Hello!

So, you're leaving for your year abroad eh? You're probably sitting in your room, looking at a pile of 8 pairs of jeans and pondering how you'll cut your selection down to just 3 pairs. If you aren't yet, you will do soon and I suggest you do this sooner rather than later - y'know - just in case. You don't want to pack the day before to find your favourite jeans have a massive hole in them and the shops close in 10 minutes (not personal experience AT all).

Anyway, when I went on my year abroad I scoured the internet looking for help with what to pack. I didn't find too much that I didn't already know and so found I was horrifically underprepared. Okay, maybe that is an overstatement. However, I thought I'd share a few things with you that just may make the transition easier and you'll be so glad you packed.

TRAVEL // San Francisco, California Pt. 1

Hey there!

Following my stint in Vegas where I am pretty sure I lost no money in the casinos (well maybe $10 or so) I jumped on a plane for a couple of days in San Francisco. It took absolutely ages to find a reasonably priced place to stay and actually ended up at the Nob Hill Hotel. I found it via an Article on The Guardian online as, apparently, one of the best hotels/B&Bs to stay in San Fran and when I checked the price it was the best I had found so far. Once we turned up, I absolutely fell in love with the hotel and knew it was the right choice. It was just so adorable!

I have so many photos from my 2 day trip to San Fran so I have split them up into two posts. So let's start with day 1!

TRAVEL // GRAND CANYON

Hello!

How many times in your life have you looked at a view and just stopped for a second,  completely in awe of what you are looking at. Fortunately for me this has happened multiple times with the most recent being the Grand Canyon. I saw it when I was younger but it's really not something you can appreciate when you are more interested in the new Darren Shan book. I decided to see it again and yeah, it was worth it!

TRAVEL // Niagara Falls

Hello there!
Just 2 days into my trip I found myself on a coach to one of the most beautiful places I have seen in my life - Niagara Falls. It was the reason I flew all the way over to Toronto and it is such a beautiful area. The falls are just breathtaking and I could stare a them for hours (although I did not have this opportunity unfortunately due to a very badly organized tour). However, if you ever get the chance to go to New York or Toronto, please go see Niagara Falls. You will not regret it!

TRAVEL // Ohau, Hawaii

Hello there!

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you'd know that last week I went to Hawaii. I have never had a 'Reading Week' before and took full advantage of the fact by booking a trip with a few friends. Originally when I found out I had a reading week I was thinking about booking a trip a little closer to home - maybe LA or San Fran. Instead we impulse booked a trip to Hawaii. I had so much prep to do before I left, four mid-terms to revise for (which are now thankfully over! Just one more take-home mid term left, a 3,000 word paper, two lab reports and a couple of lab preps this week!)

Anyway, I thought I'd share a few photos I took during my week away. We were staying in a house just 2 minutes (if that) from the beach which was empty about 90% of the time. Having an entire beach to yourself is the dream right? It was beautiful and wonderfully relaxing and fantastic I wish I could be back on the beach right now.

STUDY // Semester 2: Four Weeks In

Hello there!
Can you believe we are already approaching the end of week 4 and I haven't posted a study abroad update yet? Can I get a 'that's crazy yo' (please and thank you). This has been the most hectic few weeks full of nights out, lab reports and hockey. Do you know what? I don't think I'd have it any other way.

STUDY // Study Abroad: two weeks left

Hello my lovelies!
I cannot believe finals are upon us. This morning I had my first final and it feels so good to have finally finished a module. Sure, it was the hardest module of the lot and I am super, duper worried that I haven't even passed (seriously - it was that bad! We'll have to see what happens!), but it's nice to feel like I accomplished something. I have had nothing but trouble with it and I 100% didn't have the pre-requisites and no matter how much work I did I just couldn't get anything.

Pro-tip: if you are going abroad and are choosing modules make sure you know exactly what is being covered. The websites can often be quite vague and that definitely made things 77 times harder for me than it should have been.

Anyway, it has been a super hectic past few weeks due to it being my birthday and Liv's birthday. There have been more house parties than I can count. I have had assessments due in and spent all day in The Beanery working on ridiculous questions that I cannot do. I have managed to do my first presentation (and it went pretty well!) and to top it all off I have now come to the conclusion that I actually love it here and could not even think about going back home. It's crazy how just a few weeks can completely change how you feel.

STUDY // Study tips from a British student in Canada

Hello there!

I have been studying at UBC for over a month now and I have given in so many assessments that it is now time for mid-terms. I know, just five weeks in and I am already freaking out over a test that is going towards 15% of my grade.

I have had to change the way I have been studying significantly in just this first month. It is crazy how the different schools structure each course and although I expected it, I didn't think it would be that different. That's for sure.

STUDY // Study abroad 5 weeks in

Hello my lovelies!
I cannot believe I haven't posted in over a week. I hoped it wouldn't come to this until finals but it has come early and it sucks. Everyone says that you have ups and downs during your study abroad and the past couple of weeks have definitely 100% been a down. Sure, there have been good bits and bad bits but overall, this past couple of weeks have sucked. If I hadn't made such great friends out here I know 100% that I would have given up and just gone home last week and that would have been the end of this adventure in Van and at least I tried.

Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say here it that absolutely everything they tell you about how it's going to be difficult and you'll feel sad is 100% true! Yeah, I know - that sucks!

STUDY // Study Abroad - two weeks in

Hello there!

It is crazy to think I have been living in Canada for almost three weeks now. I still do not know how this happened. I know I say that a lot but it’s true. Obviously I can do a flow chart saying how exactly it happened (see below) but I didn’t ever think it actually would happen you know?

Anyway, I thought I’d do a post letting you know how it feels to have successfully completed two weeks of classes. My ‘successfully’ I mean not annoyed the lecturer/failed everything to get kicked off the module. I wouldn’t say it has been all that successful at all – and that kinda sucks.

LIFESTYLE // Homecoming!

Hey guys!

On Saturday it was Homecoming at UBC and even though I had two reports to do (and now another two - yay!) and lots of work to do I took the day off and went to support the Thunderbirds in their first football game of the season.

Just saying, we lost 11 to 59 (or something like that). I think my T-Bird spirit is pretty low now - but it was a fun day!

LIFESTYLE // Orientation Day

Hey guys!

Question: when does this become a lifestyle post and not a travel post? I think this is a lifestyle post....

Anyway, yesterday was orientation day at UBC! 

Oh, and before I start: I HAVE REACHED 200 FOLLOWERS!

Thank you so much to each and every one of you who follow me. It means so much and cannot believe I have reached this many followers. It may not be much compared to some but for me this is such a big deal so thank you, thank you, thank you! It was the first thing I saw when I woke up this morning and definitely put me in a fabby (or tabby according to my mac) mood.

TRAVEL // Hello Vancouver!

Hello there!

I'm here. It's official. It's crazy. It's weird. I still don't quite believe it. I am tired as hell. But I'm here and it's great.

Okay, you get the picture.

I'M MOVING TO CANADA!

Hello there!

Please excuse the capital letters but I am incredibly excited. Yesterday I found out, after a horrific month and a half of waiting, that I managed to get a first for my second year of my chemistry degree. Yes, I know - I may or may not have cried (okay, I cried).

Not only that, I've officially been given my grades so I am officially moving to Vancouver in less than two months. Yes, I know - I cried! Excitement does not cover it.

Please note: this is my excited face.