Two Years Since Moving to London | LIFESTYLE

I am sure you have all heard the saying, ‘Time flies when you’re having fun’?! Well in this case that statement is absolutely TRUE! I can’t quite believe it has been 2 years already since leaving the land of the long white cloud and moving to the land of... well... more cloud and rain!

On November the 14^th 2015 our adventure began when we touched down in LA for a month of sun, snow, burgers and Buffalo wings. From living the high life in LA and New York to watching the sunset over the Grand Canyon I couldn’t think of a better way to start a new chapter in our lives.

After travelling around London a few years previous, I had my hopes set on living in one of the beautiful white terraced buildings overlooking Hyde Park. Reality quickly set in when I saw the monthly rent was about the same as my YEARLY salary. Even though we did not live in a mansion in Kensington (one day when I win the lottery!), we did live in a lovely house in Chiswick with amazing flatmates. Who you live with makes a huge difference!

I didn’t know what to expect when moving to the other side of the world, away from the life that I was very comfortable with BUT it has turned out to be the best decision we have ever made.

I was extremely lucky in finding a job early on where I have made some of the most incredible friends. It is important to surround yourself, in any stage of your life, with good people around you. This is especially true when you far away from your family and friends.

Some of my favourite days were spend biking around on Boris bikes, exploring new parts of the city, having picnics in some of the many parks, drinking in pubs along the river with my friends and walking and exploring the little side streets that you wouldn't think to look down.

My life before London was (and I'll admit) quite boring and predicable. One thing that I have learnt from my 2 years abroad is to say YES to any opportunity. If I hadn't stepped out of my comfort zone I wouldn't have gone to all the beauty and fashion events where I met inspirational influencers from all types of social media platforms, I wouldn't have gone to a movie premiere in Leicester Square, I wouldn't have rowed boats in Hyde Park, I wouldn't have ended up in the audience of a television show, I wouldn't have seen my first concert, I wouldn't have got up at 4am to do yoga and watch the sun rise from the Sky Garden but most importantly, I wouldn't have the incredible friends I have now without saying YES to opportunities.

As 2017 drawers closer to the end, I can reflect on 2016 and 2017, 2 years full of new experiences, great friends, laughter and some of the best memories that I will never forget.

To those who have the opportunity to travel or even move overseas I would 100% recommend it! 2016 and 2017 were both challenging but exciting years and I cannot wait to see what 2018 has in-store.

Thanks for reading!

God Bless,
Amber x

Welcome To New York | TRAVEL

We looked over the beautiful skyline of the city as we took the train from Washington DC to Penn Station, New York. I couldn’t stop smiling as we got off the train because we were finally here! All the planning, saving and dreaming had finally paid off and we had made it! New York, you did not disappoint.

We walked out of the station into the cold New York air and hailed a yellow cab to get us to our hotel for the next 5 nights. My first sight of the city was exactly as I imagined it would be, loud and extremely busy. People covered the streets and yellow cabs flooded the roads.

We made it to our hotel, checked in and away we went. We walked aimlessly for only minutes until we found ourselves staring at the big screens and bright lights of Times Square. 

It was getting colder as the darkness came closer but we kept walking. Next we found ourselves outside the busy Rockefeller Center. By this time it was late so we decided to head back to our hotel and call it a night after our tiring day of travelling, but not before heading back through Times Square again!

We woke up the next morning excited to explore more of this amazing city! We hopped on the subway and headed to South Ferry where we saw the statue of liberty from Battery Park. We then walked towards the new One World Trade Center. 

Just below, lay the September 11 Trade Center memorial. It was extremely moving to be standing where such a horrible event took place and thousands lost their lives. The memorial itself was very beautiful and I feel blessed to have been able to pay my respects and remember those who were lost and their families.

We continued walking towards the Brooklyn Bridge. We chose to hire bikes and bike over the bridge. It was very busy but the view of the city was gorgeous!

Later that night, we went up the Empire State Building and were welcomed by the most beautiful view of the city. We walked all the way around the building and lights stretched as far as the eye could see. It was absolutely stunning.

The next day we booked to go up the Top of the Rock so we walked to the Rockefeller Centre. We arrived early and walked around with the other eager tourists who were taking pictures in front of the famous Christmas tree and ice-skating rink outside the building.

After 20 minutes it was finally our turn to head up. We got to the Top of the Rockefeller Centre and the view was spectacular! It was a beautiful winter’s day and we were overlooking the entire city with remarkable views of Central Park and the Empire State Building.

When we finally came back down, we decided to keep walking down 5^th avenue stopping at some stores along the way, including Sax. We eventually found ourselves at Central Park surrounded by hotdog stands and beautifully dressed up horses. We walked around for a while, taking in the atmosphere and scenery and by the time we were ready to leave it was dark. We made our way back for dinner and called it a night.

Our third day in New York, we chose to do some more sightseeing. We walked back to Central Park as there was more I wanted to explore there. On our walk we found Central Park Zoo. I am a HUGE animal lover so we spent a few hours visiting the animals.

We then began walking back towards our hotel, but not without grabbing a hotdog and churro from one of the famous carts along the road. We continued walking through the streets of New York. We found ourselves outside more famous landmarks, such as the Chrysler, the Flatiron building and the Christmas market at Bryant Park.

The fourth day was spent shopping!!!!! Once again we walked down 5^th Avenue browsing through stores and stopping at little boutiques. New York is known for its amazing shopping so it was no doubt I spent a lot!

Our last day had sadly arrived. We chose to make this one special. We walked to the West Village because I wanted check out the beautiful brownstone houses. We grabbed a super healthy juice from one of the many juice bars as we walked through the streets of the West Village.

We ended our trip by going out for dinner at a beautiful romantic restaurant as we enjoyed our last few hours in America.

In the 5 days we spent in New York, it quickly became my favourite city. I fell in love with the tall buildings, the beautiful West Village, the fashion and food. I cannot wait to come back!

New York Travel Tips:

·      It is very easy to walk between most attractions, so bringing comfortable walking shoes is a must.

·      When hiring bikes, make sure to read the fine print! The bikes cost about $10 for 24 hours but they hold $101 out of your account as a deposit and return it after a week.

·      Purchase tickets to the Empire State Building and Top of the Rock at least a day in advance as you can pick the times you go. If you purchase online, most hotels should have a place to print the tickets. Aim to go on the clearest day or night.

·      New York seems massive and hard to navigate as the streets don’t have names, only numbers, but it is actually really easy! The numbers go in consecutive order so whatever direction you are going, keep count and you won’t get lost.

·      Don’t forget to tip! Anywhere you go in America it is compulsory. It is generally between 18% - 20% of the bill as a minimum depending on the quality of service you feel you received.

·      Transport: The yellow cabs are great! They know the tips and tricks of getting you to and from your destination quickly as they know the side streets. They can also be expensive, just like any other cab. Uber is also great to have on your phone! I find uber very cheap and very easy to use if you have internet access on your phone.

Thank you.

Amber x

Welcome to my Life

Hello! 

My name is Amber. I have recently moved to London from a small town in New Zealand.

Our travels began when we left New Zealand on the 14^th of November 2015. Saying goodbye to my family and pets was extremely difficult. Although it was easier knowing it wasn’t forever.

We arrived in LA after a 12 hour flight. We spent a few days in LA exploring the city and taking in all the sites. The highlights were Santa Monica, Warner Bros Studios Tour (where we went to the Friends set and Pretty Little Liars set!) and Disneyland. 

We then joined our contiki group, jumped on a bus and headed straight to Las Vegas. Vegas was amazing, even for someone like me who doesn’t drink a lot. We continued our bus journey through to the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Durango Colorado, Albuquerque, Amarillo, Dallas, Memphis, and all the way to New Orleans.  

We said goodbye to all the friends we made on our bus tour and then we continued to Washington DC ourselves.

I fell in love with Washington DC as soon as we landed! It’s such a beautiful city that is very clean, has amazing parks, and an incredible history to tell. We walked for hours around the parks to all the major sites like the Smithsonian Museums, National Mall, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, World War II Memorial, Franklin D Roosevelt Memorial Park and of course the White House. I decided I wanted to do some shopping (of course!) so we made our way to Georgetown and it was adorable with its picturesque streets and shopping boutiques.

After our few days in Washington DC we moved on to New York City. Let’s just say that this place is my favourite city I have ever been to! I couldn’t believe how much I fell in love with New York. Times Square, the Empire State Building, the Rockefeller Center, Central Park, 5^th Avenue, the West Village, Brooklyn Bridge, Bryant Park, the food, the yellow cabs, all the skyscraper buildings and it all at Christmas as well! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE New York!!!  

Now it was finally en-route to London... but not without a quick stopover in Iceland first. Iceland was freezing cold with a high of only -6°C during the day and only 4 hours of daylight. What a beautiful place though. We were blessed enough to be able to see an amazing display of the Northern Lights on our first night. That was the most breathtaking sight I have ever seen. I would highly encourage anyone who gets a chance like this to take a moment and put down the camera and just experience the beauty of Gods creation. The next day we explored Reykjavik and on our last day we relaxed at the Blue Lagoon Hot Springs which was also incredible. 

We finally landed in London after a month of travelling the USA and Iceland.

Now to start living and working again.

Amber