20 things I wish I knew before my Australian Working Holiday...

Hi ladies,

Back in May of 2016, an impromptu holiday to Dubai opened my eyes to the fact I'd done very little travel in my 26 years (I hadn't been further than Greece, for reference). Long story short, I decided to bite the bullet and pursue something I'd been wanting to do for years (but never had the courage to) - get myself a Visa and book a one way flight to Australia!

Here are 10 things I have learned since arriving in Sydney 31st December 2016, which I wish I had known before:

 1. Sydney is EXPENSIVE. I did sort of know this before and many people had told how expensive the cost living is, but I was naively rolling my eyes inwardly and thinking "how expensive can it really be?". I saved up a lot but my money ran out very fast so in hindsight, I should have either brought more money or planned to begin working sooner. Accommodation, food, alcohol and activities are all expensive and sadly, your money will start to run out very quickly if you're enjoying yourself!

2. You will very possibly need 'office' or work clothes. Having worked in an office for years at home, I somehow pictured myself working in an exotic bar down on Bondi Beach, wearing denim shorts and flip flops everyday - so packing my suitcase for a summer holiday made perfect sense. Not exactly the reality. Office jobs pay pretty well in Australia and my experience made it the easiest and best paid working route for me. This left me wishing I had brought more work appropriate than 1 black skirt and one smart top I'd thrown in "just in case"...

3. Everyone is in the same boat. Yes, the classic advice from freshers week will crop up again, especially if you're embarking on your journey completely solo. Moving to the other side of the world with 0 friends can be so daunting but the majority of people do it alone - meaning that they are all completely open minded, friendly and as keen as you are to make friends. My advice would be to book into social hostels (Trip Advisor reviews will be your best friend) and strike up a conversation with everyone and anyone. Chances are they will be really friendly and in the exact same position as you. Alcohol also helps.

4. It does get cold. In my head, Australia was in a permanent state of summertime all year round. Sadly, the country isn't immune to seasons as I'd once thought and there is a winter which gets surprisingly cold. Packing a few warmer items of clothing will be ideal for when June, July and August roll around and you will be surprised how quickly you get used to the backwards seasons. A mini electric heater will also probably be purchased during this time, as most Australian houses or flats don't have heating. It is a matter of time before you're posting that insta story with the temperature sticker captioned "move to Australia they said...."

5. You will most likely live in a house/flat eventually. I hadn't really thought much past hostels and the backpacking lifestyle but the truth is, once I secured a 9-5 job, I really wanted somewhere to live. Sharing a ten bed dorm is fun initially but you will get tired of living out a suitcase. House or flat shares are the most affordable options and your best bed is browsing Facebook or Flatmates.com.au. It's important to view the house and meet your potential flatmates to see if you gel. A bond (Australian for deposit) is usually required so try and keep some money aside for this and make sure you get any subletting agreement in writing!

6. There are a lot of English/Irish. Even though you are a million miles away from the UK, you will be astonished at how many English or Irish people you meet day to day. In temp jobs, in house shares, out and about....they are everywhere! The majority of my friendship group are from the UK and it's so nice to have what feels like a bit of 'home' with you.

7. Time difference is a pain. Technology is a wonderful thing but you most likely only have a short window to talk to your loved ones, either early morning or in the afternoon and evening (unless everyone you know is nocturnal). You may have found Facetime awkward before but it will soon become your best friend. And remember that all your drunken 2am insta stories and snapchats are posting during the daytime at home. You may wake up and delete them instantly but the odds are, most people have already seen them....

8. Christmas is not the same. Christmas on the beach sounds so fun and cool but you will miss the Christmas build up, the gift buying and the awful made-for-tv Christmas movies that play back to back on Channel 5. It is definitely an experience but the general consensus among most expats is that it just doesn't feel like Christmas!

9. The TV is not great. I'd never thought about UK TV being that great until I moved to Aus. Probably because the weather is so amazing, there isn't as much need to sit in watching TV all the time but you will soon realize how bad the TV is. Netflix and Stan will be your go-to and I even had a dream I flew home because of how bad the TV was, if that tells you anything.

10. You will become so independent. Ending on a positive note. Most millenials, such as myself, usually live at home until their mid to late twenties, letting their parents do everything for them with no real concept of rent and bills (does Uni count?). Moving to another country will let you gain so much experience of managing your own finances, finding somewhere to live, finding a job and you'll quickly realize that you don't need to rely on anyone to get by - one of the best feelings ever and the point you might actually feel like a real life grown up (age 27 - I got there in the end!).

Drop a comment below if you're moving overseas or embarking on any travelling soon, I'd love to hear!

Girl Crush Alert!

Hi girls!

I wanted to make a quick post about my recently rekindled girl crush: Lauren Conrad. Like most 20-something girls, I grew up watching laguna beach and the hills religiously and have always had a soft spot for Lauren. I recall buying my first ever high-waisted clothing item when I was 16 after seeing her sporting a similar skirt on the hills! What a life changing fashion purchase.

Where to start? Her flawless hair, her amazing tan, her incredible dress sense. Ms. Conrad just seems to get better with age and I'm extremely jealous of her lifestyle! I even credit Lauren for my all time favourite hairstyle - loose curls with a center part.

I own her style book, which I got for Christmas last year but she is due to bring out a beauty book soon - which I'm very excited! I love Lauren's make up so can't wait to read what products or techniques she uses in her beauty routine. Will you be picking up a copy of it?

She also has a website which is http://www.laurenconrad.com/ which acts as a blog! It has photo posts, recipes, fashion posts, tips for spring/summer - everything you'd find on a beauty blog really. I've been reading her website all day!

Who's your girl crush?

Lots of love,



Tuesday Summary.

♥ I've been addicted to my Ipod touch ever since I bought it for myself a few weeks ago. All the benefits of an iphone without having to sacrifice my blackberry.

♥ I've also been addicted to apps on my Ipod. My favourites so far: draw something, tiny tower, paper toss, skill game, hair colour booth, instagram. What are your favourite apps? Leave them in the comments below!

♥ I've been so busy with uni work lately. 3rd year is no fun! Although my 3rd year project has been handed in, I now have to start preparing for exams. I cannot wait for after-exam celebrations and summer.

♥ I turn 22 years old next month and I'm actually excited. Most of my friends are desperately clinging onto their youth, whereas I can't wait to be older. I'm also excited to graduate from uni, look for a real job and move out. I finally feel ready to be a grown up!

♥ I've also learned to forgive and forget over the past few weeks. Holding on to a grudge won't benefit anyone and it feels great to put conflicts in the past and renew old friendships that you thought were over. Life's too short!

A picture that really inspired me:

Hope everyone is well!

Lots of love,

Book Review: Divergent

Hi girls!

This is going to be my first (hopefully first of many) book review blog post! I love to read, it's one of my favourite things to do to just relax, chill out and have some much needed 'me' time. I loved reading books when I was younger, but got distracted as I got older and I'm ashamed to admit I barely read at all (apart from for school/uni) from about age 15-20. I made a New Years resolution at the beginning of 2011 to read more often and have stuck to it ever since !


I'm a huge Hunger Games fan and have loved the recent hype about the film. I usually stick to the 'chick-lit' books you can pick up in Asda or Tesco, usually about a professional twenty-something in some kind of romantic dilemma. Reading the Hunger Games trilogy was a completely new direction for me and has introduced to whole new genre of books!

The Review

Divergent
by Veronica Roth

I picked up a copy of this book after reading numerous reccomendations and comparison to the Hunger Games online. The cover was a bit bleak but I ignored that and started reading it anyway. I began the first chapter in the bath one evening, and I'd finished reading the entire thing by the next night! And this is not a short book, it was just so good that I couldn't put it down. I think it's safe to say that it is the best book I've read this year so far.

The story is set in a dystopian futuristic society, where war has completely divided civilisation. Society exists in 5 seperate groups known as 'factions', each faction representative of a personality trait that those people think is the most important (the trait opposite to that which they blame for the downfall of society). They are abnegation, candor, dauntless, amity and euradite. The factions express the personality traits in a really extreme way and it basically dictates how they look, act and even think (sort of like 'brain washing'). The main character, 16 year old Beatrice was raised in abnegation, the faction which believes in selflessness. However, when the teenagers in each faction turn 16, they're given the opportunity to either stay in the faction they were raised in, or switch to a different faction. I don't want to give too much away but the main character ends up switching to a different faction and the majority of the story explains the initation process and the consequences of choosing a different faction.

The story is quite dark and violent in places, but it also has light, funny moments. I love the main character, she's a very determined and strong young girl and it's so interesting to watch her personality change and develop as the book progresses. There is also a love story, which is a lot more prominent than the romantic aspects of the Hunger Games - which was a huge bonus for me! There is also a really unexpected twist towards the end and I have to admit that I did shed a few tears in the final few chapters.

Overall, I would highly reccomend this book. If you enjoyed the Hunger Games or are interested in the dystopian-themed books that seem to be everywhere at the minute, I'd suggest go taking a look at this in your local bookshop. Dare I say it - I think I prefer Divergent to the Hunger Games so far? The book is part of a series and the 2nd book Insurgent is due to be released May 1st. I cannot wait!

What are you guys reading at the moment? Feel free to leave any reccomendations in the comments!

Lots of love,

Monday Summary.

- This past week has mostly consisted of revision. I'm in my 3rd year at Uni and with January exams coming up in a week, there is plenty of revision to be done. Reading articles and making notes all day is not my idea of a good time.

- I also got to meet my cousin's new baby boy this past week who was born at the end of December. He was poorly when he was born so had to spend a week or so in hospital but he's now home with his mum, dad and big sister. I love going to visit and just holding the baby for a bit so my cousin can get things done without carrying him around. He's so tiny and adorable, I never want to give him back when I have to go home!

- Having spent the last of my overdraft last week, I am currently living on £0. As a self-confessed shopping addict, I'm finding this really difficult. I hate not having spare cash to pick up things I need or something new I've had my eye on. It also means I have no social life due to having no money to go out with friends. And it's still a couple of weeks until my loan comes through :(

- Due to my lack of funds, I have turned to ebay selling to make some extra cash. I was very into ebay selling a few years back and made a lot of money selling old clothes. I managed to make a bit of cash this week selling books, dvd's, old clothes but I didn't have a lot to sell as most of my belongings are at my uni house and I'm currently at home. But it is something I want to do more of in 2012 because it's an easy way to make cash and have a clear out at the same time.

- I also had my very first beauty box experience this week, which I will discuss in detail in the next post. Unfortunately, I didn't get very good first impressions!

- As for films, I finally got around to seeing the inbetweeners movie this week! I felt like the only person in the world who hadn't watched it but I thought it was brilliant and will need to pick up the dvd, as I'm a huge inbetweeners fan anyway. I also re-watched Bridesmaids this week when I'd forgotten how funny that film really is.

- A new year means all new series of some of my favourite tv shows. This week saw the return of Pretty Little Liars on US tv (which I catch up with online) and the new episode definitely did not dissapoint. Brand new Jersey Shore has also started, with a great first episode of the series. Everyone's guilty pleasure Take Me Out started again this weekend and it was a cringeworthy and entertaining as ever. And one of my all time favourite shows Dancing on Ice is back on our screens and I'm loving it already!

Hope everyone is enjoying 2012 so far,

lots of love

The Chelsea Boot Bandwagon

Hi girls!

I must admit that in winter, I tend to live in Ugg boots. And although they are incredibly warm and comfortable, I sometimes feel thats Uggs are just too casual. Sometimes I find myself wishing I had smart winter boots I can wear of an evening, or to look more formal in the daytime. Upon realising this (and after seeing plenty of bloggers and youtubers raving about them), I decided I wanted a pair of chelsea boots! I had my eye on the Topshop Allegra boots, but at £80, they're slightly above my student-budget. But I wasn't keen on the flat-style Chelsea boots sold in Topsop either.

I sent out a tweet asking if anyone knew where I could find a nice pair, and got a reply suggesting River Island. As soon as I spotted these boots, I fell in love!

Sorry for the rubbish quality picture, I don't have my camera with my at the moment so this was taken on my phone. But, these are the boots! They're really simple, sturdy, exactly what I was looking for and the heel is the perfect size for me to be brave enough to wear in the daytime, without feeling silly.

I love high-heels for an evening out or parties, but have always been reluctant to wear anything other than flats in the daytime. Buying these boots is my attempt at overcoming this, and embracing a more sophisicated shoe to wear in the day! I wore these for the first time yesterday which unfortunately resulted in a few blisters on my toes, but I am more than willing to persevere and break them in. I felt really smart wearing these with my jeans, a grey top and black blazer and finally feel like I'm dressing my age (21) rather than looking 17 years old.

And these only cost £40! They were an early Christmas treat from my lovely Mum, but I think it's a perfectly reasonable price for a pair of Chelsea boots; literally half of what you'd pay for Topshop Allegra boots. If you're looking for a pair of Chelsea boots, I'd highly reccomend popping into River Island and trying on a pair of these, because I am in love with them.

Hope everyone has had a great weekend. Thanks for reading!

Lots of love,

Mini-Lush Collection

Hi girlies!

Due to gifts from christmas and the Lush sale, I've managed to get my hands on a few products recently. I'm actually spoilt for choice when I take a bath, because I don't know what to use first. I thought I'd do a quick post on the Lush products I have at the moment + can't wait to use :)

First up, I have a So White bath ballistic from the Christmas collection. Described as apple scented on the label, it's a gorgeous fresh, clean scent. I also have the Christmas Eve bubble bar, which is so cute. I picked this up in the Lush sale, as it was 50% off!

Next I have a (very pink) Comforter bubble bar. I think this is my all-time favourite product from Lush. You get so many uses out of one bar and the scent is just amazing, a gorgeous, sweet blackcurrant-type scent. I also have the Godmother soap cut into a cute star shape, which I got in a Christmas gift box with the Candy Cane bubble bar - which you can see I've used half of already!

I also have Angel Delight soap, which was also 50% off in the sale and Summer Pudding soap, but both are in my bathroom and not particuarly attractive-looking, as they've been used a few times. Leave a comment and let me know what you're favourite lush products are ! I tend to stick to the same products every time I go in the shop, so I'd love some reccomendations.

Thanks for reading!

Laura xxx