Chocolates too beautiful to eat!

Back in Perth, my mum would often watch a British show called "Choccywoccydoodah", and I would always be lured in by the amazing cakes they would make just from chocolate. Sure I am also aware of shows like "Ace of Cakes" and "Cake Boss", and I did regularly watch "Ace of Cakes" and again be mesmerized by their cake creations. The thing is though, I LOVE CHOCOLATE, more than any other food, so when I find out someone is creating these 7 tier cakes which are made completely from chocolate, I go a bit crazy. I'm like a little kid on a sugar rush, except I never get that coming down sugar crash.

To give you a bit of a brief on Choccywoccydoodah, here's a quick background story: The brains behind the store is Christine Taylor, who is the creative director of Choccywoccydoodah, and Christine Garratt, the co-director. The company started around 18 years ago and only recently became known worldwide through their TV show which began a few years ago. Originally in Brighton, it has since also expanded to London with the rise of its huge popularity.
(If you want to know more about the shops and the story behind Choccywoccydoodah, check out the links posted at the end of the blog)

I visited the store in London located in Fouberts Place off from Carnaby Street, which unbelievably was quite difficult to find as it's slightly hidden away. After getting off at Oxford Street Station, I relied on my previous memory of visiting years before and I remembered to head towards Liberty because I could find Carnaby Street from there (it does work, so if you ever get off at Oxford Street and are overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle, just look for Liberty and you will find the hip and Moddish Carnaby Street). I strolled around Carnaby for a while before setting out to find chocolate. I was told that it was in a red building, so I thought to myself this would be easy and I could just look down each alleyway and spot out a red building (I might add this was before I bothered looking up what actually street it was on as I just knew it was a street off from Carnaby). I went up and down every alleyway whenever I saw a red building and I still couldn't find it. I used my phone to find out the actual address, so I found Fouberts Place and went down there but it still wasn't there, I thought they are lying to me! Little did I know buy Fouberts Place cuts across Carnaby Street and continues to the next alleyway, and there I found the red doors open wide to say "Welcome in! You have arrived in chocolate heaven!"

Seeing all those amazing cakes, which yes look EXACTLY like they do on the show, was definitely worth getting lost for. The cakes are insane, they don't even look edible! I didn't want to go too over the top, but I did want to take something to remind my taste buds of the place, so I got a choccywoccydoodah gold coin which is bigger than my hand (after seeing that I felt like I had been missing out all these years at Christmas when I get a bag of chocolate gold coins which look tiny in comparison!). 

I haven't tasted it yet, because I want to work up a little bit of an appetite for it. Usually I just rush to eat chocolate, but this chocolate is sacred to me and I value it more than all other chocolate, so when I eat it I want to really appreciate it, and so for now it is best to wait when I'm hungry and my mouth can really start to drool and my tummy rumble.

http://www.choccywoccydoodah.com/

http://www.rocknrollbride.com/2012/04/the-inspirations-choccywoccydoodahs-christine-taylor/

Lazing around on a sunny afternoon

Many tourists, and I don't mean to be harsh but particularly Australians, whinge about England's weather stating that the summer is too cold and it is always cloudy year round. Yet I think this perception is because we're used to our summers always being at least 30 degrees and above, whereas the average temperature in the English summer is usually between 20 to maybe 25 degrees (on a lucky day), and that's our winter climate. 

But I think the English summer is beautiful and enjoyable, and when the sun appears through the clouds it's actually not a wintry cold at all. It's not an unbearable summer like in Australia on days that reach 40 degrees, but a relaxing one and one that still warms your entire body. 

I'm sitting out in the garden this afternoon reading books about my upcoming trip to Norway and the rays of sun continuously shine down on me, and it definitely feels more than the 20 degrees that I'm used to in Australia's winter.

The only problem I've experienced is that it's a bit chilly in the morning so I wear jeans and a jumper, but then the sun comes out and it's like a heat wave under my clothes, making me kick myself for forgetting how unpredictable but how lovely the English summer truly is. 

When checking out onto a plane, leave your appearance at the departure gate...

In all my years of travel, whether with family or on my own, I never understood how some people manage to still look so good at the arrival destination, especially after 17 hours of flying!

No matter what, if I left the departure gate looking well-groomed with my hair full of healthy waves and my little bit of make-up making me glow and look 'fresh-faced', by the time I made it through arrivals my hair would be oily and messy, neither looking good down nor tied up, and my face would be dry with massive black bags under my eyes, and sometimes even, on really lucky occasions, I might even arrive with a new pimple on my face too.

I read all these articles on beauty and travel in fashion magazines which say to use this moisturiser, or this face-spritz, or this tinted moisturiser, or this face serum, and drink plenty of water, which of course underlines the obvious need to stay hydrated inside and out whilst in a tight air-space. Yet I use these products like the face spritz or the moisturiser and drink plenty of water (which adds the negative of having to go to the toilet more often than usual, making me have to face the exhausted state I now look in the mirror and which gets worse with each dragging hour).

Maybe it's because I fidget too much that my hair gets messy. Maybe it's because I use those heated face towels the air hosts and hostess' give you (which are delightful I might add) that ruins whatever make-up I originally had on. Maybe it's because I stare at the movie screen in the dark for hours on end that my eyes go all red and dry. Maybe it's because I get so exhausted at not being able to sleep comfortably that I continuously run my hands through my hair and sink my face into my hands that makes both my hair and face oily. Maybe I was never meant to have the talent to look good after 17 hours of flying.

But just once, it would be nice to walk through the arrival gates and have the other passengers think "She looks good, how did she manage to stay so well-kept after that long flight. I don't know how she does it!" - just like I think of so many of them who manage to pull it off effortlessly.

"Packing is fun" said no one ever

I actually used to love to pack when I went on holidays when I was younger, going through my clothes and other bits and bobs and choosing my favourite picks to take with me.

However since I've grown older (and had to travel on my own), packing has been one stress I wish I didn't have to deal with.

The problem is this: I have a limit of 30kg from Perth to London, but then when I leave 5 weeks later from London to Bergen my baggage allowance is only 23kg, I'm going to be living in another country for 7 months so I need a good amount of clothes and shoes, but I'll probably be buying many things while away so I still need the extra room, and more importantly the kilos, to come back...

I try to aim for 20kg to take over, but I fail every time!

Then the next problem arises: So I decide to try take some stuff out to reduce the amount of kilos, but what should I take out??? Both England and Norway are pretty cold so I still need my warm clothes, but I also need summer clothes to layer because it's always warm inside. My toiletries weigh the most, and I'm thinking, do I really need to take my shampoo and conditioner? I mean it's cheaper for me to take them because I don't need to buy more while I'm over in Norway - and I'm a little hesitant in buying heaps of cosmetics and toiletries there because it could be a lot more expensive compared to what I would pay here in Perth.

I have come to the conclusion of either two solutions:
1. Take some stuff out my case to reduce the kilos
2. Purchase an extra bag when I leave from London to Bergen, which I found out isn't too bad if I purchase it online, it's an extra $50 but I get another bag with the allowance of another 23kg

To be honest I think I'm swinging towards both solutions. I can take some of my stuff out that I really can live without for 7 months, and I'll get an extra bag to be safe too - because I'm heading the UK for 5 weeks and they could be many goodies for me to buy which I don't want to miss out :)

My only stress will be coming back home... but I'll deal with that when the time comes nearer.

Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance!

Since this is my last week in Perth before my big trip, I've been trying to get heaps of my tasks done as I'll more than likely forget (well actually, just procrastinate) while I'm away from home.

Among my tasks of preparation, I've been getting any last minute accessories and clothes that I'll definitely need when living and studying in Bergen, Norway - I justify that they are necessities, not just an excuse for a girl to go on a crazy last minute shop... although let's be honest, it is still fun!

I've been researching a lot into the lifestyle, culture and particularly the weather of Bergen, and while I thought Edinburgh was the most rainiest place I have so far visited, I know now I am completely wrong after some light reading.

Apparently, the locals in Bergen will never leave the house without an umbrella because there is always the potential it will rain, EVERY SINGLE DAY! In addition to this, I found there is a joke often said that the town has four seasons in one day - so my thoughts to this is I better act and think like a local too.

However...

I decided to add my own uniqueness and be slightly different. Instead of investing in an umbrella, I chose to invest in a poncho! It's lightweight, compact (I can fold it up rather small), it will dry quickly, and the best thing is that it is clear so my outfit underneath is still on show. Pretty nifty I think :)

I did buy something a bit more stylish though, which won't necessarily help with the weather, but it will assist me in the most important aspect about my trip, my studies.

Usually back at my university in Perth, I generally will have a leather satchel bag which I carry all my notebooks and other texts inside, but I carry my laptop separately in a protective case. Although, when I thought about my future studies at the University of Bergen, I thought maybe that's not a good idea to carry it around separately, maybe I should get a bigger bag which has room for my laptop as well as my textbooks. Well I found the PERFECT bag which solves this problem:

While at first glance this bag seems too small, the looks are deceiving and misleading. This bag has a separate zip compartment in the middle especially for the laptop, and it is just like having a protective laptop case with its softly padded interior but having the added bonus of it being attached inside your bag. The bag also includes two compartments, one on either side of the laptop, so I can still put all my textbooks and stationary in there too, but it also has an addition two other compartments on either side of these which have a secure zip - so I can always put important documents in these parts too. I think it will make a very good and loyal companion on my trips to and from university, abroad and perhaps for when I return back here too.

It's like my very own Mary Poppins bag, and no one knows what I've kept guarded inside... except for you, lovely blogger readers.

Time To Wander Again...

As soon as I had turned 18, I left all my friends and my family behind to go traveling Europe for eight months. When I came back to the sleepy town of Perth, nothing had changed. I mean sure the city was changing - more stores were being built, roads were changed, housing estates were appearing everywhere - but the people hadn't and everyone was still doing the same things and seeing the same people, and nothing seemed new.

I had itchy feet to go travel again about a two weeks after being back home in the same routine.

Unfortunately, I had no cent to my name when I came back, and needed to save money again was a high priority, and there was also something else blocking my rush to travel: my university studies.

I had already taken a gap year, and then the plan was to get my degree finished as soon as I could. If I still wanted to travel for months or years I could afterwards.

When I first went to the open day for the university a year before I traveled, an ex-student gave a presentation for the prospective communication & media students of her time in the degree. She had mentioned she went on exchange through the university to study in another country for either one or two semesters. The idea of being able to travel somewhere new whilst still earning my degree intrigued me greatly.

As soon as I started university I waited eagerly for the applications to study abroad opened and consistently was searching all the possible places I could go.

In March, six months after the application process was opened,  I was given a place for the University of Bergen in Norway.

I chose Norway because I knew that studying would be my best, and perhaps my only, chance at living in Scandinavia, and now I will be calling Bergen home for seven months.

My friends and family suggested I should start a blog, and the best way to commit to it would be through documenting my travels.

I tried starting a blog when I first went traveling solo at 18, but it failed terribly (I didn't even create the blog site). However, now at 20, I feel I am a little more wiser, and more importantly, I am more organised so hopefully I will commit to this blog and put as much love in it as I would any written work I do.

My new adventure, and my time to wander will begin again in only a week's time...

And every night upcoming to my flight I will be dozing off thinking of one Norwegian proverb, Berre den som vandrar, finn nye vegar, which means Only he who wanders, finds new paths...