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Hey! I'm Janette, welcome to my blog! I'm 26, I'm from a small town near Christchurch in New Zealand, and travel is my thing...

Eileen Donan Castle, Scotland

I started this blog when I moved to London in 2012, and despite being horrendously bad at actually updating it, I've stuck with it through a move to Edinburgh in 2013 and to Cork in Ireland in 2014. Though I'm back in New Zealand for now, I had been living abroad for over two and a half years and I'm trying to get better at posting here regularly enough to make it worth a read.

If you are reading this it's most likely that you are friend or family member wanting to see what I'm getting up to. Thank you for your interest and persistence with checking back! You are the main reason I write this, and I always try to have you in mind when I'm thinking up something that you might be interested in. I also write here as a way to journal and record things I want to remember about my travels. I'm always surprised how fast memory fades and it's already great looking back at what I've seen and done.

On Dingle Peninsula, Ireland

If you have stumbled across this blog from the middle of the internet somewhere, Failte! (That's welcome in Irish!). Have a look around, maybe you'll find a few posts that will interest you. Maybe you are looking for information on long term travel, living abroad, Help Exchanges, living in the UK or Ireland, or sights to see throughout the UK or Ireland. I'm always happy to answer questions if you have any.

Enjoy!

Edinburgh

The Round Up:

• Favourite Place: 

1) Edinburgh, hands down. This city has definitely stolen a large chunk of my heart.
2) Scottish Highlands. I can't wait to go back someday

•  Best Day Trip:

1) Dunottar Castle, Stonehaven, Scotland
2) Road trip through the Scottish Highlands
3) Betwys-y-Coed, Snowdonia National Park, Wales
4) Inchcolm Abbey and Island, Firth of Forth, Edinburgh
5) Arrgh so many - I love my day trips!!

• Best Multi-Day Trip:

1) Isle of Skye trip
2) Bath

• Worst Weather: 

1) Isle of Skye trip - think fresh snow on the way back after one of the biggest storms I've ever been in

• Biggest Celebrity Spotted:

1) A glimpse of The Queen and Princess Kate as they pulled to the tube station opposite my work in London
2) Practically on stage with Shapeshifter in Edinburgh (on a completely different level to the Queen but hey, a lot of fun anyway)

• Weirdest Food Eaten:  

1) Black pudding. GROSS!!!
2) Haggis. Actually quite delicious! I honestly really love it
3) Stinging nettle cheesy oven bake. Not too bad

• Best Market:

1) Camden, London
2) Borough, London

• Best Museum:

1) Natural History Museum, London
2) National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh

• Best Pubs:

1) Cork

• Best Spontaneous Night Out:

1) Primrose Hill, near Camden, London

• Best Gig or Music Event

1) Fat Freddy's Drop in Brixton, London
2) T in the Park music festival, Scotland

• Best Find

1) Dirt cheap, un-heard of  train trip from Glasgow to Mallaig, incorporating Glenfinnan Viaduct of Harry Potter fame, Scotland

• Favourite Travel Quote

"Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colours. And the people there see you differently too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving."

~ The Hat Full of Sky, Terry Pratchet