Is travel burnout actually a thing?

Outfit:
Black skinny jeans: Matalan (similar)
Black tunic: ASOS (Similar)
Checked blazer: Miss Pap*
Adidas trainers: JD Williams*
Red leather backpack: Michael Kors (similar)

Even just writing the title of this blog post has made me cringe a little bit. It's a bit of a tragic first world problem isn't it? I realise how incredibly lucky I am to have had the opportunity to see much of the world that I ever thought was possible whilst I growing up. Not every one can have the privilege of travelling and I completely understand that. It took me to about the age of 24 when I went to Berlin to realise that people like me could travel and see anywhere in they world they wanted too. No where was really out of bounds, I just had to save up and work hard to make it a reality. Since then I feel like I'm been eager to squeeze in any many countries, cities and towns as I possible can just in case I can't manage to see everything I want to.

This year I will have taken seven flights by the time 2019 rolls around. I never thought I'd say this but I feel like it was too much. I feel like I've hardly spent any time at home and my year has been spent living out of a suitcase. Seeing the world is such a beautiful thing but it can be exhausting. Constantly getting used to new cities, never really having a base for more than a few days, unable to settle into a routine and constantly feeling like you have to be 'on form' to make sure you make the most of your surroundings. I feel like I'm neither coming and going. I've been so incredibly busy that I feel like I'm on the verge of a burn out. It's no longer enjoyable.

Admittedly next year I do have two big trips to take and I'm so excited to tick Malaysia and Las Vegas off my bucket list. I still can't quite believe I'm going! But after April I'm going to take a step back. Take things a bit slowly and enjoy my home I've made with my boyfriend. I want to spend a lot more time within these four walls and spend my weekends in my home town. Not words I ever imagined I would ever say! I've always been so keen to leave it behind... Here's too having friends round for wine and cheese, spending evenings wrapped up in a blanket watching Netflix on the sofa and experimenting in the kitchen with my collection of cookbooks.

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Exploring Ireland: Giant's Causeway, Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

The UNESCO world heritage site of the Giant's Causeway has been named the fourth greatest natural wonder in the U.K.  It's been on my list for years to visit and despite venturing over to Ireland quite a few times I'd never quite made it. We usually visit my boyfriends family and other things always seem to get seen first. Plus there's just so much beauty in this part of the world that it's so difficult to know what should be your first priority! However, this time I knew I had to finally make it as Hannah's house was a mere walk away so there was no excuse. 

They say the 40,000 interlocking basalt columns are the result of an ancient volcanic explosion. But really the columns were actually built by a giant... Irish giant Fionn MacCool was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant Bonandonner. Having bravely accepted the challenge, Fionn started building a causeway across the North Channel so they could both meet for a fight. But Fionn starts to panic when he realises just how much bigger Bonandonner is than him so his wife Ooonagh disguises Fionn as a baby and tucks him into a cradle. When Bonandonner sees the size of the "baby" he reckons his father must be absolutely huge so he flees back to Scotland, destroying the causeway so that he can't be followed.

Despite the insane crowds, the Causeway is such a peaceful place. There's just something about being with Mother Nature, seeing all the beauty and hearing the waves crashing against the rocks. It's such a beautiful place. Ireland really does know how to blow you away. I could have spent hours mesmerised by the Atlantic Ocean but alas we had a schedule to keep too. 

I'd recommend visiting as early as you can to avoid the crowds. You do have to pay around £13 to visit the visitors centre and park in the car park but actually entry to the Causeway is free.

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Restaurant review: Wing Shack, Loughton, Essex

I might live just 30 minutes outside London but my Essex town may as well be a world away when it comes to the food options available. Sometimes I don't want to travel all the way into London to get some decent grub. So I was so excited to hear Wing Shack had not long opened up in a town about 15 minutes drive from my house. There had been such a buzz about it and my chicken wing connoisseur boyfriend had raved about the buffalo chicken. I knew I had to try it sooner rather than later.

The prime time came when I had a day off work midweek and we were heading into London for a wedding. We stopped by here for lunch before checking into our glamorous travel lodge. It got pretty busy during our time there for a midweek lunch time which is always a promising sign. After falling in love with mostly everything listed in the menu we decided to have a feast!

My stand out star was the sweet and sticky chicken wings. Succulent meat was drenched in the sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds and sliced spring onions. They were outstanding! A close second was the fries smothered in hot buffalo sauce, cool blue cheese dip and lashings of melted cheese. Heaven in a cardboard box. I'm going to try and recreate these at home.

Wing Shack was such a joy to eat at and the prices were pretty reasonable too. We shared the feast in the top picture between four and it came to about £15 each which was a steal. I honestly can't wait to go back and I know I'm going to be a regular!

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