Oh Amsterdam, I’m sorry

My calves burned with the effort of pumping the pedals of the bike. A crossing car had cut me off from the tour group which was moving over the bridge ahead. I raced to catch up; desperate to avoid getting lost forever in Amsterdam.

“Sassy Molasses” was my metal, two-wheeled companion but there was nothing sassy or sweet about my cycling ability.

Five things not to do in Paris

You’re visiting one of the most beautiful cities in the world; one full of incredible culture, remarkable history, and breathtaking architecture. So obviously you want to make the most of it and have the least possible chance of ending up looking like a nooby tourist.

To help you out with that, here is my list of the five things not to do while in the City of Lights.

Unfortunately, these are all from personal experience. 

Grindelwald, Switzerland: city of flurries

First Impressions

Switzerland greeted me with two things: a bruised ego and a sore bum.

After 10 hours of travel spent battling waves of nausea brought on by a surprise bout of motion sickness; I was not feeling fantastic.

To say I was excited to escape the bus and breathe in the crisp, snowy Grindelwald air is a huge understatement.

My enthusiasm for the indoors caused a temporary lapse in my ice and snow related common sense. In my excited dash to get off the bus, I only semi-processed our trip-leader Mercie’s warning about taking care on the frozen ground. The group shuffled off the bus and I had to disguise my giggles as a cough while watching a few passengers struggle to get a firm grip on the ice when stepping off the bus. I was rather chuffed when I made it out without falling. Me being pleased with myself didn’t last very long.

2016: The Year of Lists (and successfully adulting)

I will be he first to hold my hand up and say that I am not the most organized person on the planet. Preparedness, planning and being on time are (embarrassingly) low down on the list of things I consider important; much further down the list than stuff such as sleeping, eating, drinking enough water, calling my parents regularly and downloading the latest episode of Ex on the Beach (Just kidding… sort of).

So when I started making lists in preparation for my upcoming trip to Europe WEEKS before I even leave, I was like ‘What the heck?’

I’ve already started a scrapbook for goodness sake, and I haven’t even left yet. What a weirdo.

But 2016 is a year of change for the better and venturing into adulthood successfully.

Also, I think the eagerness and intense early preparedness can be narrowed down to excitement. This is the third time I’ve ventured out of South Africa without my family.