I'VE BEEN TRAVELLING

... THE INTERNET. As some of you might know I am off on my gap year travels in January. In the run up to my departure, and to continue as I travel, I've set up a travel blog which I'm truly in love with. To be honest, I love writing that blog at the moment and since I've been working 5 days a week and don't wear make up to work, the whole beauty and fashion thing in my life has just disappeared. (I did buy a Real Techniques sponge though, and it has changed my life.)

I've been spending free time exploring other travel blogs, gathering ideas, creating plans, spending money, working out budgets, planning visas... The list goes on and on and on... But at the moment it's something I truly love to do and I just can't wait to be in all of these amazing places. As a result of this though, this blog has taken a back seat and I don't feel the urge to sit down and type out a post.

However, on my travel blog I've been scrawling out posts on each of our destinations and our flights and as I book my visas and begin to consider what I should take on a 4 month trip to Southeast Asia there will be posts about that as well. So if you're interested in following my plans and adventures then here is where to find me.

FALLING IN LOVE WITH BUDAPEST / PART 1

My mum bought my boyfriend and I plane tickets to a city of our choice for my birthday back in May. I had mentioned many times that I wanted to go to Budapest so we went ahead and booked it. I read how cheap Budapest is as a weekend break and as I looked further into it I wanted to go there more and more, although I'm not sure what specifically attracted me to it. After my trip I am completely in love with it and want to back again next year and one day take my mum.

After a 2am start we decided to drop off our bags at the hotel and wonder about town. We stayed at the Roombach Hotel Budapest Center which was 5 minues walk from ruin bars, parks and all he main shops. The hotel had been newly done and was very modern inside. The foyer was colourful with modern copper twists and the bedrooms had wallpaper covered in words in a typewriter-like print. My mum and I found this after searching all over the internet and I'm so glad we found it. The woman at the desk was also super helpful and I would definitely consider staying there again if I were to go back.

We headed down to the river which seemed to be the best place to get our bearings. We were able to see all the landmarks and were then able to work out how far away everything was from each other while we were both still half asleep. This is when we realized how small the city was.

Hunger was the next thing that kicked in. We didn't quite know where to go to eat and after walking past a couple which looked not very appealing or on the more expensive side we consulted the guide book we had. I wouldn't normally do this but I simply was just too hungry to try to find internet in order to look anywhere up. It directed us to Ötkert, a little ruin bar past Chain Bridge, heading towards the parliament building. Here I had the best burger I had all week. It was on the more expensive side, although I put that down to the tourist appeal of ruin pubs.

As it was such a nice day we decided that we would sit outside although the inside was really unique and beautiful with a covered courtyard in the centre. All ruin pubs have their own unique styles and vibes but it is common for them to have some kind of courtyard in the middle which is usually open air.

Right at the end of the road (another reason we sat outside) was St Michael's Basilica. We headed inside to look at the beautiful interiors...

And to get a panoramic view of the whole city...

 

After this we headed back to our hotel to check in and had a nap since we were both exhausted from our early start. We then prepped ourselves for dinner and looked on LikeALocal where we found Jelen Bistro, a place known for it's great Thai food that also had a bar for a drink before dinner and a fair amount of outside seating all along the pavement. We both absolutely loved this place and it was a great way to ease ourselves into the quirks that bars and restaurants in Budapest all possess.

The most amusing thing we noticed was that something like a vodka and coke was never on the menu and the people serving us rarely knew what we were asking for... So they bought me a glass of coke and a double shot of vodka. It is much cheaper to drink beer and wine in Budapest and Will sampled the beer in every bar and restaurant we visited. A pint and a vodka and coke was between £4-5.

After dinner we decided to walk along the river to see the city lit and it was still fairly early. However exhaustion got the better of us and we headed back early so that we would be ready for breakfast (included at the hotel) and could head out to the thermal baths...

I'M GOING TO ASIA

...For four months! I was going to write about it on here but I have actually created an all-new travel blog here which we are currently sharing our route on (as of tomorrow). Please go have a look if you want to see what I'm up to in the run up to my travels and then follow me around Asia (metaphorically, of course).

MAGAZINES

Hello! I don't know about you, but I feel like Company Magazine made a mistake going digital. Every month I desperately looked forward to going into the shops and picking up a new copy and I miss having a physical magazine to read, or one at all as I don't buy the digital version. I've been an avid reader of Company since I can remember and when I was moving house back in February I threw away years worth of issues, including ones before they redesigned. To fill the void that is now left I have been looking at magazines which could be a replacement and perhaps a little more specific to my current interests.

1. i-D. I first heard of i-D when I went to a university open day and they had it in their little shop on campus so I jotted it down and looked it up when I got home and I've been searching for it in a shop ever since. i-D has built itself a reputation for reinventing and inspiring fashion for all those involved in fashion culture and has included people from many creative backgrounds such as Tom Ford, Madonna and Kate Moss - all giving a cheeky wink. A years subscription includes 6 issues at about £27 which is incredibly good value and extremely tempting... 

2. LOVE. Love magazine is a twice-a-year magazine that aims to inspire designers, artists and just anyone looking for visual inspiration in fashion or design. Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevigne and Miley Cyrus have all been featured within the magazine and they look to feature up and coming music developments, art and fashion. A mystic ball for the creative world if you like.

3. The Creative Review. The Creative Review is just like any other 'Review' - it displays the latest projects, people and inspiration for a specific field. In this case, it's all things creative (as the title would suggest) but if you take a look and are particularly interested in Economics, English or any other subject then there is a review for almost anything. It's actually a great way to read further in your subjects if you're at school and lots of departments at my school are subscribed so that you can read essays and just broaden your knowledge. Great for your personal statement if you're thinking about applying to university this year (eek!) or next year or just for your exams. Or even just personal interest!

4. boat. A travel and culture publication. Boat magazine presents its reader with a new city each issue, showing you how inspiring a city can be and really getting right into the cracks of the city. London, Los Angeles, Athens and Lima have all been focused on so far. Great if you're an avid traveler looking for some iinspirationon where to go next. It contains pictures, interviews, personal profiles and artwork from each place, giving you an honest and bare view on a city every issue. Even the covers are inspiring. 

5. Violet. A publication focusing on leaders, authors, entrepreneurs and all-round inspiring and amazing women including Alexa Chung and Brit Marling. Alyson Swan, creator of Violet, aims to inspire and motivate women to create their own career and success through her inspiring interviews and editorials so that women can get to know women who can inspire them. 

6. In Bloom. A publication for youths with curious and creative minds. It captures fresh talents in music, fashion, literature, art and photography while also giving an industry insight to all. 

I hope that some of these catch your eye and maybe you might pick up a copy if you spot one in a shop next. You can order single issues from a couple of magazine websites which make it easy for you to find smaller and more independent magazines. I hope I've given you a little bit of reading-inspo. Happy reading! 

Let me know if you've read any of these magazines before or if you have any other suggestions along the same lines!