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Category: inspiration

  • The obligatory round-up of 2013!

    2013 you have most definitely been an interesting one. I’ve seen quite a lot of things this year, some beautiful & some not so kind. I can certainly say (as cliché as it may sound) one helluva rollercoaster.

    January is always a tough one for me, I work every hour god sends and work full weekends to keep on top of the travelling wanderlusters. It is always our busiest time of the year for holiday bookings and this year was no exception. January feels a lifetime ago now that this year is nearly over & done with. Nothing exciting ever happens except for our annual meal out for my Mama’s birthday which was always a lovely affair. This year was no exception & we enjoyed a meal at our favourite pub www.thefoxandhoundswalton.com where the food is always delicious. If you are in the area I highly recommend it, so much so, we have asked them to do the catering for our impending wedding day! We also booked our wedding day with the Church & we couldn’t have been happier that everything was set in stone for what will be our most magical day.

    February is again, a very slow month for us. I still end up working weekends. Whilst February is the month of love, James & I are never ones for celebrating Valentines Day (We are Vday Scrooges!) we actually went all out & I created a steak dinner with a baked cake delight for pudding. He did the obligatory flowers & prosecco which certainly did not disappoint.



    March I lived for my week off in March. End. March sadly saw my Grandads first illness and was in hospital for a week or so. I’d never seen my Grandad ill so it was really hard to take it in, luckily he was home but there was a huge difference in him. I only hoped that he would get back to himself very soon. (more…)

  • You’re looking at the next Fearne Cotton (maybe not?!)

     

    Tuesday happened to be the most bizarre day of my life so far.

    I went to do an interview at TempoFm1074 Wetherby for a charity event that our branch is leading. Of course, I was nervous & my hands were shaking as it was so long ago since I had done anything that required my “dramatic” side to come out. Needless to say, it went smoothly. So much so the radio stations life & soul asked me if it was something I had ever thought about?
    “What radio presenting?” I was gobsmacked of course. Within a few minutes he wanted to get me in to have a go playing around with the equipment & making a mock radio show. And with that, I was booked in for Wednesday to have a go.

    So there I was after work in a radio studio playing with all the computers, buttons, microphones, sliders & much more! At first it was the most daunting thing I have EVER done… But with time I started to realise that I needed to let me personality blossom over the “fake radio slot” that was being recorded.

    I felt pretty honoured as Alan was trying g to show me things that he wouldn’t normally do till the 3rd or 4th lesson. Granted, some of it I got other bits it took a few go’s to actually get it. When I got home I kicked myself because it started to make more sense not a risky being in front of the daunting radio equipment!

    So after trying to blag the weather & events in the area I got the jist of it. I got to play some of my favourite songs, most notably Haim! And I just generally had a brilliant time.

    It’s something I never thought I would ever do in my wildest dreams. Whilst I’m not saying I’m the next big thing, but by god I am going to give it a shot and make sure I’m putting in 110%. I’m booked in for my next slot next week on Wednesday for more training & we will take from there.

    As I always say….make sure if you are presented with something that is a great opportunity just try. If you don’t enjoy you have given it your best shot. But one day you might well have a surprise that you just didn’t expect….EVER!

    Rebecca

  • To buy or to rent?

    To buy or to rent?

    Having just picked up my copy of Company’s April 2013 edition I was overcome to write a blog with regards to Lena de Casparis column about choosing to rent rather than buy.

    I assume living in London is the epicentre of cool bars, chic nails bars & oozes that unique appeal but for those who don’t live in one of the most over priced cities in Europe I urge you not to give up saving for your dream home yet.

    At 21 I broke the norm by buying my first house with my now fiancé. Pretty sweet huh? I never look back & think “what a mistake it was to give up renting.” It has given me a real sense of achievement & I never forget it. There are ways now that can help the first time buyer in whatever location you want. We were lucky with our beautiful little home in the countryside with great links to Leeds & Harrogate, two of the most uber cool towns in the Uk. Living on the golden triangle also makes it so much sweeter.

    Our money is paving the way to being all ours and not dead money. We achieved this by buying a house on a shared equity scheme. We only pay 60% of the house price but its all ours. Luckily for these schemes we could put down a 5% deposit. This made it affordable and didn’t break the bank. We can enjoy life at the same time as owning a home. We are still holidaying every year, enjoy delicious meals out, I can get my nails done every month & we are saving for our wedding in 2014. So what I say to all you people out there is, buying your own home is not all doom & gloom. Just go over your options & make sure its right for you before you commit to such a BIG purchase. I love my home sweet home and so should you.

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  • ABC’s of Travel

    A: Age you went on your first international trip: The age of six months, good old P&O ferry crossing to Amsterdam to visit family friends.

    B:Best (foreign) beer you’ve had and where: Suprisingly enough my first taste of beer came at six months (a bit of ”froff” as I liked to say to my Gwadad!) but seriously, my favourite beer has to be Mythos from Greece. Light, crisp and oh-so refreshing!

    C: Cuisine (favorite): Greek food for places I’ve travelled to, but would seriously like to get some traditional thai rather than from our local restaraunt.

    D: Destinations, favorite, least favorite and why: Every destination I travel to holds a certain piece of my heart, but I feel a real connection with City destinations such as Amsterdam or Kefalonia which is one of the most beautiful destinations I have ever travelled to.

    E: Event you experienced abroad that made you say “wow”: Swimming with wild dolphins in the Red Sea, unforgettable experience as I conquered a huge fear & got to swim with some of the most beautiful creatures on this planet.

     

    F: Favorite mode of transportation: Planes, Trains, Trams, Ferries….. anything that means I can travel!

    G: Greatest feeling while traveling: Forgetting everyday life & living your dream.

    H: Hottest place you’ve traveled to: Turkey, 50 degrees celcius in July 2011.

    I: Incredible service you’ve experienced and where: Everywhere I have been offers some little tit bit of unique hospitality. The best has to be Turkey as they will tend to your every need.

    J: Journey that took the longest: Dubai or Florida.

    K: Keepsake from your travels: Everywhere I travel to since the age of 17 I always buy a fridge magnet for when we get back.

    L: Let-down sight, why and where: Dubai, I had dreamt of travelling there as a little girl & it just did not live up to it’s expectations.

    M: Moment where you fell in love with travel: The moment I got into the travel industry, instant!

    N: Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in: The Eden American Amsterdam

    O: Obsession—what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling?: Everything I just always want to capture every single moment. I love quirky photos. 

    P: Passport stamps, how many and from where? Five, 2 x Turkey, once to Egpyt, once for Dubai & once for Florida.

    Q: Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where:  Erotic museum, Amsterdam

    R: Recommended sight, event or experience: Swimming with wild dolphins.

    S: Splurge; something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling: Accommdation, don’t like to rough it & also fooood 🙂

    T: Touristy thing you’ve done: Anything you can think of for the places I have travelled to. Mainly for Amsterdam it was Anne Frank Museum, Canal boat ride, Madame Tussauds, Erotic Museum etc etc!

     

    U: Unforgettable travel memory: Swimming with dolphins

    V: Visas, how many and for where? Everywhere I have had my passport stamped, Turkey, Egypt, US & Dubai

    W: Wine, best glass of wine while traveling and where? Don’t really drink wine abroad! Cocktails for me 😉

    X: eXcellent view and from where?: From our apartment in Kefalonia, Villa Mare

    Y: Years spent traveling?: Since the age of six months, but travelling on my own since the age of 17.

    Z: Zealous sports fans and where?: Luckily never had to experience that!