Wanderlust & Husking

Well hello there. New here? Me too. Say Hi any time! wanderlustandhusking{at}gmail{dot}com or find me on twitter

[wanderlustandhusking]

travel tip: using google maps abroad

My sister taught me how to use Google and Apple maps abroad and for someone who could get lost inside their own house (that's me) it’s probably the most helpful travel tip I’ve ever been given. Big call, I know.

So, when you have access to wifi, either before you leave home or at your hostel/hotel/Starbucks, open google maps and search for the city you're visiting.

Now, spend 5 minutes scrolling around the city. Don't look up anything via the search bar, just scroll around the city zooming in and out while you do. If you know landmarks you want to visit or where your hotel or the airport is, make sure you zoom in on them too. Try and download as much of the map as you think you will need.

Don't close the app, you can hide it in the background but don't close it completely. As long as it doesn't have to re-open, the maps will stay downloaded and accessible without wifi. 

The next step is to switch off your cellular data so you don't inadvertently use it. Go into your settings and select General -> Cellular -> Cellular data -> Off. This restricts all data to wifi so you wont be charged roaming costs.

Then the best bit, Google/Apple maps will continue to track your location (i.e. little blue dot) even without internet access. Thank you technology!

The result; access to your maps and location, without needing wifi or paying roaming costs!

xx E

[wanderlustandhusking]

English cash machines are weird..

[wanderlustandhusking]

kooza cirque du soleil

I just got home after seeing Cirque du Soleil's Kooza at the Royal Albert Hall. Wowza. I have now decided that my dream job is to be an acrobat - or I at least need to sign up for a pilates class or two.

We got restricted view tickets which were only £25 and if you're ever wanting for a date night in London, do it. A hot tip - Royal Albert Hall offers standing room tickets at the back of the hall, if you're after last minute tickets you can buy them at the box office on the day of the show. 

It's my bed time, I'm off to dream about joining the circus.

xx E

[wanderlustandhusking]

how to make friends in a new city

I'm going to put it out there: making friends as a grown up can be tough. Making a whole new group of friends, in a whole new city, in a whole new country? That's allowed to be daunting. 

Having left the playground behind, the odds are against you.  It’s a fact that your social circle tends to get smaller as you get older. On average, we lose half of our close network of friends every seven years, so about those odds? They are stacking like Jenga baby.

Even if you’re making the big overseas move with a B.F (boyfriend or best friend, same deal) you’re still essentially trying to do something that usually takes years in a matter of months (or weeks, if we're letting our honest, desperate self shine through). But goodness knows, you’re not the only one in this sitch. So, when you’re in a new city, you gots-to grab the bull by the horns and go out there and make friends.  ‘Make’ being the operative word; once you’ve outgrown the kindergarten sand pit, friendship doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because you make it happen.

As someone who has both been there and done that (multiple times) and for what it's worth, here’s what I have learnt:

Always say Yes It might be the end of an excruciatingly long day at work and you just want to go home and curl up in bed and watch Breaking Bad on Netflix, but if the chatty girl from finance invites you out will all her financey friends – say yes god dammit! It might not be your thing, but I’m ordering you to get pretty, get a glass of wine and mingle, because you never know who you will meet. And, to be perfectly frank – if you keep knocking back the invites they will eventually stop inviting you. One of my closest London girlfriends constantly laments how small her social circle is, yet when I invite her out with other friends she always has a reason why she would rather stay home.  I get it, it might not be your thing or your crowd or you might be the awkward one in the corner who doesn’t know anyone, but I’m not saying you have to stock up on bottled water and establish a socialist commune with these people, just have a drink. If it sucks, go home and polish off a bottle of wine on your own. Lord knows, I’ve been there too!

Temp work  If you work in a job where there is limited friend making potential, say being a nanny or working from home a lot, why not pick up a couple of temp roles first? Playing receptionist at an ad agency might not be your dream job but doing it for a week or two not only brings in some cash while you job hunt but it also forces you to meet a whole load of new people and potential friends.

Houseshare  You make friends through proximity so when you house hunt, look at the people, as well as the kitchen. Your housemates will be the ones who keep you company while you cook dinner and watch crappy tv. They will be there when you have an awful day at work and want to come home and drink copious amounts of wine while not leaving the couch. Embrace them! Even if you’re not the share house type, reconsider. In Australia the thought of living with more than one or two people would turn me off, in London it’s an instant family.  Honestly, even if you're a couple or two girlfriends moving over together I would recommend finding a houseshare, at least at first. It also give you time to suss out a new neighbourhood – you can always move into a studio apartment later!

Get a hobby  Everyone says it, it sounds naff but it’s true – get a hobby or join a sports team. My friends who have the biggest social circles, have them because they are on a netball team or play soccer in the park on Wednesday nights. Join a drama class, book club or take a spin class. Whatever floats your boat.

Travel No, you wont meet locals this way - but you will meet people who have the same semi-nomadic lifestyle as you.  Besides, you will need travel buddies for those long weekend holiday weekends you have planned. Embrace your fellow traveler.  I did a Travel Talk tour before I arrived in London and discovered that most of the people on it were in fact Aussies living in London. It was fabulous to come to London with a handful of new friends. 

Friend date Thanks to the magic of facebook it’s super easy to get introduced to friends of friends in your new town. When I lived in L.A my gorgeous friend Krissy introduced me to several of her L.A friends via facebook. I messaged them asking for advice while I was planning the move, then when I arrived we set up drinks and a few really great friendships were born (one of whom I just caught up with while she was visiting London!)  Let your friends know you’re willing to be set up on friend dates. A lot of people will just assume you already have friends in your new city so if someone mentions that their brothers ex-girlfriends best friend is your new neighbour and offers to put you in touch. Jump on it. If they don’t offer to put you in touch, say something like ‘oh she was a coffee addict like me wasn’t she? Do you have her number, I might send her a message & see if she has any good recommendations in London/Sydney/L.A”. Done!

Share your plans  So you wanna go check out the Barbican Rain Room? Tell all and sundry. The guy at the coffee shop, your housemates sister, anyone who will listen. "Did you see the thing in TNT Magazine about the Barbican Rain Room? So cool, I think I might go this weekend. Oh, you want to go to? You should come with!” Sale made. Pack it up baby.

Be Persistent  People are busy with their own lives. You know what its like at home, you get caught up in work and life and general day-to-day stuff and all of a sudden it’s been weeks since you caught up. Remind people.

Be Shameless  Kinda ties in with the point above. Do things you might not normally do at home. Add them as a facebook friend, Invite someone you just met out on a friend date. Do it. You have nothing to lose.

The best advice I can give is to just to out there and give it a shot – it will make you happier, healthier and go a long way to make your new city feel like home (and shout out if anyone wants to go to the Rain Room with me ;) )

xx E

[wanderlustandhusking]

bogan bingo

I’m crossing items off my ‘Aussie things to do in London’ list and this one was a goodie.  B-I-N-G-O, Bogan Bingo was his name-o!

It’s pretty much what it sounds like; a bogan themed game of bingo hosted by two hilarious Aussie guys. Bingo pens, mullets, air guitar competitions and lots of wine – what more do you need?

Bingo cards at the beginning

Air guitar competition

Bingo cards at the end - I had equally as many dots on my face

I’m so keen to go again now! I'm trying to convince the guys at work to come with me - I think they are a little worried how excited I'm getting over bingo. 

I'm so going to love retirement! ;)

xx E

[wanderlustandhusking]

uk tax: p45 and p46

When I first started working this confused the hell out of me, I'm going to take a leap of faith and guess that it confuses other recent arrivals too. So I'm going to try and explain how it works (I think).

I'll start with your p46, since this is what you will need first.

p46

What?! Yeah I hear you sister/brother. Well in a nut shell, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) requires you to let them know when you start working in the UK for the first time. To do this they ask that you fill out a form called the p46. This allows them to work out what tax code you need and to get you all set up in their system (there are other reasons people fill out this form which I won't even try to go into, since I am so not an accountant). When you start your first job, your company/recruiter will probably send you the forms to fill out, if not you can get them here. They are super basic, just requiring your name, address and NI number. You send that puppy off to your employer and you're good to go.

p45

So, when you leave a job or like in my case, swap between being a temp (paid by the recruitment agency) to a permanent employee (paid by the company), you again need to let the government know. When you quit your job, they will give you p.45 which you need to take to your new job. If they don't mention it, ask for it as early as possible. You  then pass this along to your new job so they can set you up with the right tax code. If you don't have it you can still be set up in the system and begin work, you will just be slugged with an emergency tax code which may be much higher than you should be paying. 

When you get your first pay check, I would strongly suggest checking the tax code on it and making sure it's what you think it should be.

I am by no means an expert. My only knowledge comes from being slugged with an emergency tax rate when my recruiter didn't provide my p45 and trying to work out why.

If you have any questions I'd suggest speaking to your recruiter/HR department/friendly neighbourhood accountant. Have I mentioned I'm so not an expert and this is just my experience? Good.

On that note, this nerd-burger is off to bed.

 xx E

[wanderlustandhusking]

[wanderlustandhusking]

happy new year

twenty twelve

Well that was fun! 2012 was the year I moved my life to London and almost 4 months in it's shaping up to be one of the best decisions I've made in my life. It's allowed me to meet some pretty darn fabulous people and get my travel on. 

I started a new job in a whole new field which challenges and delights me every day, in no small part to the wonderful team I work with.

It was the year I started (and subsequently paused) my Masters degree. I made amazing new friends and it's one of the big reasons I'm excited to go home, whenever that is.

And last but not least, it was also the year I started my blog. I love having a little corner of the internet where I can ramble away and keep a record of my london life and travels. 

twenty thirteen 

It's lovely to meet you 2013, I'm sure we are going to be fabulous friends. I hope you will continue to include travel to increasingly far flung corners of the world. Nowhere is off limits!

Through all these planned travels I resolve to keep in touch with home regularly.  I'm always in such a fabulous mood after speaking to friends and family and it reminds me how wonderful they all are and how lucky I am to have them in my life. I need to tell them that too.

2013 will be the year of bold moves, of asking for what I want from life. Of doing little things each day that are a little bit terrifying and a little bit delightful. Approach that cute boy at the bar, pay for a strangers morning coffee, book a solo weekend away and pursue copywriting opportunities. Throw caution to the wind and let's see what the wind does with it...

Okay 2103, let's do this!

xx E

[wanderlustandhusking]

ice skating

It's the last day of 2012!

While family and friends at home rang in the new year at the beach/by the pool, I spent the day with an old friend from Melbourne who is in town for a couple of weeks. She was keen to go ice-skating and I love myself a pop up ice rink so we headed out to the ice rink at the Natural History Museum. It was a little drizzly but I've learnt in London that if it's raining you just have to push through (I think there is a life lesson in there too). It was a really lovely way to finish off a remarkable year.

Now to find a dress for this evenings shenanigans. Wish me luck.

Hope you're all leaving 2012 with a bang!

xx E

[wanderlustandhusking]

global career link

I was recommended, and attended, a few different information sessions run by companies that help Aussies move to the UK. My favourite and the only one I could really recommend to anyone is Global Career Link.

What is it  Global Career Link are not a recruiter, what they do is help connect Australians and New Zealanders (among others) with employers in the UK. They help facilitate your transition by providing information and access to resources, both before your departure and after your arrival.

I heard about Global Career Link through my sister who worked with them during her transition to London in 2011. When I began to toy with the idea of moving to London she suggested that I go along to their information session to learn a little about their services, the UK job market, and have a free glass of wine (the glass of wine totally sold me).

They have their info sessions listed on their website and you just follow the links to register. They seem to have fewer seminars these days so it might be worth checking out early. 

I went along to a session held at a hotel in Melbourne CBD. There were about 30-40 people there, almost exclusively corporate types in their mid to late 20’s. Judging by the questions asked at the end, they were predominately from banking, HR or IT backgrounds. I grabbed a glass of wine and settled in for a slick but relaxed presentation from a member of the GCL team. They run through what GCL is and where they came from, the UK job market; who is hiring and who isn’t and what each industry is looking like. They explain how most of the roles they fill are with banks, RBS being the biggest employer of GCL candidates, and then a little about recruiters in the UK. They made a point that they are not a legal service and are not there to assist with Visa information, they assist with the transition process.

I got the sense that while marketing communication jobs weren’t their bread and butter (especially not in leisure/retail/entertainment which is my background, I think banking and HR are their two biggies) they still seemed like they could be really helpful. I liked that they seemed quite transparent about the UK job market, that it definitely isn’t what it used to be and for certain industries it still has a long way to come. It was a little unsettling to hear (I like to worry) but at the same time reassuring that it’s not necessarily as bad as some stories you hear. If you’re smart and realistic (can’t emphasize enough) about your transition, there shouldn’t be any reason why you can’t get a great job in London.

The last step is they ask when you want to move to London so they can follow up (1 month, 6 months, a year etc), then I was on my way! The whole thing was less than an hour and I definitely came out feeling better equipped - though slightly confused as to how they made their money, I still have no idea tbh. You don’t fork over money for any of their primary services.

A few weeks later I received an email from a lovely Kiwi, Amy, who is their Jobseeker Advisor, who wanted to see if I was still interested in moving. When I said I was, she asked for my resume and organised a time for a ‘phone interview’. Seriously, there is no need to worry about this phone call, I thought it would be like a recruiter interview and got all unnecessarily nervous. It’s just an informal chat, firstly about your basic experience and what sort of jobs you would like to find in London. She then suggested a couple of recruitment agencies that, based on my experience and industry, she thought would be suitable for me. I was delighted that one was Handle Recruitment, whose job board I had favourite’d years ago after seeing a Sony job advertised. The final step was a quick run through of my resume and any changes I needed to make (she just suggested adding my visa details)

Once I had confirmed my arrival date (I was still finalising my pre London travel plans) she went ahead and booked in interviews with each recruitment agency. They then send though an email with the times, locations and nearest tube stops for each interview. A-mazing I tell you. It means that you really hit the ground running when you arrive.

They also ask if you want to meet with their partner umbrella company, Global Generator. There is no pressure to use their services and as Global Career Link works out of the same offices as Global Generator, it also meant I could meet Amy and have a chat about how the interviews went and she answered a couple of questions that I had. She was so lovely!

Although your main contact with them ends here, they will continue to stay in touch; just to ask how your job hunt is going and help you with any questions you might have (they even gave a friend I referred, a SIM card when hers wasn’t working).

Even if you’re keen to fly solo and would prefer to set up interviews on your own, they are really worth getting in touch with. I found my job through Stopgap, a recruiter they organised for me to meet with. Would I have found them on my own, probably. Was it a whole lot easier with GCL’s help? Yup.

That’s my experience!

xx E

p.s you may also like 50 first flatmates or applying for a national insurance number

[wanderlustandhusking]

So this is how I spent the last hour of my life. It's high-larious. A friend showed it to me when I first arrived and the more time I spend in London, the funnier it becomes.

[wanderlustandhusking]

god save the british economy

Posen arrived in London after the acute panic of the financial crisis had given way to the long slog we’re still in. The United States had already responded with a roughly $800 billion stimulus package. In the spring of 2010, British voters went in another direction. They elected Prime Minister David Cameron, who had promised to reset the economy by severely cutting government spending, which would lead to significant public-sector layoffs. The economy’s only chance to return to long-term growth, Cameron argued, would be a painful, but brief, period of austerity.  - God Save the British Economy New York Times

An interesting read.

 xx E

[wanderlustandhusking]

weekend in iceland

I have wanted to go to Iceland ever since Coach Bombay went on a date with the Icelandic coach who so succinctly explained ‘Greenland is covered in ice and Iceland is very nice!” (ps. if you remember this, please let’s be BFF’s). So, turns out she was right - to date, my trip to Iceland is one of the best trips I’ve ever taken.

We decided to actually do it when we came across meal deal for Iceland on Travelzoo (what’s that, you don’t subscribe to travelzoo? You need to fix that right now) The deal was flights with Iceland Air, hotel + Northern Lights tour for approx £300 (depending on when you chose to travel). Pack it up! We decided we had no trips planned for November and booked away.

Flights  As part of the package we got return flights with Iceland Air, flying out Thursday evening after work and back on Sunday evening. Giving us 2.5 days and minimizing time off work. After a few months of exclusively flying budget airlines I was thrilled with this trip before I even boarded the plane; why hello there actual person printing me an actual boarding pass and checking in my actual luggage. Once on board the joy continued; what’s that, a blanket on my assigned seat and a t.v. screen all to myself? Why this is like the Hilton of the sky! I’m refusing to ever disembark this plane! This continued until they told me their hospitality didn’t include headphones or food service, but the legroom and beverages softened the blow.

The flight time wasn’t too painful, at 2 hr 45min it was just enough to watch an in flight movie and run check how muchBjörk I had on my ipod (answer: sadly none)

Hotel  The package included your choice of two hotels in Reykjavik, we chose the Cabin Hotel as it seemed slighted better located. It was simple, clean and well positioned. There was breakfast included each day which we used to our full advantage and made sandwiches to take for lunch on our various daily activities.

Blue Lagoon  We used Fly Bus to book our airport transfers as well as a bus to our first tourist joint, the Blue Lagoon. The blue lagoon is a thermal spa just outside of Reykjavik. It’s man made - the water is apparently a product of the near by geothermal power plant – and it’s basically a 40 ºC lake surrounded by snow capped mountains.

When we got there, the very attractive Icelandic gentleman at the desk up-sold us to the deluxe package, which for €45 got us entry, towels, a fluffy robe (amazing), a mask in the Lagoon and a drink from the bar (n.b. they don’t seem to list this on their website, perhaps it’s not always available?)

You then get to spend as much time as your like wading around the, getting drinks from the ‘swim up’ bar, slopping mud on your face and basically being in awe of the natural beauty of the place.

A couple of tips – Bring a waterproof camera and absolutely slather your hair with conditioner before you go in the water. I didn’t and was oh so vain and took my hair out halfway through so I could get a sneaky facebook profile picture, my hair took a week of conditioning to recover.

Golden Circle + Icelandic Ponies  On our second day we wanted to do the Golden Circle tour, which the guide books told us was a must do in Iceland, plus a friend had told me to go ride Icelandic ponies. Apparently they have specific gait that no other horses have. It’s like a trot but less bouncy. I use to ride all the time when I was younger (ooh how old I am!) and thought it would be an interesting way to see a bit of the countryside. So I roped my sister into doing it with me. We found a tour which did the horse ride in the morning and the Golden Circle tour in the afternoon. I will let the photos speak for themselves.

Northern Lights We tried the northern lights tour on our first night however it was too foggy to see much of anything. After trying a couple of different locations including a particularly chilly spot by the ocean, our tour guide gave up and drove us all home.  

The second night I was better prepared and wore almost every item of clothing I brought with me; tights, thermals, jeans, 3 pairs of socks, gumboots, singlet top, t-shirt, woolen top, woolen cardigan, hoodie, jacket, gloves, scarf and beanie.  It was much busier tonight and we ended up at a clearing with about 10 other buses. After buzzing around in the cold for about 15 minutes we spoke to our tour guide who suggested we hop back onto the bus to warm up and he would let us know if there was any sign of the lights. We gratefully hopped back on the bus and less than 15 minutes later everyone started yelling so we ran out and there they were! We found the elusive little lights.

They lasted about 15 minutes during which time they constantly shifted. They ran across the sky in a way that made it look like there was a green glowing ceiling above us. This is the one time I would have killed for a profesh camera + tripod. I did manage to get a couple of okay photos with my point and shoot but they don’t do it justice.

Wish List  Before I went I had no idea how much there is to do in Iceland. I could happily go back and fill another week with activities. Visit the glaciers, see puffin, explore more of the nightlife, go diving between continents at Silfra, dog-sledding (this was on our list but there wasn’t enough snow when we were there in November), go whale watching... the list goes on.

xx E

p.s you may also like p.s you might also like to read about my trip to paris or sailing croatia

[wanderlustandhusking]

10 things to do at christmas in london

Dashing online peeps – Did you know Christmas is only a week away!? Though I’ve had full blown festive fever for at least a month now, in all the excitement of Christmas parties, mulled cider and visitors from home, it actually snuck up on me.

With less than a week until Christmas I have made my own ultimate London Christmas list; things I done, things I have yet to do and others that I need to do again before Santa arrives.

Winter Wonderland  I’m a little addicted to this place, I went 3 times in the first week and figure I can fit in at least 5 more visits before it closes in 2 weeks! Bring on mulled wine, the carousel bar and crepes! 

Rock a Christmas sweater  Christmas sweaters are a thing in London. As in people wear them all the time. It’s amazing. Along with playing Christmas carols on the radio, it’s one of my favourite traits in the English come Christmas time. Primark sell tons + I hear a rumor they also sell Reindeers onsies!

‘Love Actually’ Movie Night  Gotta watch it while in London! My housemates and I spent a cozy night in with mulled cider and Love Actually, picking out all the London sites we now pass on the way to work. 

Bake Mince Pies and Make Mulled Wine  Self explanatory. I tried to make mulled wine for a Christmas in July party last year and it was aw-ful! Since everyone in London seems to be able to either make their own mulled wine or bake a mean mince pie, I am determined to learn. 

Cook my own Christmas Dinner  It doesn’t have to be on Christmas, there is just something about doing a proper roast, with Yorkshire puddings and mince pies that just makes sooo much more sense when it’s cold. 

Go Ice Skating  Outdoor ice skating rinks pop up everywhere in winter. I went ice skating at Somerset House with friends and it was so much fun. The ice rinks are set up in some other very cool public places, like the Natural History Museum, Tower of London, Hampton Court, the London Eye and Winter Wonderland of cource.

Visit Santa  Visit the Harrods Christmas Grotto, sit on Santa’s lap and list the things he can bring me on Christmas morning. Then go visit the pet shop on the top floor.

Sing Carols  I saw a group of carolers walking past while I was at the pub the other day. Alas none have come to my door yet so I am taking matters into my own hands and doing sing-along carols in the Albert Hall. Christmas tunes and an excuse to feel posh at the Albert Hall. I’m in.

See the Christmas Lights  Christmas lights are everywhere, even Clapham High Street is lit up. Some slightly more lavish ones which are on my list include, Oxford Street, Covent Garden, Regent Street and Trafalgar Square.

Christmas Markets  Christmas markets aren’t quite as big in London as they are in other European cities, but a couple I have been recommended and have to visit before Christmas include Southbank Christmas Markets and one in Camden.

I have an honourable mention; I heard rumours that if you go to some, shall we say .. less salubrious venues,  they actually play remixes of Christmas songs including Mariah Carey ‘All I Want For Christmas’. I am totally on board with any bar that plays Christmas Carols. I’m on my way Infernos!

Have I mentioned how awesome Christmas is in London?!

xx E

[wanderlustandhusking]

applying for a national insurance number

If you're moving to the UK to work, one of the things you will need to sort out is your National Insurance Number (NINo). Basically it's like a Tax File Number in Australia and similar to the Social Security number in the U.S.

Why do you need one?

Some jobs require you to have one before you start work, while others will let you start knowing you have applied and it's on its way. Even if you're able to start work without one (which was the case with me), you will get taxed at the Emergency Tax Rate of 35% so it's well worth sorting out sooner rather than later.

How to get one

It's ridiculously easy to get. First step is to call up the Department for Work and Pensions on 0845 6415 008, they will ask your address and send out a form for you to complete. As an Aussie on a Tier 5 Visa, this meant a CA5400. 

The forms ask you for your contact details, nationality, information about previous stays in the UK, marital status, just the basics. There is a section about employment but when I received mine this was crossed out with a pen and a note that there is 'no requirement to complete this section'. Like I said, absurdly easy!

You pop it back in the prepaid envelope along with photocopy of your passport personal details page & UK visa page and post it off. A little while later, about a fortnight for me, you receive a letter with your 9 digit NINo number. You pass this number along to your employer and you're all set.

Helpful Information

Jobcenter Interview: When  researching the process there were a few mentions of a interview with the job centre office but I don't know anyone on the 2 year visa that had to do this. 

Complete the forms within 3 weeks: Once you request the forms, you only have 3 weeks to complete and return them. I was trying to be Miss superorganised and requested the forms while I was in London for a couple of days before travelling through Europe for 6 weeks. I figured the forms would be there ready for me when I returned. I didn't read the letter clearly and sent the forms off, only to wait 6 weeks before following it up and discovering that my application was out of date and had been cancelled. 

Go through the Glasgow Office:  When I called the London office to follow up on my application (see second point), the guy I spoke to told me that my application was on hold, that I had filled out the wrong form and would have to come in for an interview (see first point). After speaking to his manager and only becoming more confused I hung up and called the Glasgow office instead (0845 6415 008). Within a couple of minutes they explained that my forms were out of date, sent me new ones (which were exactly the same) and I didn't have to organise an interview.

National Insurance Cards: They apparently used to issue National Insurance cards (like social security cards) but now they just send you the letter.

I think that about covers my experience, obviously it will be different for different visas/nationalities but hopefully this helps people! If anyone has any questions feel free to ask and I'll try and help.

xx E

p.s. you may also like moving to london or applying for the youth mobility visa - part one

[wanderlustandhusking]

better than chocolate: 8 proven ways to feel happier

I've blogged about how-to happiness before and it really is a subject that intrigues me, so not surprisingly it comes up in my conversations with friends quite a lot.  A friend mentioned that she has just bought a book called Better Than Chocolate. It's written by an Aussie Ad-man, Siimon Reynolds, and yes, he is a little guady and trashy but his book is a whole lotta fun. I actually have a copy sitting on my shelf at home in Australia and re-reading it I picked out 8 of my favourite 'tips'.

Exercise. Regular exercise has been proven to reduce stress and tension, plus working up a sweat causes our body to produce endorphins, natural opiates that make us feel happier. So jog it out baby!

Omega-3. Harvard Medical School studies prove that increasing your intake of Omega-3 will help make you feel happier. Studies show that munching on some deep sea fish reduces symptoms of depression & schizophrenia. 

Set Clear Goals. Our brains are goal-activating mechanisms and we feel a greater sense of direction if we regularly set and achieve goals. Reynolds suggests setting 5 goals for yourself, writing them down and begin acting - today - to make them happen

Act Happy. If you're feeling a big a bit 'meh', pretend you are an actor in a movie, playing the part of a happy person. People completing this exercise report feeling that their bad mood lifts within minutes. Motion creates emotion.

Simplify Your Life. Juggling life can lead to discontentment. Give away some belongings you don't need, spend a few hours less at work, take a night off from social commitments. Just do less.

Smile. It will not only cheer you up but improve the mood of those around you.

Dress Sexily. Feeling sexy has excellent mental benefits and can make us feel more positive for the whole day. If you're in a bit of a funk, grab a pair of heels and red lipstick and go strut your stuff.

Watch A Movie. This is one of my fav's and super easy.  Cheer yourself up by watching a feel good movie, anything violent or depressing is off limits.

On that note, have a happy week everyone!

xx E

p.s. you make also like avoiding the comparison trap or how to be happy

[wanderlustandhusking]

travel talk: sail croatia

Once upon a time, I was having dinner with friends in Melbourne when I received a message from my sister saying she had booked us onto a Croatia sailing trip. 8 days cruising our way down the magical Dalmatian Coast from Split to Dubrovnik, and it gets better – we were doing it on a pirate ship!

It was the first part of our trip that we booked and we kind of worked everything else around it. It was also the part I was most looking forward to, a week of cruising between stunning Croatian islands, waking up in the morning and rolling onto the deck to sun bake, pulling up into secluded coves and leaping from the deck into warm, crystal clear water. Oh and not having to drag my suitcase anywhere for whole 8 days. Bliss.

We arrived in Split the day before our tour started, had dinner by the waterfront and watched the 2Cellos play an open air concert. The next morning we met our tour group at a café near the water, it wasn’t hard to pick which boat was ours, apparently it’s the only pirate style ship that does tours in Croatia. Then our sailing started!

Day One | Split – Makarska  After meeting our amazing group, tour leader and crew we had lunch while sailing to Makarska. We then had our first swimming stop, stopping the boat in the middle of the ocean with no other boats around. A-mazing!

That night we went to a club called Deep, which is built into a cave on the edge of the ocean.

Day Two | Makarska - Brac  Day two we sailed into Brac, where we had a walking tour then the afternoon to ourselves. Some people headed off to a winery tour but we decided to walk along the coast and discovered Borak Beach and spent the afternoon having cocktails on the beach. #winning!

That night we had a Pirate Party on our boat, the highlight being the crew teaching the guys how to play a local game they all played at school – it was kinda like leap frog and totes hilarious to watch!

Day Three | Makarska – Hvar  I had high expectations about Hvar; whenever you tell people you are going to Croatia everyone talks about Hvar and its bars and clubs and how Prince Harry hangs out there.  I gotta say, despite the super high expectations which almost doomed it to disappointment, I really liked it! I think there are prettier places in Croatia - but not by much - and I had bigger nights out in Croatia – but, again, not by much.

We went to Kiva and had cocktails from buckets and shots called Tequila Boom Booms which come complete with helmets. From there we headed to a huge open air club in the trees called Veneranda (where Harry infamously went for a dip) 

Day Four | Hvar – Korcula  After another hard day of sunbaking, swimming and eating, we spent the evening in Korcula. It’s worth a visit for Massimo Bar alone; its a bar on the top of an old tower, you climb up a ladder to get to the bar and they bring up the drinks on pulleys. I did wonder how many people had drunkenly fallen down the ladder or off the side of the tower. Eeepp!

Rumour has it when Croatia transitions into the EU, Massimo will need to close as it doesn’t entirely meet safety regulations. So, glad we got to go while it was still there and didn't kill ourselves.

Day Five | Korcula – Mljet  I felt like a bit of a broken record in Croatia, everywhere we went I kept saying ‘ohh it’s so pretty, this is the prettiest place we have been to!’ only to say it again at the next place we stopped. Now that it’s all over I can look back and say that Mljet National Park was definitely the most stunning place we went. You have to drive inland through the national park then hike for a while but you end up at the most beautiful lake surrounded by thick forest.

Day Six | Mljet – Slano  In Slano we had another party on the ship, this time a Cowboys and Indians themed party. It was a good thing we were nearing the end of our trip because, of all the nights, this ended up being my biggest.

Day Seven | Slano – Dubrovnik  On the way to Dubrovnik we made our last swimming stop at a secluded bay with no other boats in site and caves you could swim out to and explore. Then we docked at our last stop, (booo!) Dubrovnik. The old town of Dubrovnik is absolutely a-mazing!  It’s what I imagine an old town would be if Disney built it; it’s staggeringly beautiful,surrounded by beaches and mountains and perfectly intact after time and war should have ravished it. You can walk the complete city walls, which run 1940 meters around the old town but it was OMG hot when we arrived that we decided to skip particular activity.

After a walking tour of the city and our final group dinner, we all went out to a bar built into the city walls called to Revelin.

Day Eight | Dubrovnik  After saying our goodbyes we got booted off the ship and bused it into the Old Town where we had booked another night.  

Things you should know 

Pack for the Parties Check out your itinerary before you leave and make note of any themed parties. We were really unprepared and struggled to find something pirate-ie or cowboy and indian-e. 

Drinking + Eating on the Boat Outside food and drink was not allowed on the boat. This wasn't a problem until we discovered that drinks on the boat cost two or three times the mainland price. Also, a couple of guys on the boat asked for sandwiches one afternoon and discovered on the last day that these had been added to their bill.

Optional Extras Other than walking tours, you need to pay for everything that happens off the boat. I was prepared for this but there were a couple of things that we had to pay for that I kinda think should be included. One such example, we couldn't dock in Hvar until late in the evening because of crowding. In order to get into town for our walking tour and dinner we had to catch a water taxi at an additional fee. I'm really not sure that counts as an optional extra. Moral of the story, bring a little more cash than you think you will need.

Tip the Crew + Tour Leader  At the end of the tour you're expected to tip the crew and tour leader. I loved both our crew and tour leader so was more than happy to fork over the money, but it did come as a bit of a surprise and not everyone had cash on hand for this. I tipped 250 kuna each which worked out to about $40 AUD 

Power Outlets  On order to conserve energy and costs, the boat only has power while the engine is on. This means that nothing will charge while you're docked over night - make sure your camera batteries are charged before you arrive.

Pirates were not comfortable  So, turns out sailing on a recreated pirate ship has its ups and downs – on the plus side it’s easy to find among the rows of matching catamarans, even after a few too many drinks. On the downside, pirate ships are not built for comfort. Who would have thought, right? Our room had two single bunk beds with just enough room for one suitcase on the floor, the second had to be placed on one of the beds during the day and stacked on the floor after we had gotten into bed at night. Oh and did I mention the shower was over the toilet? Fun times.

Travel Talk vs Sail Croatia, Busabout, Top Deck etc By far the best reason to go with Travel Talk is the people. Our delightful tour manager and amazing local crew completely made up for anything the ship lacked. They were so much fun and took such good care of us. Plus, our group was brilliant! Travel Talk mostly seem to attract antipodean expats living in London who are also a little older than the typical Sail Croatia/Contiki crowd. For someone who was staying on in London after their trip (i.e ME!) it was perfect because I arrived in London with a ready-made handful of friends who I adore!

I really, really enjoyed the week. I totally get why Aussies are flocking to Croatia at the moment.

xx E

p.s you might also like to read about my trip to paris or cannes + nice