Moving To A New City.

It's that time of year again, when college leavers and university graduates will begin to cast their thoughts to their ever-nearing future. The jump between adolescence and adulthood is a weird one, you've just come of age and yet you are expected to make huge life decisions, when all you really want to do is experience the world and enjoy yourself. Not to scare anyone reading this, but the choices you make during the pivotal years can affect the rest of your life. It just doesn't make sense to me, and it doesn't seem fair to have to make these momentous decisions at such a young age.

The majority of my Instagram followers are between the ages of nineteen-to-twenty-four, so I feel as though this blog post will be specifically helpful to them. These five years in our lives are so exciting / crazy / fun. I feel as though I am a completely different person now - to the girl I was when I was nineteen.

This blog post is dedicated to those of you who may be debating the idea of moving out or if you have already moved out. Maybe you're beginning to think of leaving home for college or university, or perhaps you may have the opportunity to move cities for a new job. Whatever your reason, I hope that hearing someone else's experience about moving to a new city will help you!

Fresh out of university, I decided to up sticks and move to Manchester, a city I had only visited twice in my life, why? Because I wanted to challenge myself. When my brother needed a new roommate in Manchester I nonchalantly signed myself up. To be honest, I was still caught up in the post-graduate whirlwind, I hadn't given much thought to the fact I would be leaving everything (bar my brother, of course) in the North East...

The very next day after I graduated, I went backpacking around Croatia, I was able to avoid all of my responsibilities, however when I returned home, I landed back down to earth with a thud. With mounting rent payments on my flat in Manchester, no income and multiple job rejections, I had my first wobble about my decision to move. Fortunately a few applications later, I managed to find myself a job within the field I wanted to be in.

Now, just to go back to my reference of 'the wobble' and no before you ask, I'm not talking about the dance move. The wobble is something I call the "shitwhathaveIdone" thoughts which swirl around your mind and consume your thoughts, a few days after you've committed to something. I've actually had quite a few messages from people on Instagram who have moved for university and who have experienced 'the wobble'. I think everyone will experience these 'wobble' thoughts after the initial excitement of something wares off. For instance students I've spoken to has experienced 'the wobble' post-freshers week during university. The scenario looks like this: you most likely have a bad case of freshers flu, your washing hasn't been done, you're beginning to get coursework and you're starting to morph into a microwave meal. The little voice in your head will sing - "shitwhathaveIdone".

My first months of living in a new city were the worst. I didn't know anyone, I was living in a city filled with thousands of people, yet I had never felt so isolated and alone. Whilst Manchester has provided me with an abundance of opportunities for growth, this city has also challenged me to breaking point. I've felt the loneliest I have ever felt here. It's made me grow up so much, and has taught me so many lessons which I'll never forget. My 'wobble' turned into an earthquake. This post isn't all doom and gloom though. I'm writing this now, sitting in my local coffee shop, feeling good about living in this city - A phrase I thought I would never catch myself writing. No matter how bad things are, they do get better, I honestly believe that. And so what if you moved out, knew it wasn't right for you, so moved back home. I know many people who have being brave enough to simply say 'this move isn't right for me'. Don't be afraid, you haven't failed, you haven't disappointed anyone or yourself. During my first months of living in Manchester, I would wish and wish to be brave enough to just call it quits and go home. But I wouldn't let myself because I felt as if I was a failure. I understood that no-one was forcing me to live here, however I felt as if I couldn't return home.

My jewels were gifted from Ania Haie. Oh how much I love this brand! Every piece of theirs is sterling silver and it's all so reasonably priced. Each piece is easy to layer, making accessorising any outfit effortless. I'm a huge fan of this three necklace combo with my scooped neck white tee, I know this collection will be my go-to during summer months.

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll already know how much I love these jeans, I really haven't stopped wearing them since the day I bought them! H&M have really come through this season. In my quest to become more sustainable, I'm trying to buy less and to buy well. I only buy pieces I know I will wear time and time again. I've never been one to buy pieces to only get that perfect gram' pic - I've always only bought items which I truly love. Lately I've been turning down collaborations with fashion brands, because they don't align with my mantra. It doesn't make sense to own more clothes which I know I'll never wear again, simply for an Instagram ad.

I picked up my pistachio blazer in the Topshop sale, little did I know this hue would become the must-have spring shade! I couldn't believe my look when I saw the sale sticker, it was only £10! I was then cheeky enough to ask for student discount, which made it only £9. I'm wearing the blazer paired with a simple white tee from Mango, my trusty white Asos trainers, Asos sunglasses and my pastel pink Topshop crossbody bag.

If you're playing with the proposition of moving cities / towns / jobs, my advice would be to just go for it! You'll never know unless you try, and you may regret it if you don't give it a go. If you've made the move and you love it - that's great, if you've made the move and you don't love it - that's okay too, at least you've gave it a bloody good go and that is the most you can expect of yourself.

"Que será, será"

S x

The Art Of Including Mindfulness In The Everyday.

The importance of self-care and mindfulness is a topic which has grown in popularity in recent years. It's great to see society respecting the importance of self-care and the positive impact it can have on both a person's mental and physical wellbeing. I always thought I didn't have time to practice mindfulness within my day - that was until I changed my perception of what mindfulness meant to me. I strongly believe the concept of being mindful, can signify something different to each and every one of us. Whether your approach to mindfulness is switching off your phone to spend quality time with friends and family, going for a long run to collect your thoughts, or even to reserve five minutes out of your day to reflect on the things you're grateful for. It's important for everyone to make time for themselves, no matter how little. For me, mindfulness doesn't mean anything too strenuous, it simply means to commit a few moments of my day to become still and to just purely breathe.

These mindful moments can happen at any point of my day. Stripping things down and fully being present in the moment is something I've found particularly satisfying. Rather than mindlessly scrolling online whilst I drink my morning coffee, I put down my phone and take my time to just enjoy it. Taste it, smell it and take in how it makes you feel. I truly believe things taste better when your focus isn't working overtime thinking about one million other things! By embracing the slow living movement and by making simple changes within your everyday, can make your day feel much more meaningful. Instead of waking up and immediately reaching for your device, try taking a moment to think about the one thing you aim to achieve that day.

I've dusted off the yoga mat, which I bought many years ago with the best intensions to now use to stretch out my stresses. I enjoy devoting ten-to-fifteen minutes of my day to stretch out my body whilst focusing or reflecting upon my daily goals. By waking up a little earlier on a morning, or using this as an activity to unwind after a long day, having a good ol' stretch allows you to reassemble your mind, and get it back in focus.

This year, I have begun to keep a note of all of the good things which have happened to me each month. This small activity has made such a huge difference to my outlook on life. I'd love to do this every day, but I feel as though I would end up in a rut of writing the same things - so restricting this to a weekly basis works perfectly for me. Each time something exciting happens or if I receive good news, or an opportunity - whether or not things follow through - I always write them down. It's only a few days into February and I already have a fair few things written on my list. It's easy to overlook and forget about all of the good that has happened, when you're feeling down or if you're caught up in a busy schedule. This activity is such a nice way to look back and remind yourself how much you have achieved each month!

I mentioned my aim to become more sustainably conscious when it comes to fashion during my last post. Becoming more sustainable is a concept which I will keep aiming towards. Building a capsule wardrobe, filled with pieces which you are able to wear time and time again is something I believe strongly in. Sometimes simplicity is key. A classic white t-shirt paired with your favourite blue jeans is the perfect everyday uniform. These wardrobe staples are timeless. Investing in a pair of well-fitted jeans and a simple white tee, is the perfect outfit for almost any occasion. It's because this combo is simplistic and so easy to style up and down, depending on the occasion.

My denim jeans are from Topshop, this shade has certainly became my go-to pair. I love TS's Mom jeans, they're always so flattering and super comfortable. Plus, they actually last the test of time, I find they get better the more I wear them. My And Other Stories knitted navy cardigan is another classic, I wear it draped over almost all of my outfits, to add an extra detailed layer.

Whilst writing this post, I found myself using the phrase '...to take time out of your day to...' Upon proofreading this piece, I went back to delete this phrase, why? Because mindfulness shouldn't be a practice which you need to take time out of your day for, it should be a notion which you include in your everyday life. Being mindful should become a part of your everyday, no exception. I hope this post inspires you to practice mindfulness and to introduce it as a vital notion of your every day life!

A huge thank you to the lovely Holly for these photographs, it was very cold in Manchester the day we shot this!

Photographer: Holly Beson-Tams

Check out her Instagram here.

Check out her website here.

How do you practice being mindful? I'd love to hear more from you and your experiences!

S x