In the spirit of keeping things real on the blog and giving you an insight into the behind the scenes of travel blogging and expat life I write a monthly thoughts round up series. It usually covers destinations I’ve been to, posts of the month and general stuff. Thoughts on what you want to know more of are most welcome! And please share your month with me too!
Hello spring! Sort of.
This year is either the shortest ever or the fastest ever. I don’t know which. In the space of three months I’ve gone from living in Spain teaching English to living in Scotland and being a full time wedding planner and travel blogger. And I definitely feel like it’s more wedding planner than travel blogger most days! I swear I had no idea how much was involved in planning a wedding. You have to organise all these people like a military operation! I have trouble organising myself sometimes. Uh oh.
I may look like I’m not doing anything, but I’m busy problem solving and thinking with 30 tabs open in my head.
Destinations of the month
Edinburgh, Scotland – 27 days
I’m a bit more stationary these days, thanks to the million and one things I have to do at the moment! The awesome thing about moving country though, is that even if you stay in one place for awhile there’s so many new things to discover. I’ve found some awesome new cafes near where I live in Edinburgh, and I can’t wait to share more about them soon, plus a few other new Edinburgh things along the way.
I went to my first Edinburgh Festival event of the year last night, at the Edinburgh International Science Festival, and I have lots more coming up in the next week or so!
Other than that, EB and I have just purchased our first car (*gulp*) and so expect to see more mini getaways around on the blog, and we wrote our wedding ceremony and filled out our wedding registry papers in our local pub. Adulting win.
Ilkley, England – 4 days
EB and I travelled down to Ilkley in Yorkshire for a few days at the beginning of the month. It was a family trip, but we did end up spending some time exploring the area, including going down into Stump Cross Caverns caves and visiting Bolton Abbey on the edge of the moors. I do love Scotland, but there are so many amazing places in the rest of the UK that I’ve yet to explore, and I definitely want to go back here! Check out Instagram for more photos and there’ll be a post coming soon!
Highlights of the month
Just being back in Edinburgh. I feel like I’m still getting used to it and discovering stuff again. Edinburgh is an awesome place to live, and I can’t wait to share more about it on the blog. Although I am looking forward to not having wedding stuff taking up so much time!
Lowlights of the month
My brain feels totally fried from all the stuff that’s going on at the moment. It seems like it never stops and yet I feel like I never get anything done! I know that’s not true, but the constant need to make decisions and coordinate so many things is pretty tiring. I never wanted to be stressed by wedding planning because at the end of the day it’s the marriage that matters the most, but somehow it’s happened anyway!
Popular Migrating Miss blog posts from March
9 Things to Do in Porto That Don’t Involve Port Wine
This was definitely a popular post this month! Porto seems to be an up and coming place in Portugal, and I seriously recommend it. Porto is the home of Port wine, and I wrote all about how to do Port Wine tastings last month, but this one is all the other reasons why Porto is awesome. I bet there’s a few you didn’t know about!
Edinburgh: An Old Town with a New Beginning
It’s been about 6 weeks since I moved back to Edinburgh now, and I can’t decide if it feels like longer or shorter. This post is a more personal one, stitched together from notes in my phone made during my first few days living back in a city that I know so well, and yet where I’m building a new life all over again.
9 Reasons Why Moving Abroad Solo Could Be Your Best Decision Yet
Travelling solo is awesome, but this one is all about why moving abroad solo is amazing too, and why you should consider it!
7 of the Most Beautiful Villages in Andalucía, Spain
After spending a year living in the south of Spain I couldn’t resist naming some of the villages in this region that I think are the most beautiful! It was definitely tough to narrow it down and there are many more stunning little hidden gems to be discovered. But if you’re visiting Andalucía then be sure to try and make it to some of these!
Other posts you might have missed
Putting the Edinburgh International Science Festival to the Test
Living back in Edinburgh gives me a front row seat to all of the Edinburgh Festivals. There are 12 major festivals throughout the year and 2017 is the 70th anniversary of the beginning of them! The Edinburgh International Science Festival is first up, and I’m excited to be able to check out some of the diverse range of events on offer. I’d love for you to check out more!
6 Incredible Places You Have to See in Belgium
The wonderful Jaimee over at Travel, Pray, Love wrote this post about Belgium, where she’s currently living as an expat with her Belgium boyfriend and brand new baby boy! Belgium is somewhere I’ve wanted to go for a long while, basically the whole time I’ve lived in Europe, and I don’t ever seem to make it! When I do though, I’m definitely going to tick off all of these.
Expat Interview: Moving to Wellington, New Zealand
It’s always interesting to see your home country through an outsiders eyes! I went to university in Wellington, and it’s the most recent place I lived in New Zealand so it was great to read about what it’s like now, and what moving to New Zealand is like.
Expat Interview: Teaching English in Valencia, Spain
I moved to Spain to teach English through the Auxiliar de Conversacíon program, but it is possible to make your own way and find a job yourself! Helen did just that, and shared her experience of living in Spain in this expat interview.
Top Instagram Photo
Definitely this one of Edinburgh Castle, the most iconic place in Edinburgh. I’m still finding my feet with Instagram after moving from the bright colours of Spain to the grey, green and blue of Scotland, but it’s fun to get out and practice my photography. I’m also experimenting more with Instagram Stories! If you’re not already, then make sure you follow the Migrating Miss Instagram to keep up to date on the latest stuff.
I have big plans coming for the blog and the year ahead, plus some awesome trips in the works. I can’t wait to share more about what’s happening with you all! March may have felt like a write off in terms of work, but the year itself is shaping up to be one of the best yet.
Life will only change when you become more committed to your dreams than you are to your comfort zone.
How did your March go?
Sonja x