Tag Archives: life

A Last Minute Escape to Dubrovnik: Sunshine, Hidden Corners and a Perfect Birthday for The Bloke

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At the end of October we booked a very last minute trip to Dubrovnik. It served two purposes: a chance to celebrate The Bloke’s birthday somewhere a little different, and it gave us the break we desperately needed after our disastrous trip to Scotland in August. I have been to Dubrovnik before, but he hadn’t, and the idea of showing him around the city while also getting some proper rest felt like fun.

At the end of October we booked a very last minute trip to Dubrovnik. It served two purposes. First, it was a chance to celebrate The Bloke’s birthday somewhere a little different. Second, it gave us the break we desperately needed after our disastrous trip to Scotland earlier in the month. I had been to Dubrovnik before, but he had not, and the idea of showing him around the city while also getting some proper rest felt ideal.

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Creating My 45 Before 45 List: A Year to Look Forward To

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Back in October, I had a simple realisation: in November 2026 I will celebrate my 45th birthday. The thought didn’t bother me in the slightest – as I have aged my mindset has very much become that ageing is a privilege, and despite having my ass kicked by perimenopause I actually really enjoy being in my 40s. What it did make me think about, however, was how I wanted the coming year ahead to feel. I know myself well enough to recognise that I function best when I have goals and the sense that I am moving forwards and making progress. The problem is that for the last few years, most of my goals have been professional ones, focusing on work, productivity and getting things done, rather than about doing things simply because they matter to me as a person. 

So, I feel it is a good time to shift the balance.

Image credit: Royalty-free image karolinagrabowska (Pixabay)

I decided that I wanted things to look forward to, things that would make the next twelve months a bit more intentional and a bit more enjoyable. Turning 45 doesn’t feel like a big dramatic milestone, but it is a good moment to check in with myself and decide what I want the year to be about.

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When a Holiday Doesn’t Quite Go to Plan

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Or… I got Covid. Yay.

There is something about arriving in Johnshaven that always feels like coming home. It doesn’t matter how long it has been since the last visit; as soon as we see the sea and the harbour, it all feels familiar again. That is exactly what I like about it… every visit feels like we are picking up where we left off. The village had grown slightly, with some new houses that had been built since our last visit a year ago, but not enough to see a huge difference. 

I was looking forward to seeing my favourite place in the world: Dunnottar Castle, and we decided that at the first opportunity we would go there to see the sunrise. As luck would have it we were able to do this within the first 24 hours of arriving. The castle looked as striking as ever and I sat on the clifftop for several hours, just taking it all in. It’s difficult to describe – I have never felt as connected to a place as I do there, and if given the opportunity I would just set up a tent and move in. 

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My Soul Dog

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I see the term “soul dog” on social media all the time. 

It is generally used to describe a dog that touches someone’s life in a way no other animal, or person (for that matter), ever has – the kind of bond that goes beyond ownership or routine. It’s about connection, understanding, and a shared sense of love that is hard to explain, but impossible to forget once you’ve felt it.

Five years ago, I met my soul dog, an 85lb staffie / mastiff cross with a heart of gold.

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Slowing Down to Move Forward

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At the beginning of the year, I made a deliberate effort to take back control of my life. I had become aware that the pace I was keeping wasn’t sustainable, so I took some fairly extensive steps to create more balance and structure. I wanted to be more intentional with my time, to focus on what genuinely mattered rather than getting caught up in the constant state of being ‘busy.’ 

For the first few months, it worked well. I felt calmer, more focused, and was far better at managing my time and energy. But gradually, without really noticing, old habits began to creep back in. One small commitment led to another, and before long, that balance that I had worked so hard to create had started to slip away.

The last time I sat down to write a blog post was back in July. As I have done so many times before, I told myself that I would get back into the habit and post more often. Then, as life became more hectic, it all became a bit overwhelming. 

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A Trip to Little Venice and a Canal Boat Ride to Camden

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You know those rare days where everything just goes… right? That was last weekend.

The Bloke and I took a spontaneous trip to London. I had already booked the day off in anticipation of being needed by a social media client, who unfortunately wasn’t available. Meanwhile, The Bloke discovered that he had a few surprise days of annual leave, so we made a last-minute decision to have an overnight stay, just for a change of scenery and a bit of head-space after what has seemed like a rather intense few months. We hadn’t done a proper touristy day out together since last September, so we figured we were due.

Little Venice in London

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It Smells Like Holiday

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Over the past week, the UK has been basking in a stretch of glorious weather – the kind of weather that we usually have to board a plane to find. On the rare occasions when we experience this, I find myself saying to The Bloke, “It smells like holiday.”

It’s a difficult thing to describe, but it evokes memories of going out in the evening while on holiday in a Mediterranean country, a combination of heat fading from the day and the subtle scents that come with dry, sunny weather. 

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A Trip to Belfast: Mum’s Titanic Dream, My Perfect Nap

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A few weeks ago, Mum and I hopped over to Belfast for a quick trip. The whole reason? The Titanic Museum. 

It would be an understatement to say that she’s a Titanic obsessive. She has paintings signed by a survivor, an original 1912 newspaper that was published just a few days after the sinking, White Star Line wine glasses, replicas of the menus and tickets and a playlist of the music performed by the quartet on board, books, DVDs, clothing… She’s been to every exhibition you can imagine since it was discovered – I very distinctly remember going to the Greenwich Maritime Museum as a young child when some of the artefacts from the wreckage were recovered and put on display in the 90s, my parents then went to Wembley to see James Cameron’s tour of the movie set and costumes, and in the last few years alone I have booked and organised trips so she can see exhibitions at London Docklands, Worcester and the NEC. At the beginning of the year, she went to Camden for the VR experience that is currently there… 

Suffice to say, the Titanic Museum in Belfast has been at the top of her list for a very long time, and this is something that she has been going on (and on, and on) about for years.

Now, I’ll be honest – the Titanic has never really been my thing. I appreciate the history, of course, and I get why it’s significant, but after being made to spend many hours reading plaques and looking at ship artefacts and replicas in my youth, it is no longer my idea of a good time. 

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Why Solo Date Nights Are My New Favourite Thing

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Last year, I saw that Jason Donovan was on tour in 2025. I’ve been a lifelong fan, getting his first album on vinyl when I was just 8 years old, and to this day some of the songs from that very album still feature on my regular playlist. 

I immediately booked a ticket for his performance at Symphony Hall. Just one ticket, just for me. I didn’t even think of asking anyone else if they wanted to come with me, because I knew instantly that this was something that I wanted to do by myself. 

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Twelve Years of Blogging: A Neglected Corner of My Heart

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April marked twelve years since I first hit the publish button on the blog.

Twelve whole years. It feels surreal even typing that. What started as a quiet little corner of the internet to share thoughts, observations, and the occasional rant has become something far more personal than I ever imagined. Yet, looking at the tumbleweeds rolling through the archives recently, you wouldn’t think it meant much at all.

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