New York, a little better than Berwick.

As I mentioned here in a little under 4 months I am going to be heading off to the U S of A to work at a summer school for the summer and I could not be more excited. America is one of my ultimate destinations, and somewhere I seem to be endlessly fascinated by. What you might not know is how I became so in love with this country, and how at the time It had a hard time beating my first travel love – Berwick.

Summer 1996, this little bundle of ginger was just 3 years old, proud big sister of 1 month old little sis. Together we were going on our first holiday, with mum and dad and all the new baby stuff people take of course. Now, I don’t know about you but I think they were pretty smart to pick somewhere close to home. A little caravan park in Berwick, close enough to get back if anything went wrong but still far enough for it to feel like a faraway land to little 3 year old molls. I mean this place had it all long white sand beach to build sandcastles and boats, my very own park with amazing swings, climbing frame, the works. Inside there was an exciting pool complex with water slides and plenty of space for me to bob about with my arm bands. I could ride my bike around the park all day long if I wanted and even when I road head first into a lamppost (a traumatic experience for a 3 year old, though perhaps a sign of things to come) It was quickly forgot once I’d got my hands on all the ice cream. Safe to say that those few days in a small resort, 1 hour from my home, blew my young mind and defined holidays for me for years to come.

January 2006, little miss molls had grown out of her baby face and into her stroppy teen faze. Just turning 13 and with a slightly more eclectic holiday history behind me (UK, France and Spain… I did say slightly) one holiday still reigned supreme. If you asked me where I wanted to go – ‘Berwick’, would I not like to go to Spain again - ‘Berwick.’ Yup that’s right, ten years on Berwick was still the pinnacle in my young eyes, nothing would beat the opportunity to go back to that town, walk familiar streets and relive all those perfect memories. Traveling was this scary weird concept, I knew dad had cool stories because of it but why didn’t people just like to stay put in one place, why see the world when we could see our family and friends right here on our street?!

Now of course my ideas are somewhat different. For me there is nothing better than finding yourself somewhere you’ve never been before. Whether it’s taking the side streets on your walk to work and discovering a cute little café you didn’t know existed, to throwing it all in hopping on a plane and loosing yourself in a city you’ve only ever dreamt of. But these ideas had to start somewhere..

September 2006, dad was off on yet another business trip but this time it was different, this time I was going with him. To New York, none the less. I was terrified; I was going to New York City, that was scary – exciting – but definitely scary. Waiting to board my first long haul flight I was filled with nerves, until then I’d only flown on a small plane to the Shetland! But I kept on picturing all the sights I’d seen in movies and read about in my guide books. Once we’d landed my nerves vanished, and for a first real journey abroad it couldn’t have gotten much better. Seeing as it was a business trip we were staying in fancy hotels in the finance district, there was even a chocolate statue of liberty in the room! While dad was in all those boring meetings I became addicted to gossip girl, developed a love for bagels and watched people milling about on Battery Park from the 31^st floor! In his down time we got to see all the sights (top of the rock was definitely my favourite), ate a bit too much, shopped until my little self couldn’t shop anymore and just generally loved every second of being in NYC.

In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made, oh
There's nothing you can't do, now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new
Big lights will inspire you, let's hear it for New York
New York, New York

Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind

It really did do just that. Even now 8 years on, when people ask me where my favourite place is I’ll say New York. When people want to know why I love to travel? Why I chose my degree? My answer is New York. Who knows where I’d be if I hadn’t had that opportunity when I was thirteen. I’m sure one way or another I’d have still developed my passion for travelling, but I still see that trip as a defining point in my life. Almost certainly without it I wouldn’t be heading off to work in America this summer. Oh, and guess what – I’m only 45 minutes away from NYC!

Have you had a defining trip in your life? Is there one place you just can’t get enough of or that you just can’t stop dreaming of exploring?

P.S. linking up with Whitney over at I Wore Yoga Pants To Work to #backthatazzup Friday ... this song  was the only choice really!

The Blogmopolitan Quiz

So i'm keeping it nice and simple today and linking up with the brilliant Erin over at Two Thirds Hazel, whose blog I was reading long before mine existed. As and absolute lover of magazines I was so happy when she created the brilliant Blogmopolitan Quiz and while I wasn't around for round 1, I am super excited to be taking part in round 2. Not only is it great fun but its a chance for you to find out a little bit more about me, and apparently my love of nachos! If you want to take part head on over to Erin's Blog and link up as well.

Righty'oh, on with the quiz girls and boys!

Hectic and I Know It..

Oh man, here I am and boy did I pick a crazy time to start a blog. Some would say a ridiculous time, with so much going on in the next 4 months I don’t know where I’m going to find the time. I like to think of it as the perfect time, with so much going on I’m never going to run out of things to talk about am I. And what better way to remember the moments that normally pass by in a blur than in this collection of run on sentences and gobbled gook. So, without further ado let’s begin my play by play list hecticosity (no? maybe? We’ll go with it.)

Work, work and more work.

After a beautiful couple of months of chilled out work schedules for Christmas and New Year, and a beautifully lazy January filled with my birthday, drinks and minimal actual work needing doing February has hit back with a vengeance. We’re talking multiple events in the next 3 months, more skills to teach and a couple of fabulous top secret projects that I can’t wait to start working on. Honestly, I am super excited for all this busyness to take over, I love the work that we do and getting to play an integral role in events as well as just interacting with the kids is such an honour.

Couch 2 5k

Not such a fun one, but between now and summer I plan on actually getting my butt into shape. I’ve always been a fan of dancing but in recent years it’s become less of a fitness activity and more of a fun occurrence on nights out and at gigs. As much as I love dance, somehow with my work schedule and my intense need to save for summer, I can never seem to find a class I like at a price I like. That little fun/cost dilemma has led to this couch potatoes decision to finally give running a go, and I mean I’m really going to try.. I’ve decided on the couch 2 5k as I’ve heard so many good things about it and hopefully by summer I’ll be happier, fitter and just maybe managing enjoying to run at least a little distance!

Newcastles of the World

Now this one’s crazy exciting! I am honoured to have been invited to take part in the Newcastles of the World conference in Novre Hrady, Czech Republic as a youth delegate. I’ve been lucky enough to take part in this conference back in 2012 when Newcastle Upon Tyne played host and as a member of the Youth Council I helped to prepare and run the youth sessions. The week was spent exploring our local area and getting to know a lovely group of young people from Newcastles in South Africa, Japan, Switzerland and Germany and I cannot be more excited to be involved this time.

Camp America!!

Eeek. Oh my gawd, I am SO SO SO excited!! In January this year after humming and hawing all of last year I decided to just bite the bullet, make a profile and apply to Camp America. For those of you who don’t know, Camp America are one of the biggest providers of summer camp jobs in the USA. They provide thousands of people the opportunity to work in camp counsellor or campower positions all over the United States with a months travel time added on at the end. I’ve been given a job in New York as a special needs counsellor at a summer school and I could not be happier right now! I’m going to start a regular post about my experiences with Camp America from the application form I completed in January to my post camp travel in August.

This story is just the beginning

So here I am, with my brand new blog and my eager beaver self, ready to get started. But what do you want to know. What I had for breakfast? Where my ultimate holiday would be? What my favourite colour is? Or maybe you want to know why I started this here blog? And that girls and boys is what I'm gonna answer.

Now we all know that a good story starts at the beginning and has a middle and an end, which is inevitably followed by the beginning of the next story and so on and so forth. This story though, starts at the end of the tale before, and well, as you'll see I'm not quite sure if we've made it beyond the start of the next one let alone to the fairy tale ending anytime soon. 

Let’s start at the end shall we. 

Results day bubbly with the dad

Once upon a time, May 2012 to be precise. There lived a hardworking 19 year old molly. She’d worked her butt off for 3 years to overcome naysayers and was, at last, graduating college. Fancy International Baccalaureate diploma in hand she confirmed her place at a top red brick university and I was ready to take on the world. That summer she spent a month backpacking Germany with her best friends and exploring bits of Eastern Europe. Life was decidedly rosy.

Obligatory Berlin bear with the besties.

When September hit she began her dream degree in American History and Literature and carried on following that good old guidebook to life, the one that’s so often preached at you in school. You know the one, follow High School road to University Avenue, after 3 years carry straight on over to Career Highway, optional detours to Wedding Town and Baby Boulevard allowed. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I have no issue with people who choose those things and follow that path. In fact for years that was my goal in life, to follow that yellow brick road and live a regular happy sparkly life.

But as you've probably guessed, that isn't quite how things went down. By December little miss molly had realized she did not want to be at that university (a story for a different day) and by February was back living at home, although not quite ready to give up on following the traditional path. She signed up for a new course. Primary Education in fact, right here in Newcastle and got ready, once again, to begin the rest of her life. Once again it was not to be she found myself struggling and took yet another break.

Now a year on since she first walked away from uni and 2 months on from the most recent detour she's found herself re-evaluating what  she really want from life. At 21 she was stepping off the map and exploring what was really around her for the first time. She happy to be looking for her happily ever beginning.

The End.. and The Beginning.

So there you have it. I have 10 months left to decide if university is for me, 10 months to travel, explore, and see the world. I don’t expect to have chosen a career in these 10 months or have got myself back on track. I’m using them to figure out where I want to be, to reroute the map, rewrite the guide book and smell as many roses as possible along the way. Gosh darn that was a lot of clichés and I've got one more for you. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said ‘Life is a journey, not a destination.'  (oops still an American literature nerd)

Uh oh, First Post Ever

Yikes. After obsessively stalking reading blogs for a little over a year, I have eventually decided to take the plunge and join in all the fun.

Now I’ve not quite worked out what I’m gonna talk about on this here blogaroo. However, the year ahead is hectic with adventure and I’m bringing you along for the ride! Making sure you, and mi familia, are kept up to date on all my shenanigans, home and away.

So. Let’s Get Started!