A Snowy New York City

Back in February, I was lucky enough to have the chance to visit one of the most amazing cities on the planet - New York City. After enough persuasion, my Media Studies teacher sorted everything out for a lucky few of us to travel over to the Big Apple for an experience of a lifetime. As one of the most memorable trips I will probably ever have, I wanted to share a few of my favourite moments and memories and the pictures that captured them all. I hope you enjoy!

The Rockefeller Centre

Having just got off a 7 hour flight and attempted to eat dinner, we made our way to the top of the Rockefeller Centre to see the beautiful city lit up before us. The view was absolutely incredible, the lights continued for miles and miles, the true size of New York so overwhelming in the best way possible - I couldn't believe I was seeing it with my own eyes! From left to right, skyscrapers rose to cover the night sky, the roads below laced with tiny cars. It's one of those experiences that can't even be described! Just standing and looking across the city was the perfect way to start the trip and sparked my excitement to explore each and every part possible in the few days I was able to.

Central Park

A snowy Central Park is another memory that will always stay with me. I was so excited to be able to visit somewhere I've seen in so many movies (as corny as it sounds). We walked through the park, laughing as we slipped on the icy paths, stunned at the beauty of the snowfall. Perfect blankets of snow covered the grass and painted the branches and lampposts. How wonderful it must be walk through there each and everyday. We watched those skating on the ice rink and the children playing in the snow with their families. It was so comforting to explore the natural beauty amongst the skyscrapers and roads. A calm amongst the busy city and a familiarity amongst the unknown. I can imagine Central Park is as great as it was all year round, but the snow-covered grounds just made it even more magical. I couldn't have asked for a better morning, enjoying a different side to the New York I had met at the top of the Rockefeller.  

 Times Square

The first time we visited Time Square, we had managed to get a bit lost and had to walk absolutely ages before we could say we were close. We studied our map, desperate to tell us we were close when we turned the corner to see that right in front of us was the Times Square we had been searching for. We stood in a row, our mouths gaped open, in shock at the amazing sight. Another tourist offered to take a picture for us (far right), saying we looked so excited to be there. He was right! The rows of shops, covered in bright lights and flashing screens. The busy atmosphere of happy shoppers and excited tourists. We didn't know where to start! We looked in all the different American shops, some that we can't get here in the UK and some just because it was Times Square, like M&M World. We walked up the steps to get a full view of the place and couldn't believe our eyes. 'We are actually in Times Square in New York City' I thought to myself over and over again. To be somewhere you hear so much about, see so much on TV and know you'd do anything to visit, to finally be there was one of the best things in the world and us girls shopped to our hearts content and loved each and every second we spent there.

The Statue of Liberty 

We managed to take a little trip on a boat to see The Statue of Liberty in all her glory. We never actually planned to do this so it was a little extra that was so much fun. It was amazing to see such a famous landmark in the flesh and hear and see all the excited people around me, pointing and gasping with excitement. We had so much fun on that little boat too, holding each other to mimic the scene in Titanic and laughing as we took pictures against the stunning canvas. One of the best things about the trip was the atmosphere. Being with a group of people all so excited to see the sights of New York City completed the already incredible memories.

I'd love to go back to New York City, I'm certain one day I will. Everything that made up the trip was perfect, we even got to visit a little diner for breakfast to complete the whole experience. My trip to New York made me realise to never push something out of mind. I've dreamed of going to New York and now I have! It would have been easy to let a fear of flying or visiting a different country put me off, but when would I get this chance again? If you ever get the chance to visit this beautiful city, don't say no! Thank you New York for being such an amazing host and leaving me with memories to last a lifetime. 

- Becca x

♡

The Best Summer with The Best People

From picnics to parties, time with family and time with friends (captured in my little edit above!), my summer was packed full of good times and great memories. It's sad to think the majority of my friends are now packing their bags, ready to set off to University; a lot of them are already there too. It didn't quite kick in until our goodbye drinks last Thursday that the next year will be so very different to any before. I definitely welled up giving the final hugs 'goodbye' to friends I wouldn't see for at least a couple of months. I'll try my hardest to visit them all but with my new jobs and busy times approaching, it'll be difficult to squeeze it all in.

I'm feeling quite bitter-sweet. As happy as I am with my summer and as excited as I am for all my friends to start this new chapter in their lives, I feel like I'll miss them even more. Because my life is staying the same, I feel like I'll notice their absence even more. I couldn't possibly ask for a better group of friends though and have made some memories for life over this summer.  

Some of my favourite moments were my Camping Holiday with my best friend Hannah in the New Forest (I've written a blog post all about that here!). It was so nice to escape and have a little adventure with just the two of us, something I really hope to do again soon. I also had so much fun at a 'slip and slide' BBQ with everyone. We covered my friend's trampoline in washing up liquid and water (see the picture at the top left!) and spent an afternoon sliding around and into each other. I completely underestimated how difficult it would be to stand up! What I loved especially about that day was how carefree we were. No thinking about Uni. No thinking about the future. All we did was mess about and have fun, enjoying each others' company and laughing until our stomachs hurt. 

I want to wish all my friends the best of luck at Uni. It'll be crazy and it'll be stressful, but it's all part of life. I can't wait to hear all their stories and, maybe, I'll even have a few of my own to tell them when they get back. Until then, thanks for the best summer guys and here's to the next! 

- Becca x

♡

Camping Holiday in The New Forest

Between the 14th and 17th of July, my best friend Hannah and I travelled to the New Forest, a National Park located in southern England, where we were set to camp and explore. It was amazing experience to travel without our parents and families, doing everything on our own and escaping just us two. As I mentioned in my 'This Summer' blog post, we literally had nothing planned, the whole trip would be one big spontaneous idea each day, which I guess didn't really hit home until the night before as I tried to scrape together a bag full of necessities not sure what I might be lacking or not even need.  

DAY 1

We arrived at the campsite in the morning of the 14th. We'd chosen to stay next to the little village of Ashurst, where there were plenty of services in case we needed anything and was a mere 2 miles from Lyndhurst, deemed to be the 'capital' of the New Forest. The campsite was really nice, luckily we'd picked to visit out of peak season so it wasn't too crowded and the staff were very friendly and welcomed us onto the site. The New Forest is famous for its animals that roam freely through the National Park, especially the beautiful New Forest Ponies, many of which wandered happily through the campsite, as Hannah shows in the picture above. We pitched the tent before adventuring off for our first insight into the New Forest environment for a picnic. We came across a stunning woodland which featured not only the famous ponies but also deer and cattle, enjoying the summer weather just as much as we were. The afternoon was very relaxed as we continued on exploring further into the woods. We came across wonderful fields full of life, igniting our excitement to further explore the New Forest over the coming days. We headed back, enjoyed dinner at the local pub 'The Happy Cheese' before settling in for an early night in preparation for the following day.

DAY 2

The night before our second day, Hannah and I had picked up as many leaflets as we could carry to see what we could plan for the next day. After discovering a 'New Forest Tour Bus' with 3 different routes, we settled on seeing where that could take us and what we could do. We caught it early morning, travelling via the 'Green Route' stopping in Brockenhurst, Lymington and Beaulieu. When stopped off in Brockenhurst, we phoned through to a place where you could hire kayaks in Lymington to find out the prices. We then decided we should go for it, without having ever kayaked before or wearing any of the right clothing to do so. We arrived in Lymington and made our way to the quay, where we were set to kayak, or at least try to! After being suited up in our life jackets and mistaking 'dry bag' to be some sort of sophisticated jargon (but literally meaning a bag for our belongings) - the man who helped and served us was most probably awfully worried for us by this point -  we made our way to the water, filled with excitement and nerves. We were both surprised how easy kayaking was and after a little practice we became more and more confident and our two hour adventure began. I am so glad we chose to do kayaking. I must admit, I was nervous and knowing we had no knowledge or experience with kayaking, I was terrified we'd fall out or something, especially knowing our luck! It was so much fun though and I would really recommend it to anyone up for a laugh and adventure with their friends or family! After this, we were quite happy to relax by the river in Beaulieu Village. This was a nice conclusion to a packed day, along with a nice meal at 'The Forest Inn' after which we fell asleep, pretty worn out and sunburnt from all our activities!

*Disclaimer* The animals we petted and took pictures with in the New Forest, we approached with caution and as soon as we saw they were comfortable, went on to pet them. They did not react negatively or appear unhappy when we did so. We didn't do this for every animal we came across and are well aware that some of the animals in the New Forest aren't as comfortable with human interaction as others. Also, although it looks like it in the picture above, I assure you I was not feeding the donkey!

DAY 3

On our third day, we decided to hire bikes locally in Ashurst, something we were certain we wanted to do from first planning the holiday. We cycled the two mile trip to Lyndhurst, the unofficial 'capital' of the New Forest, and upon arrival, were eager to explore the town and environment around. We first greeted a few animals that relaxed by the gates, who gave us a warm welcome into the surrounding land, filled with nature and beauty as far as the eye could see. Shortly after, we made our way down the high street. Lyndhurst boasts lots of cute and quirky shops, as well as a large variety of cafés selling delicious 'New Forest Ice Cream', an absolute must when you visit of course! After enjoying a short exploration of the local shops, a peaceful lunch in the solitude of the open countryside and befriending a couple of adorable donkeys, we headed off for what would be the longest bike ride I've ever experienced. We'd bought a cycle map in the morning and chose a route near Lyndhurst, but also with lots of different options for where to go. We cycled along the path through the woods, our eyes constantly scanning the surroundings for any wildlife. It was so peaceful to cycle through this part of the New Forest, away from the roads and busy tourist spots to simply enjoy the area and beauty within it. We caught sight of buzzards and deer on our adventure while having fun cycling up and down hills - although we are guilty of walking up most of the hills, especially towards the end! - and along the paths under the summer sun. Four hours later, at about 9pm, we finally made it back to Ashurst to return our bikes and placed a rather large order at the local Fish and Chips shop, hungry and thoroughly worn out from our trip in and around Lyndhurst.

DAY 4

We woke bright and early on our final day to give us enough time to put the tent down, pack all our things away as well as get ready for the day we still had planned. Once we'd cleared everything, we said our final goodbyes to the campsite, that had treated us well for the past couple nights, and the ponies, that had kept us company - one even poked their head into our tent that morning! We planned to visit 'Longdown Activity Farm' for the day, where you have the chance to feed and hold lots of different farm animals. The farm was quite small but there was so much to do. We got to see so many cute animals that were roaming around in the lush weather. It was quite funny how we were seemingly the oldest people there that didn't have children! It was such a fun experience though; I love animals and it was so nice to just spend a day watching all the cute pigs, little ducklings and adorable donkeys happy and doing what they do best. We also saw the smallest and sweetest baby guinea pigs, something I've never seen before, running around in their little pen - trust me, it was far more exciting than it sounds. All in all, the day was much more relaxed and not as jam-packed as the rest, which was definitely for the best as we were quite worn out by this point. We still had a lot of fun at the farm, feeding the animals, bouncing on the trampolines and just acting like big kids for the day! We the made our final trip to the local pub for a refreshing cold drink to cool us down before making our way back home, having had one of the best times ever. 

This little holiday was one I won't forget. If I had to choose one word to sum it up, it would be hilarious! I had so much fun with my best friend and it was a great experience to not only have the chance to choose whatever we wanted to do but also decide it all spontaneously! I really hope I get the opportunity to do something like this again and would recommend each and every thing we did to anyone wanting to get away and explore the New Forest!  

- Becca x

♡

25 Things To Do This Summer | #4 Summer Bike Ride

Edited using Pixlr-o-matic

I used to love riding my bike but, since falling off several years ago, I was too scared to pick up a bike and go cycling again. I didn't even have a bike to encourage me to face my fear and do the activity that I used to love so much. When my friends invited me out on cycle rides, my excuses merely related to my lack of owning a bike than my lack of confidence. A friend of my Nana's had given her a bike that she bought but just hadn't used, asking her to give it a new home. With a positive frame of mind, the bike soon became mine and I was excited to take it out for a ride once exams had finished and summer had begun.

My best friend loves going out on cycle rides and phoned me up a few days ago, asking if I wanted to join her. No excuses now, I thought. I accepted, not only because I was excited to ride a bike again but also to tick the first thing off my 25 Things To Do This Summer list. We set out one afternoon, unsure of what we would uncover on this little adventure.

We cycle down a local cycle track, continued through a housing estate and onto another cycle track. We then faced an overgrown footpath that seemed to take hours to navigate. The nettles hung over the path and, as Hannah cycled on ahead, I could barely see her through all the green leaves that hindered our cycling. Although slightly scary and overwhelming, particularly for me having just reclaimed my confidence on a bike, the end result was worth it. We discovered a little field, littered with sheep and a beautiful river. It was so peaceful to sit there and watch the animals, the soothing sound of the running water a perfect accompaniment for the scenery.

It was so nice to spend a day trying something new. Although I started shaky, I never realised how much I had missed cycle rides and just going on an adventure to see where you end up. Today, we're so focused around technology, sitting on our laptops and smartphones, oblivious to the simple activities with which we can still have a great time. If I've learnt anything from this little outing it's that, although it's easy to stay in your own comfort zone and stick to the things you know you enjoy, taking up an old hobby might surprise you and open up a new window of experiences, even if it's just for a day.

So, when's the last time you did something for the first time?

- Becca x

♡