OE – The Runaway Girl

Blueberry Muffin Cocktails, Tears in Costa and The Lion King

October 15, 2017

One lunch time recently, I met my friend at the Costa coffee shop in Victoria Station. We ordered cheese toasties, muffins and coffees and sat down to unload all of life’s trivial problems onto one another. Things weren’t going so well for either of us lately. Jobs, relationships, money, life. Sometimes it can all just seem so overwhelming. At one point we both started tearing up and we couldn’t help but just laugh/cry at the situation.

‘’Are you crying? Stop crying! You’re making me cry!”

“No, you started crying first!”

There we were, two childhood best friends sitting in a London train station at a coffee shop having a cry because it turns out moving to the other side of the world isn’t the easiest thing ever. As pathetic as it was, it felt good to just let it out and break down our walls for a bit… even in the middle of one of London’s biggest train stations.

The fact is, living overseas isn’t always easy.

Sometimes it can feel very tempting to pack it all in, say ”fuck this” and catch the next flight home. But that would be an easy solution, and most of us didn’t come all the way here expecting it to be easy and to back out as soon as times started getting tough.

Problems like finding a flat, saving enough money or juggling a stressful job are amplified ten fold when you’re struggling on your own, with homesickness added to the mix. Living over here, I’ve realised just how much we rely on our inner social circles in life for support and advice. It’s so important to have these people in our lives who we can rely on wholeheartedly. I’ve forged a London family of sorts over here – fellow kiwis who have come over with the same dream and ambition. We can talk about our London struggles, successes, swap travel advice and learn from one another’s experiences. We offer temporary beds when one of us doesn’t have a place to stay, or lend an ear and pots of tea when the weight of the world becomes too much.

That night I met up with Tom and two friends at a bar in Covent Garden where we indulged in happy hour 2 for 1 cocktails. It was the best thing ever to see my friends after a long day at work and drink delicious Bueno bar and blueberry muffin cocktails. Early 2000s tunes were on full blast that evening and the bar staff were up on the tables dancing away. The day before, we had decided to impulse buy tickets to the Lion King as it was my friend’s last night in London. Best. Decision. Ever.

We left the bar feeling inspired and slightly tipsy. Night time was falling and we ran to the nearest Pret and shoved our faces with cheesy croissants and soup before making our way to the theatre.

Watching a West End production has been on my London to-do list for so long. The Lyceum theatre stood tall and magnificent, golden posters with lion faces adorning the outside. As we made our way inside it was like stepping into a palace, grand in every way. Draped velvet curtains, statues of cherubs and tapestries. Rich gold and red carpets and ornamental designs. The theatre was simply stunning. Our seats in the grand circle overlooked the entire theatre, the twinkling lights, the stage and the orchestra.

The show was magnificent. Characters from the childhood classic came alive before us, blasting songs we all knew the words to. Hakuna Matata! The artistic interpretation of the animals and the scenery of the great planes of Africa came alive on the stage in rich colour and song. Giraffes walked the stage on stilts, colourful birds flew high in the theatre and a pride of lions danced across the stage with fierce elegance.

I’ll never forget this night as one of my best London experiences to date. Although difficult at times, this night reminded me why I came here to live here in the first place and reignited my love for London.

We arrived back at our flat and sat around the kitchen table over cups of tea. My friend would be on her way back to New Zealand the next day. I felt sad that she had to go but also grateful that our paths had crossed. She left me a dreamcatcher, chocolate and a beautiful card full of inspiration and encouraging words.

I feel like this day came to me at just the right time when I needed it most.

Who would have thought that tears at Costa, The Lion King, cups of tea and heart warming cards can completely change your perspective and fill you with so much joy.

Today I was thankful for wonderful friends, blueberry muffin cocktails and an incredible performance that transcended all of my expectations.

Perhaps I need to take Timone and Pumba’s advice and adopt a Hakuna Matata approach to this whole living overseas thing. After all, it means no worries for the rest of your days.

London, I guess you’re not so bad after all!

Snow

September 19, 2017

“I’ll sweep you off your feet and you will fall apart,” murmurs Julia “Sweep you off the floor, oh God, you’re drunk again,” counters Angus.

This week my favourite band, Aussie brother sister duo Angus and Julia Stone released their new album ‘Snow’. The album is a beautiful mix of dreamy indie melodies and soft acoustic rock tones.

I’ve had their album on repeat all week at work. It’s helped me keep sane and grounded during some of my toughest days overseas to date.

To make things even better… they’re coming to London in November and playing at the O2 Academy in Brixton – not far from my flat! So I may or may not have just bought a ticket and currently FIZZING with excitement.

What is peculiar is that my new year’s resolution this year was “to see snow” and although it may not be in the form I first expected….maybe this is it?! Ever feel like you are exactly where you are supposed to be at a particular point in time?

This year has been full of ups and downs and this will be the first concert I have ever attended alone. In a way I feel like this experience will be quite cathartic for me – a time for reflection. I can relate to a lot of the Stone’s songs and they’re presented in such a raw, magical way it’s hard not to involve yourself in their melodies. That might be the hippiest thing that has ever come out of my mouth but I couldn’t be more damn excited.

Over the past few weeks, the mornings have become foggier, my coat is being brought out of the closet more often than not – Winter is definitely coming! Being away over the great Kiwi summer will be hard but I’m also looking forward to having my very first winter birthday and Christmas because I’ve never had either before so that will be a whole new experience. I also can’t wait to see Winter Wonderland come alive in Hyde Park this year – complete with mulled wine, German bratwurst, fairy lights and magic!

And now for your monthly Streatham Hill update… I was recently yelled at by an elderly African lady with bleach blonde hair on my way to the train station…that was interesting. Then there’s the guy on his bike that was singing “Land Downunder” with a basket full of beanie babies attached to the front. There’s been multiple early morning screaming matches from the couple next door we share a lounge wall with…and Wig man has a new wig! I swear you can’t make this stuff up.

I’ve been making an effort to spend more time in nature lately. I visited a farm out in East London in a place called Mudchute over the weekend and spent the day feeding the goats, sheep and pigs. The cows weren’t interested in the food I had to offer but they did want pats, to which I was happy to oblige. It was quite surreal being at a farm in the middle of London with a view of the Shard in the distance. It felt great to swap skyscrapers and crowds for nature, space and animals.

I ventured out to Crystal Palace on Sunday and walked around the park there, observing curious squirrels and strange statues of dinosaur interpretations from the 1800s. London is full of weird and wonderful surprises, sometimes it just takes a little digging to uncover it’s hidden gems.

This week I’ve learnt that it’s important to find joy in the little things and spend less time stressing over the things we have little control over.

Victoria Station

September 5, 2017

Clutching a takeaway coffee tightly in my hand, with heavy eyes I navigate a sea of business men and women, weaving in and out between tourists with suitcases in tow and wailing children being dragged behind their parents. The coffee and pastie shops are churning out breakfast treats at max capacity. The paper man is hard at work selling copies of the daily news.

It’s 8am on a Monday morning in Victoria Station.

London stretches with a big yawn. Another day is upon the city. Grey clouds loom above the city walls, above the high rise buildings, the tourists, the markets, the statues and the pigeons pottering away in the parks. It’s back to the daily grind for many. A hot cup of coffee softens the blow of an early rise and a busy commute on a crammed train. If you stop and overthink too much, these city walls you walk through every day will start to cave in on you and swallow you whole.

Big Ben looms above the city’s brick walls, glaring down at all the plebs scurrying around below. With his big judgemental face, arms ticking along at the same monotonous pace, a constant reminder of your limited time left in this city. The inexorable concept of time has always plagued me. I’ve made it my mission to feel and experience as much as I can.

People here are like bees scuttling around a hive trying desperately to find the golden honey of life. They’re feisty, out for themselves, longing to taste that sickly sweet sugar they’ve heard all about. They flock to London in search of excitement, adventure, thrill, love, money and lust. This city I love so much is also unforgiving and cold. London will make or break you.

I feel optimistic, a new adventure is on the horizon. I also feel sentimental and nostalgic. I miss home. I’ve been thinking way too much about how much time has passed since I have felt New Zealand sand squeeze between my toes and felt truly at home. But you can’t think too much or else these walls will start caving in.

Big Ben’s song has disappeared and won’t return for years. But the people still flock. Consuming, experiencing, uncovering London, peeling away one layer at a time. The vibrancy and energy of her many museums, galleries, parks, bars and markets is intoxicating and suffocating at the same time.

I miss space. Space to think and be alone. Space to hear my thoughts out loud. I’ve left a piece of myself in New Zealand. Homesickness feels like I’ve donated an organ and I’m trying to function without it. It’s harder than I thought it would be. The daily fight. To survive, to be in front of the queue, first on the tube, having to constantly squeeze past people and prams and suitcases to find a small clearing to stand.

There’s always something to do in London. Here you’ll find Harry Potter themed anything and everything. Whatever you can think of, this city has it. It’s exciting and it can be overwhelming at times. If you can handle the crowds and the constant reminder that nobody in this city gives a passing thought towards your existence.. then you might stand a chance in this city. In some ways the anonymity is quite liberating. It’s a freedom of sorts that you don’t get living back home. London is unforgiving and relentless but she is also vibrant and alive! Her soul rings through the streets teaming with people, art and design – the colour of life.

One thing that I love about London is how Kiwis stick together here. We often have an extra kiwi vagabond camping out in our lounge because that’s what we do, we help one another out. In a city of 12 million it is easy to feel lost but you are not alone here. Everyone has a shared goal to experience, feel and soak in as much of the experience as they possibly can. So you just need to ground yourself, take a deep breath and inhale all that London has to offer.

Being here makes me appreciate home so much more than I did before. I’ve never been to the South Island of New Zealand. Bad… I know. That is my goal when I get home – to conquer the other half of my great country. I long for mountains, rivers, fresh air and the best tasting water in the world. But for now I will settle with chalky hard water, adventure and history that stretches thousands of years. London is a city brimming with culture and crowds and colour that will never cease to amaze me.

Until next time, New Zealand. And this time I promise to never take you for granted.

Jess

Contiki European Contrasts – the good, the bad and the ugly

May 17, 2017

In July 2016 I embarked on what was to be one of the best times of my life. Europe had been something that I had dreamt of since I could remember. I had graduated university, established my career and my contract had just ended so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to galavant off into distant lands and fulfil this burning desire to see more of the world.

At this point in my life, age 22, most of my friends had either secured good jobs and were working on their careers or were still studying at university.

I had a thirst for travel and a fire in my belly so I decided to put all fear and uncertainty to the side and embark on my first solo adventure.

I looked at many different organised tours, weighing up the pros and cons of each, trying to decide which one would fit in with my travel style the best, and give me as much bang for my buck – so, like many other Kiwis I opted for a Contiki – because who doesn’t like getting white girl wasted by night and take in historic sights by day?

This tour took me to some incredible places – France, Italy, Greece, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, The Netherlands and more. I met some amazing people from all walks of life that had gone into this journey with the same open mind set – to meet as many people and to experience as much (and drink as much) as they could in the time we had. I have never laughed as hard, cried as hard and felt and experienced so many things in the space of one month.

I couldn’t recommend doing a Contiki enough to other young travellers who may be thinking about going alone – it’s a great introduction to solo travel and you definitely won’t be the only person riding solo.

On this tour I did things I never thought I would do. If paragliding and white water rafting in Austria, parasailing in Greece, snail tasting in Paris or sex shows in Amsterdam tickle your fancy – then this is your tour.

Of course there are downsides – the constant top 40 club bangers on the bus that make you want to stab yourself in the eye… but most of all the dreaded contiki cough. It is a real thing. You will catch it. It’s an invincible little fucker and it will suck. Bring some flu meds with you or get some dodgy over the counter antibiotics in Greece.

Another thing, on a more serious note – there will be terrorist scares, this is Europe, it’s falling to shit. While we were on our tour another contiki group were stuck in a mall in Germany as an armed gun man stalked the place. On another day a suspect handbag was left outside the Lourve while we were in Paris and the armed defenders squad were called out.

We arrived in Nice, France a week after a truck ploughed through crowds of people on Bastille day, killing many. It was devastating. It was a beautiful sunny day when we visited and the streets were littered with tourists as if nothing had happened, but there was an overwhelming sense of sadness in the air. Memorials lined the picturesque beach side city, children’s toys, flowers, candles scattered on the pavement and it felt wrong that tourists were bent down taking pictures of these overly personal messages of grief. I held back tears as one girl on my tour exclaimed how “disgusting” it was that there were blood stains on the pavement…

And that brings me to my next point – the main thing that irked me about Contiki. Essentially, you’re a bunch of rowdy 20 somethings (mostly Australians, a few Kiwis and usually a token Canadian and Saffa) travelling around Europe in this big party bus, getting drunk and trying to have as much fun as possible, trying to get as much as you can out of your trip.

To be honest, at times it can feel like a false representation of Europe. Sure, you’re here for a good time and you want to have fun! However, I feel like being on this giant party bus mitigates the reality of the situation. It conjures a false sense of what Europe really is and disconnects the tour to the terrible realities of what is actually happening in Europe outside the party bubble you’re in.

As our bus drove through the refugee camps on the border of Calais and we were told to stay seated while officials checked our bus – I think that was our first real proper reality check. The officials were looking for illegal immigrants that may have climbed onto the bus or underneath it, desperately seeking asylum. These people were willing to risk their lives for a glimmer of hope of a better one. I don’t think many of us realised just how lucky we were to be able to afford such a trip or how privileged we all were that to go back ‘home’ after the tour meant to return somewhere safe and secure, free from volatile governments and terror attacks. All I’m asking you to remember is that Europe isn’t all peach bellinis and roses. Keep yourself informed, stay smart, be respectful to the locals and the culture. Travel is fun and incredible rewarding, but you have to have your wits about you, always!

Some experiences will be amazing and some not so much, that’s just a part of travel and it’s what builds your character and prepares you for bigger obstacles you are yet to face in life. Some people on the tour will irritate the shit out of you, some you just won’t get along with – but it is these imperfections that make this trip a one of a kind. So just get out there, don’t be afraid, push your limits and try to soak in as much of Europe as you can, because who knows what the political/environmental situation will be like in 5 or 10 years time. Travel smart, keep an open mind and embrace each day as it comes. Keep your lines tight, and wind in your sails – surely you will reach your destination.

Mt Batur, sunrise hike

May 11, 2017

“The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been before.” – Albert Einstein

In 2015 I spent two months trekking around Bali and Thailand. Here I experienced some of the biggest cultural and physical obstacles I’ve encountered during my travels. During this trip I snorkelled with manta rays, danced on a bar tables in a 7 level nightclubs, volunteered to care for elderly, retired elephants, partied on a yacht and jumped from the top into the deep ocean, battled with food poisoning and made some incredible memories and friends. But the hardest (and most rewarding) part of this trip by far was the sunrise trek up Mt Batur.

We were woken by piercing alarms at 2am. We dragged our sleepy selves into mini vans which drove us through loose gravel winding roads to the base of a giant active volcano. Mount Batur stood quietly in the darkness, ominous and powerful – one of the sacred mountains according to Hindu belief, located in Batur village, Kintamani District, Bali, Indonesia.

Upon arrival we were given a boiled egg cooked by the steam of the volcano, a piece of fruit and a head torch that we would use to navigate our way through the darkness up the slopes of the volcano. I wasn’t prepared for what was to come. Hours of climbing steep, loose rock as wild monkeys sat, watching, chuckling to themselves as stupid tourists scrambled their way to the summit of their home.

At one point during the ascent I broke down crying, exhausted and frustrated at my fitness level, regretting all of those late night KFC snack boxes. I didn’t know if I was able to continue. With some encouragement from my friend and our sherpa, I took a moment, caught my breath, and pushed through my mental and physical barriers.

At the summit of this great ascent we were rewarded with the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen. I sat down on the edge of the volcano, the air was cool and crisp at the summit. I had my purple elephant pants on and cardigan wrapped tight and basked in the fresh air (it was freezing up there!). The purple, pinky glow of the Indonesian sunrise drenched me. I like to think I am somewhat a spiritual person, and this was definitely one of those moments in my life where I realised my inner strength and nothing else mattered in that brief moment in time. It was just me, sitting on top of a big volcano, filled with the vibrations of the earth.

Throughout my solo travels, I’ve realised strengths and weaknesses I didn’t know I had – I’ve learnt that I suck at bartering but I’m good at forging new friendships quickly. I’m useless at navigating a map but I’m great at washing elephants. Asia is a place that forces you out of your comfort zone as you navigate a new cultural experience, language barriers, new cuisines, customs and interesting wildlife. It’s a place of colour, beauty, adventure and where the divide between rich and poor is more evident than ever and all you can do is embrace everything, soak up as much of the experience as you can and go with the flow.

I’ve experienced the exhilaration of the best moments and the despairs of the worst and most of the feelings in between…but most importantly I have discovered courage and bravery and I have learned it by myself.

“When you’re traveling with someone else, you share each discovery, but when you are alone, you have to carry each experience with you like a secret, something you have to write on your heart, because there’s no other way to preserve it.” – Shauna Niequist

Applying for a TIER 5, Youth Mobility Visa

May 10, 2017

This visa allows you to work and live in the UK for up to 2 years. I found information hard to find about this type of visa application and I stressed myself way too much out over this – so I decided to share my experience with the application process in the hopes it helps others.

Eligibility

– You must be over the age of 18 and under 31 years of age at the time of application.
– You must apply for the visa outside of the UK from a country where you have citizenship or a valid visa that allows you to live/work there.
– Available to anyone from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Monaco, Hong Kong, Taiwan & Republic of Korea.

What you need:

– Current passport (must also be valid for the whole 2 year visa)
– Previous passports with travel history from the last 10 years (including dates of previous trips to the UK)
– £1,890 available funds in the bank at the time of applying
– A UK address to put on the application (or that of a friend, family member or hotel – this address determines the closest Post Shop where you will collect your Biometric Residence Permit from).
– Bank statement, signed on letterhead paper proving funds
– Passport sized photo (printed)
– 2 x large envelopes (padded ideal) with overnight tracking on each

How it works:

1. Apply online, pay the fees. (The document takes about an hour to download so don’t worry when you can’t print it off straight away!)
2. You are then prompted to make an appointment at an Immigration Office. My appointment was based in Auckland and I was able to make one a few days from the date of my application.
3. Send all documents away, double, triple check you have everything asked for and all information is correct.
4. Your visa application then gets sent to the Auckland address given and goes on a little holiday to Manila where it is processed.

Cost: $1000 approx (including Health Surcharge)

Processing time: 1 – 4 weeks.

Fast tracking option – I paid an extra $180 approx to fast track the process and my application arrived within a week of sending it off in the mail – amazing! Make sure you pay for this before you attend your appointment with Immigration and staple the receipt to the front of your application.

Feel free to ask me any questions you might have! Happy to help 🙂

Runaway Girl

May 10, 2017

Hi, I’m Jess! I’m 23 from New Zealand and I’m currently living/exploring/shivering in Manchester, United Kingdom aka the rainy capital of the country! I’m here for the next three months then my next stop is London!

I decided to make this blog in the hopes of inspiring other young women to seek out solo adventures of their own, to break the stigma that it ‘isn’t safe’ to travel alone and to hopefully inspire others to embrace and challenge their fears of the unknown that is this great big world we live in.

Before I left New Zealand, my sister Sam bought me the Karen Walker Runaway Girl pendant to take on my journey as a symbol of adventure, independence and intrepidity. This little silver girl that I wear around my neck has since come to represent this adventure of mine and my personal journey toward learning about more myself, what I am capable of and pushing myself to limits I didn’t know existed.

Join me on this journey – including all of the beautiful experiences and difficult challenges I will inevitably face along the way. Whatever it is you take from this blog, be it information, inspiration or entertainment – I hope I leave you with some food for thought and a spark to ignite your own adventure!

Jess x