globetrottingrosie

Once again, Boris Johnson has claimed that  obesity is a massive problem in the UK. Watching the news headlines over the last couple of weeks,  has made me really question  the Western ways of life, and our culture as a whole.  For some reason, the coronavirus has hit the West pretty awfully. But why -  is it the way our government have handled the pandemic? Is it our possible lack of cleanliness that we hadn't realised before?  (Which is ironic, because a doctor in Vietnam commented  that I had come from a clean country!) Is it our 'over- confidence' in the NHS? Or have we developed other deeper habits that have affected us,  without us even noticing? Vietnam have only had 300 cases, and ALL of them survived.  So where have we gone wrong? As I listened to a radio discussion yesterday about various current political topics,  including obesity, I wondered if we have created a nega...

Recently, I've written a lot of reflective posts on depression,  and how 2020 has been a year of endings and change. If, like me, you're somebody who feels as though you are constantly  swimming against the tide, and can't figure why things aren't quite  working out like you hoped, I would absolutely recommend journaling. I sat down one morning this week with my notebook,  with a list of questions in front of me, and I just wrote. I didn't even have to think, or pause, or reflect. I just knew. What was I writing? What did I re-discover about myself? ( Happy House Cafe, Ha Tinh, Vietnam-  the ideal place for reflection,  and where I spent my first few months of this year. ) Now, I've been off work, or not working, since the end of January.  I've followed the global pandemic quite literally, almost across the globe,  from Vietnam to the UK. I'm sure for a lot of people, lock-down has  been a ...

As we watch the devastating news on the British gymnastics, it's gotten me thinking about how we treat our own bodies. I'm not meaning to have a go at anyone at all- it's another topic that seems particularly prominent this day and age. While I worked as an LSA, I noticed that nearly ALL my colleagues were on diets, going to the gym, or running. Or all of the above. For the entire time I worked with them, I didn't really get it- or at least, I understood to an extent, but is there a point where dieting and weight becomes an excessive worry that none of us need? Now, you're probably wondering, why on earth is tiny Rosie talking about weight? Well. I have one question for you. Hands up, who feels confident in their own body? You probably won't believe me, but it's taken me a LONG time to even BEGIN to feel comfortable in my own skin. I've had lots of compliments about my own height and weight/general body alignment. However, I'm not...

Okay. Another hard-hitting subject- apologies. Not many people seem to discuss depression in their 20's.  I wrote a post a while ago on the quarter life crisis  (which I still need to copy and paste onto this one.)  But I thought I would make dedicate a slightly deeper post.  What is depression?  Have you ever felt depressed?  Our 20's is possibly one of the most stressful, yet most important of our decades. We go through so much change. Physically, mentally and emotionally.  I don't know about you, but I've gone from wanting to be a ballet dancer,  to a fashion designer, to famous actress, to writer, to director, to teacher.  I'm nearly 28 and I'm still not sure where my life is going.  Now, I applied for university through clearing. I remember sitting  at my laptop all day on clearing day, 2013,  searching for suitable courses, then, finally,  I received an acceptance e...

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...