No.5 Adventures In Tuscany

I may be eagerly diving into a plate of Eggs Benedict right now, but I'm also experiencing a Pizza and Gelato withdrawal.

Okay, perhaps I haven't diagnosed myself with a pizza deficiency (not that it's even a thing - though, it should be) but I'm certainly missing the clear blue skies and postcard views.

After a tremendously long 7 months of waiting, two weeks ago my partner and I boarded a plane and headed for Pisa. With a ginormous white Toblerone in our hand-luggage to keep us company, we were ready to fly far away. Well, 713 miles to be precise. 

Deciding where to base ourselves in Tuscany wasn't easy. In our heads, we wanted a large private pool and a scenic view of Siena, but to locate ourselves so far from a city centre would have caused difficulties. Having a variety of restaurants, gelaterias and central train station within walking distance was key, hence why we settled with Pisa. Specifically, an Airbnb. It's understandable why many Brits would opt for a catered or all-inclusive hotel, but there's something rather exciting about having your own apartment and space to cook for yourself. It's the closest you can get to living in a foreign city.

Pisa may have been be bursting at the seams with tourists but it didn't take away the city's magic. It may not have been green, quiet and a haven of peace, but it was vibrant, charming and cosmopolitan. But yes, busy.

Aside from climbing the Leaning Tower and visiting the surrounding Baptistery and Cathedral, we predominantly enjoyed roaming the streets of Pisa and sampling new, exciting flavours of gelato. And in all honesty, participating in endless activities isn't always necessary; there are other, more affordable ways to experience local culture, wherever you may be. Whether that be in your rented apartment or down a sepia-toned arcade. I also learnt that every moment does not have to be spent doing something exciting. The days I prioritised spending time unwinding and re-energising were the days I felt appreciative of my surroundings. With that said, I probably ended up watching The Kardashians for an unfathomable number of hours. Lol.

Prior to my trip, I have envisioned all the creative content that I could create on holiday. Both in our apartment and out and about. Though, when you're sharing valuable time aboard with other people it's really difficult to capture holiday content. Lingering on the edge of a road to take "that photo" leaving my partner talking to himself not realising I'd stopped yet again seemed unfair, as did asking for yet another photo of me outside another old building. I didn't want him to miss out of what was his time to relax, and mine, too. Though, I did manage to keep my Instagram updated!

I also came to realise that the only half-decent photos I take care of buildings, so really it didn't matter. More than that, I'm not a travel blogger nor am I desperate to diversify. I bloody love scrolling through travel blog content but no filter is going to make my travel photography look right. Nonetheless, all that truly matters are the memories and I’m lucky to have made many good ones. 

When we weren’t roaming around Pisa, we took it upon ourselves to explore the surrounding area as much as we could. Hence, we fuelled up with Fanta and explored Lucca, Florence and spent 3 tranquil afternoons under the sunny skies of Viareggio. 

I’ll start with Florence - the city was grand and opulent but not entirely what I anticipated. I had expected a similar atmosphere to Verona - magical, uplifting and buzzing with laughter - but it instead reminded me of Milan; there wasn’t really much to do. Seeing Florence’s prestigious Cathedral and soaking up the city’s beautiful architecture was fun, but exploring the Uffizi Gallery and observing artworks that I have studied was incredible. For anybody visiting Florence, I would highly recommend having a look around the gallery. Oh, and I’d also recommend looking around for the best gelato prices because you don’t want to end up paying a mighty €10 for two scoops like I did. I wish I was kidding. 

In a similar way to Florence, Lucca was beautiful to walk around but there wasn’t a tremendous amount to do, but perhaps I’m only saying this because the museums happened to be shut on the day we visited. On a brighter note, the architecture reminded of my favourite city in Italy (Verona) and I suppose you could say it had a very similar relaxed atmosphere, as well as similar pockets of oregano floating in the air.

One of the city’s main attractions is Torre Guinigi, a medieval tower that's open for the public to climb. We got some great photos from the top, but sadly I didn’t make it up the whole way. Woops. 

Out of all the places we visited, I’m confident in saying that Viareggio was my favourite of them all.

As I previously mentioned, I’m usually not interested in having a “beach day” but it was so quiet and peaceful.  I just couldn’t not! I also managed to fall asleep on the beach and develop a slight tan...Yep, never have I felt more accomplished.

Viareggio is only a 20-minute train journey from Pisa and then another short walk to the beach, so it’s hardly out of one’s way. If you visit from May-August, I recommend visiting on a weekday rather than a weekend, if you want to avoid touristy crowds. With that said, there is a nice selection of restaurants and gelaterias, but, they didn’t beat Pisa’s!

Update: since writing this blog post I have indeed gobbled down a pizza or two...

Perhaps there is such thing as a pizza deficiency after all!

University Diaries: Looking Back On My First Year

It only feels like yesterday when my family and I battled to carry an endless array of boxes up one flight of stairs and into what I then called my new room. I couldn't believe it. Like many others, I'd imagined and re-imagined this moment time and time again. Once the posters were pinned up and the fake IKEA plants had been positioned, what I consider to be my true experience of university life began; a full-blown cycle of peaks and troughs. 

Aside from dramatically worrying that I had meningitis, the first week of university (Freshers, as we call it) was just as I had imagined. Most days were spent recovering from the night before and attending compulsory introductory talks. Don't get me wrong, being constantly on the go and having no time to let my anxiety get the better of me was a great help, but after being rescued from the kitchen floor and dry-heaving into the palms of my flatmates, I discovered that alcohol was not my friend and one that I needed to leave behind. 

With a new-found hatred for alcohol other than sparkling rose and gin, I fastened my seat-belt and pushed myself forward into the (daunting) academic side of my new life. Yes, I attended many lectures, many seminars and read many many books. However... I didn't do it all. There. I said it. There were a couple of times when I didn't feel like going into university, for numerous reasons, but there were also times where I genuinely couldn't make it e.g. doctor's appointment, being snowed in, etc. With that said, I want to debunk any myths that you may have heard about university work being unbearably difficult and near-impossible because it's really not! Okay, well it is difficult, but it's not impossible. Everyone learns valuable lessons from their mistakes, and it only makes us stronger, both academically and mentally. I wish I had this written on a t-shirt, maybe then I would have participated more in seminars! Alas, that's something I'm working on. Though, I'm 100% more of a listener than a participator.

I've learnt a heck of a lot about friendship. Most people make soppy statements about how they met their best friends during their first week or term of university. For me, I guess this is somewhat true: I met my boyfriend and a couple of close friends during the first few weeks, but it did take the whole year to kindle, grow and develop most friendships. I'll admit, I didn't throw myself out into the diverse and unexpected world of university culture, but I have no regrets. If this also sounds like you then you're not alone! It's all about doing what works for you.

 

Rather than carefully masking my quiet self with a confident facade I stayed true to myself and took baby steps. In doing so, I've learnt a lot about myself, but I also jeopardised a couple of friendships. This - for me - was particularly difficult at the time; losing touch and becoming strangers to people who were once a friend heightened my anxiety on a daily basis, but so did trying to impress them; most of all, I felt like I couldn't truly be myself and that I needed to put myself and my mental health first. That said, there are no hard feelings.

Now that I've had time to dwell on 'what could have been' and 'what I could have become', I'm finally letting myself accept fate; some friendships aren't meant to be and we shouldn't force ourselves to impress others. Rather than search for new friendships, focus on what you've already been graced with; let fate take its toll. 

While some people like to surround themselves with lots and lots of people, I've discovered that its also perfectly natural and very common to prioritise quality over quantity when it comes to friendship. And if you've not yet started university, follow whichever path suits you!

As I'm writing this blog post, I'm munching away on a £6.50 box of 'extremely chocolatey milk, dark & white chocolate biscuits' from M&S - not the most student-friendly shop out there! While I can safely say that they are indeed extremely chocolatey and delicious, I'm also thinking about how this purchase was a) unnecessary and b) another silly throw-away of my money. Yep, you guessed it, I've been beyond awful with my finances over the past year of university, hence why I was trying to avoid writing this section. Anyway. Whilst most students throw away their student loan on alcohol and club entry, I spent a lot of money on coffee and ASOS orders. I don't regret the coffee because it helped me through many essay deadlines and for that I'm extremely thankful, but my goodness gracious me, 9/10 of the clothing orders I placed were unnecessary and now my wardrobe is bursting at the seams. Thank goodness for Depop, eh! If I could go back and give myself advice, I'd tell myself to save and save some more.

Looking back, it's a shame that I spent so much time feeling like I needed to dress a certain way because, at the end of the day, nobody cared about how I dressed. Only I did. The focus should have been on enhancing my confidence and personal skills, not my collection of turtle-neck-jumpers.

All in all, my first year of university has not quite been what I had expected. I didn't blossom into the confident young women I thought I'd become and I didn't find my feet right until the very end. I have, however, discovered my strengths and weaknesses through the struggles I've endured. Knowing more about myself now than I did nine months ago is already helping me gain the confidence I need to smoothly sail through my second year.

If it wasn't for my embarrassing drunken moments during Freshers week, deciding to stay true to myself despite the consequences and the mistakes I'd made, I would not be the person I am today, nor the person I will become.