How Norway Made me Fall in Love with Winter

Hey Owlets,

For so many people, the nights drawing in and the temperature dropping is met with a feeling of dread. From as early as the end of August, I hear people talking about how they're not looking forward to the darker nights and shorter days. Honestly, I get it - the world just feels more alive in summer. There are festivals, weddings and social events every weekend, not to mention just feeling the sun on your skin is good for our mental health.

I think for a lot of people, the colder days and darker nights bring a feeling of loneliness, isolation, and maybe even a touch of cabin fever. I try to make the most of everyday, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't felt the same.

Until I went to Northern Norway in winter.

Why the Productivity Movement is Toxic

 Hey Owlets,

This past year has been the year of the side hustle. Saving hours of commuting time every day, multiple lockdowns and not being able to be social in our down time has led people to question what we do with all this free time? And the answer seems fairly obvious on the face of it. There’s so much content online about creating financial freedom and being your own boss - you’ve got all free now so why not start working on growing your brand/business/freelancing career so you never have to go back to the office when this is over with? It seems like an ideal plan, but it’s toxic.

What's Happening with The Owlet?

Hey Owlets,

It’s been such a long time since I last uploaded that I’m wondering if I can even still call you that? Let’s call it what it is - 2021 was a total train wreck for my blog. I think I uploaded maybe 10 blog posts, if that. I’ve had loads of messages asking if I’m still going to be a blogger, and even people coming up to me in the street and asking why I don’t post anymore. So, with that in mind I wanted to take some time now to catch you up and explain what’s been happening.

For three incredible years I was so lucky to call The Owlet my job - opening my emails to find someone asking me to review a cruise ship or fly to a random country for an epic road trip (here’s looking at you, Romania). Then 2020 happened. As much as I love my blog I’m sure you can understand that there isn’t a lot of call for a travel blogger in the middle of a pandemic. I woke up one morning (actually the morning I was supposed to be heading to Barcelona for a work trip - go figure) to find that my job was no longer required, along with the rest of the travel industry.

My options were go and get a normal job, hope the pandemic didn’t last too long or work something out - well winging it has worked for me so far so that seemed like the obvious choice. 

How I Fought the Comparison Cliche

Hey Owlets,

They say that comparison is the thief of joy. I have no idea who “they” are exactly but they’re right.

It’s such a cliche phrase that even as I’m writing this I’m desperately trying to come up with a title that doesn’t have people rolling their eyes and scrolling past - the internet is all about clicks after all. The thing is, that’s the problem.

For five years now I’ve called The Owlet my home on the internet. I’ve been lucky to meet incredible people from across the globe, create a life that gives me freedom and makes me truly happy. I open my phone to an inbox flooded with kind messages and happy anecdotes that people just wanted to share with me. I’ve created content that I’m truly proud of and worked with brands that I could only dream of knowing I exist. I am so lucky and I have worked so hard to have these things in my life and yet this week I lost sight of it all. 

What I've Learnt from 5 Years on the Internet

Hey Owlets,

This February marked 5 years of The Owlet. I know it’s cliche to be like “I never imagined this would happen” but it’s true, I didn’t. I started this blog because I HATED my university and wanted a creative outlet. If I’m honest I didn’t expect anyone to actually read it, I just wanted something to do that wasn’t related to my studies. Now you may have noticed that it’s not February anymore and I’m a solid 4 months late to writing this article, but as I’m sure you can understand, multiple lockdowns kind of got in the way of me feeling creative. Regardless, 2021 is still the 5th year of The Owlet so I wanted to sit down with you and have a bit of a chat. 

I feel like I’ve learnt a lot in the past 5 years, not just about blogging but just more generally about how to be a half-decent human. My family will laugh as I tell you this but I was always well known as the most sensitive of souls growing up - really not the best fit to be a blogger. I would constantly get upset about some keyboard warrior leaving a stupid comment, or I’d accidentally end up in an argument on Twitter because its all too easy to take someone the wrong way and I would try to explain what I meant but it was too late because that person had already decided to take offence. I’ve spoken very openly about my revelation after being in a really bad place back in 2017 but that really was the defining moment. If I’m totally honest, I think it was at that point that I decided I didn’t give a toss what anyone thought of me anymore. 

Let’s Catch Up

Hey Owlets,

A while ago I uploaded a post called “It’s Been a While” and the irony hasn’t escaped me that it’s actually been a while since I uploaded again after that post. In case you missed it, I talked about struggling to find inspiration in lockdown and coasting by doing the minimum each day to continue to keep a roof over our heads - inspiring content, I know. In that sense things haven’t changed a lot, but other things have so I thought we were due a catch up because I actually miss sitting down to put my thoughts on a page with you.

So, what happened in the last few months?

How to Deal with Feeling Overwhelmed

Hey Owlets,

With the Prime Minister’s most recent announcement about the second wave, lockdown 2.0 and all the new rules it’s totally understandable for your head to be spinning - I know mine is! However, having worked from home since before the pandemic I’m no stranger to the feeling of being totally overwhelmed and not knowing where to start, whether it’s about work, friends or general life. Having had some experience in dealing with overwhelm pre-pandemic I wanted to share my tips to hopefully help you to calm down and feel a little more grounded.

How I’m Planning My Time in Lockdown 2.0

Hey Owlets,

As I write this, the government have just announced a new national lockdown in England. I know that for a lot of you this is absolutely terrifying - I remember the feeling of dread I had when they announced the first lockdown and although I feel better about this one, I’m still nervous so I can only imagine how some of you are feeling. During the first lockdown I spent everyday wondering what to do and I got to the end of it annoyed that I’d not done anything productive for 3 months when everyone else was posting pictures of their baking, the new language they’d learnt or the musical instrument they taught themselves to play. If you need to just get through it on survival mode that’s totally fine and understandable. However, I’m personally feeling a little more positive about Lockdown 2.0 now I know what to expect, so I thought sharing how I plan to use my time might be helpful if you’re wanting to do something but not knowing where to start.

100 Days in Lockdown: Learning to Love the "In Between"

Hey Owlets,

I can't believe I'm even writing this but we've passed the 100 days in lockdown mark - given that the government said it would be for 3 weeks initially I think a lot of people weren't prepared for it to last this long. I realise that just sitting down and chatting isn't something I tend to do much of anymore, and because of this I've neglected my blog pretty badly over the last three months. In all honesty I've found it hard to think of anything to write because I'm not doing anything - at the start I still had loads of ideas of articles to write, loads of topics to cover & behind-the-scenes stories from trips to laugh about as I shared them with you, but when most days have blurred into one it's been hard to find the motivation to write. As well as this, my boyfriend has always worked really long hours so I was being a bit selfish by making the most of having every day together while my blog gathered dust.

Why You Need to Travel Solo (at least once)

Travelling is one of the best opportunities you can hope to experience in life, and it truly does have the power to change your life. You may have been lucky enough to grow up travelling to different countries or to book holidays with your friends when you got a little older, but neither of those experiences can compare to what you feel when you travel on your own.

Travelling solo is one of those terrifying prospects that you’ve been put off of doing, probably by your parents who are terrified something bad might happen when you don’t have anyone to back you up (or is that just my Mum?). Yes the thought of it is terrifying, but the reality is that it’s one of the most incredible feelings you could ever experience and will teach you more than travelling with friends or family ever could. I’m assuming I’ll probably need to convince you, so here’s why you should travel solo at least once.

How to Beat Post-Travel Blues

Hey Owlets,

You know the feeling when you get home from a holiday and the reality that you have to make your own bed, do your own washing and go back to work sets in? I’m absolutely feeling that at the moment - I went for a walk yesterday and saw a cruise ship in port which unnecessarily drove the point home a little further. With that in mind I’ve been doing just about everything to fight off the feelings of wanderlust, so here’s a tried and tested guide to quell the post-travel blues.

How to Get and Stay Motivated

Hey Owlets,

You know that thing that you need to finish? You know, THAT thing? The thing you keep putting off. I'll do it later, I'll do it tomorrow, I'll do that thing first. You, my friend, are a grade A at procrastination. It's fine, we've all been there. But how do you beat the "I don't want to do anything" funk? Well I have some tips to aid you in your battle for motivation.

23 Things I've Achieved in 23 Years

Hey Owlets,

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK but it’s also my birthday today. Having celebrated three birthdays online, I’m beginning to run low on ideas - I’ve done “follow me to….”, “20 Things I learnt at 20”, a bucket list of things to do before I turn 21…. honestly I think I’ve done just about everything at this point. But while I’ve been busy focusing things I want to do, at no point have I ever stopped to think about what I’ve already achieved, and I think not appreciating ourselves is something we’re all guilty of. So, here we go then - 23 things I’ve achieved in 23 years. Grab a cuppa, this is going to be a long one.

What I Learnt from a Year of Saying Yes

Hey Owlets,

After last week's post about what happened when I said yes for a year, this time I wanted to talk to you about what I've learnt and weirdly it's a lot. I'm genuinely shocked how much one word can change things, but it really has. So, as we have a lot to get to I'll stop rambling and get to the point for once.

A Year of Saying Yes: What Happened

Hey Owlets,

Just over a year ago I said yes to something that I really wanted to say no to - I'd never been abroad, I was nervous, and to be honest I was too busy wallowing in my own misery to consider being a functioning human being. If you've been reading my blog for any length of time you'll know that last year I went on a life-changing holiday, but what I never really mentioned is that when I came back I decided that was the start of me saying yes to all the things I wanted to say no to.

I want to make this into a two part series so that this post doesn't take an hour for you to read, so today I want to focus solely on some of the best things that happened when I forced myself to say yes.

How to Survive A Deadline

Hey Owlets,

If you’ve been a long time follower of my blog, you’ll know that I went from happy to miserable to happy again in the time that I’ve been documenting my life online. One of the biggest things I’ve learnt is how to look after my mental health. When I was younger I had a tendency to run myself into the ground when I had a lot of things on my to do list and I’d end up a stressed out mess that got nothing done. Since deadline season is coming up, I wanted to share some tips with you on how to stay mentally healthy when you’ve got a lot to do.

Why I'm Proud to Be Plus Size - #IWD18

Hey Owlets,

Happy International Women's Day! 

I wanted to do something confidence related today to celebrate and I've been wanting to write this post for a while so it was perfect timing.

The world is so full of ignorant people. Overflowing with small-minded haters passing judgement on situations that they know nothing about. I know there are many things in the firing line but one of those that I constantly come across is the attitude towards plus size girls. The idea that once you’re past a size 16 you’re just a blob of fat who’s opinions are invalid (not my words - this is a quote from a “fan”. I won’t give them the satisfaction of being named). But I’d like to tell you something. 

I’m proud to be plus size.

The Power of The Internet

Hey Owlets,

I’ve got a bit of a story and a thank you for you today.

If you were following me on Twitter around the start of November, you may have seen everything kick off, but since it happened I’ve had to retell the story so many times that my family have convinced me to write a blog post.

Back in November last year I was invited to attend an event in West London which I was ridiculously excited about as I’m always looking for an excuse to flex my Oyster card. When I got there however, things really weren’t how I expected. 

What 2017 Taught Me

2017 has been a year of change. I’ve gone from student to graduate, homebody to traveller, in a relationship to single and from nobody to The Owlet, trekking across the country with a railcard in hand. But most importantly I’ve gone from miserable to not just content but happy, with a regained love for life that seemed to have gone missing for most of the year.

Looking back, January was the last time I felt true happiness when I visited the Go Glam Gala, stayed overnight in London and for the first time met people who read my blog. Since then I feel like my life and emotions have gone on a bit of a Yo-Yo; happy in January, miserable by March, bittersweet happiness at graduation in July, then by September the most miserable I’ve ever felt. Just two short weeks later I was a new person - travelling, free from anxiety and unhappiness, and properly smiling for the first time in what felt like forever. Okay that euphoric feeling was short lived, but the lessons I learnt have stuck with me, and despite everything that happened, I stayed happy.

So, here’s what 2017 taught me

Life Lessons From The Holiday of a Lifetime

Hey Owlets,

Long time, no see. You may have noticed that I’ve been a bit quiet recently but I had a good reason. A month ago as I write this I was sat on the sofa having not left the house in 5 days, staring at my laptop screen but not doing any work, not daring to go on social media to see the next hateful comment, either from a stranger or so-called friends because, quite frankly, I couldn’t take anymore. My mental health was the worst it’s ever been and I don’t think I’d felt as consistently low as I was feeling then. 

In come my amazing parents.