THE BEST PLACES TO EAT IN RHODES

If you follow me on Instagram you just might know I've been away to Rhodes this past week and if I am being perfectly honest my favourite part was the food because oh my god it was so damn good. 

My initial top tip which I hope you all know already is if there is someone outside the front simply hired to get you to go in shouting 'all the English love it here! We have burgers! We have pizza!' for god sake do not go in. I'm not saying the food will be gross and not edible but just please have a little look for the hidden gems first. 

My one true love when looking for little gems amongst the crap was Trip Advisor - of course it doesn't ensure a lovely meal but it sure does help you navigate through the endless amount of restaurants. So let's get into it - my top 2 places you need to go to in Rhodes.

1. Tamam

This restaurant is at the top of the list on Trip Advisor and my god there is a reason. If the delicious food isn't enough then it is the incredible service. With it being a family run restaurant - the dad and daughter out front and the mum cooking in the kitchen - you will not get this service elsewhere easily. Every night it becomes queued up with people waiting for a table in which you are greeted with a free glass of wine while you wait - BIG YES. I don't want to spoil the experience for anyone by doing a full run down - as personally I liked experiencing it for myself and not expecting anything. But yes this restaurant is incredible - so incredible we went there twice. So I really do urge you to go if you can.

2. Hosteria dei Cavalieri 

When I tell you this - again this restaurant is one where the owner is front of house serving - is up there for some of the best food I've ever eaten - I am not exaggerating. Just thinking about it makes me starving. The service here is very fitting to the environment of the small quaint courtyard in which we dined - with the owner being attentive to each table and ensuring the menu is explained. Again myself and my boyfriend went here twice because it was just the best food ever so please if you go here search out this little gem as it is divine.

The list could go on but I wanted to keep it short and sweet. But I'm not lying or exaggerating these really are the two best places we went to in Rhodes and I'm sure many others would agree!

Sophie xx

MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY PHONE

My relationship with my phone has had its ups and downs. Sometimes we're joined by the hi...hand, other times I can easily go without checking it all day. I'm sure a lot of you are the same. What I find interesting is going from my first flip motorola when did it happen our phones weren't just a phone, but instead our life? All stored on a little device. 

Although my relationship has got to the point where I'm really not on it as much as I used to be - countless hours of procrastination in the library might be to blame for those endless hours on it? but it still remains my third arm - just slightly more detachable.

I'd well and truly be devastated if my phone got lost or stolen - thank god for iCloud so not all would be lost. Regardless though, I really would be upset/lost. Now, is that healthy?

Like I said, phones aren't just phones anymore, in fact the thing I do least on my phone is actually ring anyone. It's your music collection, your games, your connection point with social media, all your photos aka memories, and your conversations with your nearest and dearest (and co). In this digital age its your portal to just that.

The positive and negatives of this is clearly endless. Some people's relationship with their phone is probably the most committed relationship they've ever had. But in a world where AI (Artificial Intelligence) is a threat to jobs within banks, is it time to accept that phones are just a new limb?

I'd love to know your thoughts!

Sophie xx

TIPS FOR GETTING THROUGH THAT THIRD AND FINAL UNI YEAR OF UNIVERSITY

September is here yet again, and for the first time in three years, it's the first time I won't be going back to any sort of education and most importantly, university. 

I know this post is titled 'tips for getting through that third and final year' but this is also relatable to those few hard working freshers or the people who have suddenly realised year two actually partly counts towards your final grade.

Whilst university really wasn't the hardest time of my life. With year one and two being filled with drinking, having fun and socialising. The workload side of it really can be daunting and not so fun. Naturally though...drinking your weight in beer is going to be a lot more fun than drinking your weight in tea at the library.

Now that I'm some sort of survivor of uni and soon to be graduating I feel have a few little tips to share.

TIP ONE - JUST DO IT. No, I'm not talking about Nike, but they do have a point, just do it. Just open up your laptop and a word document and type. I spent far too long worrying that what I first put onto a page had to perfection, which just made me not type at all. SO, just do it, type away and get into the assignment and communicate with your tutor. This is the only way your word count is going to go down. *I know this sounds ridiculous*. But honestly, getting started is the hardest part so JUST DO IT.

TIP TWO - FIND YOUR PLACE. The best way to get some serious work done is to find your place, the place that you work the best and most. You learn the hard way with this one and with experience you will know if working in your room with a TV, iPad etc. surrounding you is the best or if going to the library away from so many distractions is for you. For me it was the library, so I went pretty much everyday and I am so thankful for it (reality check: at the time I hated it).

TIP THREE - PRIORITISE AND PLAN. I'm a bit of an organiser, I like to know what I'm doing when so when the workload was a little bit full on I would simply prioritise and plan. My priorities in my third year was learning from past mistakes when it came to my work (*COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR TUTORS ALL. THE. TIME. EVEN IF YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING IT RIGHT*) and working hard to get a First Class. With this, my social life pretty much died I will admit but I look back and my first and second year were incredible so I had my share of fun *no regrets*. The library was my second home. When it came to planning, I think it's so important to figure out your word count and get organised so you have goals and targets to reach every day and week. E.G. write 600 words today. Simple as that. In every notebook of mine scribbles of goals and word counts would be all over the place and that is really what motivated me.

So there we have it, my top three tips for getting through that third and final year. A little bonus tip for you all is to also remember to have FUN. Although for me uni work was my upmost priority it's still so important to let off steam once in a while, have a few days of when needed etc and to not feel guilty for doing that as trust me, you deserve it.

Sophie xx

THE PRESSURE OF TIME

The pressure we put into a change of year, season or even day is fascinating, for what is wrong with now? With the idea of time and how we idolise it in order to achieve so much is something I've never really put much thought into. Until now...

It wasn't till the other day when I saw a tweet basically saying they can't wait for summer to be over, as with a new season comes a new vibe etc. they're going to be happier. Now firstly, upon us is autumn...that cold weather isn't making me feel any vibe anyhow, this tweet really made me think and realise how much pressure as humans we put on a change in time.

You'd be lying if you havent said 'I'll start the diet on Monday' and it's just Tuesday. This outlook and attitude to how a new week can bring a positive attitude and motivation is intriguing, for I personally believe socially we have accustomed to expecting a lot from a new week, year or even season. I just can't help but wonder why not now? How have we become so accustomed to waiting for a new day, week, year or season to change our ways.

Don't get me wrong I feel the same sort of newness a new season, year, day etc. brings, with the idea of starting from fresh. Is this outlook in fact negative? As why are we always waiting when we have now?

This pressure on time won't be changing anytime as I think it's in our blood to say 'the diet will start Monday'. Personally I'm going to be trying to stop myself saying it and just instead live now, and not in a weeks time or till the new year hits. 

Sophie xx

MY HONEST THOUGHTS ON THE CONSUMERISM BLOGGING ENABLES

I personally believe there is a very fine line between needing and wanting something. A line which is actually very blurred. Unless you sit and think about it, you really can't easily decipher whether seeing your favourite blogger in that dress you've been eyeing up is in fact a need, or just a matter of want?

One of a few reasons my blogging took a halt these past months is due to the never ending consumerism blogging enables. Now it's clearly down to the self control of the person (spoiler alert: I had none). Simply being involved within the blogging community and just being on social media makes you deep down want the latest trends yet in reality you fully feel as though you need them. This for me meant I needed to take a step back, with my student budget not quite covering all my rent, life and an unnecessary amount of clothes I apparently needed to then only wear in a blog post and never make use of again. It was time my wardrobe stopped growing.

Living in this age of endless obsessive consumerism is hard. Scrolling through Instagram often leads me to scrolling through ASOS or Topshop, bringing me to my next item of clothing I apparently need when trying to justify why I'm even considering getting another jacket when I don't wear the ones I have now. 

Now don't get me wrong *reality check* I do not have the greatest willpower, I am still fairly impulsive with buying clothes and I still spends hours online putting things into my basket (only now I have to have a stern word and make myself exit the tab or app before I press 'continue to check out'). 

It's not easy but since actually thinking whether I need this or want this it makes a difference in my consumerism. FYI I am all for treating yourself and indulging in things you want - just personally for me not at the obsessive rate blogging encourages with fast fashion and trends coming and going like buses. 

So, to round up this little ramble, my honest thoughts on the obsessive consumerism blogging (for me) enabled isn't all that positive and once you take a step back and really consider if you need that dress of want that dress, you might just find you buy one or two dresses' less. 

Sophie xx

LIFE | MY TRIP TO MALLORCA & SO MUCH MORE

Hello! Safe to say long time no see, which is a recurring theme? Let's try and change that. Anyhow, I hope you are all as well as I am. Since going AWOL - yet again...I've been to Mallorca as you can see. But anyway, more importantly to the & SO MUCH MORE. I want to come back to blogging by reviewing my last post, LIFE | 2018 as we're now over half way through the year, it'll be interesting to see what I've actually achieved.

1. Better friend - now this is still an ongoing improvement. I do make a ton more plans now than previously, with finishing uni and actually having some time for me. However, I could still be less lazy with my phone and pick it up to make some more plans. 

2. Graduate. Well I sure have gone and finished university but I don't graduate till October. However my final grade is in and I will be graduating with a first class honours so GO ME!

3. Be happier. Without consciously realising I am definitely happier than I was this time last year. And I am certainly not as moody or grumpy as before, with focusing on the positives in life more than the negatives (Reality check: I am still a sucker for a grump here and there - lets be real).

Here's a little explanation of my whereabouts (for those few possibly interested). My final year at university was stressful so I had to take a step away from blogging so I actually did my university work which, in the long run, paid off seeing as I'm now graduating with a First. After uni, I went into working full time hours and found every excuse under the sun not to get my arse into gear and start posting again. But here I am. Another more controversial and topical reason for why I took a step back will be in my next blog post!

So yeah, I'm back. Keep your eyes peeled!

Sophie xx

LIFE | 2018

Hello, it's me, I'm back. Again. And as if it's 2018?! I'm pretty sure it was 2016 like two weeks ago.

Sooooo, this year I think instead of resolutions I'm going to instead look at how I can improve myself generally and not just focus on one specific thing.

1. First up, I'm going to try and be a better friend. Now don't get me wrong I'm not a bad friend. BUT I find myself very easily consumed into day to day life and not make plans till plans are way overdue. SO, one way I'm going to better myself is actually make plans with my besties.

2. This second one is a tad daunting to even think about but...it is officially the year I graduate. With that, I really want to finish with the best grade I can and wether I go onto to do a Masters or get a job, just do my best to do well in whatever I chose to do.

3. The final one is that cliche one you can't help but hope for when a new year comes but I really want to be happier, 2017 brought a few new low points for me and I really want to spend more energy on positivity than negativity, which I've been guilty of not doing in the past. SO, I strongly believe 2018 although being the year in which I'll no longer be living with my two besties *crys* can and will be a bloody gooden'.

So there we have it my three ways and wishes that'll make 2018 better than the last.

Whats your guy's new year new you mottos?

Sophie xx

LIFE | MY TRIP TO AMSTERDAM

 Hello lovelies!

Earlier this month I was lucky enough to go to Amsterdam for a long weekend to celebrate my mums 50th birthday (yeah I know Amsterdam with the parents?! surprisingly hilarious). 

Having never been before I didn't quite know what to expect, however I was not disappointed the city is incredible. I was also lucky enough to stay in the ohmygod Kimpton De Witt hotel - honestly, google it its amazing, the free wine between 5pm and 6pm make it all the better too. 

Personally for me I didn't go to Amsterdam for the sole purpose that many people in their twenties do - weed - having no interest in the stuff whatsoever. So, instead I actually enjoyed the sites and culture.

I won't bore you with the ins and the outs but a couple highlights of the trip was firstly, how insightful the Anne Frank Museum was and which has since inspired me to buy the book feeling ashamed I for some reason never read it as a child. 

The next highlight could be pretty strange seeing as I went with my parents but the Red Light District was a definite highlight. If you know my parents they're pretty damn funny so walking round and sitting in bars in such a place with them was hilarious. The best recommendation for you all is the Old Sailor pub in the district - lets just say - the BEST people watching in the world goes on through them pub windows, need I say more?

On the other hand, unless you love canals (unlike me) I wouldn't recommend the canal cruises so strongly. Let's just say I paid 11 euros to have a solid half hour nap on an hour cruise, to which my sister kindly took photo evidence of.

Have any of you guys been to Amsterdam? What did you think?

Till next time,
Sophie xx