My top five European countries to re-visit

1. Germany
I fell head over heels for Germany when I ventured to Berlin in 2012. In fact, I credit that trip for turning into somewhat of a travel junkie. It was the first cultural holiday I'd had, before I had just been on beach resort holidays. It helped me broaden my horizons and I came back with such a thirst for seeing the world. Berlin was such an incredible place and it encouraged me to book a trip to Cologne last year to see if I was in love with the country or the capital city. Turns out I was in love with the country. I loved the slightly grumpy people, the stodgy food, the charming beer halls, seeing the history I spent two years studying at A level and the beautiful architecture. It's a place that feels so familiar yet vastly different. I'm really keen to tick more cities off my list - mainly Hamburg, Munich and Dresden.

2. Poland
I first ventured to Warsaw back in 2013 and after fours years away, I'm heading back to Poland in August to do a mini tour of the country. I'll be hitting up Krakow, Warsaw, Pultusk and Gdansk if anyone has any tips. The capital of Poland brings such incredible memories for me. I had so much fun and so many stories to tell about the place - mostly involving the bars... It blows my mind that the old town of the city was completely rebuilt after it was flattened during the war. You'd never know walking around. I adored the amazing culture, the friendliness of the people, eating pierogi every day and discovering the contrasting architecture. It's a country that came back from the brink to be the thriving, beautiful place it is today.

3. Ireland
Ah the beautiful Emerald Isle has a very special place in my heart. Luckily thanks to my boyfriends family, I have an excuse to go back and visit more often. Not that you should need an excuse to visit! I've only been to Ireland three times but have a long list of things I'm desperate to see and do. The scenery is among some of the best I have ever seen - I never tire of seeing the rolling green hills, stunning jagged coastlines and beautiful architecture that tells hundreds of years of stories. It's a place I feel so relaxed and at peace in. That Irish pace of life is quite something else!

4. Denmark
The country where I never quite feel cool enough to visit. Copenhagen is one of the only cities I've visited that I honestly believe I could call home. The Danes really know how to live and enjoy life. The people speak better English than I do, the food scene is probably the best I've ever encountered and the proud history is fascinating. I have Aarhus, Odense and the North Zealand coast all on my wish list to help get more idea of the country.

5. Slovakia
This country completely took me by surprise, I really didn't expect to love it as much as I did. I adored the cafe culture in Bratislava, the gorgeous buildings of the old town, the contrast between old and Soviet new and the wonderful Slovak wine. Bratislava is so much more than stag dos. I feel there's so much more for me to discover here and think that Kocise would be the ideal place to start.

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March 2017: a life update

It's only the beginning of March and its already been a bit of a whirlwind. I'm so excited to officially say that we now own a house. An actual house with two bedrooms and a garden. We exchanged early last week and have a competition date of 16th March. Nine days... Sometimes I feel like I have to pinch myself as it doesn't quite seem real. Although we'd been saving for a while, it still felt like an unattainable goal. But it's been achieved! After ten years my boyfriend and I have decided its time to be adults and live together. It could be the beginning of the end haha.  There's a little bit of work to be done, mainly painting, plastering and flooring, so we won't be moving in straight away. But the keys will be ours on the 16th so we can come and go as we want. I can't wait to light the open fire and start creating my gin bar! We want to completely changed everything but are just going to stick to the living room and dining room this year. We still want to have a bit of a social life so are going to take things slowly.

Would anyone be interested in a little post about how we managed to save for a deposit? Just a lowdown on how we managed to do without sacrificing absolutely everything we enjoyed.

We also finally booked our two week summer holiday to Poland. Flights were a little more expensive than we really wanted to pay but we lucked out on accommodation for just over £100 and we're staying with my friend's family for a little bit of the trip too. I have a feeling this holiday will be a welcomed distraction from when renovating the house becomes just a little too much...

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Five documentaries to watch on Netflix

Ah Netflix. A place where you could spend hours of your life getting lost and discovering new things.  When we move out we'll be looking to invest in a new TV to ensure we don't have to give up the beloved Netflix - this UHD TV Panasonic looks right up our street! We won't be able to have a thriving social life at first so will be watching a lot of TV. Here are five documentaries you need to watch on Netflix if you haven't caught them already.

1. Amanda Knox
The gruesome Amanda Knox case has always fascinated me, it's something that was all over the media here and I remember it well. I've always had my own opinion on it but I wanted to watch this to see if it changed my opinion. Sometimes it's all too easy to get caught up in the media and come to conclusions whilst listening to an often bias view. Well my opinion didn't change and I came away in filled with anger and disbelief. It's quite tough to watch and your heart can't help but break again for Meredith Kercher.

2. The White Helmets
Following the daily operations of Syrian volunteer rescue workers, this documentary is hard-hitting, at times difficult to watch and continues to plague your mind long after it has finished. Syria is such a heart-breaking situation and this makes it really hits home just how truly awful that part of the world is at the moment - there desperately needs to be something done to help.

3. Russell Brand: End the drugs war
Sometimes I think Russell Brand is a plonker. He gets on his high horse and I really can't be bothered to listen to him. But he talked so much sense in this that I found myself nodding along with him. He raises a lot of valid points and it really does make you carry on thinking long after the documentary finishes. The sign of something good!

4. Louis Theroux: Law & Disorder
I adore Louis Theroux. I've watched his documentaries countless times and love the way he gets into someone's head and listens to them with disbelief subtly etched in his face. This series is one of my favourites. I just can't believe how he manages to get such dangerous and slightly unhinged people to open up to him.

5. Planet Earth
Ah Sir David. Is there man who deserves a knighthood more than him? I watch every one of David Attenborough's documentaries and they blow my mind each time. The animal world is fascinating. This is my favourite series and probably the best introduction to David Attenborough if for some bizarre reason you're not yet a fan...

Do you have any documentaries to suggest? I'm always after new ones to watch!

This post was written in collaboration

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