard Adventures 7 // Bristol (again)

So I've been much more quiet on the blogging side of life than I anticipated! The past two months have flown by in the blink of an eye and I still haven't really registered that I'm leaving for India TODAY. Despite the fact that I'm currently sat in the airport waiting to board...

The India Route

Now that exams have finally finished, Charlie and I have finally got round to planning our route round India. It's safe to say it's going to be hectic, overwhelming, exhilarating and exhausting. I couldn't be more excited.

Our original route looked something like this...

Tenby, Wales

For Charlie's 22nd Birthday, I decided to take him on a trip to Wales, I almost included this in the Backyard Adventures series but considering it took us near to 4 hours to get there, I kinda figured it didn't count cause it isn't exactly 'backyard' but it was most definitely worth the long drive. 

Summer Plans

Another academic year over... I was so focused on exams that I didn't have time to digest the fact that my penultimate year of university was ending! To be honest, I'm not too sure how I feel about it yet. The past 9 months have dragged painfully slowly whilst flying by at the speed of light, I know, doesn't really make much sense but I know what I mean! It feels like just yesterday that I was landing in Heathrow airport after 6 weeks in Thailand with my best friend.

Backyard Adventures 6 // Woolacombe

I'm sure many people can empathise with me when I say I don't get to travel anywhere near as much as I would like. Due to university and money, I'm left with very little opportunity to travel abroad. But with every cloud there is a silver lining, which is why I've revived the Backyard Adventure series! I know, I know, it's barely been gone! But I recently went to Woolacoombe and I realised how much of England I have left to show you...

Inspiring Spaces

First off, I have to start off by apologising for recently completely disappearing off the blogging radar. I'm sure many of you can empathise that my schedule has been overwhelmingly hectic with exams fast approaching *starts hyperventilating*, keeping up regular hours at work to ensure that I have enough money for my upcoming India trip and with social events lingering in between work and revision, time for maintaining this blog has completely evaporated. But in just one short (maybe a little too short) month, I will be free from the stress of university for a whopping 5 months and I will be able to catch you up with what I have been up to over Spring and my plans for Summer, trust me. It will be worth the wait. I have so much to tell you all. 

Indian Adventures - The To Do List

I have to admit... I'm feeling a little out of the blogging loop at the moment. The lack of travelling has given me something that resembles writer's block and I am grappling for content ideas. It does not help that I have been overwhelmed with university work meaning that I don't even have time to scroll through my feed on bloglovin'! BUT I have finally finished for spring break which means I have the opportunity to catch up with some travel plans and get a little ahead on prep for India before the Summer term and the relentless pressure of exams begins. 

picture credit to 99traveltips.com

The ULTIMATE South West of England Roadtrip

So it's the end of the Backyard Adventures series, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to conclude but I've been struggling with university deadlines and it's been very hard to write any blog content! I thought a fitting conclusion would be planning an awesome road trip around all my favourite places surrounding my home. There are so many destinations that I wanted to include that I have created three different trips. A short one which can take place over a weekend, a medium trip which would take around a week and then a long one which I think would take around two weeks. So  whether you are aren't able to go abroad this summer and still seeking adventure or for those of you who are looking to broaden your UK horizons outside of London then LOOK NO FURTHER! I am here to present you with what I believe to be the best of the South West.

8 Inspiring Women for International Women's Day

In celebration of International Women's Day (8/03) I am going to write about the 8 women in my life that inspire me. This strays away from my usual travel content but I will make an exception for International Women's Day. It is so important to celebrate the women in our lives that are inspiring and I don't do it nearly enough so am most certainly not going to miss out on a day dedicated to strong women. This list will include a mixture of bloggers, celebrities, personal friends and family, all women, all who are inspiring in different ways.  

Backyard Adventures 5 // Bristol

Bristol, one of my favourite cities in the world. I guess I'm not alone in my opinion considering it was voted number one city in the UK. I suppose I started loving Bristol in 2010 when I started working for Hollister. My 16 year old self was ecstatic about working in a city after spending the majority of my life in the sheltered countryside. Bristol held mystery, activity, anonymity. If any of you have ever lived in the countryside I'm sure you'll be able to empathise, but in small towns and villages, everyone seems to know you and your business. Bristol was a completely new adventure to me, it's kind of a London meets countryside city if you get me. 

swns.com

Backyard Adventures 4, Glastonbury

Home to hippies, spiritualists, a quirky high street and one of the most famous festivals in the world. I am talking about Glastonbury, the small town which 250,000 people every year will come to appreciate some of the world's biggest and best music artists. 

Backyard Adventures 3, St. Ives

Considering Charlie and I didn't do so much for Valentine's day and it's our one year anniversary this weekend (yay!), we decided to take a weekend trip to St. Ives. St. Ives will be the third place to be featured in the backyard adventures series as it is located just two hours away from my home in the beautiful county of Cornwall. 

Backyard Adventures 2, Bath

I don't know if any of you will be able to empathise with me, but you know when a place is so close you don't feel the need to explore it immediately? Well, with most of the places I am listing in Backyard Adventures, this is definitely the case. I keep postponing it, promising myself I will find the time to truly explore but I never do. This blog series has given me the perfect opportunity and motivation to go outside and explore where I live. For the first in the series, I wrote about my high school town Cheddar and next up is Bath, my university town.

Backyard Adventures 1, Cheddar.

I am a country girl, always have been and probably always will be. I live in the heart of Somerset amidst with the cows, sheep and tractors. So I am going to take you on a tour to the sights around my home, for the next couple of weeks I thought I'd write a series of beautiful places in England that you (yes, you) have to visit.

6 Reasons Why You Should Do Camp America

Want to travel and don't know where to start? Have absolutely no plans for Summer? Well I have the solution for you in two words. Camp America.

Guest Post: Skiing in Italy

With so much uni work at the moment, I thought it would be nice for Charlie (my boyfriend) to write a post on his recent trip to Italy, so that I can crack on with some uni work. Blogging is hard and takes a lot of time and effort and right now uni is my priority. Plus I thought it'd be pretty cool if he told you guys about his trip. Don't be too harsh on him, he's new to the blogging world so leave him some love. :) - S x 

Valentine Gifts for the Travel Obsessed

I'm not a massive Valentine's Day person, never have been and I probably never will be but I love buying presents and will take any opportunity to do so. Especially considering mine and Charlie's anniversary is right around the corner. I find that Valentine's Day is always a tricky one, it's not quite as special or important as a birthday or Christmas so you don't want to spend too much but you don't want to be ungenerous. So, I am here to help! I have compiled a list of my favourite gifts, naturally they're all travel related and I think most of these would work well for any travel obsessed girlfriend or boyfriend.

Picture found on pinterest.com with credit to http://www.coordinatescollection.com/

Travel Tips: What Technology Should You Bring Abroad

If all technology suddenly disappeared today, our whole world would come to a stop. As 21st century human beings, we cannot function without it in our lives. Most of us can't function 24 hours an hour without looking at our phones/laptops/iPads, so when it comes to travelling for a month, how do you decide what technology you should bring?

credit to http://misszeit.tumblr.com/

The Next Adventure

I didn't want to say anything just in case it didn't happen. But it has and you'll never believe it... WE'RE GOING TO INDIA! If I'm being honest, even I can't really believe it. Flights have been booked and dates are basically set in stone! From the 12th July to the 8th of September, once again, I will be living out of my suitcase.

All photos have been taken off pinterest.com

Of course I am ecstatic and beyond excited. India has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. Not just because of the Taj Mahal, the elephants and all the beautiful culture but also because India is somewhat of a mystery to me. I have heard so much about it but I can't imagine it, so I'm excited to experience it for myself.  

Travel Tips: How I Plan a Trip

Planning a trip... I don't even know where to begin... Planning is difficult, overwhelming, frustrating, time consuming... pretty much all the words for stressful you can possibly think of. I'm not going to say it's easy because it's not. The people that say it's easy are either; a. lying to you, b. have buckets of money or c. went on an organised tour, where they didn't have to do any planning themselves. But planning is the most crucial and obviously the most expensive part of travelling. Hopefully I'll be able to offer some guidance to make it less stressful!

Travel Tips: How I Afford to Travel

Every single time I tell a friend that I am planning on travelling over Summer, their expression turns into a picture of astonishment and confusion. 

Didn't you go travelling last year?!... and the year before that?! How on earth do you afford it all?

The Student Traveller's Guide to Bali

Recently a few of my friends (this is for you, Maria and Mum!) have been planning their trips to Bali and like me last year, have no idea where to start. I just knew Bali as... well... Bali, the place with great surf and great beaches.

My Top 7 Destinations for 2015

With the New Year fully under way, it's time to think about new experiences and new adventures. 

The thought of a brand new adventure and a brand new country is always exciting, trust me I know. That feeling when you look at a map and start planning a route, the shivers of excitement that run down your spine, the jitters you get when you start looking at flights, it's easy to get carried away... 

Happy New Year!

pinched off @frankiebods instagram

As the new year rolls in, I am feeling more motivated than ever. My room has had a pre spring clean and whilst my desk may remain cluttered, the rest of my room is not and you know what they say, tidy room, tidy mind! (And no, I don't mean kitchen... that is supposed to be the saying... right?) So for the first year ever, I have thought of some semi decent new years resolutions which I am going to try the best of my ability to keep. So without further ado, drum roll please.... 

A Very Late Christmas Post

'Twas the season to be jolly, fire were lit and turkeys stuffed. Like most people I wasn't so jolly as I ran from shop to shop trying to buy presents for everyone in between long shifts at work and everlasting uni work in preparation for the new term.