LADIES DAY AT NEWBURY RACES

Before this day, I had never been to the races so I was mega excited to see what all the fuss about going is. It's the perfect day to get all dressed up in your best attire and spend the day drinking and betting on the races, which is just what we did.

I went with a group of friends, some of my best friends, and some friends of friends. There was about 15 of us in total, the perfect amount of people to have a good laugh with.

When we arrived, you could already see the effort people put in to these events...there were so many beautiful dresses around and the men were all suited up nicely. We started our day off by getting a bottle of rosé between the three of us and decided to do that all day as it worked out cheaper, still wasn't that cheap though. Food and drink at the races is extremely expensive so either prepare before by eating a full meal and only have a few snacks there, or just don't buy anything there. I managed to go the whole day without eating food which I definitely don't recommend as it is very bad for you. I spent my money on wine and a few bets. 

Unless you have tactics, or you know your horses very well, betting can just be a guessing game. I always chose the horse with the best odds to win as it just seemed obvious. Unfortunately, every horse I bet on lost. I even bet on two horses for one race and neither of them won. Annoyingly, my friend Laura won all her races apart from the last. Being my competitive self, I was not happy that I lost all mine and she won nearly all of hers...that's just luck! 

The hunt for my outfit of the day was a real struggle. I'm that sort of person who is very picky with their clothes and how they look, and I think with an event like this everyone will go all out with their outfits to look their best. I think it took approximately three days of shopping to finally find one. After a trip to Bath, and eight shops later, I found a floral-patterned, aqua, grey and white structured dress from Apricot. It was the perfect colours to match my skin tone and I had plenty of accessories to go with it. My dark nude-coloured bag was from Mulberry (it is fake but no one knows that ey?), my left hand ring was a present from my sister for my 18th birthday, my other ring with the big turquoise stone in the middle was from Pia (unfortunately I don't think they sell it anymore) and my other ring was bought in Turkey a few years back. The bigger bracelet was one of my mums which I stole from her (she didn't actually realise it went she has that many bracelets) and the smaller one was another present from my sister for my 18th birthday. I thought these subtly patterned, and silver accessories went perfectly with my dress and bag. Finally, my shoes (which are my sisters) are from H&M which matched my bag...safe to say they were not the comfiest of shoes and the most practical of shoes for this day but it is not like we were running around all day. 

I was very impressed with the length of my nails, as I never grow them out, so I painted them a neutral colour from Sephora (my favourite nail varnish!)

The perfect day which I'm happy I agreed to go to. If you're ever looking for a nice, chilled out day where you can dress up in your best attire and spend a bit of dosh on some bets, then I recommend you take a visit to the races at some point. 

 

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WHERE SHOULD YOU TRAVEL TO?

Travelling is a big part of my personality and I will be exploring our beautiful planet for the rest of my life (I hope to anyway). I've been to many countries in Asia, a lot more than I have in Europe. All these trips happened when I was younger so I wasn't able to appreciate the cultures and sceneries as much as I would now, however, I remember them like I was there yesterday. Asia is a BIG ASS continent so next year I am hoping to travel around to a lot more countries whilst I am living abroad in China.
There have been a few major highlights through my life...Sadly, a lot of these places have changed for the worst because of tourism, environmental issues and some other nasty factors. I was very lucky to visit these places before they started developing further. Sadly, they will never look the same as to when I was there, but they are still stunning places.
This year has definitely been my lucky year as I have been fortunate enough to stay in some of the most breath-taking places, and they will of course be mentioned in the list below.

PHUKET, THAILAND

A beautifully quiet, yet incredibly popular destination. The crystal clear water and white coloured sand makes this place look unreal. Sadly, a lot of the land and cultured buildings were destroyed after the tsunami in 2004. However, the town has been rebuilt and renovated, and although it will never look the same, it is still a place you should NOT miss off of you bucket list!
Phuket was a perfect holiday destination for us at the time we went because it was child-friendly, lots of families and children the same age as us (we always made friends with another family) and it was always quiet at the times we went there; Christmas spent on the beach was not one to forget. 

BALI 

Bali in general is becoming more and more known for travelling to for backpackers and gap year students. 

Nusa Dua was where we would always holiday to, located in South Bali. There would be a big group of us, about 5 or 6 families, and it would be so much fun as we would make the most of the holidays; do all the waterspouts available and stay at the nicest resorts. 

Kuta and Seminyak are the destinations known for backpackers to travel to as they have many hostels around and the areas are reasonably cheap, especially compared to Nusa Dua! Kuta is famous for its very good surfing beaches; time to get those surf boards out and get surfing! As well as Phuket, Bali should definitely be on your travel bucket list, I couldn't recommend it enough, I will be going back myself very soon! 

These next three places I have been lucky enough to visit this year and, without a doubt, have been the highlights of this year. 

JIUZHAI GOU, SICHUAN PROVINCE, CHINA

Jiuzhai Gou is a hidden yet lively town situated in the valley of the mountains just outside of Chengdu, China, in the Sichuan Province. Based in this town, which explains it's popular status, is the Jiuzhai Gou National Park, shown above. This park is filled with outstanding nature, scenic mountainous views and eye-catching lakes. I have never been to a place in China before with such beautiful surroundings. It took a painful 10 hour bus journey to get there from Chengdu but I would do it all over again to see those magnificent views.

The place we stayed in was a homestay which was a bit pricey but the family was so welcoming and the house was just something else. If I get a chance to re-visit this beautiful town, I would definitely stay at the same house.

Go over to my blog post about my Easter trip in China to read more about the wonderful places I was lucky enough to visit.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, USA

Probably the highlight of my year was being able to stay in the valley of Yosemite National Park, accommodation was called Curry Village, right in the heart of the park. The Half Dome was our view as we were walking to breakfast each morning; it was an unforgettable moment. I was hesitating whether to share my photographs on social media because they just don't do it justice.
Yosemite National Park is certainly one to visit. Breath-taking views all around, sparkling lakes, and challenging yet stunning hikes. They offer so much through the National Park: day and night tours, water sports, and group hikes, to name a few. Some advice, if you are thinking of going and wanting a tour...BOOK IN ADVANCE!! We were let down after realising all the tours were booked for the whole week.

BIG SUR, CALIFORNIA, USA

I had never actually heard much about this place until this year. My friend was hoping to go during our America trip and it mentioned it to me so I did some research and it looked lovely, one of the most adored segments to pass by on California's Highway 1. We were lucky enough to make friends with an Austrian girl, Julia, who offered to drive us down there from Monterey (where we were staying at the time, also very beautiful). Read more about our Big Sur trip here.

After our trip I was thinking how underrated Big Sur is, in my opinion. Perfect for hiking, camping and embracing those coastline views; what more could you want?! If you ever find yourself road tripping through California, take the scenic route down Highway 1 where you will pass by Big Sur as well as popular towns such as Carmel and San Simeon.

 

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A GUIDE TO YOUR PERFECT TRAVEL EXPERIENCE

Ever thought how difficult it is to plan your travels? I've been through the whole experience and I thought I'd give you a few little tips to get you started to planning your ideal trip!
There are many factors to think about, some which don't really come to mind and some which are quite obvious...these are my main points to think about before the trip:

1. NARROW YOUR CHOICE DOWN 
Select one continent to begin with. It helps to print out a map of that continent with all the countries labelled on it; this is so you know where these countries are and what's right on their borders (just incase you want to travel to more than one country).

2. PLAN OUT YOUR TRIP BEFOREHAND
Unless you are booking a single flight out and just seeing where the journey takes you, then it is very wise to plan out your trip...make a rough itinerary so you know where you will be and when you'll be there (trust me, it helps you out so much). Both my trips this year (one to China, and one to America), I made itineraries for them so I knew where I would be at what point. Even though I had all the information on my phone and laptop, they aren't always accessible so it's better to have a hard copy with you; an extra little bit of paper isn't going to hurt is it?

 3. BOOKING YOUR TRIP
Advertised over every kind of social media these days are all these companies who offer massive travelling tours. There are millions to choose from and it can be a bit frightening at first. One factor that I always look at is reviews of the company. I also ask all my family and friends to which tours they have gone with or heard about. If you hear bad things about that company, then why book with them? Some companies can be a rip off and not be 100% to their words, therefore your trip will not be the best it could be. On the other hand, they can be extra cheap and there be a catch somewhere in the middle, which you normally don't find out about until you've booked it and too late to back out of, ends up being a nightmare. Sometimes it is a lot easier to book everything yourself. It can work out more expensive but you also can make it your own trip; you have the freedom to do whatever on each day. Another positive is you can book day tours out there to the popular attractions so you make sure you're not missing out.

4. BE REALISTIC WITH A BUDGET
Sadly, we all know that you need to have a reasonable budget for travelling these days. I speak from experience when I say IT DOES NOT COME CHEAP! Obviously your budget depends on where you decide to travel to and how long for. Some of you may be millionaires so it's not too hard to whack out a few thousand pounds for the trip. However, for me, I have to budget for most of my trips. To be really honest, I'm not the best at budgeting but I am working on it and I did quite well for my months trip in America. It's something which I am slowly working on but is very hard if you want to see every attraction out there and make the most out of your trip (what I tend to do).

5. TRY TO PACK AS LIGHTLY AS POSSIBLE
If you are backpacking and travelling to many countries in one go, with short stop offs each time, then I suggest you pack as little as possible. Again, this depends on how long you are going for, but hostels and B&Bs do have washing facilities so it's not the end of the world if you run out of t-shirts or pants. I've always managed to pack the perfect amount, sometimes a bit too much, but not so much that my bag is painful to carry. Even if your backpack is heavy, you only really carry it when changing destinations...

6. GO WITH SOMEONE WHO IS JUST ADVENTUROUS AS YOU
Travelling with someone else or a group of people can be a lot of fun. However, once you find out they don't enjoy half the things you do, you will find yourself compromising which then puts you on a downer for a bit. You need to go with someone who enjoys the same leisure activities as you do so you get the most out of your trip as you can.

7. ...OR TRAVEL SOLO
The thought of travelling alone can be daunting but a lot of people just assume it will be boring and stay away from the idea. I think it is one of those things where you cannot judge it until you experience it yourself. I know a few people who have travelled alone for numerous months and have said it was the best time of their life. It helps if you are an outgoing, adventurous person as you meet loads of people at your hostels, who are also travelling solo, and go on crazy, fun tours. I would love to travel solo and am currently thinking about travelling to Australia and New Zealand alone and maybe meeting friends out there.
Travelling solo can do a lot of good for yourself; it can allow you to get to know yourself a bit more. Without sounding too cheesy, it can be helpful to understand what sort of person you are, what your likes and dislikes are and how adventurous you are.
YOU MEET PEOPLE OUT THERE ANYWAY
You will always find others along the journey so you'll have company the majority of the time, that's if you want the company. That's another good factor about travelling alone; if you want some quiet time then you can just go out and wonder around by yourself or just chill at the hostel for the night...quite relaxing!
Every trip I've been on has been with other people but we've met people out there in hostels and joined them on their adventures for a few days. It's nice to hang around a fresh personality

NOW YOU CAN START BOOKING YOUR IDEAL TRIP! 

 

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GAME DAY - ROCKIES VS YANKEES || USA TRAVELS

DAY 25

With very little sleep because of excitement, I was up and ready to go! I was so unprepared for what I was about to experience in the next few hours. I probably sound ridiculous but America is known for it's big sports such as baseball and I was so lucky that we were able to fit it in just before I left. 

For starters, the stadium is so much bigger than I thought it would be, so overwhelming. We got our tickets and headed in. At this point, the stadium was packed and there were people everywhere. The thing I learnt with baseball games is how relaxed the atmosphere is. It's not like Basketball where there are people shouting to the players and cheers constantly...of course there is cheering but not as intense. It is a family sport so there were lots of families around which was so nice to see. For the first hour, we walked around the stadium and had lunch. We managed to get up to the rooftop where all the bars were (sadly I couldn't get a drink) and get a perfect view of the whole pitch.

We wondered around a bit more as were weren't ready to sit down and just embrace the heat, it was 38 degrees on this day!! For lunch I got a pulled pork burger which was unbelievable. It is normal for stadium food to be at a low standard or just average but the majority of the food places at the stadium are gourmet standard, SO GOOD! If I could, I would've had another but it filled me up so much and I would've felt like a massive pig. 

We went to find our seats after getting my third bottle of water, drinking like I've never had water before. We were about 12 rows from the front so had a great view. To be honest, any seat is good in this stadium so I wouldn't have been fussed either way. I was apprehensive to who I should be supporting but I stuck with the Rockies as I was in Colorado (and they were winning at the time hahaha). 

We decided to leave about 20 minutes before the end so we could get away from the crowds quickly. We were all dying by this point anyway because of the heat so it was for the best before one of us got sun stroke. This was by far one of my highlights from the trip. They say you should go and see a baseball game, or basketball or one of these big sporting games if you ever get to America and I'm so glad I was able to go. I couldn't recommend it enough so get it on your list as a priority when you go to America...you won't be let down!

DAY 26
Sadly, Penny was leaving me today to go to Chicago for a wedding so I had to say an early goodbye to her but I'm adamant that I'm coming back in 2 years time so I'll see her soon. I was quite scared to be left in this stupidly massive house for a few days but I managed to survive. Going to bed at 8pm just to avoid walking around the house in darkness definitely helped.

DAY 28
After the last few days of just chilling and getting all packed up, it was sadly time to leave this beautiful place. I was so sad and knew that in a few weeks I would be reminiscing about the whole trip (which I am doing so right now). I keep looking at all the photographs and getting upset that I'm not there still. I will be back in a few years time though Colorado, with me x2 (my sister).

 

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FOOD POISONING CATASTROPHE || USA TRAVELS

DAY 22
Sadly, this was the last day Josh was with us as he was heading off travelling for work. While he played golf, me and Penny took a trip to the mall to do more shopping, there's always time for a bit of shopping! On our way back from the mall, we made a visit to Taco Bell (a must-do according to Josh and Penny) and I'm not going to lie, I wanted to go anyway. I got two tacos and they tasted absolutely incredible! When we arrived back home, we waited for Josh to come back so he could take me and Penny tubing on the lake. We were both apprehensive when we got onto the boat as there was thunder and lightning in the distance but we went ahead anyway, why not?! We were out for about 45 minutes and it was the highlight of my weekend; honestly so much fun. We were convinced Josh was trying to flip us off but we managed to stay on the whole time...our hands were very red from the hard gripping. I'm not going to put a photo up as they aren't the most flattering of photos I must say...let's just save the embarrassment.

DAY 23
Josh was sadly leaving us today so I had to wave him off until next time. I'm adamant that I will be returning in two years time so it's not too long to wait.




Yet another trip to the mall, but this time it was  a proper shopping trip and it was very successful. I just want everything in all the shops here, damn you money!

 The weather was very indecisive, one minute it was pouring it down, the next it was 35 degrees and we were dying. As we were returning home, we could see the storm approaching in the distance; it wasn't looking nice. Of course with the thunder and lightning in the background, me and Penny thought it would be a good idea to watch a horror film, The Boy; I got very little sleep that night. It was scary but the story plot wasn't very well made.


DAY 24
Early morning start as I was woken up by the two dogs coming into my room...it happened every morning but I would only ever hear their little paws, never actually see them, so funny!

Me and Penny were heading off to Boulder this morning to walk around the town, seeing the famous Pearl Street Mall which had loads of shops and restaurants, and ending the day with a beautiful hike up towards the flatirons.

Unfortunately this day slowly took a turn for the worst...

We decided to have lunch at the Cheese factory, yet again. I know we had already been before but the first time I had such a cold that I couldn't even taste the food so the whole experience was ruined. Penny had a "lunch sized" portion salad which we both agreed was definitely NOT a lunch size portion.

I had the same thing as last time which was Salmon and it was delicious! However, something was clearly wrong with it when I started to get a very bad stomach pain and became very ill very suddenly. Because of this, we weren't able to do the hike (without me being sick every few minutes), so we made our way back home. Val, bless her, went to the shops and bought every possible medicine for my stomach which helped and I was fine the rest of the evening. Penny slightly scared me as she said when she had food poisoning it lasted a good few weeks, I must've been quite lucky...just imagine the plane trip back home!! 

Regardless, I'm happy we made it to Boulder and had a good day exploring the town as it was soooo lovely, definitely recommend visiting the town if you ever get to Colorado.

Finally feeling back to normal, we went to the sports shop in the evening, along with some art and crafty shops, to find some presents for the family. We went down the main street at Cherry Creek which was all lit up with lights and looked so beautiful. The picture was taken on my phone so it isn't too great. Two very tired girls headed back to the house and had a lovely chilled evening and headed off to bed reasonably early so we had enough energy for the baseball game the next day (I couldn't sleep too much because I was so darn excited!!)

 

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BOTANICAL GARDENS IN 40 DEGREE HEAT! || USA TRAVELS

Day 21
We're off to the Denver Botanical Gardens today. Me, Penny and Val decided to choose the hottest day during my time here to walk around the Botanical Gardens, around 40 degrees all day! However, it was such a lovely day and so many people visiting the gardens. These sort of places are so relaxing; you can just take a day out by yourself and enjoy the surroundings without having to be rushed.

We walked around the gardens for about an hour and slowly started to feel ourselves deteriorating because of the heat. We finally found a cafe to grab a bottle of water each and started to head towards the exit. Just before the exit was an inside conservatory which was beautiful, mainly because there was air-con inside!! We decided to head back to the car to go and have lunch before we pass out.

We had a beautiful lunch out at a restaurant called Hillstone's but still haven't managed to cope with the American portions so couldn't quite manage the whole meal...pathetic I know!

After lunch we headed back to Vals to pick up the doggies and I finally got to meet Katie properly (Katie is Val's dog, a border collie). She can be unpredictable but she was a sweetheart. However, that house is a mad dog house with 4 dogs in it, they definitely take over the house!! 

After collecting the dogs, we got back to the house and went straight into the pool as we couldn't bare the heat. Managed to finally get on one of the swans which was a challenge but I managed to get on without falling off!!
I also took a kayak out because clearly I thought it was a good idea in that heat (it definitely wasn't as I came back looking like a tomato).

 

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