NOT JUST SOME OF IT

The life of a Kiwi exploring the Globe

[notjustsomeofit]

Cycling my way to Paris for Charity!

So you may or may not be aware that myself and two other colleagues are cycling from London to Paris (300kms) in 24hours in early June this year. At first I thought it was just a joke when my boss came into the office 3 months ago explaining that he’d signed us up for the ride, but when the registration email found its way into my inbox I knew he wasn’t kidding. A 300km, 24hr cycle ride isn’t just something one ‘signs up for’ on whim. You see, for one I’m not quite the right ‘build’ to be a cyclist and two, I think the furtherest I have ever cycled in one hit was the 10km ride in the Weetbix Kids Triathlon when I was a wee tacker. But hey, I wasn’t going to back down from a challenge, especially when it is supporting a great cause I can really get behind. 

So what is this amazing cause you ask? Well, great question! The ride is itself is actually part of an event called the Duchenne Dash and is run by the Duchenne UK charity whom like many other charities around the world are trying to raise funds and awareness to help find a cure for the horrible degenerative disease called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). For those unaware, DMD is one of the most common fatal genetic diseases diagnosed in children and almost always affect boys, and they tend to be diagnosed before the age of 5. The disease itself is classified as a rare disease, it affects approximately 1 in every 3,500 boys that are born but only around 1 in 50 million girls. In the UK there are around 2,500 patients and an estimated 300,000 sufferers worldwide.

Essentially, the children born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy have a fault, known as a mutation, on their dystrophin gene, the longest gene in the body. The fault means that they cannot produce dystrophin, a protein that is vital for muscle strength and function. This lack of dystrophin results in a progressive deterioration of muscle strength between the ages of 6 and 11 and by 12 years many children are confined to a wheelchair. By their late teens most young people with Duchenne lose the ability to move their arms and experience more problems with breathing and with the heart. Heartbreakingly, those with Duchenne do have shortened lives, it is unusual for someone with Duchenne to live beyond their 30s. 

BUT, advances in the management of the condition are increasing life expectancy and enabling more young adults with Duchenne to lead independent lives, and researchers and medical professionals are confident they can find a cure within ten years! 

So it’s an absolute honour to ride for the Worlds Strongest Boys and help End Duchenne in Ten [years].

However, this isn’t just any old ride you can just go out and do. The last few weeks I have spent a good few hours sweating it out on the watt bikes at the gym, but it’s not the same as the real deal and I’ve know realised that people get really grumpy when you hog the bike for over an hour! So, the time has come and I have gone out and brought a bike (2017 Giant Contend), some sexy looking lycra (ladies settle down!) and all the other bits and pieces I should need to get some quality and much needed training in. Now all that I have to do is actually get on me bike, hit the tarmac and cloak up those kilometres. 

So, week one with the new bike has wrapped up. How have I feared? Well for one I am still breathing, which is a great start, because riding on London roads is a lot different to the rural roads of New Zealand, that’s for sure. But, before I hit the road I had to have a wee practice run in the lounge with the clip in pedals as I have never cycled with cleats before so was slightly nervous about being ‘locked’ onto a bike. But much to the amusement of my flat mate Adam, whom watched me struggle, whilst I practiced ‘clipping in’ and ‘clipping off’ I eventually felt confident enough to go out for the maiden voyage the following morning around the nearby Victoria park. 

However, the ‘big’ training ride kicked off on Saturday and as some of you may have seen on my Instagram, it wasn’t without it’s dramas. The day was a cracker, a nice [rare] blue sky spring day, a slight breeze and a barmy 12 degrees - ideal novice cycling conditions.

Things, started off well I found myself the east London ‘super cycle highway’ which sounds a lot more exciting than it actually is, and followed that out of the city for several miles. But, eventually I lost track of the signs and ended up on the A13 (a dual carriageway) which I thought was alright, the classic ‘she’ll be right kiwi attitude’ and to be fair I wasn’t too bothered by the cars buzzing past me. But when I got to the M25 junction (the large circular motorways that stretches the whole way round London) I found myself in the middle of the round-a-bout Googling “Can you cycle on ‘A’ roads?” I knew that motorways where a no go but I had an strong feeling ‘A’ roads were also a no go, bearing in mind I had already been cycling on the A13 for some 5 miles now. So I came to the conclusion, with the help of some off stares from drivers, that I shouldn’t be there and quickly weaved my way through the traffic off the nearest side road. lesson one learnt. 

So I kept going, on the roads I was allowed to cycle on, and went for about another hour, until I got hungry and decided to turn. Lesson two - takes some form of snack with me next time. However, to be fair by this time I had been riding for almost an hour and 45 minutes so it probably was a good time to head back. Everything was going smoothly, I didn’t get lost, I stayed away from the motorways had a relatively smooth cycle back into London, until I made it to the nearby suburbs to my house and managed to score myself a flat tyre. At which point I thought I would make an Instagram video explaining my bad luck on the first long distance ride. Now videoing yourself, you would think is a harmless task right? But, I suddenly found myself surrounded by 6 younger guys whom were trying to be intimidating asking “why the f**k I was videoing them” clearly they had something to hide. But I talked myself out of the potentially hostile situation and explained “No, I am simply videoing myself, it’s all good”....”I have better things to do than play Cops and Robbers and dob you guys in” (not that I actually said this) but you get the idea. So lesson three, don’t take selfies in the park when there are troublesome ‘youths’ in the vicinity.

So a potentially hostile situation resolved, I found a motorbike shop and asked if I could pump up my tyre. Only to realise that it wasn’t just a flat tyre but indeed a puncture, damnit! So I began the remaining 3 mile walk home in my socks as I didn’t want to ruin my knew cycling shoes. But lucky for me, my two Knights in shining armour (or lycra should I say) rode past and offered me a replacement tube and whether I needed any help, I said I wasn’t too far off home and I will be okay but they insisted and welcomed me into the ‘cycling community’ - that’s right, I am now a member of the prestigious ‘cycling community’ and we have each others backs! So lucky for me I got to finish the last leg of the cycle on my bike instead of walking my bike in central London in bare feet. So, lesson four, I need to invest in a puncture kit and pump to take with me on rides from now on. 

But, dramas aside, the 3.5 hour, 55km ‘adventure’ came to and end. I got home had some food and soaked in the bath to recover! A solid first up effort I think, and already I am looking forward to week two! But seriously, who knew cycling could be so fun and eventful? 

But, it’s not all about the fun! I do need to raise some decent money too! My colleagues and I have set a hefty goal of £12,000! So we (Team Oritain) would be very very grateful if you could spare any pound or dollar and support our amazing cause! I have already made a public pledge that for the first, single £1000 donation, in preparation for the ride, I will get an aerodynamic full body wax. I will also be coming up with other quirky ways to raise money so stay tuned, or if you have any suggestions on how I or Team Oritain can raise the much needed funds please do get in touch. 

Until then, here is the link to our Virgin Money Giving page - every little bit helps!  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserPage.action?userUrl=OritainUK&pageUrl=2

For more info on the cause we are support check out their page: https://www.duchenneuk.org/

[notjustsomeofit]

Wintry Days

As I sit wrapped up warm on the couch, drinking Hummingbird Coffee all the way from home on a cold Saturday morning, snow elegantly falling outside but struggling to cling onto anything to settle. I decide it’s about time for another blog post. 

It’s been a long week at work and I have finally succumb to the classic winter cold, so its a rare Saturday in for me. I say rare, because it’s hard to take time out in a city that never really sleeps, with so many things to do and see it’s no wonder there comes a time where everything catches up with you and the last thing you want to do is go out. So today is a day for blogging, eating and watching the 6 nations. Not a bad day if you ask me. 

However, aside from my lazy day today, the past few wintery months have been some of the busiest. Christmas came and went rather quickly, but the build up to the festive season was truely something special. The lights, the cold wintery evenings, Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park and mulled wine, certainly made up for the summer Christmas I am so use to. Although, Christmas Day itself started Skyping the family back home who were all well on their way to having a very ‘Merry’ Christmas evening and continued on with a Orphans Christmas at our flat with ample food and alcohol followed of course with the Love Actually drinking game. 

On came the New Year in which was welcomed and celebrated at a friends amazing rooftop terrace, with again ample food and alcohol - perhaps a sign of things to come in the new year? But since then, work has kicked back off to a flying start, with a key focus on growing the business and scaling up. I can already tell that 2017 is going to be another year of further personal development and many opportunities within the business. 

Aside from work, the past few wintery months have brought with them many new opportunities and challenges. For one it’s been incredibly hard not to miss home, especially with everyone back home sharing holiday snaps of their glorious summer holidays and embracing the sun, meanwhile I wrap up warm with several layers, scarf and gloves in tact every time I leave the house. It’s been tough, but makes me super excited for the next European summer! 

Speaking of things being tough, getting the news that our much loved family dog Jess, was on her last legs and in need of being put down was something that really set me back. Although, you know it’s inevitable, that day just never seems to register, but for our wee Jessie that day had and it was a rather sad day for me. Not only because it was her last day, but knowing that whenever I next pop home for a visit there would be one less black lab to greet me. I will always treasure her as one of the best dogs we’d ever had, she was such a great natured dog, never lost her puppy charm and was a tough wee thing, having almost died many years earlier in a terrible accident, but at 13 years old her time was up and now all we have left are all the fond memories of her. It seems crazy to think a dog can have such a big impact on ones life, but loosing a dog is like loosing part of your family, truely mans best friend, and certainly Jessie was mine. 

On a more positive note, last weekend I was fortunate enough along with about 5,000 other kiwi expats, to take over central London in the much anticipated Waitangi Day Pub Crawl. One of the best days I have had in London to date. Everyone dresses up in classic kiwi attire and walks through the heart of West London causing a bit of chaos, but in the good ole kiwi fun loving way. The coppers were on good form and up for a bit of banter and the tourists didn’t know what to think, but with a she’ll be right attitude we charge on for Parliament square where a mass haka is tradition, outside West Minster Abbey, to conclude the crawl. Except I (and a large number of others) missed it because we got too carried away stopping into every single pub along the way, which is surprisingly a large number, so we missed it, but by 7pm everyone is wrecked and a good nights sleep is needed to shake off the numerous warm beers consumed throughout the day. For those that haven’t experienced a Waitangi Day Pub Crawl in London, you much add it to your list, the day will not disappoint. 

All Smiles at Waitangi Day Pub Crawl

Aside, from all that, everything else just continues on, life in London is still great, I am still as happy as one can be and the world keeps throwing all sorts of surprises at us, but all we can do is keep on, keeping on and living the life we shape for ourselves. I hope all those (if anyone) who reads this is well and as happy with life as I am. If you have made it this far, I would love to hear from you, your thoughts on this blog, your thoughts on life (or anything for that matter), or even just to say hi - even if it’s been a while, I’d love to hear from you. But until then, it’s enough from me and goodbye for now. 

I’ll be sure to post about my trip to Italy last year in my next blog, I know I am slack, but I will make a conscious effort to update this blog at least once a month from now on, so there will be no excuses. 

Catch ya! - Stew =) 

Rest Easy Jess xx

[notjustsomeofit]

A look back at 2016!

I am the kind of person who thinks a lot about things and as those who know me well will attest too, I often overanalyse and overthink things in a big way. Which, I guess can be both a good and bad thing. Good, in the sense that I care; but also bad, in the sense that I probably care too much. 

One thing I have come to learn about myself over the past year is that I am a big believer in reflection. Reflecting on the past to learn and prepare for the future. It sounds cringe I know, but for once I have found myself in the real world without a formal structure as to how I should live my life. School and University are easy, you show up at the specified times and do whatever work you are required to do, but unfortunately life doesn’t work like that. In the real world, outside of any classroom or lecture theatre you are the master of your own destiny. The world is literally at your finger tips. Things don’t always go the way you’d like them to, or perhaps they go better than anticipated, opportunities will present themselves and it’s up to you whether you seize them or not.  

For me, 2016, has been huge, perhaps the biggest year of my life and quite possibly one that could define the rest of my life. A big call I know, but a year ago when I was finishing up University, if someone had asked me what’s next for me, the answer “living and working in London” wouldn’t have even registered as a possibility in my head. But now as the hours left in 2016 draw to a close (or they already have if you are reading this from elsewhere in the world) I will be seeing in the new year as a Londoner having lived here bang on 10 months, which is crazy to think, as it certainty does not feel like that long. 

So looking back at 2016, what have I learnt? Well I’ve had to say one of the hardest goodbyes of my life, to all my friends and most importantly my family. I am not normally one to show much emotion but my final goodbye to my Parents and younger brother and sister was one of the hardest, not really knowing when I would see them next. I literally choked up, eyes filled with tears and I felt emotions most men would feel ashamed to display in public. But for me as much as I was sad, I was also excited about the next chapter of my life. It was a strange feeling that I can only describe as becoming more of an independent man. I was leaving the greatest influencers of my life to go my own way in the world. Which was a very daunting but equally exciting. Now, as I reflect on the past year, I have become more independent, more sure of who I am and and what I want out of life. 

I've also learnt that in today's society, distance is becoming an irrelevant factor in life with the help of technology. Even though tens of thousands of miles seperate me from friends and family back home, with the likes of social media, Facetime and other such means of communication it’s as almost as if I’ve never left. I still speak to my family a few times a week and likewise always keep tabs of friends and what is new in there lives. Which amazes me really, because when I first moved over and got a bit homesick, Dad was always quick to remind me that when he was my age travelling around Europe, picking up the phone and calling home just wasn’t an option instead his form of communication with his family back home was in the form of writing letters on a monthly basis. So we have a lot to thank technology for in this day an age particularly in terms of connectivity. 

Aside from tough goodbyes and becoming more independent. 2016 has allowed me to explore new cities, new cultures, different perspectives and different ways of doing things. It’s a hard concept to explain if you’ve never really travelled aboard, but having lived in New Zealand, where we’re so lucky to have a safe, stable and well-structured society and now also regarded as the most prosperous country in the world as determined by the Legatum Prosperity Index, you really do have to appreciate the upbringing we’ve had and be thankful for all the opportunities that come our way. Regardless of where you fit on the political spectrum, New Zealand sure is doing [at least] something right. I can say this as I have lived and travelled to countries this year that aren’t as fortunate as New Zealand; the UK voted Brexit and still no one knows what this actually means, Scotland may soon become independent. Italy ousted there Prime Minister and are battling some pretty substantial economical issues (as is most of the EU), and then Turkey has really battled, with coups, bombings, unprecedented refugee influxes pushing the country to breaking point. All of which has caused unrest and uncertainty in these countries. Don’t get me wrong though, I’ve loved visiting all these places and had an absolutely amazing time, but I was also constantly asked “why are you over here? New Zealand is such a beautiful and lucky country!” and my answer to to this has always been the same, because I am over here to seize new opportunities, discover the world and new cultures, something that you can’t do back in New Zealand. 

Turkey, in particular was a highlight, this is a country that is really struggling, yet I had the most amazing time there. We stayed in the historical part of Istanbul and the place was so quiet, but the people were amazing and so thankful for any tourists that did stick around. It was also my first time in a Muslim country which was both eye opening and rather interesting, in fact my first morning there, the call to pray at 5am was something that scared the shit out of me until I realised what is was, but it was a learning experience and I think that in itself is one of the biggest motivations to travel. To physically experience life from someone else’s perspective is something money can’t buy. 

Finally, 2016 has allowed me to meet new people from all walks of life and from all corners of the globe. I have made life long friends and found two of the greatest housemates I could have ever wished for - even if they are from Australia ;) ! But London is great like that because it is literally one big cosmopolitan of cultures, you can go to different parts of the city and it’s as if you have walked into another country all together. Yet this patch work of people and culture brings the city to life and it’s part of the reason I love it so much. 

Work wise, moving to London has allowed me to get a foothold into the working world with a job I absolutely love but would have never thought of last year as a possible career path, because quite frankly I didn’t know it existed. However, the opportunity presented itself, I took up the challenge and I have never regretted the decision since. In actual fact the job has seen me utilise all the skills I learnt at uni and has exposed me to so much more than any graduate scheme could of back home.

So as I crack open a bottle of Prosecco and get ready for New Years Eve celebrations, I will be charging a glass to a year of opportunity, change and success and look forward to an equally exciting 2017. I wish you all a safe and prosperous 2017 and make the most of what opportunities come your way. 

Happy New Year! 

Stew xx

[notjustsomeofit]

Summer - Northern Hemisphere Style

Summer in the months of June, July and August is something quite foreign to me. However one mustn’t complain when you can experience two summers virtually back to back. Although, a summer’s day here in the UK is vastly different to the New Zealand summer’s I am use to. The hot days are few and fair between and when they do eventually come all Londoner’s can talk about is how uncomfortably hot it is, especially if your day involves taking the unbearably sticky and humid underground which for a large part of the London population it does. Except for me, as I bask in the sunshine on my walk to and from work. 

However, as the summer months slowly begin to dwindle away and the night’s get darker slightly earlier each week. There will come point when I go to work in the dark and return home again in darkness, in bone chilling temperatures and pouring rain and I will look back and think the English summer wasn’t all that bad after all. 

So, what have I been up to since my last blog post? Well where do I start... It’s been a whirlwind of a few months that’s for sure and it’s all gone so fast I forget I have lived here for six months now!!! Where did that time go???

Funding the lifestyle... £££!

Work has been its busy self but I have been fortunate enough to see a lot of the UK and Ireland in the process gathering samples for our clients. I am kind of a bit of a jack of all trades at the moment doing some sales and account management work, strategy and legal related tasks and of course the more operational work such as gathering samples. It’s always an interesting one explaining to people what I do for a job, as nobody really think’s that food fraud is an issue until I start rambling off the facts. For example,  food fraud effects at least 10% of the global food supply chain and costs the British food industry at least £10billion. But the fraudulent activity can be a range of different acts be it adulteration, substitution, dilution or geographical misrepresentations, for example claiming that meat is New Zealand beef and lamb when it actual fact it’s lower grade product from elsewhere but labelled otherwise. So we work with food producers and retailers to mitigate their risk of another Horse Meat scandal happening to them. Or in more light hearted terms we are like the CSI of the food industry. 

Looking stylish collecting meat samples in Ireland. 

Ticking the countries off, one at a time...

Aside from work, I have managed to fill my weekend with some great activities and trips away - I seriously don’t not think I will see a weekend through where I find myself bored and thinking of something to do, there is just so much on offer.  Some of the highlights include sneaking away to Malaga on the southern coast Spain for a long weekend in June, which was just amazing. The city is stunning, amazing architecture, beautiful beaches and yummy food. I had a great time with new friends and will definitely be back to explore more of Spain - perhaps when my Spanish is a bit more than Hello, Bye and Thank you? 

A summer’s day at an English Beach

There has also been lot’s of day trips as well, Brighton was definitely a great escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Although, not the beach trip I was expecting, the sun was lacking, so too the sand and we didn’t dare go for a swim although the rain ensured we got drenched anyway. So it was indoor activities for us and where better than the Brighton Pier Arcade topped off with a few pints in the pub. 

I tried my best to get my tan on, but the weather had other plans... so did my friends after nicking my clothes, so I was stuck on the beach in my jockey’s.

The rest of the summer has flown by with jammed packed weekends. Including watching the AB’s smash Wales at the Clapham Grand (the former Church which is renowned for massive Kiwi and Aussie parties) and subsequently Australia a couple of months later (much to the disgust of my new Australian flat mates). 

Living a life of luxury and class - or at least trying to...

I got right proper English and attended the Polo in the Park, which was a great time, drinking Pimms and in great company what more could one ask for? Admittedly I had no idea what was going on, but it was still a great day out none the less. 

After each session the public are invited to walk onto the pith and stamp down all the divots 

What really get’s me about London though is just how much there is to do and the variety, there is literally something for everyone. If I ever heard someone complain about there being nothing to do here I honestly think I would have to slap them silly. Although, to have a good time it does mean the wallet takes a bit of a hammering and even more so if you enjoy a couple of pints here and there. But not everything cost’s lot’s of money in fact there are plenty of really fun and cool free events, it’s just mind-blowing. To be fair, I am still relatively new to this city so getting out and about and exploring what is on offer is a top priority but I’ve been here 6 months now and havn’t managed to have a quiet weekend yet. 

So what has kept me busy then you ask? Well there has been boozy boat trips up the river Thames dressed as American tourists which felt like a home away from home as the boat seemed to be filled with Kiwi’s and Aussies; Saturday afternoon’s watching beach rugby - who knew this was a sport?; Visiting my best mate Georgie who’s living and working at one of the most renowned schools in the UK, Marlborough College;  Music festivals where I saw Mumford and Son’s at British Summer Time in Hyde Park and Kygo (who I have been wanting to see for ages!) at the Wireless Festival both of which happened to fall on the same weekend, so that particular weekend was a massive one. 

Classic tourist snap!

Beach Rugby in central London - because why not?

Getting the grand tour of Marlborough College where the Duchess of Cambridge went to school. The grounds are amazing!

Mumford and Son’s at BST in Hyde Park

Mumford and Son’s was probably one of the best outdoor show’s I have seen and the stage design was amazing - I guess the idea was to blend in with the park. 

Kygo at Wireless 

My girl T and I braved the crowds which seemed to be full of 16 year olds getting high, to rave to Kygo and supporting artist Jess Glynne in the front row!!

Discovering the past! 

But it hasn’t all been boozing and getting rowdy. I have managed to educate myself on some of the rich history this city has to offer. One weekend a friend and I took a tour of one of the London World War Two shelter tunnels, which housed thousand’s of Londoners during the London blitz. 

This particular set of tunnels  are located approximately 30-50m (180 steps) below the Clapham South Tube Station and stretch 2 miles over two levels. At its capacity up to 8,000 people each night would make the commute down into the depths of the tunnels with all their belongings not knowing if they would return to a house still standing the next morning. 

It was just mind boggling to imagine how crowded it would’ve been, I mean I thought the Central and Northern tube lines were busy during rush hour, but this would have been a whole new level. 

Although, the tour was slightly on the pricey side (as it is not normally open to the public) it was well worth it and I definitely learnt a lot.  Post World War Two, the tunnels have had multiple uses, which have included housing Jamaican workers migrating to London to earn a living, it was also a hotel during the “Festival of London” which was designed to bring tourist’s into the city after the war and then it’s final use was to store government records and other official documents. It now has one of the highest forms of heritage protection.

Bunks stacked three high with very little room between them and each cubical would house 6 people, mostly women and children. 

Row’s upon row’s of bunks - must have been one noisey place at full occupancy! 

Another year older and another year wiser....?

It was a pretty strange feeling having a birthday this year as it was the first time I was miles away from any family, made slightly worse because I missed my little sister’s 21st (sorry Leish) which was hosted the night before my birthday. 

But never-the-less I wasn’t going to let a bit of sadness ruin my day so I had arranged a boozy picnic at Primrose Hill with all my great London friends. Primrose Hill is an absolutely stunning park with views right over the central city at the top of the hill so it seemed like the perfect location to spend a great evening. The plan was to have a few drinks in the park until about 9.30pm (which was when the park was suppose to close given its a Royal Park) and then head to a pub or bar somewhere nearby. Although 2.30am strolled around pretty quickly and we were still still there cranking some great kiwi music and singing along as if we were back home, it was a fantastic night spent with even better company!

As you can tell the views of the central city draw a fair amount of people on a good night.

A New Flat and New Best Mates

In the last month I have also moved flats, nowhere different I’m still living in East London (unlike every other kiwi who migrates west) and just 200 metres down the road from where I was last living. I found it was just time for a change and I  I needed a bit more of a sociable household. So who better to move in with than two Aussies cousins (not that we’re actually cousins but Kiwi’s and Aussies are basically family aboard)!! And I can tell you now only a few weeks in, it’s been the best decision. I was so lucky to find the place and as soon as I met both Nikki and Adam I knew we would become great mates (except when the All Blacks thrash the Wallabies - then I am not so popular...).

Adam took me along to my first premiership game which was a great afternoon out and I have never seen such animated fans in my life. Football fan’s are definitely full of passion and enthusiasm!

The new flat also has a small back garden which is not only enjoyed by myself on a good day but the local urban fox thinks its not to bad either!

The final few snaps of summer 

Most people who know me, know that I love my Gin and Tonics so how could I pass up going to the UK Gin Festival with my bestie Rach Worsley? It’s fair to say I am even more of a Gin connoisseur now =) 

Every now and then I try go on a big long run to somewhere new. The most recent run was to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park which is huge and still very popular with visitors and locals.

The Happiest 5km on the Planet! 

And last but not least, this weekend just gone saw our social netball team took to the streets of East London to colour ourselves happy! It was such a great Sunday morning activity and I can confirm it was the happiest 5km I have run ever! Also happened to be one of the very few Sunday’s where I didn’t wake up feeling a bit sorry for myself! 

Perhaps to much happiness?

Well that about wraps up my summer and what I have been up to these past six months! As you can tell I am still absolutely loving my time over here and can honestly say it’s been the best move for me. Despite missing my family and friends every single day, I know this is where I need to be for the time being! I am just waiting to everyone else to realise that London is the place for them to and I will be sorted. 

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed reading this rather long and perhaps boring blog update and apologies for any terrible spelling and grammar. But I know my Grandmother’s enjoy reading this so if no one else does, at least I know they do! 

Keep an eye out for my next update in a months time as I take some leave from work and explore some more of Europe. 

Until then, take care! 

Peace out! 

Stew xx

[notjustsomeofit]

Destination two: Istanbul, Turkey

May-Day bank holiday weekend saw my first trip away since moving to London and where better to go for the 3 day weekend than to Istanbul, to experience a new culture and a warmer climate.

I’ll admit, when we first booked the trip and found out where we had booked an Air BnB (in the prime tourist district) I was slightly nervous. The NZ Government advised against traveling to Turkey but the British Government had only warned of some ‘risks’ in major tourist hot spots, I’d also read that there had been ‘attacks’ of sorts in the area, so I wasn’t totally sure what we would be up for. But now, looking back on it, I never once felt unsafe or  in danger.  In fact I would highly recommend visiting. Istanbul was so much more than I was expecting (to be fair I wasn’t expecting a lot as I knew next to nothing about the city) but it is truly a beautiful, bustling and vibrant city, full of history and interestingly enough is the only city in the world located on two different continents (Asia and Europe). 

Anyhow, I digress... I was tagging along/third wheeling with two friends from work, Ruth and Paris. We knocked off work slightly early (credit to the boss) and arrived late Friday night to a hot and humid Istanbul, where we were picked up by our Air BnB host (good sort). We were staying in the ancient part of Istanbul, within walking distance of the Blue Mosque (pictured above),  Hagia Sophia Mosque (below), Palais de Topkapi and the Grand Bazaar to name but of the few of the main tourist attractions.

Saturday, started slightly earlier than I had planned. One thing I hadn’t prepared myself for was the 5am prayer calling, for those unaware, the Muslim community prays about 4-5 times a day, one at dawn (about 5am), one around midday, another at say 2.30pm, 5pm and the final one at about 10pm, the pray calling involves ‘the call’ being projected over loud speakers at every temple and with 3000 of them in Istanbul alone it can get quite loud. At first the experience can be quite airy, more so when you aren’t expecting it, like me, but once I worked out what was going on, I was wide awake ready to explore the city. 

We managed to fit a lot in on Saturday, including the Blue Mosque, Palais de Topkapi and the Grand Bazaar, for a spot of shopping. Check out some of the photo’s below of our day. 

Above: Outside the Blue Mosque - beautiful grounds in the court yard between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. 

The taps and cleaning areas after one has finished praying.

When entering the mosques adhering to the cultural norms is crucial. Firstly, shoes are prohibited, men have to wear pants and the ladies basically have to be covered from head to toe including a head scarf. Above is the attire Ruth had to wear to enter the Blue Mosque. 

Females also can’t pray in the main area of the mosque, which is where I am posing for a photo, instead they have a separate area at the back of the mosque as seen in the photo below. 

Above: Hagia Sophia, a mosque built in 537. However, initially it was a church before being turned into a mosque in 1453.

Below: The entrance to the Palais de Topkapi, home to up to 4000 people including the Sultan, his concubine and family. 

Above and Below: Some of the beautiful buildings within the Palais.

Above: An amazing backdrop at the Palais overlooking the Asian side of Istanbul.

Below: the Sultan’s meeting room. The tiling and decorative features are amazing. 

Below: What would a trip to Turkey be without a photo of the Poppies. 

Above: A panorama of another couple of mosques.

Above and Below: the famous Grand Bazaar, one of the most famous markets in the world. It is all indoors and is alleyways upon alleyways full of small shops. You can literally buy anything here and the Turkish men are willing to sell you anything regardless of whether you want it or not. I could have brought home a lot of carpet if I wanted ;) 

Below: Paris was wanting to buy a backgammon board, and to negotiate the price down he challenged the shop owner to a couple of games. It was fair to say the shop keeper won, but Paris still got a good price for it. 

Above: the view from our Air BnB - you can’t tell but there were an endless  number of boats and ships just waiting out in the harbour to be called into port, some would even sit out there for 2 weeks before getting there chance to dock. 

Above and Below: To round off the day we found this small cocktail bar, owned by an Australian lady. We basically spent the whole night here drinking, smoking shisha (it’s huge in Turkey)  and playing around with the bar’s pet hamster. 

Above: Ruth didn’t quite have the technique initially but she got there in the end. 

Below: Clearly not a natural handling hamsters. 

SUNDAY - GALLIPOLI

On Sunday, I parted with Ruth and Paris as I had pre booked a day trip out to Gallipoli Peninsula. This trip was basically what sold me on travelling to Istanbul. It has been something I have always wanted to do for as long as I can remember, I remember watching the dawn services of Gallipoli as a young kid and wanting to attend in the flesh. Although, it wasn’t ANZAC Day it was only 4 days after the commemorations, so that was fine by me. 

The whole day was very significant and special, I urge any Kiwi or Aussie to go and pay your respects, you wont regret it. Having seen it all for myself, I feel you can’t fully appreciate the sacrifices and the challenges those service men faced unless you have seen it for yourself. 

What really shocked me however, was how little ground the ANZAC’s had made in the 9 months they were stationed on the Peninsula. To be fair the terrain was rough and they were under constant fire but I had always thought they would have advanced further than they did. 

Instead of talking you through all the history, which I am sure you have studied at some point of your life, I will leave you with some photos and small captions of my day exploring this peaceful land. 

Above: The start of our tour began with lunch in the main township of Eceabat on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

Below: A memorial in the township showing the fighting conditions - the Turkish and ANZAC trenches were in many cases only 8 metres apart. 

Below: A Statue which shows a Turkish solider carrying a ANZAC solider to safety. They say there were a lot of these stories against the fighting, which is a small way is quite humbling to know that there was this common compassion and respect for each other.

Above and Below: The Australian Memorial - Lone Pine. 

Above: In one of the ANZAC Trenches that still remain today at Johnson’s Jolly, where the Turks and ANZAC’s were only 8 metres apart. (I hope they were deeper at they time, otherwise I would have had no hope, being almost double the height).

Below: Outside the Turkish Memorial

Above: The cliffs and the path of the New Zealanders on their way up to Chunuk Bair, the highest point at which the ANZAC’s got where they could see their target on the other side of these cliffs... the Dardanelles which would lead the Allies into Istanbul, unfortunately we didn’t hold this position for very long (4 days from memory). 

Below: Selfies in front of the Kiwi Memorial at Chunuk Bair.

Above: A view from the bottom of the NZ memorial. 

Below: I had to get a photo at the Chunuk Bair Ridge with the NZ flag (yes I have embraced the NZ Flag decision despite my earlier views ha) ;)

Above and Below: Photo’s at ANZAC Cove - the memorial site and the actual cove are actually separate locations about 200-300 metres apart.

The day was amazing and topped off with a very beautiful afternoon over looking the ANZAC cove memorial site. It was so peaceful and sent goose bumps up my back. 

Below: On the trip back to Istanbul we drove this... OSH would have a nightmare. Note to all you budding engineers out there this is not how to build a motorway! 

Monday - Last Day In Istanbul 

After a late one returning home from Gallipoli it was a slow one getting out of bed on the Monday to be fair. But once we did get moving and packed up we went and checked out the spice markets lined with just about every spice imaginable. Again, even though we weren’t intending to buy anything the Turkish men were doing their very best to get a sale out of us. 

Above and Below: To the stall holders credit the presentation of their produce was top notch. 

We then slowly wondered around the city towards the Asian side of the city where we would eventually meet out bus to the airport. We stumbled across some amazing sights, including this massive tower (see below) which was once used to surveillance the harbours that surround the city from invaders. 

One thing about Istanbul that surprised me is the amount of stray dogs roaming around the place. We found this cute wee guy - or rather he found us, at the tower all he really just wanted to play and a scratch. We were quite cautious however, as you never know what they may have or just how friendly they actually are. 

Finally, to wrap up what was an amazing weekend we found a rooftop restaurant/bar on the 7th floor of a beautiful boutique hotel overlooking the city. It was the perfect way to end the weekend with amazing food and a well earned beer (or three). 

[notjustsomeofit]

My new Home in London - Part 1

I have finally managed to find the time to sit down and put pen to paper, or rather fingers to keyboard, with a cup of tea (how British am I) and update you all on my first month in London!

It has been a full on couple of weeks to say the least, but I have enjoyed every moment of it to date. The flight over was a long haul and although doing it all in one hit was a bit taxing I’d do it all over again, nothing a sleeping pill can’t fix. Although, I must admit, premium economy might have to be the go-to for future long haul flights as cattle class just does not go well when you have long limbs like me. But the flights were good none-the-less and Air NZ is a top notch airline really. 

My saving grace for the first few days in London! 

Once I arrived, I sussed my sim card and oyster (transport card) and I was off into the great metropolis that is London. Luckily, I only had to navigate one train and make it to a certain station where I was met by Rachael to show me the ropes of how to cope in this busy city and whom was kind enough to let me crash on her sofa-bed in her cute small two bedroom place in Kilburn, North West London for a few days whilst I found my feet. Sean was also on hand to lend me his bed during the weekend whilst they jetted off to Germany! So it was nice to have familiar faces in the first few days to help me out.

First Dinner in London with these cool kids =) 

The Famous Gherkin building is just down the road from work! 

Before, I even got the chance to explore my new home for the next few years, I was straight into work. Day two and straight into work, jet lag and all. Surprisingly, I coped okay and managed to stay awake at my desk and get stuck into a few projects. The office is based right in town, literally above the Liverpool Street Station Tube line so fairly accessible and right in the heart of the business district. It’s a very funky office building with lots of other different start ups working in the building too which is cool, makes for an exciting work environment and get this... there’s free beer on tap in the kitchen/lunch area which makes for some productive times. The team here is great, we have a lot of laughs and wind each other up so I look forward to turning up to work each day. 

The first weekend here was spent exploring the central city. I literally had no plans and took a random tube into town and walked my socks off, probably ended up clocking up 15-20km. But it was great to just wonder. I found myself randomly at the NZ and Aussie war memorials (where I guess I will go for ANZAC day) which is a series of crosses forming a southern cross and the middle of a big roundabout. Not to far from this is Buckingham Palace, so of course I thought I better pop in and see Liz, the Palace is huge and littered with tourists and you have no doubt seen my photo of the alternative flag outside the Palace (which now is not our NZ flag... bummer! But it shall be a symbol of my overseas travels, so it won’t go to waste). That weekend I also crossed off the Horse Guards Parade... where I nearly got blowed over by the guard when I got in his way on the change, walked over the Golden Jubilee bridge and down past the London Eye and on through to Westminster where I stumbled into a protest. 

The next day I spent the day wondering the streets of Notting Hill (not far from Rachael’s place) where I found the bookshop from Nothing Hill the Blue door where William Thacker (Hugh Grant) supposedly lived, which was cool to see as I am a big fan, unfortunately the Portobello Markets weren’t there in the full force they often are so I will most definitely have to go back to visit them. That night then saw me move to my relative, Kate’s place in Streatham Hill, where I have been staying whilst I find a place to live (which is a slow and painful process, especially when you consider the cost of living over here... scary stuff!!!). Kate has been very accommodating, which I am very grateful for and I have been very well looked after.

NZ War Memorial 

St Paul’s Cathedral in all its glory - such a massive building!

Photo Bombed at Buckingham Palace

Just moments after I was almost blowed over during the changing of the guards, they do not stop for anyone!

A floating busker in Trafalgar Square 

London Eye!

Westminster and the Houses of Parliament 

Popped into the Natural History Museum - So many great museums and they are all free to go to which is a bonus! 

Don’t worry Spike didn’t answer in his underwear when I knocked ;)

Few snaps of my afternoon in Nothing Hill

Dinner with Kate and John (both my UK relatives) down the road to round off my first week in London!

                                                  SCOTLAND

Week two in London, saw me gathering samples from farm shops on our way up to Scotland where we would spend the weekend on a work bonding trip. We stayed at my bosses place in a remote part of North West Scotland in a tiny place called Roshven. It was a great weekend away, eating and drinking like kings and queens, we were extremely well looked after. The house was beautiful and tucked away down by the water’s edge surrounded by bush. In a way the area reminded me of areas of NZ but then again it was quite different too, with all the lochs and rolling bear highlands it was really quite stunning, even if we did have classic cold, wet Scottish weather. We explored various castles littered around the area and even managed to take a dip in the North Atlantic Sea, which seemed like a good idea at the time until we jumped in... at least we had a hot tub on hand to warm our frozen bodies. We slowly made our way back after a great weekend and got time to explore a little bit of central Glasgow on a beautiful springs day, it was at least 15 degrees and it was just stunning wondering through the park, by far the best day weather wise I have had here. 

One of the many old castle ruins we came across whilst in Scotland

The house we stayed in whilst in Scotland. 

(Below) the view from the deck and the water edge which is a lot closer than what the photo suggests.

A beautiful and remote white sandy beach

The cute we pub went had lunch at a couple of times! Not too many punters at this remote pub.

Another day another old castle ruins, this is the Castle of Tioram 

Stunning scenery even if it was pouring with rain

Another view of the Castle of Tioram - we scaled the entire perimeter to see if we could find a way in.

(Above) Stew the Conquerer taking over the castle ruins of the Old Inverlochy Castle, this one we could go into. 

(Below) the next two photos are more of the old castle.

(Above and Below) more  stunning scenery on the drive from Roshven to Glasgow

We managed to make it back to Glasgow, where we were flying back home from, to a gorgeous spring day.

[notjustsomeofit]

My new Home in London - Part 2

Aside from a busy first month here it has been totally worthwhile. I have met some many cool new people (I’ll admit most are Kiwi’s - but that’s not the point, the point is I am making new friends just fine) and each weekend I try get out and about and do fun activities and explore London as there are endless things to do here. 

Some of the highlights include:

Going to Mamma Mia at the Novello Theatre, which was just amazing, I can already tell I am going to be a regular at the theatre, with the next show maybe Lion King already in the planning pipeline. 

I went to Mamma Mia with Paris and Ruth from work, was foot tapping stuff.

We had balcony seats and boy were we high up, equivalent to the 4th story of a building!

The after work drinks has also been a big highlight, working right in central London means that we get to explore some of the many cool bars and pubs around.

This is Ruth, Josh and I after work on St Paddy’s for our pint of Guinness (or three)  

It has also been so long since I have seen my bestie Georgie who has been playing Hockey over here for Reading! So was great to finally have a good catch up with here in person rather than Skype! 

Dinner with my Fav in Shepherds Bush

After work walks have been a common occurrence and one night I just stumbled across the David Bowie mural in Brixton where I catch the tube to work. It has also just been announced that the London City Council will name this street after him so that is quite neat. Brixton is a very cool area of town too, as it is area going under a bit of gentrification and it is quite trendy. Funnily enough they too have a Pop Up Container mall like Christchurch, which has heaps of cool little bars and eateries - including the New Zealand Wine Cellar that only sells NZ wines, so that has naturally been added to my to do list.

A good few weeks on and there were still hundreds of flowers there. 

I also spent my third weekend exploring some of the more touristy attractions with Lauren, Rebecca and Liam, university mates from back home who are doing study aboard here, so that was cool to catch up with them! We hit up the London Eye, Brick Lane, which is a massive market and has some wicked food stalls, the British Museum (honestly probably the largest building I have been in) and finished off with a pint in town for good measure. 

Big Ben and Westminster Abbey featuring the Iconic Red Double Decker

Some of the amazing views of London (Looking West)

It’s actually a ginormous structure 

The British Mesuem 

(Above and Below) Brick Lane - which doesn’t look like much but inside it was packed with food stalls from every country you could think of. 

I have also got into a bad habit of buying my lunch when I’m at work, but we are literally working right next to the Old Spitafields Markets, which have so many amazing food trucks - I think I’ve almost eaten from each of them at least once. But it is a great excuse to go for a wonder during lunch and get some COLD fresh air. Speaking of weather, it hasn’t even been as bad as I thought it would be, yes I’ll admit, I haven’t been here for the heart of winter but I have had a few cold days but it’s not too dissimilar to home on a brisk winters day. The worst of the weather has been just recently with storm Katie battering the country and pouring with rain.

One of the best day’s I have had weather wise!

Finally, Easter Weekend has also been a huge highlight. I met up with some friends, whom I hadn’t yet met, for a walk through Epping Forest in the North East part of London, which was great as it was such a great day and I meet new people! Whom I later spent most of the weekend with drinking and just having a good time. There were some big nights (Easter Friday and Sunday) where the head was a bit sore the next morning, but it was worth it and so much fun, we hit up some of the Kiwi/Aussie/South African friendly bars in the boroughs, which also seem so have the cheapest drinks in London, so that was even more ideal. Then we finished up the weekend watching the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race on the Thames, which was great to see in person. Although, I did feel sorry for the Cambridge Women whose boat pretty much sunk on them, but credit to them they continued to row (I am not sure how though) and managed to finish - guess that what happens when you have pride on the line. 

Beautiful blue skies for our walk through Epping Forest

Southbank where I met up with a friend for some brews 

The Men’s Race was a lot closer, but Cambridge managed to pull through and end Oxford’s three year winning streak. 

Other than that, the past month has flown by. I’m starting to really get a grasp on work and been to a couple of client meetings which has been a great learning experience, so all is pretty well work wise. I still haven’t found a place to live just yet but all good things take time and I don’t just want to settle for a dunger of a place/room, especially when you are paying £600+ a month on rent and bills. So in the meantime I will continue bunking with the rallies. 

I hope everyone back home is happy and healthy. Good luck going into winter! I on the other hand will look forward to another summer planning trips to Europe! Please do get in touch, I love hearing all the news from back home and I am always up for a Skype! 

In the meantime, take care, love to you all. This is me signing off after my first month in London! 

[notjustsomeofit]

The Countdown

As I sit overlooking the beautiful view from my parents house in Akaroa, I reflect on the summer that has been, because let’s be honest, I’m not going to have the pleasure of this kind of weather once I move to the UK. 

It’s been a full on summer since my last blog post (hence the lack of updates) but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. From graduation, fishing and diving, working, drinking, lads trips to the Cricket, more cricket, catch ups and BYO’s, it’ been a blast. 

It’s been a long 5 years getting to this point but I finally made it, with an LLB/BCom in hand!

Got some good days of fishing and diving in. This was a particularly good day.

First time sailing with the Akaroa crew.

Great photo skills from me, can’t even take a selfie with myself in the photo. Great lads weekend away with these legends watching the Black Caps over Waitangi weekend. 

Blacks Caps v Australia, 2nd ODI at Westpac Stadium in Wellington 

Blacks Caps v Australia, 3rd ODI at Seddon Park in the Tron. Cracker Game and great to win the Chappell Hadlee Trophy too!

Blacks Caps v Australia, 2nd Test at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, my pick of the cricket venues and was amazing to see Bazza in his last international match!

Even managed to sneak in a quick trip up to Tauranga and Te Puke to say goodbye to the Grandmothers and Anuts, Uncles and Cuzzies that could make it. Here is my Mother’s side of the family =)  

My final BYO in CHCH for a wee while. Great to catch up with so my uni mates! Love these guys! 

Family dinner with Dads side of the family in Papamoa 

Cheeky selfie with Dad and Leish on my last full day in NZ =( 

The rest of the family and Mum’s Anut and Uncle at Dux Central for my last full day in NZ =( 

But now my life for the next few years has been squeezed into a suitcase and pack (admittedly my pack is almost completely full of shoes, the hassles of having big feet? Or do have a problem having so many shoes?) either way I am all set for my big move. Better still I have a job to go to, which is almost unheard of for any expat making the move, so to be heading over with the security of a job I feel extremely lucky, and it’s a job that I love, having already had a weeks induction last week. The company is called Oritain and is a young kiwi business, that tests the origin of food and has now opened up an office in London. I’ll be helping out with all aspects of the business initially, bit of sales, operations, legal work, business development and strategy so I will be in my element! 

Okay, truth be told, I got slack/busy and had to finish in the air on route to LA. But then realised I couldn’t upload this till I found Wifi in London! So the last part of this blog update is coming to you from London, where I am currently struggling to stay awake on Rach’s couch whilst trying to eat a delish steak sandwich from across the road, jet lag aye ... got to love it! 

But yes I have made it safe and sound and all in one piece! It was a long trip over with just over 27 hours in the air but nothing a sleeping pill and a few movies couldn’t fix! Even got moved to a more spacious seat on the LA to London leg which was a bonus. But as payment for the seat swap had to help this dear old duck who I was sitting next to select movies to watch.... bless her.

In typical London fashion it was raining when I arrived but not as cold as I was anticipating, apparently it’s been quite a mild winter but its going to pack it in next week.... arrgh. 

Anyway, I am off to sleep off this jet lag, straight into work tomorrow so can’t be falling asleep at the desk within the first hour. Might try hold out to the third, either way I will battle tomorrow at work. 

Love to everyone back home, especially these character’s, whom made it very hard for me to leave on Monday night! Love you guys xxx. 

[notjustsomeofit]

Melbourne

It has been a full on past couple of weeks, which is probably why my blog has been left abandoned without an update for a while. So here is blog post number three to keep you up to date with the going ons in my life. 

During the week of the 9th till the 15th I was lucky enough to sneak away to Melbourne for my final University related mission. I was tagging along with the University of Canterbury Motorsport Team who have spent the year building a race car from scratch to compete against some of Australasia's best universities. 

The Formula SAE competition is a global engineering competition that see’s students build a race car specifically designed for the non-professional, amateur and weekend motorsport enthusiast. The 3 day competition then put’s these cars to the test to determine the supreme winner over several different categories, from static events such as scrutinising, costing, design and business presentations, through to more dynamic events such as skid pad, acceleration, autocross and endurance. 

My role in the team was to present a business case to a panel of hypothetical investors and pitch to them why our car was best suited to this target market and what our strategy would be in terms of how we would take this product to market. It was a great experience and although I am not a motorsport enthusiast per se, I really enjoyed my time with the team and learning something new. The car they built was one of the stand outs, both in terms of performance and aesthetics and the paint scheme was a tribute to the late John Britten who was once a UC graduate but more widely known for this innovative motorcycles. 

In the end the team did really well, placing third overall. Taking out several placing in various categories, including, third in endurance, second in autocross, second in the business presentation (which I did) and first in the skid pad. So a pretty successful competition for UC, especially considering it was only the third year the team has entered and last years car didn’t even run, so big improvements and next year the team will be determined to take out the whole thing no doubt. 

The trophy photo.

UCM head of manufacturing Harry Gibson and myself with our 2nd place trophy in the business presentation.

Playing up in Melbourne City at this awesome pop up bar called the Royal Croquet Club, on the banks on the Yarra River.

Getting the Royal tour of Melbourne with Rachel (the loosest Aussie chick) and Jasper. Such great company!

I also got a few days after the competition to explore Melbourne city (as the competition was about 45 minutes out of the city centre) with my best bud Belle and as an extra bonus got to hang out and stay with Rachel too. Although only brief it was still great to get to spend time with them and explore such an amazing city. It was my first time in Melbourne and definitely wont be my last. Instead of writing about all the cool things we did here are a selection of the photos of our time being tourists (and alcoholics haha).  

After a fair few fizzy drinks we found ourselves getting very merry in some random snow globe we found on our way up to a rooftop bar. 

Sunday’s Brunch. Avocado, Mushroom and Trout Salad. Not what I’d normally have for brunch but was so good and definitely lived up to Melbourne’s amazing food reputation.

Monday’s brunch was just as good. Eggs Benny with a beetroot hollandaise sauce.

We had a beer at this really funky bar under a footbridge on the Yarra River. 

Classic tourist snap.

Got a tour of the MCG and got our photos in the player lounge. Such an amazing stadium. 

Monday’s Dinner was in China town where too many dumplings were consumed.

Belle ended up leading me down some back alley way that had amazing street art to this funky mental hospital themed bar.

The drinks were even served with syringes! 

The trip finished up with us both talking smack and drinking too many jugs whilst 60′s movies were playing at the Uni bar ‘Slums’ a great way to round off a great week away. 

[notjustsomeofit]

Passport Fails, One Step Closer to Graduating and Family Time!

These two cool cats also came for a visit =) 

Just another day in paradise 

Toasting to the completion of my University days with Mumma Bear - Photo credit goes to Pappa Bear 

My rather short Grandma and me.

A Whitehead, Coughlan and Rowe Family Feast 

A cake celebrating all family achievements/milestones in the past year

[notjustsomeofit]

Trying Something New

As my university days are all but done and dusted (well... fingers crossed I passed my last lot of exams!) I have found myself pondering what next? 

Having once considered writing a blog and then Mum recommending I write one about my journey post university just the other day, I thought yeah why not? So here it is my first attempt at a blog. 

However, as an early disclaimer, my grammar and spelling isn’t the best. I will endeavour to make sure it’s top quality but no guarantees. 

Popping the bubbly to a long and full on five years! With my partner in crime.

So, where to start? Well, given this blog is about my life after uni, I guess finishing up 5 years at UC is as good as any place to start. For me uni finished last Tuesday afternoon (yes I had to miss Cup Day) with my final exam being that of commercial law (law student’s maybe avoid this one... it’s not the best of times). Anyway, the champagne was close at hand and the post exam celebrations went downhill rapidly. The next few days proceeded with various BYO’s, my last hit out at the Craic (the karaoke bar - for all those unsure) and a couple of days at the Races! Not a bad way to sign off on a year that has been full of ups and downs and unexpected challenges.

Saturday Gallops with the lads. 

Last time I will see the crane ridden university horizon on a daily basis. 

Loaded to the gunnels with god knows what I accumulated over 5 years.

Now it’s Akaroa bound for the summer - one of my favourite places in NZ!!

How could you not love this view??

So, where to now? Well I have left Christchurch indefinitely and the plan is to spend summer at my parents place in Akaroa working, hanging out with the family as well as getting in as much fishing and diving as possible.  

I have a short trip over to Melbourne planned for mid December with the University of Canterbury motorsport team and will also catch up with one of my best friends Belle, before Graduating several days later back in Christchurch...finally after a long five year!! Then to top off what will no doubt be an amazing summer I have a lads trip over Waitangi weekend watching the Black Caps take on Aussie in Wellington and Hamilton. 

Then, it’s time for the rubber to hit the road and move to London to find work! Why London you may ask? Well, after what I’m dubbing my ‘quarter life crisis’ in which I decided that being a lawyer was not what I was cut out to do, coupled with my failed attempt at student president, I was left at a bit of a loose end. It wasn’t until I was talking to a great mentor of mine, that my stars aligned (a small aside - if you don’t have a mentor(s) I definitely recommend finding one/some, they are so good for advice and also great for getting an external perspective) anyway, she advised me that while I’m young I’d be a fool not to go work overseas. So that’s what I am doing. Now I just need to suss the visa and book the flights and I will be London bound sometime early next year. It’s probably one of the scariest but also most exciting decisions I have made and I can’t wait for what lies ahead!!

So if you are interested in my life after uni, even just the slightest bit interested, then I hope to use this blog as a great way to inform you all. Even if you do only read it on the toilet or once you have finished looking at every other app on your phone before you drag yourself out of bed in the morning that is fine by me.

In the meantime if you’re ever in Akaroa be sure to come visit, there’s always cold beers in the fridge and a breathtaking view to soak in over some yarns. 

Until next time, that’s all from me.

S C H Whitehead - “No Nukes” 

Haha.... just kidding on the sign off, this blog will definitely not follow that of a certain G Dickson (apologises for those non UC students who don’t understand this reference).