globetrottingrosie

So...it's Pride month, and I thought I'd write something a little different.  I've never really opened up about my sexuality-  perhaps to my closest friends and family I've briefly spoken about it,  but not publicly.  What is sexuality? Should we let it define us?  Sexuality is a long, confusing journey. For some, at least.  I've met many people who firmly believe they are 'straight'  and they might say something like 'I'm straight as a barge pole'-  not that I like any language such as this defining sexuality, but,  it's what I've heard from others.  Okay, so for many, it's easy- you're a woman and you like men,  or you're a man and you like women.  My journey, however, has been somewhat bumpy. A long and winding road,  as The Beatles might say.  As a teenager, I always felt different. In life generally,  I've never known where I quite 'belong'.  As most of you k...

This is one of those posts that I really want to write, but now I've opened the page, I'm not actually sure how I want to begin... or even what I want to share... Anyway. I don't know about you, but 2020 seems to have been thrown  somewhere into the abyss. I've spent my 20's worrying about what my future will look like, then just  as I was beginning to make plans, the world went BAM,  not gonna happen this year! Back in February, I went to Ninh Binh (in Vietnam) for a few days.  I was chilling in the hostel restaurant, when my boss called. "I think it is best if you go home now, rather than later" she decided. It was almost like she knew. I got home the week before all the flights were cut, and a week or so before  Boris Johnson confirmed lock-down in the UK. In the last few months, I lost my job, my granddad passed away,  and our dog has  been diagnosed with lymphoma (a form of cancer.) ...

Until now, I've never really had a travel experience that didn't quite work. Sure, Camp America was hard work, but I completed the season  as a counsellor with great pride, and loved my two weeks of travelling after camp.  I've enjoyed all my family holiday's in Europe...my teaching in Slovenia and Thailand. In fact, Thailand was my inspiration for returning to South East Asia. I remember every day being a Good Day- I also remember thinking,  how has every day of this trip been so amazing? Over the last couple of days, I've been scrolling through blogs about  what happens to travellers who have 'bad experiences'-  I've also seen travel bloggers on instagram ask fellow travellers,  'What's the one country you didn't like, but everyone else loved?'  (Check out travel blogger the WanderingQuinn)  This question really struck me as to what I've been feeling recently  since returning to the UK from...

So... We're stuck in a global pandemic. I've had no work for about 4-5 months, being thrown into a limbo situation of technically still under contract, technically unemployed. I've had a case of itchy feet probably since my Camp America summer, and the more I've been on instagram, looking wistfully at other travel blogging pages, it makes me wish I'd spent more time travelling. Yes- even more than I have already! Now that I'm heading towards 28, I feel the time ticking, the big 3-0 looming. The big 3-0, and I've not done half of all the travelling I still want to do. Yet, we now find ourselves in a situation where we can't go anywhere. BA are giving up with Gatwick, and jobs have been cut dramatically in the airline industry. How is tourism going to be once all this is over? Are we ever going to be able to travel how we did before? Possibly not, and the thought of this fills me with horror. Will I get back to Asia again? W...

Temples, temples, temples... That's a lot of what your sight-seeing will be if you find yourself in Asia! So alas, I have decided to dedicate an entire blog post to them. Or one in particular- but let me build up to that. Until now, I've only made it to Thailand and Vietnam on the Asian continent- however, I've probably seen enough temples to last me a life-time- though I'm sure they're very different in Japan and China, for example. But let’s start with Thailand.  I remember my first few days in Thailand navigating my way around Bankok, but feeling the happiest I’d probably ever felt in my whole life.  This happiness and peacefulness continued while we taught on the island of Phuket, but I never quite understood why I felt so peaceful- I still don’t think I have ever understood even now, two years on, but there could be one reason. I dedicated almost one whole day...

I've been to a few countries prior to Vietnam. USA, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, Thailand... But never have I experienced culture shock until I arrived in Hanoi. I remember walking off the plane feeling absolutely exhausted- tired, hungry, in an unfamiliar country. After finally sorting out paperwork in customs (must have taken nearly an hour as it was very early in the morning!) I managed to (eventually) get myself in a taxi and dropped off at my hotel. (Hanoi Trendy Hotel and Spa- would highly recommend if you can afford!) What I hadn't realised was that I couldn't check in until two o'clock that afternoon; I'd arrived at 7am, of course! (Navigating myself to Hoan Kiem Lake on my arrival.) Sleepily I dropped my bag off with the receptionist and took myself around the city with google maps (wouldn't be anywhere without it.) As I was walking around the city I remember feeling very confused with it all. Where was I...