THIS IS MY LIFE: TIME FOR A CHANGE

As you may or may not have noticed, I have decided to start doing weekly blog posts. I have been getting a few questions lately from friends back home and I am wanting to put my advice and experience all in one place. I hope this will help others who are already travelling or are thinking about it. I will of course continue to write about my adventures and the lifesyle I live as this is the reason why I started blogging in the first place.

Saint Andrews has been having some really nice weather lately. It is starting to get warmer now and I think that summer is finally on its way - it has even been getting into double digits some days! It is terrible timing on my part as I will be heading home for a NZ winter just as summer begins over here in the UK. This means that I will have two winters in a row this year and probably will be pretty pale compared to my friends and family back home!

I am beginning to accept the fact that I am moving home now and have started putting myself out there for jobs. At this stage I know I will need to stay in New Zealand until at least the New Year, in order to pay mum and dad back and save up some money for the next adventure! I am yet to decide where to head to next, either back to Europe (most probably Ireland), Canada (and try and work my way into America), or head over to Australia and have an endless summer! They all have massive pros - with not so many cons at all, and I would love to hear your opinions!

I have finally gotten around to paying for all my trips in full now (Turkey, Ireland and Scandinavia), and I am counting down the days. It is exactly a month until my last shift here in Saint Andrews, and the end of my working time in the United Kingdom. I cannot wait to tick off a few more of my bucket list items, ANZAC Day in Turkey and Kissing the Blarney Stone, as well as finally getting to explore Scandinavia! Money will be extremely tight though, I will probably come home so skinny because I won't be able to eat for the next two months! I just have one big ticket left to buy, my flight back home to New Zealand - which will be for the end of May/beginning of June - depending how long I can drag it out for!

So this means that I only have one month left here in Scotland. I cannot believe that I have been here for six months! It really is crazy how fast time flies. I really am glad that I took the risk of moving up here and embraced the adventure. I have learnt a lot about myself being up here in the middle of nowhere, with plenty of time to reflect on what I am planning to do next.

I have recently been creating a trip itinery for my big little brother, Bryce, to help him make the most out of his time in the UK. I have discovered that this is something that I have grown to be very passionate about during my time away from home. I am a big lover of lists as it is, proven by my excitement when recieving a 'list book' as my leaving present from the Rasmussens, and obviously I have a love for travel. By combining these two things, I think I have found my life calling - not quite, but its a good start!

If anyone does want some help to plan their next adventure, or they are simply too lazy to follow my travel planning advice, don't be afraid to get in touch. I will be more than happy to put my list skills to practice! Eventually maybe, I could be able to make some money off of it somehow, who knows!

I managed to tick something off my Bucket List the other night. The Northern Lights were on display over the UK, one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. It was probably the most excited I had been in a while! The picture below was unfortunatley not taken by me, but by one of the girls at work. I didn't get to see them that clearly, as I was busy working. From the angle I was looking at them, it was just a green mist in the sky, because there was a lot of fog. Not as good as Iceland thats for sure, but nevertheless, I was super lucky to get to see them this far south!

I am really trying to make the most of my time in Scotland. The other night I attended a Ceilidh, pronounced kay-lee, a traditional Scottish social gathering where Gaelic Folk Music is played and everyone dances. One of the local resturants in Saint Andrews puts on a Ceilidh every friday and saturday night and we are constantly recommending it to customers and residents at work. Me and one of the other girls thought we should go and check it out to make sure it really is worth recommending! It looked like great fun, although I hadn't had enough to drink to get up and join them!

There is now only two more days until Bryce will arrive from New Zealand. I am so excited to see him, I bet he has grown even taller! We have been doing so much planning and organising, like I mentioned earlier, but I still can't believe he is actually coming! I hope he will be ok on his own coming up from Heathrow, it will be a great eye opening experience for him and one that he will surely never forget!

I am writing this as a bit of an afterthought. I haven't mentioned work at all which is strange since that is all I have been doing lately! I am well and truely ready to move on to my next adventure. In the absence of Sandra and Kim, I have been 'promoted' to head housekeeper, something that I neither wanted or am enjoying. Today I worked seven hours doing all the rooms, basically I had a seven hour workout. Since I am superwoman (obviously), I get to be back on the bar tonight! I am trying to just keep my head down and get through the next month. It is a shame that I am not overly enjoying it anymore, but I think that is the multipotentialite in me telling me it is time for a change!

"Life is short. Break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile." - Mark Twain

I hope this has inspired you.

LARISSAJODEE x

#bucketlist #lifestyle