Wow, this month has passed by in a blur, I can’t believe I was still in Rio at the beginning of it, so much has happened since then. Since returning to London I’ve… celebrated my birthday with a surprise adventure, ran the London Marathon, started back at teaching placement full time, been to the football, visited my parents and friends in the New Forest and probably many more things that I cannot remember right now. Here is the low down…
Where I’ve Been Travelling
London, United Kingdom
It might seem silly including the city I live in as a place I’ve traveled to but there can be some months where I don’t go into the city center at all and really do not make the most of living here. However, this month was certainly a different story. I did lots of things in London during April including Excel for the Marathon expo, running the London marathon and dinner in Soho but the two biggest things I did were for my birthday. They were arranged as a total surprise and because of that were so much more fun.
That’s right, I got to climb the outside of the o2 dome and go for afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason. I will be writing full posts on each of these so I won’t go into too much detail but they are both things I had wanted to do for ages. Climbing the o2 was a great experience and one of those adventure activities that I find are hard to come by in the city of London. While afternoon tea at Fortnum and Mason was the fancy affair I had imagine, and oh my, the food was amazing!
The New Forest, United Kingdom
I always try and spend some time in the place I grew up as a child each month, mostly because I need that escape from London but also because I do really love it. This month, like most months I didn’t do anything special in the area but I still got to appreciate those things I love about The New Forest like seeing the horses at the yard. It is such a different world from London but one that I could never be without.
Ilha Grande and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
I still can’t believe I was here at the beginning of the month, it feels like such a long time ago now. Still at the beginning of the month we took a trip to Ilha Grande from Rio and it was so good. I’ve already written up about the trip so find the link below but what a contrast from the bustling city of Rio de Janeiro. I would love to return during my next visit to Rio. And talking of Rio, my trip there was much the same as last time except I didn’t do any touristy stuff in the city. I kinda just did normal day to day stuff except in a different city. After a hectic few months of uni assignments I think I just needed the break with no pressure to do anything.
What I’ve Been Writing
What I’ve Been Listening To
Some months I share songs I like but this month I am sharing two songs that I REALLY REALLY love. Like they have been on repeat constantly I love them that much.
What I’ve Been Reading
The Tea Planters Wife by Dinah Jefferies
I read this book in four days, I just could not put it down. Set in the 1920s in Sri Lanka, Gwen is a British girl married to a rich tea planter owner. Once wed she has to get used to life in this new culture, but that isn’t all she has to contend with. Gwen soon becomes pregnant and from then on the story takes more twists and turns than you could ever imagine. Gripping read. I have another book by Jefferies called Separation and I cannot wait to get stuck in.
Deception Point by Dan Brown
This is a totally different kind of book to the one above, but I ran out of books in Rio and stole this from JP. It took me a while to get into it, especially as I had just read such a good book. However, by the time I had read the first third I was hooked. I haven’t read this as quickly purely because I just haven’t had the time but it has certainly been a page turner in so many ways, so much so I stayed up half the night to finish it the other day.
Links I’ve Loved This Month
Things I don’t like about living in London
Top 20 travel hacks
Florianópolis, the magical island of Southern Brazil
Why Adelaide should be on your Australian bucket list
Burnout
Social Anxiety
Nordic road trip plans and prep
22 Instagrams that will make you want to go back to camp this summer
Welcome to the Isles of Scilly
May
May feels like it is going to be a month of counting down, to the end of placement, to our Portugal holiday and to seeing JP again. Despite this I have an action packed month as always and am hoping the weeks will fly by. I love being on teaching placement but I am so ready for three months in Rio now and to escape my dreaded living situation in London.
Did you get up to anything exciting in April? What are your plans for May?
Tags: Monthly Statistics