GIF Wednesday

Hello there,

This weeks GIF entailed a lot of precarious globe turning and camera balancing, but here it is; my spinning globe GIF...

My globe is one of my favourite things in my cluttered and colourful room (I confess, I am perhaps what you would call a hoarder...) and I could spend hours studying and spinning, making wild and worldly plans that I one day hope to carry out. This particular globe is really almost a 'vintage' item and I love trying to find all the countries which have been renamed.

Lights, camera, action! [Travel tips]

Right here goes my first attempt at sharing with all you lovely people some of my ultimate tips for travel and adventure!

To start with, I would like to advise you on the joys of taking a video-recorder with you on your travels. Now I don't just mean a multi-functional-digital-fantasmagorical-double-fast-snaptastic-what-za-majic, but a: Real. Actual. Camcorder.

Don't let new-fangled technology cull old traditions! In our family, it was always common practice to make a home-video tour of wherever we visited and some of our exciting excursions: a practice I would like to stick to through-out my exploring years. Below you can see me with our very old - possibly even vintage now!? - family camcorder. We went nowhere without that beloved contraption.

A few holiday snaps stored away on the computer or uploaded to facebook can never ever compete with the sheer bliss associated with rediscovering old holiday videos and reliving cherished memories.

Whats your opinion on camcorders? Any other top-tips for remembering holiday memories? Let me know!

Rainbows and hailstorms.

Alas, half term has already drawn to a close for us college students and its time for us to go back to work feeling rested and refreshed (supposedly...) Though what a lovely week half term has been - finally having an opportunity to do some travelling, even if it was only in country, to visit the lovely beaches of Devon and some brilliant friends who have settled down there. And oh boy can I see why! Leaving the beach to go back home and to work on Friday evening was a hard task, even with the atrocious weather! Better a rainy day at the beach than a rainy day at home I say.

I also got a chance to get in for a few much needed surfs - the first of the winter season! Little bit chilly to say the least, being November, but as an avid surfer I could not resist getting in. We surfed Putsborough beach which is one of my favourites with its long stretch of golden sand and rugged rocks to scramble over. Our second surf brought much excitement due to the sighting of a rainbow and a furious hail storm whilst we were in the water - we felt pretty hardcore it must be said, especially I, wearing only my summer thickness wetsuit. Many hot beverages were required after that experience in attempt to warm us up and restore our body temperature to somewhere vaguely around normal.

We also got exploring in some of Devon's stunning countryside with Jess the lovely Labrador, sighting some impressive wind turbines causing some heated arguments about green energy vs. nuclear power...just your standard conversation for a family walk.

All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable and much needed break to relax and feed my insatiable desire to travel...well for a little while at least.

A Piece of the World.



One of my favourite ways to accessorise is to use interesting pieces of jewellery to spice up an outfit. Now you may be reading this initial sentence in confusement and anguish...this is not a fashion blog after all! But have no fear, because this is a post on accessorising in true explorer style. I like to collect my jewellery from markets and local shops from all across the globe which means I get the chance to pick up all sorts of odds and bobs you would not typically find in a high street store...and most certainly not see on anyone else! I like to think if it as "taking a piece of the world with me" and a way to remind myself throughout the day of some epic adventure that has been and gone but will  never be forgotten. It's my way of making a fashion statement be...well much more than just that!



Above is one of my absolute favourites. It is a particularly special piece given to me by my Mum when she returned from an expedition across the Sahara Desert that she completed in aid of Macmillan cancer support and in memory of my wonderful Nanny, whom we sadly lost to cancer.

She actually bought this during her trek when some Nomads came across their group and a little girl sold her this. I find the green colour really refreshing and the way it hangs perfection however I have not managed to find a single thing similar since! Thus this one is being treasured reverently.

This heart of mine...

This photo was found and sent to be by my lovely friend and it really made my day (it's always nice to know someone thought of you) so this is why I decided to share it with you all! Not only was the globe beautiful (just a slight obsession...) but the message really made me smile because I know exactly how whoever created this feels. It was just a nice reminder in this dreary work-filled October that as a travel-bugged-blogger, exploring the world will forever be in my heart, even when it is not at the forefront of my mind.

The Very Beginning.

So I thought a good place for me to start this blog would be at the beginning of my life as a travel-maniac and it seems from a bit of digging and photo searching, I have been a victim of the travel bug from an extremely young age. In fact, my first time abroad was before I was even born as you can see from this picture of my beautiful mum pregnant with me in Portugal.

Ok, I know that doesn’t really count so the next travel experience that family Smith with baby me in tow embarked on, was again to Portugal, with I a mere 9 months old! And no prizes for guessing here; I absolutely loved it (or so my parents report) even if my cousin did nearly drown me in the swimming pool, but that’s a story for another day... 

Left; me and mum. Middle; Grandparents, mum and me. Right; Me wearing Pop-pop's explorer hat.

The gang enjoyed a lot more holidays in Portugal and it has become one of my favourite destinations to visit with its stunning beaches, buzzing markets, and lush gardens. Various forms of family Smith made up from grandparents, Aunt and Uncle, Cousins and brother, could often be found whiling away the days sampling Peri-Peri chicken in our favourite beach-side cafe (or to us “the shack”), taking long walks admiring the gorgeous pink flowers (which we so often had to stop for photos in front of) and spending sandy days splashing in the sea and strolling along the beach.