Relaxing in Nerja, Spain

After a pretty stressful term of dissertation hand ins and exams, my housemates and I decided to book a last minute holiday to the south of Spain for a bit of chilling out before hitting the 'real world'. Definitely one of our better decisions - after probably spending a bit too long putting off revision to find a nice villa, we settled on a beautiful property on the outskirts of a small town called Nerja, about 45 minutes away from Malaga airport.

It was loooovely. The villa was in the perfect location with easy access to the beach, town and shops. The views were beautiful. The sun was hot. And the pool (and drinks!) were cool. What more could you ask for?

Day one was pretty cloudy (not that you can tell from this photo!) so we had a wander into the town

And to this huuuge aqueduct, which was used to transport water to the mill in the local village Maro

But other than clouds the first day or so, the weather was beautiful meaning plenty of trips to the beach to catch some rays and swim and canoe in the sea, which was the clearest I've ever seen!

We also got our final university results out there. Everyone was happy, so there was definite cause for celebration!

We also went to see some amazing flamenco dancers at a local bar for just €6 including a drink! We were even invited up on stage to have a little boogie at the end... not quite professional level yet!

A great holiday, and just what I needed to chill out after exams. Just want to book another one now! Where's next on your list?!

N x

Wanderlust

One thing to know about me is that I am very rarely ill. When I am poorly, it's always just a cold, I never really get any viruses or severe issues (touch wood!) But there's one bug I just cannot steer clear of - the travel bug! I absolutely love getting away from the UK and going on adventures and seeing the world. St Augustine wrote, "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page” and I couldn't agree more. Seeing different places is such a fantastic experience - I can learn about new cultures, meet new people and just discover amazing things! Whenever I see photographs of anyone anywhere, I'm always filled with a desire to see the world!

So, today I got thinking about the places I have actually been:

• Belgium

• Croatia

• Egypt

• France x 5

• Greece x 2

• Ireland

• Italy x 2

• Jordan

• Portugal

• Scotland x 5

• Spain

• United States

• Wales x 3

Considering I'm 20, I don't think I've done too badly. I know I'm so lucky to have had the opportunities and resources to be able to go where I've gone so far. I've promised myself I'll visit every continent at least once in my life (including Antarctica - bit of a mission but I'll get there!)

I'm already excited about Summer, too. 7 weeks today I'm going to the beautiful Lake Annecy in the Rhône-Alpes region of south-eastern France with my friends from Uni. Also in June, I'm taking part in a sustainable development project in Uganda with an NGO for 2 and a half weeks. I'm really interested in international development and hope to work in that sector upon graduating; visiting Uganda is a bit daunting but will be something completely new, and I'm sure it will be a fantastic experience. I'm also looking at going back up to Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and a couple more short breaks in Europe at the end of Summer. So, lots to look forward to; I just need to get the dreaded second year exams out of the way and carry on earning some money so I can do everything on my Summer 2013 bucket list! 

Lake Annecy, France