Deciding whether or not to buy a car is one of the first big choices a backpacker can make in Australia. There are pros and cons to both sides: a car will obviously give you more freedom for both travel and work, but it is an investment and a lot of money to spend up… Read More A Backpacker’s Guide to Buying a Used Car in Australia
So, you’ve decided to move abroad and do a working holiday visa in Australia. Congrats! The decision to make the leap and actually go is often the hardest one you’ll make. If you’re planning on moving to Australia on a WHV but are overwhelmed with what comes next, or aren’t sure what you need to… Read More Moving to Oz on a Working Holiday Visa: How to Start Your Life in Australia
Well, well, well. I finally let the cat out of the bag this week. I’ve just quit my job and I’ll be moving abroad – again! I’ve got a one-year visa and I’m moving to Australia!! I am equal parts excited and scared shitless. I’ve never been to Australia, and at the moment I have… Read More Surprise – I’m Moving to Australia!
Today is a big day – it marks 6 years since I moved to England! I got off a plane back in 2016 and arrived in the UK. And wow, what a journey it’s been since then. I moved to be with my (now ex) husband, dealt with so many complex issues about living abroad and… Read More 6 Years in England: Then and Now
I truly cannot believe that I get to write this post – that I have been so lucky and so fortunate as to be able to have lived in my beautiful city of York for five years, and to get to live here indefinitely. Five years ago today, on 13 October 2016, I landed in… Read More 5 Years in England: Why I Love Living in York
Well, today marks a big occasion for me. 4 years ago today, 13 October 2016, I moved to England. It has been a rollercoaster and I wasn’t really sure what to write about for this year. Life has been pretty tough lately, what with the pandemic and losing my job (you can read more about… Read More Celebrating 4 Years In England: On The Silver Lining Of UK Travel
There are a lot of things I wish I had known before I moved abroad. Life isn’t necessarily a walk in the park, and if you live abroad you will undoubtedly struggle at some point in time. I have definitely struggled. For me, one of my biggest challenges since I moved to the UK in… Read More Getting My UK Driver’s License: My Battle With The Wrong Side Of The Road
Today is a big day. Three years ago today, I moved to England. Wow. Three years. Sometimes I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. On October 13th 2016, I walked off a plane (#tbt to when I checked four bags and the airline lost everything I own), got a stamp in my passport,… Read More 3 Years of Living in England: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
This May, I applied to renew my UK spouse visa. If you missed my first post on applying for my UK visa, you can read up on it here. My initial visa was for 2.5 years (30 months), after which I could then apply to renew my visa and extend my leave to remain in… Read More The Complete Guide For Applying To Renew My UK Spouse Visa
It’s been nearly three years since I moved abroad to England. Living abroad is no small feat—there are times when literally everything will be hard. I have struggled a lot, and I haven’t kept that a secret. In order to survive living abroad, where every day can be a flurry of activity and cultural differences… Read More 13 Tips For Surviving Life Abroad
This year of 2018 has been a year of big changes. I always talk about 2016 as a really important year—the year I got married, and moved abroad to England. But even though this year hasn’t seen major life events like that, I do feel like it’s been a year of huge change. This year,… Read More Reflections On A Year Of Change
I’ve been living in England for over two years now. Time has flown by! It certainly hasn’t been easy—it’s been way harder than I ever thought it would be. There’s a lot of things about my life that have changed. Some for the better, some for the worst. But moving abroad was a massive step,… Read More What I Wish I Knew Before I Moved Abroad
Today marks two years since I moved to England. It has been a huge journey, with a lot of ups and downs. Last year, I wrote an honest and very difficult post about most of the downs. You can go ahead and read about my 15 Harsh Truths About Living In England. But this year,… Read More What I’ve Learned About British Culture After 2 Years Living In England
UPDATED AUGUST 2020! York Minster is the largest Gothic cathedral in Northern Europe and one of the most-visited cathedrals in England. It is also the most iconic symbol of the city of York. The Minster towers over the city and dominates the skyline of this historic city. Having lived in York for nearly two four… Read More Where to Take the Best Photos of York Minster in York
Five years ago to the day, I packed up a suitcase and a backpack, went to the airport, boarded a plane, and officially moved to England for my year-long study abroad. September 9th, 2013. I woke up (even though I barely slept) the next day in England. My year living in Nottingham was by far… Read More 5 Years Since Nottingham: Reflections On My Study Abroad
UPDATED JANUARY 2020! Having lived in York for over three years now, and having visited many of the drinking establishments around town, I finally feel like I’m qualified to write this post! There are tons of amazing restaurants in York, and a lot of fantastic cafes and coffee shops. But York is definitely an excellent… Read More The Best Bars and Pubs in York, England
UPDATED MARCH 2022! As one of the most popular destinations in the North of England, York sees huge crowds of tourists every year. Having lived in York for a year and a half 3.5 years over 5 years now (!!), I love living here and having so much to explore in my own backyard! Being… Read More 20 Things to Do in York That Are Absolutely FREE!
One of York’s many charming features is its collection of small, winding streets! These are called snickelways (sometimes spelled snickleways), and the city is absolutely full of them. If you visit, exploring them is one thing you must do in York! The word snickelway was coined by Mark W. Jones, a local author who wrote… Read More The Best Snickelways in York
There are so many logistics and things to sort out and organize when you go abroad long-term. Whether you’re studying abroad for a semester, taking a gap year, or moving abroad on a permanent basis, it takes a LOT of preparation! Itineraries, cities you’ll visit, budgets, flights, what clothes to bring, etc. But there is… Read More The Stuff No One Talks About When You Go Abroad: Birth Control, Student Loans, and More
For my third year of college, I participated in a study abroad program for an academic year in Nottingham, England. Despite it being the most formative and decisive years of my life, I realized I’ve barely written about my experience on the blog! My study abroad experience changed me. My year living in England and… Read More 10 Reasons To Study Abroad