A Letter To 10 Year Old Me

Dear 10-Year-Old Me,
You're sat at the table in the restaurant of your favourite hotel in Blackpool. You're wearing your new navy blue skirt with a tiara sparkling on your head, giving a big cheesy grin to the camera as you tilt your head to the side. You have the most beautiful smile, and you should wear it more often. It's one of the only things about you that won't change. I can see the pride in Mum's eyes as she smiles back at you, and her pride in you will only continue to grow because you're going to achieve amazing things little one. 

You are such a clever little girl with so much potential. Sure, you might be the tallest girl in school with thin legs and knees that look like wool on cotton but you need to be true to yourself. It'll serve you well. Enjoy being as carefree as you are now because it's all stress from here but you'll get through it. There'll be challenges up ahead but you're stronger than you seem, and there'll be more good moments than bad, I promise. 

You'll leave all of your friends behind to go to secondary school, I know you're not thinking about that now but you've got it all to come. Trust in fate. It will be tough on you, and people will try to dull your sparkle but keep your head down, keep dreaming and it'll soon pass. They're just jealous of how effortlessly intelligent you are. But you need to tell someone when they start drawing over your work and throwing your things out of the window, you don't need to deal with that. Never listen to the names they call you or the things they say about you, don't waste your tears on them. It will knock your confidence, but you'll soon get back up. 

You'll work hard and pass all of your exams with flying colours, although you'll stress yourself out beforehand and you'll wonder if you have any more tears left to cry. When it's all over, you'll celebrate in style and turn out to be a real party person. I know you don't want to get up and dance now because you think everyone is looking at you, but soon they won't be able to get you off that dance floor. 

You'll also meet your first crush. Yep, I know boys seem gross now but it'll all change. He'll be in your form and you'll spend your days thinking about him, but nothing will ever come from it. Sorry, kiddo. You'll always have a soft spot for him though, and when you see him at a party a few years down the line, all the feelings will come flooding back and you'll still get butterflies. It's never going to go well with males, and you'll soon realise that they're no good. You'll get your heart broken but you just keep on wishing and he'll come along eventually. Snow White got her Prince and you will too, one day. 

In no time at all, you'll be 13. An unlucky number for some, but it'll be the start of something new for you. Just make sure you treat your Mum with a bit more respect, she's only trying to help you after all. Also, please don't let Dad take you to the hairdressers and let them put a bowl on your head. 'Coconut Head' is not a cool nickname to have. It's the age you'll realise that girls are cruel. They'll drag you down and make fun of you but you just keep spreading kindness. It's a good thing to be remembered for. However, they're not all that bad. You know Liv who lives on the same road as Mambly and Grandad? The girl you play out with all the time? Well, you're still friends 10 years down the line. You're currently the best of friends in your twenties and causing more havoc than ever. She's a good egg and you're really lucky to have her around; in the next ten years, you won't be able to get rid of her.

When you're 15 you'll meet one of the most inspirational women. She'll come in the form of your drama teacher and she'll send your confidence shooting sky high. How lucky are you to have someone so amazing to help you to achieve your dreams? You've always been such a drama queen, so it's no wonder you'll take lead roles in the school productions and you'll be absolutely amazing. Can you see how proud everyone is going to be? You have a strong talent there kiddo and you need to follow that passion even when people doubt you. Prove them wrong. Show them what you can do. You're a shining star, I just wish you could see how special you are.

As I write this to you, you're currently studying writing at University. You've moved away from home and made a whole bunch of new friends, although it hasn't been easy and you've had some setbacks along the way. You love Disney now more than you ever could, and you've finally managed to convince Mum and Dad for that little companion you always wanted. At this moment I know you want to be a beautician/hairdresser and although this isn't the career path you decide to take, you'll manage to work for Walt Disney Company and you're in a job now that you love more than anything, with people who are like your second family. I look at that little girl smiling and I'm so proud of the young woman you've become. The bullies will make you feel like you are not worthy of happiness but you will tower above them. Remember that beauty is only skin deep, and that you are so beautiful even when you don't feel like you are. Remember that it's okay to have bad days and you are entitled to them. Remember that you are worth more than any male who thinks he can take advantage of you. Believe that you can and you will.
Keep wishing on those stars and don't lose your beautiful imagination. Keep dreaming, keep believing and remember that the happiest girls are the prettiest.

Love,
A 20-Year-Old You


Lots of Love,
Meg xo

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Hypochondria is NOT a Joke

Wow, is this me actually writing something on my blog?? Yes, yes it is.
I've been away for a few weeks because I've not been feeling myself recently. Being bogged down with anxiety and studying/working has meant that blogging has been at the bottom of my priority list. That's not to say that I've not had time to blog, but I don't see the point in writing content that I'm not proud of. But let's forget about that now, I'm back and I'm ready to write a personal blog post; there's no better way to come back than with something personal. 

Hypochondria. It's a word you may have heard thrown around referring to someone who constantly worries about their health, then everyone will fall around laughing until the joke dies down and then they'll return to the thing they were doing. If that's the first time you'd ever heard of Hypochondria then you'd probably think it was a joke and use it in the same context. But did you know that it's actually a mental illness? Yep, a real, restricting form of anxiety. 

Do you ever get a headache, google search your symptoms and then automatically have to break the news to your family that you've only got six months to live? Do you constantly self diagnose yourself? If the answer to these questions is yes, then you've probably been referred to as a hypochondriac. I am in no way a medical professional, and to be honest it's not something to be worried about. That's only if it happens a few times. However, if it happens at least 5 times a week like it does for me, then maybe it's a cause for concern. If I wrote you a list of the amount of life threatening illnesses I self diagnose myself with  in a week then you'd probably have a list that is 6ft long. I stop myself going out through the fear that I'm going to be sick, have an excruciating pain and then have to go to hospital. Sometimes I would say that this is one of the main causes of my anxiety; I constantly fear that there is something wrong with me and then the more I google my symptoms, the lower my life expectancy becomes. It's a vicious circle. I also think that my fear of hospitals has something to do with it as well; a hospital is somewhere you go when there's something wrong with you, and I don't like  knowing that there's something wrong. I also HATE being in pain.

If that's not enough, I can't watch the television or do my job without going into a state of panic. Any medical programmes, medical dramas or characters with illnesses make me feel anxious and I have to leave the room until the programme is over. It also doesn't help that I work with hair and wigs which means that I deal with a lot of cancer patients who are going through chemo (even just writing the word cancer makes me full of anxiety). I think that these people are some of the bravest, most wonderful people in the world and I really do admire their bravery but when they speak to me about their illness and they tell me how they were diagnosed, I am again flooded with anxiety and sometimes have to excuse myself from the situation and ask another member of staff to take over, or I fight through it which I do in most cases. The next thing I know, I'm googling whichever type of cancer they have and looking at the symptoms, just to check that I don't have it too. 

Hypochondria is an anxiety that seriously affects my life. The amount of sleepless nights I have through worrying that something is wrong with me, that I could go to sleep and not wake up in the morning, is a number that is too high to type. I get the slightest stomach pain and start to shake because I'm scared of the thing that's wrong with me. My family also hate me for it, I try to express my concerns and worries but they tell me that I'm being dramatic which I know I probably am, but what if the people who did have these symptoms were told that same thing too, and then it turned out to be something much worse? That right there is just an insight to the way my brain works, and it's so messed up. 

What I'm trying to say is that the next time you joke about hypochondria or laugh and call someone a hypochondriac, just remember that it is a real mental illness. If I sat here writing and joking about depression or social anxiety then I'm sure that this post would be inundated with comments about how disgusting I am and how horrible my opinions are. Fair enough, call someone a hypochondriac if you please but remember there's people who live with it every day, people who can't sleep at night. 

I'm sorry if this post was a ramble, or if you didn't really understand what was going on, but I've been wanting to write something like this for a while and as I express all of my thoughts and feelings on this blog, I thought that this would be the best place to do it. 

What are your opinions on this matter?

Lots of Love,
Meg

xox

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My 2017 Resolutions

Happy 2017 Everyone!

We're already two days into the new year and I hope it's treating you all well. I've spent these first two days curled up on the sofa in an attempt to recover from what was the best New Years Eve I've ever had. We went to Revolution, a cocktail bar on the Albert Dock in Liverpool, and spent the whole night dancing and singing to the best songs of 2016. There was a lady in a giant cocktail glass, someone breathing fire and a guy with a light up saxophone who stood on podiums around the bar and played along to the songs. It was such a good night and when the clock struck midnight, the Beatles blared from the speakers, confetti sprinkled around the room as we watched fireworks light up the sky on the Albert Dock. It was as perfect as it sounds. 

With every new year comes a list of resolutions; things we would like to achieve by this time next year. I always write a resolutions list but the main problem is that my resolutions are the same every year and are unrealistic. So this year I thought it would be best to write about the things that will be achievable and I can't wait to embark on a new adventure! 

2017 RESOLUTIONS

♥ Read More Books
I spend so much time on the internet and with my phone glued to my hand but this year I want to be able to take a break from social media and get lost in another world. 

♥ Spend less time on my phone

As I said, I spend so much time on my phone that I don't appreciate the time I spend with my family. I somehow feel pressured to document my everyday life online but this year it's going to stop. When I'm spending time with family and friends, my phone will not be moving from my bag. 

♥ Learn to Drive

This is something I am determined to do this year. I miss the freedom I had at University; to do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and the only way I'm going to get this at home is by learning to drive. I've already planned the songs and albums that will be playing on my road trips. 

♥ Drink more water

I definitely don't drink enough and I think that's why I'm tired a lot of the time. I'm making sure that I drink at least four glasses of water every single day and then hopefully I can work that up to more. 

♥ Work out at least twice a week

I was going to make this resolution to work out every single day, but that's just not realistic. Instead, I'm going to make it my aim to work out twice a week, potentially three times if I'm feeling good. It's all about getting into shape and feeling good about myself. 

♥ Learn to love yourself

I want to learn how to love myself this year and to be 100% happy in my own skin. I'm not letting anyone bring me down, the people who I need in my life will somehow find a way to stay. 

♥ Cut out fast food

Not completely; everyone loves a McDonalds from time to time. But after looking at my bank statement and seeing where I spent the majority of my money, it occurred to me that I spent too much of it in fast food restaurants. I need to start eating healthy and hopefully my body will thank me for it too! 

♥ Get deadlines submitted ahead of schedule

I am so last minute when it comes to submitting work for Uni, so this year I want to make sure that I have got everything written way ahead of deadline. I don't want to be spending the first few months of 2017 stressed out. 

♥ Write more

Considering I'm studying Creative Writing at University, I really don't write enough in my spare time. I want to change this in 2017 so I'm going to dedicate more of my time to writing short stories, improving my technique and hopefully plucking up the courage to read out some of my work at an open mic night. 

♥ Adventure

I'm determined to have so many wonderful adventures this year, whether that be visiting different places around the UK or creating magical memories in Disneyland. I can't wait to document everything on here so that you can follow all of my adventures. 

I'm hopeful that 2017 is going to be kind to us all this year, and that in January 2018 I will be writing about one of the best years of my life. If you've made any resolutions this year, I'd love to hear about them in the comments. 

Lots of Love,
Meg

xox

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The Highlights of 2016

Happy New Year Everyone!

It's so crazy; another year has been and gone just like that. It only seems like a week ago since I was writing up a list of my 2016 resolutions and getting ready to start my second semester at Uni. It amazes me how naive I was this time last year; I thought that everything was going to be perfect but then David Bowie died and things have just gone on a downward spiral from that point forward. We left the EU, George Michael passed away, Freddo's have gone up in price again and Donald Trump is the new president of the USA; if you wanted a summary of how rubbish this year has been, then there you have it. 

I'll be honest with you now, when I sat down to plan this blog post to make sure I covered all the lovely things that happened to me this year, I really struggled. It's been an incredibly hard year for me; I've lost family members, friends and really struggled to come to terms with my mental health. In a nutshell, 2016 has been a shambles and it's a year I will be happy to say goodbye too tonight with a cocktail in my hand. 

So there, I've had a small rant about how rubbish 2016 has been. I don't know anyone who's loved this year, I think everyone has been down and with the amount of people we have lost, it's no wonder. What I'm going to try and do today is cover all the good things that have happened this year, and it's these things that we should be thankful for as they've been the little rays of sunshine in the darkest of times. Please don't be expecting this post to be a long one, because I'm highly doubtful that it will be, but if you'd like to see some of the good things that have happened this year, then please do continue reading. 

I'm going to start with one of the first things I can remember happening this year, and that is going to see the Rocky Horror Show with Liv. This is one of those days that will stay in my memory forever; the manic search for a costume on the night of the show, doing our hair and make up and doing the time warp with the whole theatre. I have never experienced an atmosphere in a theatre like I did that night, but it's something I would willingly experience again. I never thought I'd ever go and see Rocky Horror; Mum had raved about it for years but it just didn't seem the type of show for me. I couldn't have been more wrong. I absolutely loved everything about it, especially everyone being dressed up and going into the pub after the show which was full of people dressed up as characters from the show. I really want to go and watch it again, it was too much fun. 

Most of my happiest memories of 2016 have been spent with Liv, and the fondest memory I have is going to the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool to see a play and Ian McKellen being sat behind us. It was the most surreal thing; he is the last person you expect to come and sit behind you in a theatre, let alone a little theatre like the Everyman. I'm still not over it. After that show, Liv and I went back to my flat, got extremely drunk, sang High School Musical on karaoke and then ordered a pizza at 3am. Perfect. 

Although I've not had that many nights out this year, due to the social anxiety situation, the ones that I have managed to attend have been pretty awesome. I've met so many new people, all whilst drinking alcohol and singing along to Whitney Houston. What could be better?

One of my goals for 2017 is definitely to build up my confidence and go on more nights out, I figured that the only way I'm going to get over my fears and anxiety is by combating the thing I'm most frightened of. Wish me luck!

Can someone please explain to me how I'm already half way through my second year of Uni?! If you would have asked me this time last year if I thought I would've passed first year, I would have laughed at you and told you that I was going to drop out. But here I am a year later, still writing and still hoping to be able to throw my cap into the air in 2018. I somehow managed to pass my first year with a very high 2:1 which made me even more determined to work hard in the second year. 

In order to celebrate the end of exams and writing for the first year, the Uni gang and I headed to Chester Zoo for a writers day out. It was definitely one of my favourite days of the year and something I would like to do again; the weather was so nice, we got to do lots of fun things and I got a toy penguin! As you know, this year I've lost a lot of friends, but having such wonderful friends at University really makes up for the people who have exited my life in 2016. They make me so happy. 

One of the many perks of my friends living around the country for University is the fact I get to go on adventures to go and see them. 2016 saw me take two trips to Wolverhampton to go and see Kathryn. However the second trip sticks in my mind the most as I got to share it with Liv and Charlotte; we went down to surprise and support Kathryn who was doing her final Musical Theatre showcase. It was such an adventure and I loved being able to explore Wolverhampton; it's surprisingly a really nice place. Watching Kathryn perform, I felt like such a proud Mum, and when we surprised her with flowers at the end of the night her reaction was priceless. I can't wait to go and visit more new places in 2017; Wolverhampton, Durham and London are definitely on my list. 

Just a few days after we returned from Wolverhampton, I turned 19. This was both a lovely time in my life and a very hard time in my life. At this point in the year, my mental health was at its worst and I struggled to leave the house, but my Birthday was one of those things that made me smile. It was so nice to spend the day with my family and friends, but it made me realise how many people have disappeared from my life since I started University, and how many people have replaced them. 

Another highlight of the year for me was going on day trips with Liv and Rach. We literally come as a three and I couldn't ask for two better girls to call my best friends. They've been extremely supportive towards me this year, I really don't think I'd be where I am right now if it wasn't for their love, kindness and understanding. I'm such a lucky gal! 

In July, on the hottest day of the year, we took a trip to the Blue Planet Aquarium in Cheshire and headed under the sea to go and spend some time with the fishes. It was so tranquil walking round and watching the fish as they swam around in their tanks; so peaceful and free. This trip also saw me make friends with a stingray called Sid who kept swimming over my head and saying hello to me. Okay, I know you're laughing at that last bit but I'm not joking, he was literally saying hello. 

One of the best parts of the year was going on our annual holiday to Cornwall. I love that place more and more every time I visit and I think it will always make it into my highlights post. This year was my favourite holiday we've ever had; we visited so many new places such as Lands End and Boscastle and I really enjoyed taking photos on my new camera. There's something about sitting on a beach listening to the waves crash against the rocks and watching as the sky paints the most beautiful picture as the sun sets. That was really poetic wasn't it?!

Boardmasters was another wonderful thing that happened this year, and although we didn't go to the music festival, the surfing festival was just as good. Cornish cider, music and surfing; could you really want anything else?

I can't wait to go back to Cornwall in 2017 and be able to chill out for a whole two weeks! 

There hasn't been a photo of Buster on this blog post and it'd be horrible for me to leave him out. So here he is being his happy little self. I promise this photo does have some relevance to this post; I took this at a Bichon Frise meet up that the whole family attended a few months ago. It was so fun to meet so many little Bichons, be able to speak to their owners and watch Buster make lots of new friends. I'm a little bit obsessed with going to these meet ups and I can't wait to go to lots more in the New Year. 

And finally, the thing you've all been waiting for. Would it really be a 2016 highlights post if I didn't mention my Halloween trip to Disneyland Paris?

Every time I go to Disneyland Paris, I am guaranteed to have a wonderful trip and make so many magical memories. But this trip was something else, this trip meant something else. If I were to tell you that I'd been on holiday with twenty people I'd never met before, you'd think I was crazy or you'd try to talk me out of it. But it was the best decision I made in 2016. I gained so much confidence, travelled to another country for the first time on my own and made so many wonderful new friends. I look at how lonely I was at the start of this year and now look at how loved I feel by such a beautiful group of people, it warms my heart. I haven't been this happy in such a long time, and with these lovely people surrounding me, I think 2017 is going to be a good year. Or at least I'm hopeful.  

My dreams came true when I met Marie, Peter Pan, Snow White and Mickey Mouse; characters I have wanted to meet for such a long time. Halloween 2016 was the time when dreams came true and I can't wait to return to make more magical memories. 

So, they are just some of the bigger things and events that happened during 2016, but some smaller things happened too and I'd just like to dedicate this little paragraph to them. I got myself a new job which I absolutely love and have learnt how important it is that you work with people who you get along with. I've become closer to my family and re-kindled my love for reading as well as completely given my room a makeover. I've overcome my fears of both travelling and the dentist as well as becoming more independent and learning how to look after myself. And to top it all off, I had an absolute blast watching both The Vamps and Jess Glynne in concert! 

Overall, although it's been a shambles of a year, it gives me hope that 2017 is going to be a little bit brighter. I'm so thankful that I'm still alive, healthy and that my family are too. Surely that's the only thing that matters after all. If you're not feeling hopeful about the New Year, you've got to think about the changes that you want to see and then go out and make them. If there's one thing I've learned this year, if you want something then you've got to go out and get it. 

As you're reading this I'm probably going to be getting ready to go out and welcome in what will hopefully be a year of happiness, love and magic. 

Lots of Love,

Meg

xox

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Disney Halloween Day 5: Donald, Phantom and Saying Goodbye

Disney Day 5

It makes me very sad to say that this is the last post in my Disney Halloween series and it's going to be a short one because I've only got half a day's worth of magic to share with you. 

As it was our final day in the park, we said goodbye to our room and checked out of our hotel very early in the morning. We were absolutely shattered from our late night, but that didn't stop us from heading into the park to make the most of the magic we had left. We dropped our luggage off at the concierge and then made our way into the park to meet Anna, Vivi and Jade who were meeting Chip and Dale. 

Our only meet of the day, and our last meet of the trip, was with the lovely Donald. We queued with the Birthday Girl Anna, Vivi, Jade and Nicola and after half an hour, it was finally time for us to meet our favourite Duck. Donald has always been a character that I've wanted to meet, but it always seems that every time I'm in Paris, he's never out. As this was my first time meeting Donald, I was just as excited as Jade, who is his biggest admirer and to see those two meeting one another was adorable. He was one of the loveliest meets we had, and definitely the perfect character to end our trip, he was full of loves and cuddles and our photos are SO cute. I wish I was still having cuddles with him. 

We then bumped into Cara who was queuing to meet Goofy and I had an argument with a Welsh man who thought I was pushing in when I was just walking past. Anyway, we stood and chatted for a while and then took a very cute group photo. Saying goodbye to Cara, as it was the last time we would see her before we went home, Chloe and I walked over to the Frontierland barrier ready to run to Phantom Manor at rope drop. 

Chloe and I had one last ride on Phantom, and although it wasn't as spooky as normal, it was still fun. I don't think either of us wanted this whirlwind experience to end. I never expected to love this trip as much as I did, and I definitely didn't expect to make as many new friends as I did. The more we saw  on our last day, the more it hit us that we were going to be heading back to reality. The one person we really wanted to see before we went home was Laura; after spending every day with each other it was hard to imagine how we were going to cope with being apart. We all formed this really close bond and Laura is like an older sister to me, I absolutely love her. 

To pass time before Laura came into the park, Chloe and I went to walk around Frontierland to take in the atmosphere. I think that it was missing something without the screams of people riding Big Thunder Mountain and being able to watch the boat sail around the lake, but it still looked lovely. It was the spookiest of all the lands in the park; they'd really gone to town with the creepy atmosphere. 

One thing we hadn't done on this trip was go and look around the Castle. This is definitely one of the more underrated attractions in Disneyland Paris but it's the only Castle in a Disney park that you can actually go inside. It was a very cloudy day, but the park still looked so beautiful. We watched all the crowds rush around and even spotted Cara queuing up to meet Maleficent. It's so amazing to see how happy people are when they're in Disneyland, people lose their worries for a few hours and are enveloped in the magic. It's another world, but it's a world we never wanted to leave. We stood looking over Fantasyland for a very long time until we ventured into the Castle Dungeons to see the Dragon. That creature gets scarier every time I see it.

We left the Castle and went over to meet Anna, Vivi and Jade who had sat down to watch the Cavalcade. That was one thing we really wanted to watch before we left, and we made the most of it being our last one. I think us dancing, singing and hugging every single character that passed us made the Cavalcade the best we watched. When it ended, Laura joined us and then we had to say goodbye to Anna, Vivi and Jade as they were having lunch at Auberge later on in the afternoon. This was the most emotional goodbye we experienced, and if you know me well, you'll know I hate goodbyes. We all burst into tears and spent a good fifteen minutes avoiding leaving by hugging each other and promising that we'd see each other again soon, which I'm very sure we will. Then we had one last group hug and Laura, Chloe and I headed down Main Street to go and do some shopping.

The shops on Main Street are some of my favourites because they always stock the quirkiest things. I really wanted to get myself a Marie plush but I wasn't too keen on them, her eyes were a very strange colour of blue. Instead, I got myself a Marie and Mickey pen, Dr Facilier tsum tsum, a Baloo the Bear hat for my Dad, some tea towels for my Mum and a fridge magnet for my Grandma and Grandad. The Cast Members who work in the shops are so friendly, I had a conversation with the kindest French man who reassured me that I would return soon when I told him that I was sad to be leaving. It really is the Cast Members who make the Disney experience so magical, without them the Park would not be what it is.

Then it came to another hard goodbye with Laura. We stood in front of the band stand on Main Street, attempted to plan a meet up and became extremely sentimental by telling each other how amazing it had been to experience the Halloween Soiree together. We had a big group hug, and with tears in our eyes, Chloe and I walked through the exit gates for the final time, picked up our luggage and headed towards World of Disney.

I always say that letting me roam free in World of Disney is a massive mistake because I end up spending more than I need too, and this trip was no exception. Chloe and I spent a hour walking round, picking up items and putting them into our baskets and then putting some back because we thought we had too much. World of Disney is the biggest shop in the Disney Village and it has everything you could ever want, although you can find some of the things in the parks themselves so it really depends on where you want to shop. Whilst shopping I picked up another Marie mug and a Peter Pan snow globe to remind me of our trip; I do love a snow globe. And then, it was time to go home.

This is the part of our trip I was most apprehensive for; the travelling home part. I didn't like the thought of getting two trains at first, but after calming myself down, it really wasn't as bad as I thought. Despite our train getting delayed which almost caused us to miss our Eurostar, we had a fairly easy journey home. It's crazy how the bulk of reality just hits you when you leave the park, I feel sad just thinking about it. I want to stay there forever. When we arrived back in London, Chloe and I sat in Starbucks in Euston Station and reflected on what a magical trip we had experienced. Then we said our last goodbye of the day, to each other. This was the hardest for me because after spending everyday together, and making a friend for life, it was so hard to just say goodbye. I gave her the tightest squeeze, she hopped on her tube and I hopped on my train back to Liverpool. Until next time.

I hope you've enjoyed reading about my trip as much as I have enjoyed writing about it. I had the most magical time, it's something that I struggle to put into words because some of it is still a blur to me. I don't think I felt down once, and being there reminded me what true happiness feels like and it made me realise that I haven't felt true happiness in over a year. I'd just like to say a quick thank you to everyone who I met, who I watched parade with and who generally made the trip my favourite. I don't think anything will ever compare. But for now, see ya real soon!

Lots of Love,
Meg
xox

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London & Jersey Boys

When it came to finding something to get my mum for Christmas, I didn't just want it to be something she'd expect. I didn't want her to look at the shape of the present and think 'It's that top I saw in New Look the other week'. So, when I came up with the idea to go to London for the day, I knew it was what had to be done. I booked our trains in early November, and as a little extra treat, I also booked for us both to go and see Jersey Boys. It's a musical that we've both wanted to see for so long, so I was very very excited, to say the least. Then it was the wait until Christmas day.

I handed my mum the train tickets and the theatre tickets in a little red envelope on Christmas day, and it's very safe to say she was shocked. I think she really liked the fact that she didn't expect the whole thing. And the best part was, that when she got the tickets, we were only three days away from going! We've been listening to the Jersey Boys soundtrack since.

Last week, at 5am, we woke up and headed to the train station to catch our train to London. We were both very very excited. I hadn't been to London in just over two years so was very much looking forward to going back and taking in the beautiful surroundings of the city. I fell asleep on the train there, but let me just tell you how much I love Virgin Trains. They are like a plane that doesn't fly. I wish all trains were like Virgin Trains.

Anyway, after a two hour train journey, or in my case, a two hour sleep, we arrived in a very quiet London. It was 9am so I'm not very surprised. Then, Mum and I had the challenge of actually trying to find the theatre where we would be watching Jersey Boys. Mum refused to let me use the sat-nav on my phone, and instead told me that she knew the way; she didn't. We were up and down little back streets, and what should have been a half an hour journey took us about an hour, but we got to see where Great Ormond Street was, which was the only perk of the walk. Soon enough, we found the theatre, and my excitement started to flutter around in my tummy.

By this time, it was about 10am, and as the show only started at 3pm, we had some time to kill. We decided to head to Oxford Street and do some shopping. The minute I saw the beautiful blue screens of Hollister, I dragged mum straight inside. It was three floors, THREE FLOORS! And let me tell you, it smelt absolutely beautiful. I also got a very nice bargain in the sale, I'm starting my summer wardrobe early.

We then headed further down the street, and I came across a little alleyway that was decorated with lights. It said 'Carnaby Street'. Being a girl who is constantly on Instagram, I'd seen this a couple of times but I didn't really understand the hype about it. but let me tell you now, it is the cutest little street ever. I didn't even feel like I was in London. Mum explained to me a little bit of history about the street, I took some pretty photos, and then we headed back into Oxford Street. We started to walk down, and had a browse in places such as Topshop, New Look and Miss Selfridge, but I found it very hard to shop. I hate shopping in sales when everything is jumbled, it's the worst. We then took a little break and went for a coffee. I'd never been to Oxford Street, and from what I'd seen so far, I really wasn't impressed. I just didn't understand what everyone loved about it.

We all know that Disney is my life, and I'd heard a lot of things about the Disney Store on Oxford Street so I was on the hunt to find that. The further we walked, the more Oxford Street became pretty. The beautiful street decorations glistened in the sunlight, and the lights on the Christmas Trees sparkled. It was perfect. Then, I found the Disney Store. It was beautiful. Two floors of pure Disney-ness, Cinderella's Carriage and a talking Storm Trooper. It's safe to say I didn't want to leave. We had a wander around for a little while and then continued on our journey back down Oxford Street.

Now, this is the Oxford Street I wanted to see. The Oxford Street I loved. We passed House of Fraser and then we came across Selfridges. Mum and I are massive fans of the show Mr Selfridge, so we let out a little squeal and headed through the doors of the most famous shop in London. Mum started to sing the theme tune of the show, and then said 'Good Morning Mr Selfirdge' to every single male employee she saw. I honestly can't take her anywhere. But Oh My, Selfridges is amazing! It's like another world, so many gorgeous things. And the escalators, they're flat and then all of  sudden they just rise. Everyone needs to up their game if they want to be anything like Selfridges.

When we'd finished walking around the many many floors, and looking at things that we definitely couldn't afford, we decided to take a stroll back to the theatre. In the build up to watching Jersey Boys, the album had been on repeat, and I knew the words to 60% of the songs. We were a little early to the theatre, so we took our place and waited for the show to begin. I sang and danced in my chair the whole way through. We were sat in the Grand Circle, and I was a bit apprehensive at first, because after reading reviews online, they had said that you couldn't see much. I just didn't want the day to be ruined for Mum. Honestly, we saw everything that went on. It was well worth the price. I'm not going to spoil anything, but Jersey Boys will make you laugh, smile and cry. It's my favourite musical...EVER!

We emerged from the theatre, just wanting to dance and sing down the street which was lit by the beautiful Christmas Lights. We then decided to head down to Trafalgar Square. I'm very scared of pigeons, so we thought it'd be best to visit it at night time when they've all gone to bed. It was beautiful. We sat by the fountains for a little while, watching them change colour and it was so peaceful. We then went to see Buckingham Palace, Leicester Square and many different theatres such as the Palladium, Her Majesty's Theatre and the Apollo Theatre. The day was coming to an end, and we ended it the only way we knew how; in McDonalds. We couldn't get into cafés anywhere so it was the only place we could find, and we were very very hungry.

We got back to Euston Station, and had a short wait until our train was called. We then hoped back onto the train and headed for home, eating our sandwiches and falling asleep straight away Very tired, we stumbled back into Wigan Station after the most wonderful day in London.

Here are some photos I managed to take of the day!

 








 Lots of Love,
Meg
xox

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