My Fairy Tale Castle (Carcassonne)

I recently visited Carcassonne, a fortified town in the South of France. First built up by the Romans, and then  founded by Visigoths, the castle was restored by Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, renowned for his gothic architecture, in 1853. In 1997 Carcassonne joined the list of UNESCO'S World Heritage Sites.

The chateau is truly magical, as it resembles the dream fairy tale castle. The towers and city walls loom over the city, and their distinct style is immediately recognizable. 

The view from the chateau over the city is superb - you can see why the chateau is in the perfect position to defend the rest of the city! The tiny gaps in the walls were designed so that the soldiers within the chateau would be able to see out and shoot arrows to outside the chateau.

The picture above and below are two of my favorite pictures. It is quite clear that no matter which angle you look out from the chateau, you are always going to stumble across a beautiful view.

The towers of the chateau almost look quite strange - their roofs look far too small for the tower. Here you can see the gaps in the walls the soldiers used to see and shoot out of. Inside the towers, they defended their town and were quite safe from outsiders!

 The main town of Carcassonne itself is located inside the walls, and you can see where a moat would have ran round the outside. It is a beautiful quaint town to spend the day, with cute shops and the cathedral to visit. 

Below are a couple of pictures from the town itself, and you can see how lovely the atmosphere is. If you are going to visit the South of France, definitely pay a visit to Carcassonne!

All of these pictures are unedited, and they have all been taken by me so please don't steal them!

Sunny Alaska

I've lucky enough to have travelled to a huge number of places - Africa, New Zealand and Hong Kong to name a few. A couple of years ago I went on a three week trip through Canada and on to Alaska. It will take me a few blog posts to show you all of my favourite moments, but now I am going to show you one of my most cherished moments in Alaska.

On a summers day in 2012 I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel in water plane around Juneau. The plane was tiny - seating 5!! I was sat at the back of the plane, and I am sure I saw some parcel tape holding together a few things... anyway, I survived! 

As you can see, the weather was beautiful. There is nothing quite like the feeling of skimming over water in a tiny little plane, knowing that you are one of a selection of people that have visited such a unique place.

As we flew over the land the pilot pointed out to us different feature's of the land and bears that he could see below. 

The magical thing about Alaska is how diverse and natural the land is. Renowned for being one of the most difficult places in the world to get supplies too, Alaska is peaceful, undisturbed and simply stunning. Full of glaciers, beaches, rivers and mountains, you are never short of something special to look at. 

Just as we landed on a small island not far off from Juneau we saw a huge black bear staring right back at us!   Luckily, he stayed around long enough for us to take a small few snaps and then he disappeared so we could have a walk along the shore of the island. 

The shore was full of sea-stars. It was one of those times where once you noticed one, you couldn't stop spotting them! They kept moving their little legs, (do you say legs?) as well! 

As you can see the scenery was spectacular! 

The two pictures above, took my ages to capture! We were blessed to see shoals of salmon swimming and jumping upstream! 

All of these pictures have been taken by me and they have not been edited. Please do not steal them!!! 

The journey through Canada and Alaska took us to some magnificent places, and I feel that this day out was definitely one worth sharing. Hopefully in the next few months  I will remember to share a few more moments with you!

The Ultimate Dreamboat Sexgod

 Today I saw my Prince Charming. Strong, handsome and sexy. David Beckham is the ultimate dish, and we all know it. Okay, I'm just kidding, I didn't actually see him, but seeing as we are on the internet, I don't think it will do me any favors to disclose the name of my very own Prince Charming. For the purposes of this post I shall call him 'David'.

In reality my relationship with David, is very similar to the picture below. As much as David has acknowledged my existence with the odd smile or text, our paths haven't crossed enough for me to woo him. I say this, but my attempts at getting anyone to fall for me more often than not resemble incident's that should really have been put on 'You've been framed.' Its sod's law than when Mr. Dreamboat Sexgod walks into the room that I have to trip up, start choking, or fall off a chair. 

To make matters worse, I have come back to Uni to find that 'David' has just recently got back from a rendezvous with his new long-legged, Rapunzel haired, skinny, olive-skinned girlfriend (whilst I presumably sat at home eating biscuits and watching Hollyoaks). OF TWO WEEKS. Since when has it been acceptable to go to one of the most romantic cities of the world on holiday with someone you've only been with for such a minuscule amount of time?

Just in case its not too late...(sorry about the quality!)

I've come to the conclusion, that maybe no amount of wooing will lead me to Prince Charming. Unfortunately for me, unlike Miss. Skinny legs, I have not been blessed with the attributes suitable for a knight in shining armor. When I go out on a night out with my friends, it's a competition among my friends to see can where the highest heels, and who's legs can touch the ceiling first. On the scale of sloth to giraffe legs, I'm at the former end. At a measly height of 5'3", my friends look like they are taking their younger sister out on a night with them. On Remembrance Day, a man told my friend to help me with my poppy, because he didn't like "kiddy -winks playing with pins." Secondly, no matter how much crusty bread I eat, I still can't manage to grow my hair to the length of Rapunzel. Seriously, if I was locked up in a tower, then I would be in big trouble.

The Dream Legs

Living in a house of girls is definitely survival of the fittest. When the internet engineer came over to fix the line on Sunday, two of my friends nearly fell out over who "had dibs on him." I'm presuming that his fiance was at home waiting for him, but really he didn't have a say in the matter. We've had conversations about who will end up getting married first, and who will end up resorting to getting a cat first. Everyone politely says "oh no YOU'LL definitely end up getting married first," but in this day and age, where everyone makes their mind up on other people by checking out their social media websites, do short-legged, pasty white people who aren't afraid to look silly in a picture, really have a hope? The only silver lining is that I've discovered a magical little tool in Photoshop that allows me to make myself taller, and I managed to go a whole 2 hours today before someone commented on my new profile picture with David Beckham that I was actually too tall for it to be true. I've also discovered the "tanning" tool, but I do have some boundaries.

I have come to the conclusion, that if it is true love then maybe my Prince Charming can cope with the fact that I will never have Giraffe legs, and he will just have to squint when my bright white legs blind him with their glow. I might not be 5'6" with elbow length blonde hair and a washboard stomach, but on the plus side I'm not afraid to spend a day without feeling the need to wear make up, or fake tan, and I hope that that is desirable enough. Plus, none of these girls have had their picture taken with Becks. So for now, I'll just sit back, stop the man hunt, have a giggle with the girls and wait for Prince Charming to find me.

"Happiness does not depend on outward things, but on the way we see them" - Leo Tolstoy.

I'm an addict...

I admit it. I'm completely obsessed. Addicted even. There is nothing more satisfying than ripping open that new packet of pens that you've been wanting for ages, only to line them up side-by-side on your desk and test each one out individually by writing the same word, or drawing the same line repeatedly. You have to make sure that you use each pen the same amount, sharpen each pencil so it as at the same level as its neighbor. When the packet is new, it's slander to put them back in anything other than in the order of the color spectrum. The moment you decide to throw away the packet, and just keep the pens in a pot on the side of your desk, is huge, you've either decided you want a different set of pens that you'll cherish forever, or you'll regret the moment forever. Stationery addiction is a very real issue. You are not alone. You are not the only person who gets a tingle up your spine when you walk into Paperchase, or when you walk into a specialist pen shop. My friend once commented, on entrance to a pen shop, that "a pen's a pen," - she made a lucky escape to remain a friend.

 As a student, I am unable to regularly purchase beautiful new stationery, and I am now finding that my collection is rapidly depleting. The main difference to university from school, is that upon entrance, every shred of organization that you learnt in school goes straight out the window. It is extremely unfashionable to carry a bulging pencil case into a lecture hall: the fashion is to stumble in five minutes after the lecture has started and scrabble around your bag until you find an old cracked leaky biro. This is a stationery addict's worst nightmare, but frankly, in order to fit in, some sacrifices need to be made. Consequently, my beautiful trusty collection of Stabilo highlighters that have kept me going since secondary school has become fragmented, and I frequently fear for the whereabouts of orange, peach and bright pink. Instead I have ended up with an old green, and two blues. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? Trust me, on this occasion, losing the packet was the worst thing that ever happened to me.

If found, please return peach, orange and bright pink

Nevertheless, this term I have decided to make some changes. My friends have come to terms with the fact that I am a stationery hoarder, and they are no longer surprised when I whip out a shark shape stapler in a seminar. Last week, I purchased a magnificent yellow safari Lamy. The reaction's have been diverse. Some friends have simply asked "What's a Lamy?!" to which I reply with a glassy stare. To others it has been a relief, they too have been able to carry their fountain pen into the lecture hall with pride and hold it up high when its time for the ink cartridge to be replaced. My diary takes pride of place on my desk, where my kindle can slot nicely in, and even my tutors remark on my inspirational organization skills.

I can have more pens than I will ever need, and the pain when one runs out is too much to bear. My first paycheck will probably be diminished in Paperchase, on a lovely holder for my paychecks, and I will never stop mourning for those pens that manage to go walkabouts from their perfectly complete set. So here I am loud and proud, coming out as a stationery addict. If you are too, throw away those obligatory manky Biro's: hold your head up high, pop your Lamy in your pocket and always carry a complete set of pens and a shark-shaped stapler with you.

The C word...

So... the dreaded C word...the word that every student dreads hearing. Careers. I still have nightmares about the career lady at school that used to chase after me to find out my work experience plans for the summer. At 16, you either still don't fully understand the nature of a career plan, or you simply don't give a damn. Luckily I managed to wangle myself a week of work experience at a top music company, so that I didn't have to spend a week tidying the smelly careers office. 

I've now reached second year at university, and I am none the wiser about my career plan for the future. I am still perplexed about the number of job titles/jobs out there that I don't even understand. Here's a few that I came across:

- Chick Sexor (yes, they employ people to check the sexes of chickens in factories)

- Snake Miller (to extract the venom from snakes)

- Modality Manager (a hospital ward nurse)

Unfortunately for us some what dim-witted students, this huge array of over complicated job titles and bizarre jobs makes the job world even more terrifying. I struggle with understanding what Subway's 'Sandwich Artist' job title means, let alone what 'Worldwide marine asset financial analyst,' means. Moreover, I don't know about you but the scary career lady at school never offered me me the chance to extract venom from a snake to get a week off school, so quite frankly I feel completely blind stepping out into the big wide world. 

Unfortunately, in order to get to San Francisco, I actually have to get a job (although it is now apparently acceptable to galavant around the world for a year and pretend you're helping the world, when actually you're strutting along a beach in Hawaii in your new havainas and RayBan's  whilst pretending that you're in the cast of Made in Chelsea). Consequently, I have to translate this over complicated job jargon, perplexing job descriptions and find some that actually suit me - no offence to all the ArtioDactyl Relocation Manager's out there (goat herder).

All of this is assuming that once I have found a job role I will be able to get it. Ummm no. This is the 21st century, and every resume  CV, application interview, reasoning and numerical test will surely trip me up.  Not to mention the near impossible  chances of getting a visa or green card. However, I plan to follow Arthur Clarke's advice and attempt this all anyway. I'll let you know when there is some sort of plan...

"The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible" 

...Guilty Confession

Okay I admit it, I am completely addicted to food. I am a typical woman: I comfort eat cake, cure a hangover with pizza and perk myself up with coca cola. Nevertheless, the majority of my days are full of fibre, fruity smoothies and home made dinners. I think it is the student in me that decides that it is okay to have these guilty treats a little bit too often. Today is the day that I have decided to show off my naughty food secrets: 

Dryham Park hot chocolate

This hot chocolate was particularly special. Sourced at Dryham Park,  packed with enough marshmallows to outdo anybody in a chubby bunny competition, it probably contained enough calories for my entire week. But oh well, nobody knows what a calorie even is anyway...

Green's Cafe Bar & Bistro

This brownie on the right, came from Greens Cafe & Bistro in Grasmere, Cumbria. Perfectly moist, squishy and chocolatey. Hands down this has been the best brownie that I ever eaten. Trust me, I've comfort eaten many a brownie. To top things off, they even have a huge gluten free selection.

Purdey's Restaurant - Cumbria

Home made marshmallow, passion fruit coulis and mango sorbet, the memory of this dessert makes my mouth water uncontrollably. As you can see, I have become quite the little chubby bunny monster.

The picture below shows off today's naughty afternoon treat. Yet another fantastic chocolate brownie thanks to La Cremeria in York. Not only did we share a brownie, but a cheeky homemade waffle, freshly prepared vanilla ice cream and a taster of their new speciality gooseberry flavoured yoghurt. Lashings of chocolate sauce topped off this delightful combination. Quick word of advice though - don't have a mouthful of gooseberry frozen yoghurt followed by vanilla ice cream as it is a combination remarkably similar to orange juice and toothpaste. 

La Cremaria - York

 The ice cream sundae below is not just an ice cream sundae. In a voice-over similar to M&S, this is an ice cream sundae, with infinite scoops of ice cream; beautiful clusters of melt-in-your-mouth chocolate brownie; and perfectly plump profiteroles. This came from a very special pub to walkers in the Lake District. The only way to eat this is to unbutton your jeans, unleash the food baby and gobble it right up.

Ice Cream Sundae- Wainwrights, Langdale

Finally, it's time for my to show you my best attempt at creating an equally beautiful naughty treat. As a result of a shortage of butter icing combined with overexcited friends, we created our very own speciality: slug pops. We found that no other name described them quite so accurately, but you can't deny that this is the cutest slug pop you have ever seen! 

Slug Pops 

You might question how a post about cake is relevant on a blog which aims to follow my path to a career. Well, eating makes me happy, happiness makes me positive, and positivity will ultimately enable me to reach my goals. So yes, a post on cake is entirely justifiable! 

What about you? What have your silliest baking creations looked like? Which places do you recommend for the tastiest and most trouser popping treats?

My Partner in Crime...

There is somebody who I need to introduce you to. You didn't think I was going to migrate across to the other side of the world without a partner in crime did you? We are those annoying people who call each other hubby and wifey, and for those of you that watch 'How I met your mother,' lilypad and marshmallow. 

My Partner in crime! 

This is my housemate Laura, who was the inspiration behind our American Dream. American music, american TV shows, and even the American states on Sporcle - you name it, she knows it. As you can see, she is very hardworking:

Travelling together is going to have its inevitable ups and downs. We can share the process of getting there - applications, resumes, and interviews. When one of us chickens out, the other one can remind us why we want to do this, and what we hope to achieve. Nevertheless, it is going to take a huge amount of organization - apparently California is actually quite big, and so we need to ensure that we find jobs relatively close to one another and ones that start at a similar time. At least we can share the pains of rent, visas, and housing deposits together! I'd love to hear from you if you have moved abroad to work - did you travel alone? If you traveled to another country with somebody else how did you manage the logistics? If you have any advice or comments, leave them below!

We have had a fantastic couple of years at uni together, and I couldn't be more grateful that I have such a genuine, kind and funny person to see the world with!

Although this post may seem slightly random, I am hoping that this post will help you to get to know the people around me, which will hopefully make the blog more fun and interesting to read!

To practice my American accent, "I'll see y'all later!"