Beautiful York

My trip to the UK was definitely a successful one. It was THE most amazing 2 weeks I've had this year. Although I did want to visit longer, work was calling my name.

Wait. What exactly does this mean? Am I a workaholic now? *jokes*

Anyway, if you've been to the UK or if you're staying there, you'd probably know that York is famous for their Yorkshire pudding as well as their afternoon teas.

I was only there for ONE full day so I didn't manage to visit all of the places. However, I can tell you this. York is probably one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen in my entire life. It's little, but it's amazing.

Afternoon teas are a MUST, obviously

Beautiful York Minster 

Amazing views

If you're ever in York, don't ever miss a chance for afternoon tea :)

Total Disconnection: Retreat Edition

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, I recently went on a weekend getaway to a retreat where there were NO Wi-Fi and NO internet service.

And yes. It is possible - 

- for someone like me who's constantly on my phone, on social media, checking emails, texting, posting pictures (basically, obsessed with my mobile and Wi-Fi and internet) -  

- to disconnect for 36 hours. 

And the results? 

1. Instantly relaxed 

It was so refreshing not to have my mobile constantly beeping and ringing, to not look at my laptop. Basically, the only digital thing I had was my camera for taking pictures and vlogging. And it felt gooooood. 

2. Calmed

I admit, I do get impatient sometimes when people are not doing things as quickly as I am or as quickly as I expect them to. It's because most of us are so used to the fast-paced environment. But just sitting down and listening to the crickets and feeling the wind in my hair - that took me to a whole new level of calm. 

3. Creative

If you don't know/didn't realize, I've been having writer's (or in this case, blogger's) block for about a month now - hence, the lack of blogposts. But when I was chilling by the pool - surrounded by trees and plants, my mind instantly went on a creative spree. That's when I wrote down all my ideas and that's when I decided to do blogtober. 

4. Happier

Something about being in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nature - there's just something exciting about that. And I noticed that I felt happier not knowing anything except for knowing how to have fun and have deep, meaningful conversations and relax.  

5. Self-love

How often do you check in with yourself? How often do you ask yourself how you are? My answer, I have no idea when was the last time I actually asked myself "how are you today?". And I just realized how important self-love is. Once you learn how to love yourself, you know what to feed your mind and soul.

I think it's such an important thing to disconnect from the digital world once in a while. EASIER SAID THAN DONE! Trust me. I was feeling frustrated the first few hours, but after that, everything just felt amazing. 

However, I'm gonna be totally honest with you and say this right here right now. A little bit more than 36 hours and I probably couldn't handle it. So, 36 hours is the perfect amount of time :) 

If you have a few minutes to spare, here's the vlog of my fun weekend: 

Some of My Favourite Pictures From Holiday

I don't know whether it's just me, but whenever I see bloggers post something about their holidays, I always get so intrigued.

Some of you may know that I've recently visited the U.K. I was there for a good 15 days and I absolutely had the time of my life. I mentioned in my September highlights post that I got to visit my good friends and family over there. It was just amazing. 

So, I just wanted to share some of my favourite pictures from the trip.

-Architectures and random bits-

-Amazing food and people- 

P/S: I did vlog throughout my stay in the U.K. So, feel free to check my vlogs here.

MY HOLIDAY ROUTINE

I'm not going to lie, I think this year has been the year that I've traveled the most so far. I mean, I think I've been on a plane almost every month this year although it is only June right now. But I do feel like this is a major "level-up" factor in my life considering I have a massive fear of flying.

But hey, 

if you have a fear of flying just like me, 

just know that you are not alone and that you can do it! 

A friend was talking to me recently about travelling and all that.

So, I did realize a pattern in my travel/holiday routine - whether that's in a completely new place or a place that I've already visited.



My minimum stay would be for 3 days no matter what because that gives me at least ONE day to explore and have some fun. But of course ideally, 4-5 days would be my so-called "holiday". 

Here's my travel/holiday routine:



DAY 1: ARRIVE AT THE DESTINATION

- Day 1 is more of a relaxing day because I think I deserve to chill after being on a flight and just get more rest for the next day. I would normally just check into the hotel or Airbnb and get comfy and cozy. I would also familiarize myself with the places around me and definitely find a good place to have dinner.

DAY 2: EXPLORE 

- Day 2 is normally when I would definitely do something unexpected. Try something new. It's all about walking around, getting lost, eating, and experiencing the local lifestyle. See, before the trip, I would have already done some research on where I want to explore. At night, I would wind down and go have some nice local food and experience the night life.



DAY 3: BE A TOURIST

- Day 3 is normally when the "shopping" happens. I don't know if it's just me but I would always go to somewhere with either a beach or a nice pool and I would chill for half a day. Then I would go out and do some touristy things and more exploring. And I would normally shop for either stuff for myself (most of the times, not going to lie :P) or get some souvenirs for people. I would also do something unexpected on the third day, whether that's drinking a new drink or meeting a new friend.

DAY 4: PAMPER 

- Day 4 is pretty much a pampering session. Massage, manicure, hairdo, you name it. Exploring comes later on, of course. But at this point, it's more of just soaking in the past couple of days and being thankful.



DAY 5: HOME TIME 

- Final day is of course about packing up. And I would normally visit a few more places nearby before going to the airport. And most importantly, try to get over the "holiday-withdrawal" syndrome before it even strikes :)




That is pretty much what my holiday routine looks like. Of course, it can vary depending on the amount of days I'm visiting. So, I hope this helps any of you who are going on vacation soon.

I would actually love to know what your holiday routine looks like so please let me know in the comments and share a few tips with others too :)