Wednesday 3 July 2019

June 2019 | Monthly Wrap Up

So much has happened in June, it feels like it’s been two months.
Favourite part?

This bit is going to be looong. Having finished my exams at the end of May, I have had all of June to do whatever I want, which takes some effort! First, I went to Disneyland Paris for 3 days with my friend Amy – you can check out her Disney Instagram page here. I took a Megabus down overnight, grabbed breakfast in London in the morning (the Starbucks breakfast burrito is lush by the way) and then met her at St. Pancras (I got there just in time to give Trump the middle finger as his helicopters flew over) before taking the Eurostar over there. We had a great time, albeit exhausting. The highlights for me were definitely meeting Minnie Mouse (my icon since I was about 3), our meal at Chez Remy and going on Space Mountain (now Hyperspace Mountain) several times dressed as Princess Leia. 





After Disney, I came back to Newcastle for a few days. I had a little time to relax after spending three days constantly on the move, and then moved out of my uni flat into my house for next year. It felt odd to move out of my uni flat, and I won’t lie, I actually felt a little emotional. My room there was the first place which was properly my own space, and I will always feel attached to it. It’s also going to be weird not seeing my flatmates and uni friends for so long. But hey, I’m sure it’ll feel like no time until I’m back up in Newcastle!

I was then back home for a day before heading off to Europe for a week with two of my best pals. You can read a First, we headed to Prague for two days. The heat there was such a contrast from the dreary England we’d just left, it was a bit of a shock to the system, and I won’t lie we did struggle a bit. 



We then got the bus to Berlin for a couple of days. Our planned night out there didn’t quite go to plan due to the events of the previous night, but we still had a great time, and spent a lot of the next day exploring parts of the city we hadn’t seen before. 


After Berlin, we went to Amsterdam for a couple of days. It’s absolutely stunning there and we had a great time just wandering around the city and finding new places to sit and chill. We went to a couple of museums and art galleries, including the Anne Frank Museum, which was definitely a highlight. I’d love to go back and spend more time in Amsterdam in particular, as I feel like it’s one of those places you have to explore in a more slow-paced way and see what you find. When the blog post for this goes up, you can click here to read it (that'll probably be in about two weeks).



Since being back from my trip, I have seen a couple of friends, including meeting some of my friends’ uni friends, started a new job, had some uni friends visit me (my uni parents met my actual parents and two worlds collided) and seen my brother go off to his Year 11 prom and turn 16.

Best read?

First, I read Heartburn by Nora Ephron – a semi-autobiographical novella about the experiences of a woman who finds out that her husband is in love with someone else whilst she’s 8 months pregnant. I love Ephron’s screenwriting (When Harry Met Sally is one of my favourite films), and I got similar vibes when reading this, which was lovely. There were even some When Harry Met Sally quotes included – or maybe I should say When Harry Met Sally quotes this as it pre-dates the film by about 6 years. 

I then read The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, mostly whilst on holiday. Having seen many recommendations and raving reviews about this book, I borrowed my friend Ali’s copy and absolutely loved it. The characters were interesting, it was well paced and the storyline seemed incredibly realistic (obviously, as a middle class white woman from the UK, I can’t know), and was really heartbreaking.

I then read Greta Thunberg’s collection of speeches, No One is Too Small to Make a Difference, on a bus ride back from central Amsterdam to our Airbnb. Some of the facts were scary but I’m glad I read it (if anyone who knows me wants to borrow it, just let me know and I’d be glad to share). 

At the end of my Europe holiday, I started reading The Bloody Chamber (and other stories) by Angela Carter. I haven’t finish reading it yet, but I only have few pages left and should have finished it by the time this post goes up. I have also kept reading Bananas, Beaches and Bases by Cynthia Enloe which I’d started in May, and love. 

Favourite tunes?

Obviously Disney songs. I’ve been listening to them a lot more before and after my trip. The Disney hype will never end. The Easy Summer playlist on Spotify is also a favourite of mine. It has some bangers on there. 

Favourite watch?

LOVE ISLAND IS BACK!! Should I just leave it at that? Having been away for just over a week (and a few days at the beginning), I have spent most of my time watching catching up, but I have still managed to see everything so far, including Unseen Bits and Aftersun. 

I’ve also LOVED Years and Years – although I am a little bit too scared to watch the last couple of episodes as I know I will cry my eyes out. The tension can get a little too much but I genuinely think everyone should watch this show, especially MPs, some more than others.

Image credit

I’ve been keeping up to date with the latest episodes of Jane the Virgin, but I won’t lie I haven’t been gripped by this series in the same way that I have been with others. 

What did I learn?

Properly check the weather forecast before going on holiday somewhere. Absinth is not to be trusted. If you want to sing at a karaoke bar, make sure you put your song choice in early otherwise it’s not going to happen. I get super jealous about European public transport (oh for state subsidies!!). Cycling for functionality isn’t actually that bad, even if it does make me ache in random places. 

What’s happening next month?

A trip with my family and working are the main parts to be honest. And of course, I’ll try and see as much of my friends as possible.

What’s been on my mind?

Just trying to figure out where I am to be honest! Stressing about what the hell is happening with the current state of UK politics.

Favourite blogger/vlogger?

I’ve loved watching Daniel J. Layton’s VEDJ this year, and, of course as always, Leena Norms’ videos. 

Favourite post?

Either one of my Disney posts! I loved bounding, so it was fun to share my outfits. I like to think that my What I Eat in a Day has been (and will be) useful to other vegans going to Disneyland. I know I relied a lot on blog posts and YouTube videos to help plan my food, but so I hope my experiences can help inform others. Plus, I just love talking about food so…


Biggest inspiration?

Seeing some of my closest friends again. They make me a better person and challenge me on things and I will be forever grateful for that. I just love seeing my friends doing amazing things, in whatever way. Proud of y’all.

Any other favourites?

Can I include all the food I ate on holiday here? It was honestly so good. All of it. Ugh! Highlights for me were the doughnuts, stroopwafels, Dutch Apple Cake and waffles. Basically all the sugary stuff – can you tell I have a sweet tooth?



I’d also like to give a shoutout to Quorn’s Vegan Chicken and Ham Slices, you guys have my back.



If you liked this post you might like: April and May 2019 | Monthly Wrap Up

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