Hi everyone, it's been quite a while since I sat down and wrote a blog post but finally I am back!! If i'm honest, i've had a busy few months going on a few holidays, working and also just haven't been motivated or inspired to post. I've had a fair few down moments the past few months alongside some great moments so I thought it about time I post a "life update" and fill you all in on the past few months - enjoy!!
The first few months of the year I was busy working alot so the excitement didn't really start until April.
In April, myself and my friend Fleur spent a lovely week away exploring 3 different places - Berlin, Utrecht and Amsterdam. We only spent 2 days in Berlin so didn't get to do or see as much as we may have liked to do, but none the less it was a very beautiful city. I definitely enjoyed it there alot more than I expected to, it's so interesting with so much to see and do and I honestly wish we'd had more time there. We did go to a few of the main touristy spots including Checkpoint Charlie, Brandenburg Gate, Alexander Platz, Berliner Dom and the TV Tower (which is incredible for viewing all of Berlin!). Our first night we also enjoyed amazing food at Peter Pane which is a burger restaurant Fleur recommended after visiting another elsewhere in Germany. We sat outside in a beautiful little garden area enjoying a warm, sunny evening with great food and a great atmosphere - if you ever visit Berlin, I highly recommend checking it out, both the food and staff are fab!! Our second night we were actually at a Collabro concert - their debut in Germany and one of my favourite shows i've ever been to (despite the fact I got injured beforehand - but we won't go into that). Our time in Berlin was short but sweet and i'd do it all over again in a heartbeat and will definitely go back again some day!
Next up was Utrecht in The Netherlands. We stayed in a really cute and secluded place by the Canal and explored a bit of Utrecht in the day and it is super pretty but we were so tired from a late night and early morning flight we probably didn't appreciate it as much as we could've done. The evening was spent at another Collabro concert with them making their debut in The Netherlands also and it was so wonderful watching them performing to a virtually sold out crowd away from home.
Final stop of the trip was 2 days in Amsterdam. We were incredibly lucky to get last minute tickets to the Anne Frank House which was amazing. It was a very emotional, inspiring and eye opening visit and I feel very lucky we got the chance to experience it, definitely a must if you're planning a trip to Amsterdam!! We also went to the IAmsterdam sign (very typical tourist spot), the Love Lock Bridge, Dam Square and Lovers Canal where the famous bench from The Fault In Our Stars sits! I'd definitely love to go back to Amsterdam and explore a bit more and see what else it has to offer and if anyone has any recommendations - please let me know!
Another April highlight was another Collabro gig, this time in London at Pizza Express Live in Holborn. This was a very intimate gig and a massive highlight as I got to see some wonderful friends I don't get to see often so that made the whole day 10x more special!
Next up was Utrecht in The Netherlands. We stayed in a really cute and secluded place by the Canal and explored a bit of Utrecht in the day and it is super pretty but we were so tired from a late night and early morning flight we probably didn't appreciate it as much as we could've done. The evening was spent at another Collabro concert with them making their debut in The Netherlands also and it was so wonderful watching them performing to a virtually sold out crowd away from home.
Final stop of the trip was 2 days in Amsterdam. We were incredibly lucky to get last minute tickets to the Anne Frank House which was amazing. It was a very emotional, inspiring and eye opening visit and I feel very lucky we got the chance to experience it, definitely a must if you're planning a trip to Amsterdam!! We also went to the IAmsterdam sign (very typical tourist spot), the Love Lock Bridge, Dam Square and Lovers Canal where the famous bench from The Fault In Our Stars sits! I'd definitely love to go back to Amsterdam and explore a bit more and see what else it has to offer and if anyone has any recommendations - please let me know!
Another April highlight was another Collabro gig, this time in London at Pizza Express Live in Holborn. This was a very intimate gig and a massive highlight as I got to see some wonderful friends I don't get to see often so that made the whole day 10x more special!
Next up - May. May was my family trip to Puerto Banus/Marbella (Spain). What a wonderful week that was! We stayed in a beautiful appartment with views of the sea, Gibraltar and Africa in the distance and had beautiful weather. The beach, town and harbour were all within easy walking distance and it was nice walking along by all the expensive, designer shops where I can only wish I could afford to shop at! We spent a day driving to Gibraltar and walking up to the top of the famous Gibraltar Rock. Now, I am absolutey petrified of heights but I managed to make it to the top and the views were insane! You do have to be careful of all the monkeys that roam the rock but they tend to keep to themselves, it's so nice to be able to walk among them and see them in their natural environment. My sister and me also got the boat over to Marbella and enjoyed exploring the old town which is super pretty aswell as wandering around the prettiest church. I'd have liked to have seen the more 'up-market' part to Marbella also but i'm super happy with the parts I did get to explore! We also had dinner out one evening in a pretty little Italian resturant close to where we were staying called Casa Italia - also highly recommend trying that out if you're in Puerto Banus!! All in all we had a lovely, relaxing week away and i'd definitely love to go back.
Onto July - yet another holiday! This was only a week in the UK but in the New Forest. If you've never been there and like the countryside i'd highly recommend taking a trip down there. This trip was me, my parents and the dog and it was lovely to take him for long walks in the forest and on the beach a few times - he certainly enjoyed himself! The New Forest is somewhere I have been quite a few times and I love it more every time we go. This was just a nice get away from work for a week with no stress.
Aside from the holidays i've been lucky enough to have, i've been pretty busy working and squeezing in seeing friends when possible, including my best friend who became a mum to a beautiful baby girl back in April! I've also been lucky enough to squeeze in trips to see Les Mis and Wicked so i've had a pretty busy few months! As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I have had a few difficult moments with my mental health and have also lost a couple of friendships I thought were strong enough to last, but I don't want to delve into that or dwell on it as i've had many good moments to counteract the bad and i'm lucky to have some amazing friends I can count on when needed.
So far, August is looking quite quiet, another holiday in September followed by a busy October. Without going into all of that, i'll end this by saying I am looking forward to the next few months after having a fairly busy time recently.
Thank you for reading and i'm hoping to be back again soon with another post!
Lots of love, Beki x
