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Unwind Your Mind In The City Of Lisbon.

The uneven cobbled road’s wind up towards the steep mountain pathway the colourful tiled walls surround you. A rush of excitement and exhaustion passes through your body as you lookout at the beautiful city of Lisbon.

Is this your typical city?

I struggled to understand Lisbon, it was a capital city after all and it lacked a busy bustling feel even in the peak of the summer. I looked out for the uptight business commuters, fashionable boutiques and night clubs, I was left asking myself where is all the chaos? Surely this can’t be it.

Choosing to stay in a city for seven day’s seemed a huge gamble for me, as a traveler I normally estimate 4 day’s maximum in a city, however a city that offers golden beaches as well as the city attractions seemed to good to be true. I was intrigued to know how a capital city could offer all of these thing’s and could be so relaxing?

Lisbon offers a local feel, from tiny restaurants tucked away in the old wall’s, locals sitting out on the pavements playing cards and the almost to quiet sounds for a ‘city’.

Lisbon Central Hostel is a perfect homily place to stay, they even make you free banana and apple pancakes EVERY MORNING!! I always normally book dorm’s but when going with your partner some privacy is a must! People alway’s ask how do I go away so much? WELL get booking a hostel think about all the cash you will be saving from that lavish hotel all your doing is sleeping in there! AND NO you are not sharing your room with a homeless person…

Looking back I felt almost to confident from the moment I arrived into Lisbon, almost like greeting an old friend you’ve not seen in years but are put to ease straightway. (Home away from home I think!)

Here are some of my favourite snaps from the trip! <3

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The Restless Wanderer

I look through the same eye’s every moment of my life, these set of eye’s grow wiser, becoming part of the world. One moment in this life it will be my last watch of an horizon, the last jump for the morning train, a last goodbye to my parents. I look through my eyes trying to sew the un-sewable together reaching up, pushing myself to be the best person that I can be. Tangled in my mind at every waking hour, what shall I do next? where should I view the world from? could I have done better? Times ticking, but it’s never a race, stroll on through the cities and take the turning down the unfamiliar passage way, smile to the stranger, make a friend, keep on laughing, times ticking...

These thought’s keep us moving, growing and forever grateful for the life we live. A curious mind will help you flourish in any path you choose, be beautiful, be your best, be bold and to be at peace, always be yourself.

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Flying solo to the unforgettable Budapest.

After finishing the first semester of my second year of university I thought why not book another solo trip to one of the most talked about cities, a place I have always wanted to visit but for some reason it was never at the top of my travel list for places to see.

Budapest a city bursting with history from the old communist days (which have no fear there is no communism here anymore) to the lingering smell of traditional Goulash and the laid back hustle of intertwining cultures. I would compare Budapest’s appearance to Prague and the Hipster boutique culture to Berlin, Budapest offers endless exploring for all walks of life.

REST YOUR HEAD Are you a tight git with your money? Do you thrive from meeting new people? Is your accommodation a place to just lay your head after a long day of exploring? Well if you answered YES to all of these questions then hostels are the way for you. Budapest is highly competitive on the hostel scene and for all of us backpacker cheapskates this falls in our favour hugely! I normally avoid the chained hostels I find them to big and not so personal, however this time I opted for the ‘Wombats’ hostel it’s placed central to all nightlife and in walking distance to all major attractions and not to forget the stupidly cheap price I paid just £40 for 4 nights!!… Who says taking a break has to be so unaffordable?

GET YA MUNCH ON The food choices are endless, many places offering fine dining or maybe your more for the rustic markets where you can try the traditional Hungarian cuisines such as Goulash, spicy fish soup or the mouth watering Lagos! I personally eat mainly at the markets just because you get so much food for your money and I always think the best way to enjoy a new place is to get stuck in with what the locals eat. I did however splash out at a extremely high end restaurant for breakfast one morning (I never for the life of me remember the name!) the food was amazing but do remember not to put your water bottle on the table or you may get asked to leave..

EXPERIENCE THE CITY 

When traveling to Budapest cross over the chain bridge, head on up to Buda Castle I decided to take the walking path up to the castle you can see the city on all levels this way. The Fishermans Bastion and St Matthias Church are another added delight when you reach the top, I did not go inside St Matthias church purely because the beauty on the outside was more than enough for me. Another must for the historic city is to visit one of the many bath houses, I chose the Szechenyi you can choose from 15 different pools to relax in if you want freezing cold or steaming hot the choice is yours! If I went again I would personally not go here just because of the popularity of the place and also avoid peak times such as 12pm to 3pm it get’s to cramped and you will struggle to relax.

HISTORY When traveling I always love to step back in time to the old days and try to picture life as it used to be, its hard to digest that only 80 years ago at least 400,00 jews were killed by the Nazi’s, The Great Synagogue a centre of Neolog Judaism and the largest in Europe is a must stop to show your respects. The Hungarian Parliament Building truly took my breathe away I could of stood and stared at it all day, you don’t have to go inside but for a small price you get a english speaking tour guide and a chance to see the crown jewels!

To finish this post here is one of my personal favourite shots from the trip.

A SURVIVOR FROM ALL EVIL 

Below is a picture I took before entering the Jewish Synagogue. Believe it or not at the end of the tour we were told that one of the holocaust survivors ‘Lucy’ owned her own shop at the entrance of the temple. I could not believe it and later that evening when returning back I came across this picture and it amazed me how the light shines brightly on her. I believe an angel and a survivor. 

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Should we have it all figured out in our 20′s?

Do you ever get that feeling that you should be more established in your job, a perfect relationship, a mortgage, traveled more places?

Since turning 22 something changed, I felt more eager and more rushed to tick the to do’s off my never ending list. I asked myself on a regular basis “Why do you want all of this, is it worth all these sleepless nights?”. The question often got answered with a stern “Of course, I am dedicated and these plans will get me to where I aspire to be”.

But where do I aspire to be. Where do we all aspire to be…

From a young age, I always swore that by my mid 20’s I would be successful and complete. Then I woke up. It’s taken the past 6 years for me to figure a way out of my hometown, to venture into the unknown and I am still finishing my degree.

Some day’s I feel honestly fine with where I am in life than other day’s I am the biggest bully to myself. I have started to learn that this is the flight or fight in me, I have little patience from time to time. Some may look at me and think how amazing all you have achieved and others will look and think I could of done better.

Facebook statues seem to rally us into gear the most now a day’s. I find this so sad, our peers the majority time are writing statues about how they have it all together but really in the real world, they don’t. It is all one big front, I have found setting time scales for what I want to achieve only makes me more anxious, let it be and keep going we are all going at different paces.

So today I looked back at the lessons I have discovered on my ongoing journey.

FEELING CONFIDENT IN THE CHOICES YOU MAKE AND WHAT YOU DESIRE RIGHT NOW

It is difficult to take risks, to travel endlessly, without the worry of people thinking your a reckless bum, to take time out and study without people saying “hey what are you going to do with THAT degree?” to have the courage to sit alone in public without any electronic devises and people not think there is something wrong with you. I am sure at some point you have experienced these feelings. We must always break societies rules and focus on what lights us up. What bring’s you true fulfilment? Where do you seek inspiration? What is your passion?.

Staying focused on what you truly want out of life is essential to keeping you positive. Grab the nearest piece of paper and start writing down where you feel you should be now or the things you should have in your life. Once you have a list carefully think if any of the things on your list are influenced from your family, friends or society. Lastly determine what is important to you?

IS ANYTHING IN LIFE CERTAIN

Having your whole life figured out, does such a thing even exist?   I adore my chosen career and are working extremely hard to get to the position I desire, but who’s saying that won’t all change, who’s to say I won’t wake up tomorrow and want a new career path?

Maybe your in a relationship and feel as though they are the one right at this moment, who’s to say those feelings won’t change?

Anything in our lives can change, our future is an ongoing mystery. The sooner we stop clinging to the things we feel we need to help us survive our unknown destiny the better. It’s a freeing feeling and almost exciting that nothing is forever and we have to enjoy now and let life be, never force anything.

HOW WILL EVERYTHING TURN OUT

19 years of age I stepped off the plane from Australia, disappointed with my return and also feeling confused with what to do with my life. I pinned all my hopes on leaving dreary England for the postcard views in Australia and I would come back a reformed person and ready to carry on my wonderful life, but I came back as confused as I was when I left.

I took another unplanned gap year, decided to rent a property with my long term partner at the time and still wandered endlessly because I simply didn’t know what I wanted to do. Two years down the line I am on my way to securing a degree in music the only thing I have ever been certain on. I save every penny I earn to travel, I wonder often if I am suppose to travel the world or I am meant to live in a house. I wonder if the guy I am with is the one I will be with forever, will my business continue to grow?.

I have absolutely no flippen idea!

But I also feel like I have some of my shit together. I don’t feel the need to be surrounded by people for the sake of feeling comfort, I have learnt to love myself and my own company. I will never compare myself to others, I am my own person.

I will keep traveling, writing, taking photos, meeting new people, performing and enjoying the feeling of not knowing where the hell I am going. Every day I take a step back and the day after I’ll take two steps forward, but hey ho! That is life for you.

Never feel disappointed in yourself if your feeling lost, there are so many paths ahead, we have to go down a few to decide which one is truly for us.

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A Female Finding Her Way

How great would it be if we could all agree on the same thing?

But then I guess we would all get pretty sick of each other even more quickly. I would describe myself as a very opinionated person, I have always been quite select with who I allow into my life and have spent the last 5 years learning and growing in confidence to love my own company. Maybe you are at this stage in your life or still discovering it.

Growing up through my teenage years, I was not the most well behaved child (But I had the most fun!) and many people doubted me, which at time’s looking back I could maybe understand why they would.. BUT if anything this fuelled my fire. I thrived off the doubtfulness and I now understand that this is where it all started, my drive and determination grew in strength and when people try to determine your outcome in life, I don’t know about you but I will do the complete opposite.

Anyway.. back to the point I was making.

If you have not already, make this year a year you travel alone. The whole traveling alone as a female topic seem’s to be filled with complications and many reasons why you should not go or just an excuses. One day you will be alone and the day you start becoming comfortable with yourself is the day you start actually living. I am defiantly not saying you should travel alone always but at least once try it. You will learn incredible things about yourself and your surroundings. So to ease that head of yours and to help you book that flight you have been meaning to book, I will go ahead and talk about my experiences from my first trip alone.

BEING ALONE ALLOWS YOU TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT Walking alone around the city of Copenhagen was strange at first, naturally you will have puzzling thoughts going around in your head “Why have I done this” etc. The way to quieten these unhelpful voices is to simply keep on walking, get a feel of the place and remind yourself, your time is limited here and soon you will be back home running after your hectic routines. When traveling with others I sometime’s forget the things I actually want to see, the pace I want to take, the shops I want to go into and the countless stop off’s for dessert, without feeling guilty for wanting another crêpe.. When traveling with a friend you always seem to focus on how your both getting along, did she mean what she just said and tuning out of your surroundings. Traveling is not just about a holiday, it is learning lesson’s about yourself and how you react to situations out of your comfort zone. Always be confident, strike a conversation with the person sitting next to you, who know’s this could be their first solo trip to.

LEARNING TO ENJOY THE RELATIONSHIP YOU HAVE WITH YOURSELF I have had some of the best time’s traveling with others but I can honestly say, myself became my favourite travel partner. Not having anyone there to comfort you or a familiarity to home helped me appreciate and love the relationship I have with myself. It is one thing I am extremely grateful for is the confidence I have with being alone, It make’s me sad when I see people who have to be constantly around others to feel secure or even loved. Start with loving yourself.

 TALKING TO STRANGERS (STAY IN HOSTELS)

I can’t stress this enough but to meet like minded people and the majority of the time solo travellers, you must stay in a hostel. I have had countless people asking me do homeless people stay there, are they safe, how can I cope with sleeping in a room with strangers, the list goes on. Hostels are if not equally as popular as hotel’s, even family’s stay in them and that is the beauty of a hostel experience, there are a variety of people from all over the world. Hostel’s also offer many FREE walking tours you can take part in, giving you chance to meet other travellers and potentially lifelong friends. I chose to stay in a 6 bed dorm in Copenhagen, I met the most lovely people from all over the world, LA, Australia, Italy and Taiwan, we stayed up late talking about life and our next travel destination. It was unforgettable.

EATING OUT The first evening of my trip I decided to take a walk into town, I passed through the back streets and found a cute restaurant. I initially wanted a place to pick some food and leave but I thought "why can’t I fine dine myself this evening”. I loved this experience, I just sat and watched others and enjoyed my food without having the pressure of talking to somebody. Another lesson learnt, since returning home I make much more time for myself, whether it be a little coffee shop visit or a nice restaurant outing to watch the world go by.

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Why India?! Why not India... (Part 1)

Writing this post has taken me some time, I mean where do I start!. I am not only writing this post for my pure enjoyment of blogging but also to answer the many questions I received since my return. This is not a post to persuade the many people that told me how they would never dare go to India to go, but to share with you my personal experiences and how a different culture can influence your life in many encouraging ways.

MEETING THE LOCALS For 3 weeks the locals became my family, the majority of people were welcoming and wanted to help you (or take you into jewellery shops). It did come as quite a shock how male dominated India was, I did expect more women but I can honestly say throughout the trip I never once felt in danger. Getting your picture taken on a regular basis is what to expect when walking around the major cities or seeing landmarks, I guess they were curious and I did travel to India in the off peak season.. so to spot a white blonde haired girl roaming around gave the locals quite a shock. The language barrier was never a real issue I made sure to take pictures of the hotels I was staying at and I always made sure to take a guidebook with me so you can point at the destinations instead of both looking at each other cluelessly… “Namaste” will always serve you well, a respectful greeting to say to each other, they respect you for this and like anywhere in the world, always smile, body language is key.

THE FOOD So the first week I consumed more curry then I had in my whole entire existence, another mouthful of Butter Paneer would of been the end of me. I can honestly say with never being a spice or curry fan I was not entirely courageous with the traditional Indian dishes.. BUT for someone who is down for the spice, curries and endless toilet trips India is the place for you. By the way the amount of toilet trips you WILL take is not down to the food been poorly cooked but the drastic diet change, breakfast: curry / lunch: curry / dinner: curry. YES the bond you make with the toilet (or hole in the ground) will never be forgotten.

WHY HOTELS OVER HOSTELS 

For me personally when traveling it’s all about meeting new people this is one of the biggest highlights and this is why I have always chose hostel’s, I feel a hostel environment makes this happen more naturally. Yet for this trip something changed.. I never thought I’d be saying this BUT hotels achieved my approval, I never would of visualised myself a student and a part time worker being able to afford 5* hotels. I did miss jumping from bunkbed to bunkbed however jacuzzi baths, silk sheets and room service all for the price of £21 a night was just what I needed after rambling through the Indian heat and hectic streets. I would say the ultimate end to a day.

EVERYTHING IS CHEAP To the people that don’t understand the currency 100 RS (Rupees) is equal to a £1. Our average budget a day was £10 for all meals depending whether you choose to eat the street food (Which is delicious but spicy!) which in that case even cheaper. Alcohol is available in the hotels at a high price, I did pay towards the end of my trip for a glass of white wine which cost me £9 and was very much worth it!! I spotted a couple of liquor stores which I should imagine the alcohol will be a similar if not more expensive price than here in England as the majority of the locals choose not to drink. The beautiful Henna in the picture cost only £1! by an amazingly talented young girl. 

TAJ MAHAL The majestic beauty and simplicity of the Taj Mahal left me lost for words. It took me a while to get my head around the fact I was standing in front of one of the most beautiful thing’s I have ever seen and one of the 7 wonders of the world. Rabindranath Tagore the Indian poets description of the Taj Mahal is the best I have read “a teardrop of the face of eternity”.  You can view all of this beauty for just 700RS (£7!!) absolutely crazy, you can’t even go to the cinemas for that much here in England. The Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to his second wife Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child in 1631, construction of the Taj Mahal began in the same year and wasn’t completed until 1653. Not long after it was finished, Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb and imprisoned in Agra Fort where, for the rest of his days, he could only gaze out at his creation through a window.

NEW DELHI SLUM (PETE TOUR / PROVIDING EDUCATION TO EVERYONE) When most people think of India they instantly think of the poverty, but behind the poverty lives many inspirational people. Pete for India tour is a small company that offers Slum Tour walks to give you an insight on their everyday life. To some people this might seem weird walking around their homes but the money you pay for the tour (£5) goes all to the slum schools and provides education for the young children. The locals are very welcoming and eager to show you around, they do NOT beg they all work extremely hard earning pittance but somehow still smile. There are many lessons I think we could all take from the slums, family values, a strong community, time, love, courage and the fight to carry on in the most destitute situations. An experience I will never forget.

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Here is my new teaching logo for CCVOX Vocal Tuition. Big thank you to @malkerm for designing so talented absolutely love it. #teaching #logo #singer #vocals #chelsea #coleman #design #ccvox #quirky #art #theory #tuition #learn #inspire #love

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Enjoy the little things.

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Drop the manual, go hit the road!

Were only here once right?..

Down goes the tenth concoction and the reassurance from your friends fills your ego "Go on take another!" living for the moment..are you? Continuously scrolling down your news feed, travel blogs relish in amusement telling all of their adventures, your left facing the downfall slope forever in regret. Tomorrows your day, waking with a sense of certainty and for a brief second you grab the nearest sheet of crumpled paper, calculating together that all important ticket out of here. Countless days at the dead end job, you dart your eyes around the narcissistic crowd, demanding voices and minimum wage. No responsibilities, years ahead of you and what is it you are waiting for? The time and money you spend in high street shops all to strut down your local club strip, lets face it you’ve been stumbling down that roadway for what seems like a lifetime.

Change is the biggest high you will ever get. Many people will not understand or even agree with your bold, daring ‘pipe dreams’ but why should that stop you? The doubtful and negative people are the ones that stick to ‘Life's Manual’ you don’t need the manual you have your own ideas.

Meet the outsider, I am forever interrogated and frowned upon for my overblown plans. Stood there alerting their doubtful eyes on me, I pity them. Reaching the finish line and how the smiles turn.

Societies definition of ‘normal’ persuades us all to fall in the line behind every other lost soul accepting and signing our fate away:

Marriage certificates stop all disputes

Children save relationships

Forever bound to an over priced mortgage

9-5 office job

Don't let them corrupt and lure you in with their dismay and lies, explore your creativeness and keep learning!

“It does not matter how slow you go so long as you do not stop.”

WISDOM OF CONFUCIUS

Throw caution to the wind, closing the door on unwanted guests.

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The Search

How can we be sure if this is our calling or dying day? Take the chance if we dare Lets take the road Gone and faraway The sense of release Are we free?..........

- Chelsea Coleman