Laters 2016, It's Been Weird

I'm not the first to say that 2016 has been an odd one. Globally of course it has been a total clusterfuck, but personally it's been a totally mixed bag. I've experienced the most change since I graduated and moved to London almost seven years ago, but actually it's all ended up incredibly positive - even if it didn't necessarily feel like it at the time.

Three Delicious Places to Eat on the Isle of Wight

We are lucky to have some beautiful food heritage here in the UK, from Cheddar cheese to Yorkshire puddings, you can find fresh produce and tried and tested recipes that are staples of the nation in every county. I knew very little about the Isle of Wight before my recent trip; my previous visits being in my childhood or a few weekends at Bestival.

Added Extras #50

Well! I've finally hit the 50th edition of Added Extras and what a day to do so because today I fly to South Africa! Ever since I came back from The Big Trip in June, I've been saving and waiting for my next adventure and I am so excited to go to Africa for the first time.

Hogwarts in the Snow at Warner Bros. Studio Tour, London

This year has been an incredible treasure trove of opportunities for me as a Harry Potter fan. I've seen Cursed Child TWICE, met stars of the films, and been invited to become an ambassador for JK Rowling's charity, Lumos. To top it all off, I was then invited to the launch of this year's Hogwarts in the Snow at the Warner Brothers Studio Tour. I've visited the tour twice before but never over Christmas and I was unbelievably excited to see the sets looking festive.

Added Extras #49

Tomorrow is my last day in the office until 16th January and I am ready for Christmas please and thank you. I don't know if the dark mornings, my empty bank account or the fact I haven't really eaten a vegetable in weeks, but December is taking it's toll and come Wednesday I'll be on my mum's sofa, with my baby sister (who's actually 21 this week HOW IS THAT A THING?), watching Scrooged and finally feeling festive.

Collecting Air Miles: Mythbusting and Top Tips

A few days ago I tweeted that I have enough air miles to get me a one way ticket to Japan (which is my big long haul trip for 2017). A few people replied asking me how I collect them and actually I have a few little sneaky tips and tricks that make sure building my air miles is actually part of my everyday life.

Surreal and Unnerving: Visiting the Border of North Korea

When visiting Seoul, I wasn't overly prepared with an itinerary. It was on my first day there, sat in a hotel room with my best friend who had come over from Hong Kong that I actually started looking through a guide book to get my bearings. To my surprise, one of the top recommended things to do was a tour up to the border between South and North Korea. A few frantic emails later and we had booked ourselves onto an early morning departure the next day.

How to Spend a Long Weekend in Seoul

I'm more accustomed to spend long weekends in a quaint British village, or maybe hopping over to somewhere in Europe like Barcelona. But when I was flying from China to Hong Kong, it seemed a good opportunity to add another country to my itinerary by dropping into South Korea for a four day stint with my best friend.

Three Super Easy Whisky Cocktails

In the ten years I've been of legal drinking age, I have received many undesirable bottles of booze as sub-par unthoughtful gifts. Take, for example, the relative who gave me a bottle of Malibu two years in a row, despite me being allergic to coconut. Or the bottle of Cava that was two years out of date and actually had dust on it in the gift bag it came in.

Added Extras #48

It's been another couple of weeks of mayhem, with everything being stupid busy at work, my festive social life ramping up, and as a result, I've got my annual December cold. It's been here for a week now and frankly, I'm fed up of it. I spent most Friday and all of Saturday in bed trying to shift it, but it's persisting and I've got too much to do so I'm just cracking on. I've got just over a week of work left until I head home for Christmas and then I'm not back in the office until 16th January. Woohoo!

Six Reasons to Visit Bankside, London

Lying on the south side of the river is many a tourist trap. The Southbank draws in the crowds for the London Eye, but it's the hidden second-hand book stalls and graffiti covered skate parks that keep locals coming back. Similarly, London Bridge has the Shard and Borough Market, but walk 10 minutes down towards Southwark and there's a new area undergoing renovation. Here's the things you should check out down at Bankside now, before the crowds sniff it out!

Cycling the City Walls of Xi'an, China

I knew precisely zero about Xi'an, the city closest to the Terracotta Warriors, before arriving there. With some basic research, I realised there were two things I needed to experience: the Muslim Quarter for dinner, and the surrounding city walls.