Lessons of 2015

I must say I haven't had the BEST year. Like it wasn't terrible either. But I don´t mind a bit of a fresh start and seeing as I have no clue what my life will look like in a year, 2016 looks to be an interesting one. I will finish university (hopefully for good) and see what work options arise as well as possibly moving city, country or perhaps just flat. So in honor of „another year being over“ I'd like to have a quick look at some things I took away from the past 12 months:
- sometimes you're terrified of something and it ends up working itself out pretty damn well (which btw has been self employment for me)
- your real friends are there to stay. Even trough the difficult stuff. While fake people may leave you, these friendship grow ever stronger when you go trough hell together. Whenever someone lets you down or turns their back on you, wave them goodbye and move on.
- words have a huge impact. Don´t ever think they can´t hurt someone. Or make their day.
- travelling clears your head and it helps you find new inspiration.
- never take anything for granted.
- great friendships are like a family you handpicked yourself.
- read more books! Actually it should be: make more TIME to read books.
- stop worrying about what you don't have and start fucking looking at all the things you DO have!
- your health is the most important thing (both mental and physical)
- if someone is only in your life out of a habit: kick them out. The older you get the less free time you have to spent. Do it wisely and on people you love.
- sometimes you gotta drink your body weight in beer and kiss stranger. It's therapeutic.
- wine is actually really tasty (white, that is).
- I doubt I will ever stop driving like a lunatic.
- in a family you all gotta work together. No matter what.
- work your butt off and get shit done!

 

So between deciding my makeup look for New Years and pretending like I work while drinking enormous cups of coffee, I want to point out that every year is filled with ups and downs and that we all need to chill a lot more when it comes to expectations and resolutions. Obviously you can change things every day and every moment and you certainly don´t need a different number on the front of your calendar to do so. But it is nice to stop for a second and look back. But don´t decide from the 1st of January you will change EVERYTHING. Like, I´ve "stopped smoking" many times over the years, but somehow never for good. We´ll see how that goes in the new year.

I guess what I´m trying to say is: let´s make 2016 a good one!

Style Advice

I have kind of gotten into the habit of talking about my opinions more on this blog and leave the style/fashion/travel stuff to my German blog. Perhaps because I find it easier to ramble about life in English. But I'd like to mix things up a bit more so here are my favourite pieces of style advice I picked up over the years and can wholeheartedly pass on:

Black always works
Whenever in doubt what to wear (especially if you have to make a quick decision) I opt for black. It is flattering, elegant, works with everything and never fails to make you look badass.

Red Lipstick
It looks great on most faces (but do find a shade that suits you, nothing's worse than a non-flattering lipstick) and saves you from looking messy when you've had no time to do your hair and makeup. I'm sure I adressed this before, but think Kate Moss! She's usually wearing a thrown-together mix of jeans, white shirts and leather and her hair is a mess. So what makes her look put together? Red lipstick! Exactly!

Monochrome
I do wear colours. It's just that black and white are so easy and chic and I find lots of coloured pieces look really cheap in comparison, so I often buy the monochrome version instead. A light grey is also a good option for when you can't decide and it looks fabulous with simple blue jeans and some sneakers.

Eyebrows
Nothing is worse than messy eyebrows. Just…please don't. I am no expert but there's salons and tutorials and shit.

Jeans
Find a size that suits you and a shape that makes your butt look good. Light colours are very hard to pull off and don't overdo it on the details. A few rips are okay, but if you got full on sparkling rhinestones on your pockets, you need to reassess your life, man.

Makeup
I could say quite a bit on that but let's keep to the basics. Firstly, I don't like too much makeup, as I feel like a clown BUT if you can pull it off, go you. Just never feel like you NEED it. On the other hand also don't let anyone tell you how/if you should do it. I have days on which I leave the house with nothing but concealer on and then sometimes I go all out on the smokey eye, bronzer and lipstick. Whatever works for you. And remember that often less is more and the little details make all the difference. Another tip: Highlighter. Trust me on this.

Shoes
It is important to know when heels are acceptable (if not mandatory) and when to ditch them for flats. It depends immensely on the workplace/party/social gathering you need them for but fact is: if you can't walk in them, don't wear them. It'll make you look like a newborn duckling which is not a great look tbh. My personal shoe essentials are: white Converse, a million variations of the same pair of black biker boots for any occasion and weather, black heels, ankle boots, knee high boots in black and brown, leopard print ones and ond pair of solid winter shoes. The snow is a bitch.

There is a lot more I could say on many more style related topics, but this is it for now. ;) Maybe I'll make this into a whole series on style in the new year?!?

Friendships

Obviously having good friends is great. But quite a few people are fine with these sort of „light“ friendships that seem to go no further than the surface of having drinks together a few times. Or the obligatory work friends that you need to have someone to talk to at lunch break. Don´t get me wrong. I have friends like that myself. It´s just that I wouldn´t say they´re proper FRIENDS. More like acquaintances. My real friends are like family to me. I trust them with all my weird, crazy shit and they do the same in return. I´m fairly sure if I ever had to hide a body (not that that´s something I am planning btw) I´d have a few people to call that would help me out no questions asked. Well, maybe a few questions, but you know. 

I have always been lucky to have some pretty great people in my life that I can count on in shitty times and laugh with for hours during the happy times. My best friend of 15 years and I are basically a married couple now, bickering about silly stuff but having each other´s back when I really comes down to it.

And I believe, everyone needs friends like that. I enjoy having people to talk to at parties and to hang out when neither of us have anything else planned. But when MY people need me, I´m there. And don´t get me wrong, I certainly don´t think a friendship is valued in the times you see the other person. I have some fabulous friends with an entire sea and a few thousand miles between us. That doesn´t mean it´s not like we have only seen each other yesterday whenever we get to catch up. Another common idea is that a friendship you´ve had for a long time is automatically better than the one with a person you only just met a few months ago. Especially in intense times (like, say a GAP year together, a crazy adventure

 or moving to a new city) you tend to get really close. My friends from London are still among my favorite people in the world, even if I don´t talk to them every day. 

But you also need to have people you can call at 2am when you´re crying for no reason and you hate your life. The reaction in those cases should always be „Should I come over? And stop at the gas station? What do you need? Wine and Ice Cream sound good?“ or at least something along those lines. Also bestie don´t let you walk out of the club alone when you´re shitfaced. They would see it as a personal insult to put you in danger. Instead, they´ll get you a taxi and some money or in severe cases drop everything and take you home themselves. And so I want to say thank you to all my friends for being incredible and putting up with me and supporting me trough everything! I love you all to pieces and I´ll always be here to do just the same for you.

TV show obsessions

TV shows are one of my biggest hobbies/obsessions. I binge watch them on sick days or lazy weekends and I catch up with my favorites as soon as there´s a new episode. I annoy my friends with theories, make references and tweet about particularly insane episodes. So without further ado, here are some of my all time favorites as well as some new ones:

Sex and the City

This might just have been the show that started it all. When I was about 14/15 I decided my mum can´t keep me from watching it anymore and got all the boxsets. I loved the friendship between all the girls and the crazy things that happen to them while dating in New York.When the movie came out, I literally went to the cinema in heels. My favourite moment in the series was definitely Samantha telling her lover Richard „I love you, but I love myself more.“ – she was just so much more badass than whiny Carrie. Also watching it back now, I realize how much my opinions have changed: in retrospective I would choose Aiden over Mr. Big a MILLION times.

Gossip Girl

It is worth saying that I read the books before they got turned into a show and I LOVED them. Again, I was approximately 15, so don´t judge. Gossip, expensive clothing brands and hot guys - what more could a teenage girl have wanted. It all went downhill after season 3 if you ask me but the Blair/Chuck romance is still one of the coolest relationships to have unfolded on my TV screen. I think the moment they hooked up in his limo was when I realized what „shipping“ was.

Supernatural

My favorite TV show ever! I sat down one day and decided it was time to see what all the fuss was about. Cue to me binge watching 8 seasons of emotionally scarring, crazy, funny, scary and just overall exciting content. As most fans will probably agree on, the best part of the show is the relationship between the two brothers and the meaning of the word „family“. Sure, the angels, demons, monsters, fights and plot twists are pretty coll as well. Having said all that, I kind of wish they stopped after season 5. That storyline was so good that everything afterwards just seemed a bit silly (I mean, how ARE you going to top the apocalypse really?) but I don´t mind watching Jensen Ackles be beautiful and sassy every week so I´ll gladly keep up with Supernatural for another 11 seasons. (Can they bring back Lucifer and Gabriel tough?)

American Horror Story

I 100% hold Ryan Murphy responsible for starting my obsession with hot psychopaths. Why, Ryan? But seriously, how good is the acting in this show? And how insane are the storylines? And how well do they manage the concept of telling a different story every season? I could probably go on like this for ages. It doesn´t really hurt being able to swoon at Evan Peters and his various characters, but also I can´t think of anyone cooler than Jessica Lange. I need for her to come back next season! Even tough American Horror Story is a little (very) disturbing at times, or actually BECAUSE of that, it is one of my all time favorites. The new season is insane!

Hemlock Grove

Okay, this one might not be for you if you´re put off my blood and gore. While the craziness level compares to AHS, this Netflix production feels more like a horror movie split into 40 minute episodes, than a TV show. Which it kinda is, considering the way it´s distributed and the fact that Eli Roth is the producer. Even though the storyline went a little out the window in season 2, I loved the ending (which seems to be an unpopular opinion) and I know better than to ask „but how does that make sense?“ with this show. Even if it makes you go WTF a lot, just go with it.

Skins

Every teenager loved Skins didn´t they? I was a bit late to the party as I got on board when season 6 came out (just don´t bother watching the 5th or 6th season for that matter). And like every other girl I loved Effy to bits. Obviously everyone shipped her and Freddy, as they were the obvious choice, but I always thought Cook was the better fit for her. I am still upset at the fact that they weren´t reunited in the final episode. Don´t underestimate the first two seasons, as the friendship between the characters was the most amazing thing to watch and I´m sure I wasn´t the only person that wanted such a tight-knit group of crazy and loyal friends (in hindsight the frequent drug use and binge drinking in that show is a bit questionable for 14 year olds but oh well). I actually really like that they changed the characters every other season and I think it is just a very bold show in general.

How To Get Away with Murder

This fucking show. I watched the first season when it came out last year and after about 2 episodes there was no going back. Shonda Rimes (who, in case you didn´t know, is also responsible for Grey´s Anatomy and Scandal) has me on the edge of my seat every week with this lawyer/crime drama. All the characters are so amazingly written and while everyone has a couple skeletons in their closet, you sort of love them all. Viola Davis is the most amazing lead and it is great to see a show that adresses the topics of racism, sexism and homophobia in such a real and honest way. I can not WAIT for the new episodes coming in February!

These are just some of my favourites and – as you can see – my taste changed a lot over the years. Not that I wouldn´t still enjoy watching four girls in their 30s dating every man in Manhattan, I do. But horror and drama seem to have taken over comedy for me. On that note: I am currently watching Games of Thrones and Mr Robot and there are about a million other things still on my list...so there´s certainly more to come.

Christmas Excitement

Look - I KNOW it´s only November 23rd, but like…it´s November 23rd. 
I am one of those annoying assholes that see no shame in putting up the Christmas tree right after Halloween is over and yes, I may have listened to my Spotify Christmas playlist today (thank you, Michael Bublé!). 

Maybe it is the magical atmosphere I always connect with Christmas in my head? As a child obviously it is the most amazing thing in the world - getting presents, eating sweets, baking christmassy treats, singing, crafting, stories, decoration...everything! And so to this day I still get super excited about all things festive. Also working in advertising, this might just be the greatest time of the year for us ad freaks (apart from when they release the Super Bowl spots). Don´t blame me, okay? I get to watch the John Lewis ad, cry at it and call that „research“, so don´t be a Grinch!

I haven´t made any plans as to which presents to buy for whom or put up any decorations, but trust me, it won´t be long. Yesterday was the first time I woke up to snow this season so it does really feel like we´re getting there now. I´ve made plans for a little trip to the UK (which will definitely help with the present sorting) and since I am crazy busy with work, the prospect of a few days of food, festivities and relaxing sounds even better than they usually would.

Right, I should go and buy some gingerbread candles or something now. See ya!

Being proud of yourself

I had a very fun, very drunken night last night with one of my besties. It once again assured me in my belief that sometimes a glass of wine and a friend are better help than any therapy session in the world. We had a long chat about work and life and relationships and traveling and the future and all the bloody expectations adult life throws at you. I feel like having other people relate to your struggles and telling you they feel the same way somehow makes it a bit easier. 

 After my 4th glass of white wine I came to a conclusion: there is no shame in admitting you´ve done great in something! This might sound silly, but I always downplay anything I succeed in. I´ll say things like „Oh, that was nothing.“ or „it could have been better tough.“ or just „Really? Thank you, it´s not a big deal tough.“ I know a lot of my friends are doing this as well and it makes me so angry sometimes, because I am seriously so proud of all of them.

But I feel like people don´t really know how to accept a compliment or „admit“ they did something right. So last night we talked about career and work a lot (seen as we´re also colleagues) and it was so lovely to hear someone say „you did so well“ and „I´m sure that won´t be a problem for you.“ because when do we ever stop to think: fuck, that actually went really well? When I do something and it works out I kinda just move on to the next thing, but when I mess it up I make it into a much bigger deal than it is and start thinking I am just a shitty excuse of a human being and I´ll never get anything right. But WHY do we do this? Why do we see the one crappy thing in our lives so much clearer than all the amazing, wonderful stuff? Of course noone wants to brag or constantly talk about how #blessed they are. But I think it should be more than okay to be proud of yourself. Or at least let your friends give you a pep talk every now and again, because that´s what friends are for. There you go, now you have THAT song stuck in your head! :)

Work

The more I leave studying behind me (I am well aware I have yet to write my bachelor thesis, but for the most part, I´m finished) and have a look at the „real world“ of working, the more I find it´s completely different to what you´re brought up to think. When I was little I always imagined grown ups to do all this serious, important, grown up stuff, that I´d eventually learn about and that would be super complicated. By the time I started studying I figured I would never manage to survive in any work place, if everything was as complicated as what we did in uni. But really, REALLY, from what I´ve seen so far most of it is just common sense. And very few people seem to have that. Which kind of surprised me. It starts when I get praise for doing something I think is self-evident and ends with colleagues that I am completely oblivious as to how the hell they ever got hired. Seriously. When you´re new at a workplace and forget to reply to an email, normal people would be glad their colleague reminds them to do it. But when there´s people that in absolute seriousness say „No, I don´t want to reply to that. I just don´t see the sense in it.“ That does make me wonder.

This is not supposed to sound like I think I know everything. Obviously I´m stil baffled as to how I managed to get anyone to pay me money for what I do (which is mostly copying stuff into google mail, reading facebook comments and making coffee) so it´s not like I´m saying I am better than anyone.

Actually it´s more that I think there is so much fuss made about „getting a proper job“ and „learning what it´s like in the real world“ that especially students downplay their potential, because they think there´s huge expectations awaiting them, that they can´t possibly meet. At least I know that is how it felt to me at the time. And I just think is not true and it´s certainly not good for your self esteem. If you´re honest and polite, do your best and ask for help rather than just doing something stupid, you´ll be fine.

Most importantly: don´t think everyone that works/makes lots of money knows what they´re doing or have it all figured out. Some people do, some people don´t. And a lot of it is down to luck. But you don´t have to worry about it, it´s all gonna be okay. (I wish someone had said that to me a few years ago when I was freaking out like crazy :D )

London - Notting Hill

Recently my friend Selina, who is in London at the moment asked me for some travelling advice. So I ended up writing a two page travel guide about anything I could think of about the Big Smoke. Obviously I am a little jealous (I want to be in Londoooon) but I also loved remembering some of my favourite things about the city.

So after Shoreditch, this is my second try at rambling about London´s different areas. And this time it is Notting Hill! I know, I know. Everyone knows that Julia Roberts movie, but there is so much more to it. Firstly it is good to know that Notting Hill is one of the wealthiest areas in one of the wealthiest cities ever, so feeling like a peasant is absolutely normal. But a normal person can have just as much there, trust me.

First of all: Notting Hill Gate. I don´t know the backstory to this, but Notting Hill seems to have a huge amount of Italian restaurants and shops. You will surely find a little place to have some yummy pasta in and mentally beam yourself to Tuscany for your lunch. Also there is the „The Gate“ Cinema, which I´ve never actually been to, but always walked past, wanting to watch a movie in this vintagy looking place.

The Jamie Oliver „Recipease“ here is totally amazing for brunch (the Pancakes in particular are to die for) and they also offer cooking classes and workshops. Of course Notting Hill is well known for little parks and beautiful white houses, of which there are many, especially if you leave the main road and go exploring in the winding little streets around it. I especially love Holland Park, which is - although still busy - much more relaxed than Hyde Par, Regents Park and all the big ones.

If you´re ready for a huge shopping trip, look no further than the Westfield Mall in Shepherds Bush, only two tube stops from Notting Hill Gate. It has everything you never knew you wanted and more. There is also a massive cinema on the top floor, various restaurants such as Jamie´s Italian, Wagamamas, Nandos and Byron Burger, and in the winter they even have an inside ice skating area. How cool is that?

If you´d rather walk around looking for bargains than queuing in Topshop I can absolutely recommend Portobello Market. I first stumbled upon it when I was late to an appointment to get my nails done at the Coco Nail Bar and suddenly found myself in a blur of colors, people and incredible smells. You can try food from pretty much every country on earth, find vintage clothing, huge sunglasses and cool accessories or even some real leather goods. Although busy, it is an amazing place for a little stroll on a Saturday. Along Portobello Road there are various cafés and restaurants, as well as a Hummingbird Bakery (which I´m not the biggest fan of so far, but everyone seems to love it!). If you find your way trough the food area, you will discover the Acklam Village Market and Bar, where live bands are usually playing and you can get a pint of beer or Pimms while doing some people watching. It´s a great atmosphere and the bands are really good.

I love London in genereal, that´s no secret. But Notting Hill with its pretty (often pastelly colored) houses, little streets, wine shops and hidden gardens is one of my favourite places to spend an afternoon or even an entire day in. It is less crazy than central and makes you feel a little like you escaped the city and come to a little suburb with Italian influences.

Catching up with...everything

I feel like it´s been quite a long time since I last sat down to write. I blame it on my hectic life. The last few weeks consisted mostly of work, Oktoberfest and birthdays. Not that I´m complaining. September is always a busy month for me and marks the beginning of my favourite time of the year: autumn (and not too long into the future: Christmas!). Yes, I am one of those annoying people that get excited about Pumpkin Spice everything and all things Halloween. I am basically THIS guy.

As much as I loved summer this year I am sooooo excited for the days to get shorter, the season premiers of all my favourite TV shows and warming up with a cup of coffee...or a glass of gin for that matter.

The only downside is that I have already managed to get ill. Actually, most of my friends are feeling crap as well and there is a term for our suffering: Wiesngrippe (Bavarian slang for saying that we drank too much beer and didn´t dress warm enough during Oktoberfest - and possibly also caught a flu in the middle of all these people). It happens almost every year and this time it hit me on my birthday. Nonetheless I made the most of my day: brunch with my girls, tons of cake and a glass of bubbly or two. Then on to a relaxed afternoon followed my Mexican dinner, cocktails and loooots of dancing. I must say I did NOT expect to stay out till 3am but I guess I´m not THAT old just yet...

After all that I am now trying to catch up with my life (which is mostly writing my bachelor thesis) and get back to writing more on here of course. :)

Things I am too old for

My 23rd birthday is coming up soon and I´m starting to feel old. There is this one episode of How I Met Your Mother where Ted and Barney discuss things they are too old to do. Some of them were insane while some were actually not that bad. Granted I am not exactly close to retiring, but I still wanted to do a list like that. But these are NOT things everyone at 22 is too old for. They are things I personally am too old for. Trust me, I know people older than me that still do stuff on this list. But I don´t (for the most part) or at least I try not to.

-       chasing someone that I know doesn´t like me back

-       excusing everything my friends/parents do

-       making plans for the sake of having made plans

-       analysing texts like „hey :)“. Face it – there is no hidden meaning here

-       pretending like I care about what is „cool“

-       drinking cheap shitty drinks that are probably spiked

-       going to shabby clubs where everyone is 18 and looking to hook up

-       doing a job without getting paid

-       statement Tshirts (band shirts are a different story)

-       trying to stay friends with everyone from school/that trip/that one party

-       frenemies/toxic relationships

-       not caring about the environment

On the flipside there are some things I personally do not consider myself to be too old for at all:

-       watching Disney movies

-       needing my parents to explain taxes and insurances to me

-       fake tattoos

-       being up at 3am just because

-       waking up still drunk

-       mixing beer, liquor and wine (I regret it the day after every thing, but I don´t seem to learn)

-       staying with my family when I feel shitty. Or my fridge is empty.

-       Cheesy pajamas and socks

-       Roller coasters

I don´t think one should ever really „grow up“ – and I realized how Peter Pan that sounds, but let me cling to my youth a little longer okay?? :D  

What your favourite drink says about you

Here´s something a little less philosophical and a little more fun:

Gin: „I am British as fuck - or at least I think I am. Also I would never dream of putting a slice of lemon in my GT. Everyone knows it´s either cucumber or lime!“ (side note: this is me in a nutshell)

Vodka: „I want to get drunk af and vodka seems to be the obvious choice“

Rum: „I am CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow!“

Champagne: If you didn´t guess this one yourself, people who excessively drink champagne mainly do so to show how much money they have, so champagne really just means „Look at me! ´Im rich!“

„Normal“ Cocktails (Mojitos and Co.): „I am as basic as the cocktails I order.“

„Fancy“ Cocktails: „I hate the taste of alcohol so I need shitloads of juices and other sweet stuff to be able to drink it.“

Beer: if it´s a good brand, you probably just like beer, cheap shitty beer means „I´m totally eigtheen and I TOTALLY bought this beer with my real ID.“

White Wine: „I like sitting around and talking about the meaning of life“

Red Wine: „I like sitting around and talking about the meaning of life while knowing that tommorow I´ll suffer a horrendous headache.“, red wine lovers also tend to think they´re artistic as FUCK

Scotch: male version of the basic bitch.

Bourbon: „I think I am better than the basic bitch, but I´m not.“

Tequila: „Let´s get fucking DESTROYED!“

Jägermeister: „...“ (trying not to throw up mostly)

Sambuca: „I love coffee so much, I even need coffee beans in my SHOTS!“

Ouzo: „I got this shot for free at a Greek restaurant and I don´t waste shit so here we go!“ if this is really your FAVOURITE drink you need to take a step back and look at your life, man

Side note: obviously I do not judge people based on their choice of drinks but, well, sometimes you need to have a bit of fun ;)

#WhyIWrite

Today I discovered the Hashtag #WhyIWrite on Twitter and it´s made me think: why DO I write? I mean noone pays me to do it and I don´t really get a lot out of it objectively. But the point is: I do. Writing is very cathartic in the sense that it helps put your thoughts in order and become more clear about your views and perspectives. Not that I consider myself to be an expert or a pro or anything, I simly like putting my personal opinion down on paper – or rather a screen. Also it is a very natural act for me, to write. Back in school I was always relieved when we had written assingments instead of presentations. And I´m not shy when talking in front of people. It is just easier for me to write those things down. I never once worried about not getting enough pages - quite the contrary: I  usually had to shorten my essays. 

I guess the way some people just enjoy certain sports or drawing or cooking, I enjoy writing. That is the main reason I do it: I ENJOY doing it. Which is also why writing for work or uni is a lot harder, especially when you´re not feeling all too inspired. Actually I just wrote a post about that on my German blog.

Apart from all that I have a lot of ideas for storys or blogposts all the time. Whenever something catches my interest or I hear about a new trend or I listen to a certain song, I get inspired. It can be the simplest things. And then an idea forms in my head and the only way to get it out is to write it down so that´s what I do. I am currently working on a short story which I might publish  soon. Also I´m trying to keep this blog as up to date as possible. So to sum it up: why do I write? Because it´s fucking fun that´s why.

When life gives you lemons...

Sometimes life isn´t fair and sometimes things just suck. But at the end of the day noone is going to solve your problems for you so you´ll have to figure out a way yourself. The older I get (and yes I do know I sound like I´m 80 when I say stuff like that) the more I realize how hard these things really are. When you´re young your parents usually swoop in whenever you´re in real trouble. And then one day you´re 22 and have no idea how to sort your problems out. So you can´t really rely on anyone else anymore - you just have to make the best of a crappy situation.

What I´m saying is you learn how to deal with things simply by dealing with them. There is no shortcut. And I´m not talking about skills like doing laundry, paying taxes or making doctors appointments. I mean heartbreaks and disappointment and hurt and all the every day frustrations that life throws at us just when we started thinking we´re perfectly happy.

This is not necessarily negative though, because I honestly think that this whole „when one door closes, another one opens“ shit isn´t all that wrong. To be honest no door needs to close for another to open it´s only that we often don´t see the many options we have until something bursts our comfortable little bubble. So never sit down and sulk for too long because the things we often see as failures can prove to be great opportunities if we only find the courage to deal with them the right way. I´m trying to not put myself down as much anymore as it´s seriously started affecting my health both mentally and physically and I doubt I´m the only person who does that. So instead of freaking out every time something doesn´t go the way I wanted it to I will try and start making the best of a bad situation. You know what they say: „when life gives you lemons…“

„...get salt and a bottle of tequila and have a fucking party.“

London - Shoreditch

One of my favourite areas in London has got to be Shoreditch. While I lived there everyone kept telling me to check it out. East London has this whole hipster stigma, which is true to some extend. Nontheless if I could choose where to live in London (whithout having to debate the costs of every square meter) it would be Shoreditch. There is just so much to do at any time of day and altough Shoreditch is a busy place especially at night it feels very homely and less crazy than central London. Brick Lane gives the impression that you left the big smoke for a more relaxed town full of small stores, coffee shops and little bars. The Brick Lane market on Sundays is especially colorful and you´ll find pretty much anything you could ever want: from Vinyl and vintage fashion to food of every country and fresh coconut water. At number 159 you will find „Bagel Bake“ which offers the best creme cheese and salmon bagel I have ever had – and that is quite something. Also if you crave Indian food look no further than Brick Lane to find the perfect tikka masala.

A quick walk past the Boxpark (a line of containers containing various pop up shops) and you will find yourself on Old Street, which has always been my favourite place for a bar tour in London. Spending a night in Shoreditch is fun and crazy and you will almost definitely hit more than one place...here are a few suggestions: if you just want to grab a drink or two without any fancy fuss, go to Trafik. It feels more like a small club when it's busy (hence the door staff) and they have exceptionally good liquor (Sailor Jerry rum, anyone?) and cool people. It is by far not the cleanest bar, but then again nowhere in Shoreditch is.

Just around the corner you'll find a club called Plastic People which has speakers lining all the walls. This club plays any genre possible and there are lots of events which is why going spontaneously is a bit tricky, but the sound is terrific in here. Go stand in the middle of the dancefloor, close your eyes and just listen.

If you'd rather have a more chilled pub atmosphere the Old Blue Last might be right up your alley with its long bar, comfy chairs and beer taps. Not to mention the good looking tattooed guys and the (kind of) hidden extra room on the first floor.

For a midnight snack Shoreditch has a lot to offer but my fave is a tiny little take-away burger shop not a minute's walk from Trafik. I can't recall its name or find it anywhere online but if you face the bar, turn left and it'll be just a few meters away on the corner. It's worth searching for, trust me.

For the EDM fans I highly recommend XOYO which is among my favorite London clubs. The first time I went there was a techno DJ in the basement room, which was absolutely amazing, not your usual generic crap. Upstairs I´ve also danced to RnB and Hip Hop before. The drinks are rather cheap compared to other places and while the line outside is usually long, there is no guestlist required like in most Mayfair clubs. XOYO is really cool and edgy and everything you would expect from an East London club.

The only trouble is getting home: finding a taxi in the am has proven to be tricky and you´ll be competing with many other (loud and drunk) nightowls. Not very glamorous, but then neither are the night buses so you choose.
Seasonal events in Shoreditch are a blast, too. Especially the Red Market in August. They have sand, beach chairs, music, a bar and everything else you need for the ultimate summer feeling. The later it gets the more fun this place is and whether you want to have a relaxed cocktail or drink tequila shots and dance, it is perfect for a mild night.

I love many things about Shoreditch and I keep discovering more every time I come back there so I don't think I'll ever get fed up with it.

*I have just come back from a weekend in London and I always seem to drag my friends to all the places I love. Up until the point where none of us can walk anymore. So I thought I´d start doing a little series on here talking about all my favourite areas and what you can do there - kind of like a travel guide. :)