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My first travel conference: Traverse16

 

So I’m just back from my first EVER travel conference, and what a weekend I had! Traverse 16 was held in the lively Welsh capital of Cardiff this year and the city stadium made for a fantastic venue. I was super impressed by Traverse; they were welcoming, friendly and the whole atmosphere was relaxed and informal yet completely informative and helpful – I learnt SO much! Here are my top highlights from a fun filled weekend…

 

I met so many new people & have made some wonderful friends

We've arrived at the #traverse networking party! Hellooo free food and drinks 🎉🎉 @lucyronan

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So I have known the beautiful Lucy Ronan from Faraway Lucy for the past few months now – we are both shortlisted as finalists in the UK Blog Awards – and we decided we would FINALLY meet by attending Traverse together for our first ever networking conference. Naturally we were both a little nervous but it actually really helped that we were together and I think we boosted each others confidence by sharing ideas and discussing everything we had learnt from our differing workshops.

I also met the lovely Sabina Trojanova, Emma Hart & Sophie Davis from Girl vs Globe,  Paper Planes and Caramel Waffles and Sophie’s Suitcase respectively – we finally met girls!! – and it was lovely to put faces to names as we have been in touch with each other in the virtual blogosphere for so long.

 

I attended workshops with industry professionals and expert bloggers

So many reasons to visit #cardiff 📷🇬🇧@visitwales @traverseevents #traverse16 #findyourepic

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I took part in three workshops and two one-to-one sessions during my days conference – I had such a jam packed day but I loved every second! I also took the opportunity to speak with the sponsors who were showcasing their brands and I met some really interesting people. My favourite workshop was ‘How to take the Leap into Fulltime Blogging’ with Monica Stott of The Travel Hack– this was incredibly helpful and I was full of admiration for Monica after seeing first hand how she has turned her hobby into a career.

 

I also attended a writing workshop with Abi King of Inside the Travel Lab and a photography workshop with Kim Leuenberger – both talks were fantastic and I came away with so many ideas and so much inspo. Before the day was out I was lucky enough to book two 1-1’s with Skyscanner’s Tika Larasati and Julie Falconer of A Lady in London – thanks for the advice ladies!

I entered some competitions

Because who doesn't love dressing up stupid to try win a free trip ✈👓 oh hey @icelollyholiday @traverseevents #traverse16 #findyourepic

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And here's another one.. This time for @expedia ✈🏊 @traverseevents #traverse16 #findyourepic @visitwales

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Who doesn’t love a good competition, especially when there are travel prizes and free trips up for grabs?! I entered four different competitions during my day at Traverse, two included dressing up silly for Expedia & Icelolly to win free trips/credit towards a bookings (see above – I had so much fun) the other was a treasure hunt with ILOVENYPR searching for US themed clues to win (yep, you guessed it, a trip to NYC) and the last one was a Twitter comp with Surprise Trips – guess the ‘surprise’ European city and win a free trip! I had so much fun entering the competitions and chatting to the lovely sponsors throughout the day and I know so many others did too – unfortunately I wasn’t a winner but it’s the taking part that counts, right?!

I bagged tonnes of cheeky freebies

Oh hey freebies.. who knew I could pick up so much free stuff at a travel conference?! Thanks @traverseevents 🙋👜 #traverse16

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This was a MAJOR highlight for me.. who knew there could be so many freebies up for grabs at one of these events?! As I walked through the door at home my mum was quite literally astonished as to how much I’d brought home – I left the house with one bag and came back with FOUR! Amongst my fabulous freebies was a lovely Expedia towel (and pen and paper clamp), a Traverse business card holder, a Skyscanner hoodie, a cute little monkey from Cathay Pacific and goody bags from Visit Wales and Wye Valley. Thanks folks, love all my new blags!

I networked the hell outta there

https://www.instagram.com/p/BEBJWZwNPuf/?taken-by=jessica16_x

 

 

As this was my first conference, the act of ‘networking’ was something totally new to me but I think I took it in my stride and seemed to do ok! Effectively, networking is just chatting with like minded people and making contacts; I was just happy to get my name out there and meet as many people as possible, plus I love a good chat- who doesn’t?!

I set fire to a table (I’m not even lying)

 

Lol. I know what you’re thinking; who even sets fire to a TABLE?! Well folks, it did happen – and I think Lucy and I wanted the ground to just swallow us up there and then. I have never been SO EMBARRASED and I’ve done a lot of crazy things in my time! I’m sure I don’t need to give you all the explosive deets (see what I did there ;)) but basically there was a waffle in a waffle box (obvs) and a candle and a table..and then there was a flame and a pint of water and Lucy got soaked… you get the gist.. nothing in my life has ever compared to how mortified I was on that Friday night! Talk about making a good first impression… #ooopppsss

So as you can probably tell I had a whale of a time at my first ever travel blogging conference and cannot WAIT until the next one! A big thank you to everyone at Traverse who made my first experience so worthwhile, especially Lucy & Ollie who were both hilarious and soo friendly and welcoming <3

Until next time Traverse!

 

Yesterday's beaut of a venue for @traverseevents… It's a good job I'm a football fan ⚽⚽ #traverse16

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March Newsletter

Hi everyone,

We’re at the end of yet another month so it is of course time for my March Newsletter! Considering I didn’t have anything planned it’s turned into such a hectic month and it’s just flown by! I also LOVED having a four day weekend over the bank holiday Easter weekend. Here’s my best bits…

I’m starting to get better!!

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I’ll kick-start with a massive highlight.. on my most recent regular hospital visit I was told that I was responding well to my medication for my prolactinoma treatment and that my hospital visits could be reduced from quarterly to yearly! On a personal level this was absolutely massive for me and brought me so much happiness and positivity. My health is so important and I can’t wait to start feeling better to get back to my normal self!

I published two new posts on The Culture Trip

I took a little break from writing for The Culture Trip but I’ve recently began writing a little more for them and I put together two new posts; travel guides to the Celtic county of Cornwall and the Great British capital of London. Have a read and let me know what you think!

I announced something special to the world

 

This needs no introduction so I’ll keep it short and sweet.. I recently shared something pretty big with the world; I’ve quit my office job and am going to travel across America on an epic 27 day road trip! You HAVE to read my announcement for all the juicy gossip!

I met up with a fellow Travel Blogger in Oxford

 

A few weekends ago, on a sunny Saturday afternoon, I met up with the lovely Victoria of The Girl on the Move and we had the best time exploring the cobbled streets of Oxford. Victoria lives near Reading and I live near Oxford so we met up in the city of dreaming spires, pretended to be tourists and then went for some lovely cake in the cutest little café! Victoria and I have felt like we’ve known each other a good while now since we have both started blogging but it was so lovely to finally meet each other face to face. Until next time Vicky! <3

I reviewed another travel guidebook with Amazon

 

 

So I’ve done this before but I was asked again by Independent Guides and Amazon.com to review one of their latest guidebooks: London 2016. I absolutely loved reading the book and it’s a must for anyone planning a trip to the Great British capital anytime soon! You can read my review here.

I was interviewed by the local press for the upcoming UK Blog Awards

 

 

Eeek can’t believe I’m writing this but I was recently interviewed by The Oxford Mail for a feature story on my recent UK Blog Awards nomination! I’m delighted to be gaining some local press for my blog and this has only heightened my excitement for the awards do itself which will be taking place in just under a month’s time! Here’s a sneak peek of the photo-shoot we did for the press piece, but the full article will be out TOMORROW and I will of course share it with you all!

I’ve been selected to work with Yahoo.com as a Yahoo Network Blogger!

 

This is probably my most exciting piece of news for this month, and I’m pretty sure you’ll agree that I’ve saved the best ’til last! I’ve been selected to work with Yahoo.com as a travel blogger for their UK style team and I am SO excited to be joining their blogger network! I’m in the process of putting my first post together and will of course share it with you all as soon as it’s live!

So there we have it, this month has been crazy busy and I don’t doubt that April will be the same! How did your March go?!

Love Jess x

 

🐣🐰Happy easter 🐣🐰

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February Newsletter

Hello everyone,

So I know that we are wellllll into March now but I’ve been meaning to post my February newsletter for AGES and I figured that it would be better late than never! My February was spent catching up with friends and doing lots of bloggy stuff – I’m currently working on redesigning my site so hopefully I’ll start unveiling this soon. I also squeezed in a trip to Brighton and cheered my(single) self up with a Valentines night out! Here’s how my February went…

I decided to take the 12 Trips Challenge

 

 

So this year I’ve decided to take the 12 trips challenge and book one day out/evening stay per month for a whole year! I’ve already booked a number of trips for the first part of this year and am excited to see what the rest of 2016 will hold! Are you taking part in the 12 trips challenge this year?

 

My #Londonin4 challenge was promoted by VisitLondon.com

 

 

I also took part in my first ever Twitter competition this month, anyone that knows me will know how much I LOVE London so I couldn’t help myself when I noticed that VisitLondon.com were asking followers to tweet their best 4 photos of the city. I was pleased with the images I’d chosen and even more pleased when their official Twitter page shared it! Over 70 favorites and 22 retweets made it one of their most engaging posts – yayyy!

 

I headed to Brighton for the first time!

 

 

I was sooo excited to head down to Brighton for the first time EVER at the end of the month when I visited my best friend! We stayed at her house in Littlehampton, not far from Brighton, but headed into the city for dinner, drinks and a night out as well as a whistle stop tour of the major attractions during our time there. I LOVED Brighton and cannot wait to return soon!

 

I celebrated National Rare Disease Day

 

 

Right at the end of the month I decided to share something personal to me as part of National Rare Disease Day which took place on 29th Feb. I’ll keep this brief as the blog post speaks for itself but I’m proud to say that, although I suffer with an illness, I won’t let it stop me from enjoying my travels!

I went to the theatre… again!

 

Opening night of @chicagomusical what a show!! 🎭🎷 #theatre #musical #oxford #chicago #fridaynight #allthatjazz

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So I know I’ve been to the theatre a LOT lately but I think this is probably my last show for a while! I headed to Oxford New Theatre at the start of the month for the opening night of  Chicago the Musical, the UK tour. The show was incredible and the cast were amazing – we had such a good night and it’s something I would recommend to everyone – who doesn’t love a bit of all that jazz?!

So that’s it, my overdue February Newsletter is complete! Hope you enjoyed reading- what did you get up to last month? Stay tuned for some HUGE news coming soon on the blog….

Love Jess x

Brighton ready 👯🍸 #brighton #drinks #nightout

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24 Hours in Brighton!

 

Hi everyone,

So this weekend I returned from a super short stay in one of the most lively cities in the UK – and what a blast it was! Brighton is a trendy seaside resort brimming with quirky cafes, bars and restaurants as well as a multitude of high street and designer stores. You’ll also find Britain’s answer to the Taj Mahal, a similar looking London Eye and one of the best piers in the country! On a time limit and wanting to explore as much of the city as possible? Read on for my guide to exploring Brighton in 24 hours…

Where to Stay

 

Brighton has a huge range of  hotels from grand buildings with glorious sea views to small, tucked away hostels and B&B’s for those on a budget. The Hilton and Mercure are particularly impressive with a prime sea front location whilst the Travelodge in the centre of the city offers good value for money.

 

I actually stayed at my friends house in Littlehampton, around a 40 min drive from Brighton, but if I returned I’d love to stay at one of the central hotels so I could be in the heart of the action (and avoid the taxi ride home at silly o’clock in the morning!)

 

What to See

 

There’s LOADS to see and do in Brighton, least of all Britain’s answer to India’s iconic Taj Mahal! The Royal Pavilion is a beautiful building right in the centre of the city and is perhaps Brighton’s most visited tourist attraction.

 

 

 

There’s also the world famous pier with its dazzling lights and candyfloss stalls, the pier that got burnt down twice (it’s still half standing in the sea!) and a decent sized Ferris Wheel offering views of the sea and surrounding city.

 

In addition, you’ll find a Sealife Centre, Museum & Art Gallery and Theatre Royal as well as the pretty marina.

Where to Shop

 

 

Brighton is brimming with high street and designer stores as well as quirky, independent and locally owned shops offering handmade goods and quality clothing. Head down to Churchill Square for world renowned stores all under one roof- perfect on a rainy day!

Alternatively, Brighton is also well known for its kooky shopping streets, The Lanes, where you’ll find cafe’s, patisseries, craft shops, record stores and clothes shops aplenty.

https://www.instagram.com/p/_AEsWkHKdI/?tagged=thelanesbrighton

Where to Eat

As it’s such a huge city, Brighton has no end of foodie places on offer from well known chain restaurants including Bills and Bella Italia to locally owned independent Indian restaurants and fish and chip shops!

New #coconut colada made with #Venezuelan #rum – #latin #Wednesday in #brighton

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Head down to the seafront where you’ll find an abundance of high end restaurants and luxury eateries including the fantastic Salt Room serving meat and fish specifically.

Where to Drink

Brighton is well known for having a colourful nightlife with its its array of lively bars, clubs and pubs it’s certainly an eventful night out! Big clubs in the city include Pryzm and Vodka Revs with well known pubs including Wetherspoons and Walkabout also making an appearance.

Brighton ready 👯🍸 #brighton #drinks #nightout

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So there you have it, my complete travel guide to a city break in Brighton! Hope you’ve enjoyed the read – stay tuned for my February Newsletter coming up next!

Love Jess x

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Travelling with an illness… Happy rare disease day!

rarediseaseday

Hello everyone,

This is slightly personal and I wasn’t sure if I should post this at first but, after realizing that today was a special day, I couldn’t help but put this blog post together. 29th February is Rare Disease Day, an annual event which provides the rare disease community across the world the opportunity to increase awareness of rare diseases and highlight them as a public health priority to government departments. I actually have quite a rare condition which does impact my life, particularly as an avid traveller! Here’s my story…

When I was 18 I started to become poorly. I was being sick, weirdly leaking from my breasts, having severe headaches and generally feeling very tired, faint and dizzy. It took all of my energy to just do even the smallest of tasks. After endless tests, prods and trips to the doctors an MRI scan on my brain showed a small growth and I was finally diagnosed with a microprolactinoma. Put simply, a microprolactinoma is a benign, pea sized tumor on the pituitary gland in the brain which causes an imbalance of the hormone prolactin in the body. At first I was completely terrified, hearing the words ‘brain’ and ‘tumor’ in the same sentence was overwhelming and I was upset, confused and scared. I had no idea what a microprolactinoma was, and a Google search was filled with forums of other women, and even men, discussing how the condition had impacted upon their lives.

The thing that jumped out at me most was the subject of fertility, and the problems that a prolactinoma can cause. In many cases the hormones produced by a prolactinoma make it difficult for women to conceive, and this is something I really struggled to comprehend. Anyone that knows me will know how much I love children and that the only thing I’ve ever really wanted to do in life is be a mum. The thought that I may never achieve what I’ve always dreamt about is completely crushing, but I know there are other options available and many women have gone on to have children despite suffering with a prolactinoma.

Nowadays my life consists of regular doctors appointments, 3monthly blood tests, 6 monthly hospital appointments with my consultant, occasional MRI scans and 9monthly appointments at the eye hospital to check the tumor isn’t pressing on the back of my optic nerves. It’s been almost 5 years since I was diagnosed. At first I was told I’d be on tablets for life, but earlier on this year I came off them for the first time since 2011 as my consultant wanted to see how my body would react without relying on the tablets. I was feeling really healthy and doctors were pleased with my progress.

Unfortunately, just before Christmas last year I started becoming unwell again and symptoms from my initial diagnosis were coming back. My headaches were getting worse and I was feeling similar to the way I felt right at the start of my illness. In November I was advised to go back on my medication after blood tests confirmed my prolactin levels had increased significantly. I’ve been on the tablets since then and my next check up is mid March so hopefully there will be a slight improvement and I’ll start feeling better soon!

 

Back in October I ran a fun run for The Pituitary Foundation, a charity who have been incredibly supportive of my condition over the past 5 years. I managed to raise over £300 for the charity and you can donate to my JustGiving page at any time – better late than never! You can also donate directly to Pituitary’s Rare Disease Day as well.

I suppose what I’m really trying to say is, even if you have an illness or a medical condition, DON’T let it limit your life! Make the most of every single day we have on this beautiful planet and, if you travel a lot like me you can still live your life to the full and do whatever the hell you want (within reason!) Although my symptoms affect me daily and my appointments limit me to the amount of time I can spend out of the country, I know that things could be so much worse and am just thankful that I am being well looked after by the fantastic doctors and consultants at Oxford University Hospitals.

If, like me, you live with a health condition and travel often I’d recommend the following tips on travelling safely:

– don’t over exert yourself or feel like you have to keep up with people, take it easy and take each day as it comes

– remember to take your medication, different routines often bring forgetfulness!

– don’t suffer in silence.. tell someone! Even if you don’t want to go into detail about your illness just inform someone so they can keep an eye on you

– don’t get fed up with your illness, remember that there are millions of people suffering across the world, most probably worse off than you if you’re still able to travel! Keep your chin up and carry on as normal

I also have another condition, a recurring cyst on my ovary which causes me pain every few weeks, but that is a WHOLE other story! So I’ll leave you with this parting line… Happy Rare Disease Day people – get out there and grab life with both hands… you’ll regret it if you don’t!

Love Jess x

 

 

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