10 Tips for Making Friends

Now this post probably seems a little pre-school, I mean making friends? Well this is exactly it, there's nothing stopping you from expanding your horizons. For me, making friends this year that have few ties to my school life, relationships or just London as a city has been a big part of my growth. Quite frankly it happened organically (the way it should) though it will always help to keep some pointers in mind when being dropped into a situation with no familar faces...

1.The first point has to be smile. Smile! Smile. Smiileeee..  you'll be surprised how your friendly face can speak for you, opening up the possibilities for conversation.

2.Is your body language saying hello? Or don't talk to me? It makes a difference in how approachable you come across to others. Relax and be 'open'.

3.Make an effort. Take the time to actually talk to new people and ask them questions about their lives! Don't be a conversation hogger... friendship is a two-way street. 

4.Take the time to understand. You may not get along as well as you had liked when first meeting but as my Auntie always says to me, 'to know someone is to understand them.' This comes with time.

5.Patience is a virtue that is easier said than done. When finding yourself alone in a new environment it can feel quite lonely.  You have to be patient, not just with your surroundings but with yourself. It takes time to adjust.

6.Join a club. Not a nightclub- though it can be fairly easy to pick up friends between shots haha. Think of what you are currently in to and join a club, whether it be arts or yoga or the gym. Maybe even local football team or a bird watching society. There is plenty out there and as you are already interested in the theme of the club, you will find it easier to make connections with others.

7.Make an effort to learn some local lingo. This tip only applies if you are in a country where you don't speak the native language, but it could also be colloquial language too. I wouldn't know where to start with slang in Liverpool although I was born in the UK...

8.Leave the house. This seems fairly obvious but sometimes leaving your bedroom seems like the last thing you are willing to do. You just have to get out there, even if it seems like a lot to ask. 

9.Be confident in yourself. This is not always easily attained... confidence, but it is a journey that will come as part of your growth.

10.Finally belief. Believe? Yes, believe! Believe in yourself as a person! Similar to confidence but rather believe that you are worthy of friendship. You have all these great attributes that deserve to be shared with the world!

Peace&Love,
Willow

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WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I USE?

I consider myself to still have a very long way to go on this journey so on this page, you can watch with me as I build up my list of trusty equipment, as well as have a quick read of my opinion on the product. You will probably find if you are too, starting out, that these prices added all together cans seem daunting as now looking back I am thinking about how I couldn't afford to repurchase everything if it all one day decided to break, but if it is a hobby or a passion you truly are interested in quality over quantity definitely comes into play. When investing in good quality products it is likely they will last you a very long time.
This blog post does contain affiliate links, for more information please see my disclaimer.

First and foremost I have my beautiful, trusty Canon EOS M3. I've had this product for almost 7 months now and it is a product that just keeps giving. I paid just under £500 for it, including a lense and I haven't looked back. I almost went for the cheaper model, Canon Powershot SX620 (Canon PowerShot SX620 HS Digital Camera - Black) but I found after lots of long and hard thinking, that it did not have all the features I required to capture film as well as great shots. It didn't even have a microphone port if I remember correctly- but for some that is not important so it would be great.
Canon EOS M3 Compact System Camera EF-M 15-45 mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM Lens - Black

The next product I added to my list of purchases was the Rode VideoMic Compact On Microphone. I bought it around 3 months after I visited Switzerland which was quite dumb as whilst up on the mountains this baby would have been perfect. It comes with a Boom in order to soften those harsh wond breaks as well as ensures your voice comes out crisp and clear. It is reasonably priced at £50.00 for the quality it produces and you can always buy it second hand as I did from Amazon Market Place at around £35.00.

Rode VideoMicro Compact On Camera Microphone




Along with the Rode Mic, I felt in necessary to have some stability in my vlogging life. Along came the Joby GorillaPod Tripod. For my specific camera I had to ensure the tripod would be strong enough to hold everything upright while clinging onto a tree. The smaller size wouldn't cut it for the Canon M3's weight so I went with the next option up- perfect for something inbetween a compact camera and a DSLR. It has an intergrated ball head and holds a weight of up to 1kg- therefore meaning I can use it if I later decide to invest in something slightly more hefty. Before you purchase this product ensure you find out the correct size as the last thing you would want is to spend £40 on the wrong size tripod.

Joby GorillaPod Hybrid Tripod for Compact System Cameras with Integrated Ballhead



My final and most treasured purchase ( I am currently thinking of buying another just incase something happens to this one) is my beautiful 1T External Hard Drive. It is (apparently) military-grade, water resistant and shock proof- so if I drop it, it will survive! With a 3.0 USB port, 1 terabit of memory and compatible with both PC and Mac, I am very happy with my purchase. I keep it on me at all times and I am very protective over my baby, as those of you that have external hard drives (most of the world lol) know that one's life's works can be stored on these little devices. Scary thought ay. Invest wisely as the last thing you would want is for it to randomly stop working. Eeeep.
SP/Silicon Power Armor A60 1TB Military-grade Shockproof / Water-Resistant USB 3.0 2.5-inch Portable External Hard Drive for PC and Mac - Black (SP010TBPHDA60S3KEU)


Other bits and bobs include things like memory cards (duh), battery packs, memory card holders, lenses cleaners and so on- click the images below to find out more and do your own research.

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SWISS PASS- Worth the Dollar?

A common question that pops up when one visits Switzerland is: Shall I purchase a Swiss Pass?
My answer usually would be YES... as it really is worth it. However this does mostly depend on what you plan on getting up to throughout the duration of your stay. If like me you are on a budget trip to Switzerland, (yes it can happen) then I would recommend carefully planning what you wish to do whilst there along with the costs whether it be entrance fees, gondola rides, bus or boat tickets or simply a train ride. It all adds up and that is exactly why it needs to be taken into consideration if you are concerned about getting your money's worth. If you aren't too concerned then save yourself the stress and just buy one haha! It will definitely save you hassle and you can use it to get in for free to museums and galleries across the country. 

On a tram in Basel

The Youth (16-26) Swiss Pass for 2nd class use cost me 221CHF for 4 days. A full price list can be found here: https://www.swiss-pass.ch/swiss-pass/
This allowed me free access to all the museums and art galleries I visited as well as free use of the entire transport system (bus, boat trains and trams) and the entire journey up Mt. Rigi. It discounted my return journey up & back down Mt. Titlis by 50%, that being from Titlis Valley to the top of Mt. Titlis by gondola and revolving cable car. Usually this would of cost me 92CHF bust instead it cost me 47CHF. It also would of included (for free) journeys up Mt. Pilatus and various other destinations and attractions across Switzerland, including the Glacier express!!! but sadly I didn't plan carefully enough. The fact is the Swiss transport system is fast, efficient and what some call a work of art and for it to maintain customer satisfaction they have to charge unsatisfactory ticket prices. If I were to add up the cost of everything, the Swiss Pass most definitely done me justice.

There are other options for freedom of movement in Switzerland, but with slightly different regulations, such as the Tell Pass (for travel exclusively around central Switzerland) or the Swiss Half Fare Card. Check out these links below which take you to various passes dependent on the region you wish to explore and do your research!

Best of the best: http://www.myswissalps.com/

https://www.swiss-pass.ch/
http://www.tellpass.ch/en/
http://www.regionalpass-berneroberland.ch/en 
https://www.jungfrau.ch/shop/en/tickets/bergbahn/angebote/jungfraujoch-top-of-europe/jungfrau-travel-pass-3-days
http://erlebniscard.ch/index.php/en/
https://www.swissrailways.com/en/products/regionalalpspass
https://www.graubuenden.ch/en/


Here is a rough version of my itinerary... it went a little something like this;
(Every time I use transport I will put it in Green to indicate how frequent my use was)

WED 17th MAY
Land in Basel Euro Airport
Bus to Basel Town Center
Chill in town center
Train from Basel to Luzern
Bus from Luzern station to Luzern Hostel
Walk back into town & have a wander
Bus back to hostel 
Settle for the night & Sleep!

THURS 18th MAY
Awake nice and early & breakfast!
Bus to Luzern train station
Train from Luzern to Engelberg 
Bus from Engelberg station to the base of Mt. Titlis (Titlis valley station)
Gondola from Titlis Valley up to Trübsee 
Gondola from Trübsee up to Stand
Revolving Cable Car from Stand up to Titlis
Enjoy the top of Mt. Titlis for around 4 hours & lunch!
Revolving Cable Car from Titlis down to Stand
Gondola from Stand down to Trübsee 
Gondola from Trübsee down to Titlis Valley
Scenic walk through the meadows from Titlis Valley back to Engelberg train station
Train from Engelberg to Luzern
Decide what to do next...
Boat from Luzern to Vitznau (originally was going to be a round trip but then realised if I went up to the top of Mt. Rigi I could make it back in time for the last cogwheel train down to Vitznau)
Cogwheel train up to Rigi Kulm (the top!)
Spent around 15 minutes at the top enjoying the view and taking pictures
Cogwheel train back down to Vitznau
Met a friendly traveler on his way to Luzern, we went to catch the bus together and soon decided to hop off and take a dip in the lake!
Swimming in Lake Luzern & relaxing under the moonlight (watch my vlog about this)
Bus to a random train station, praying I hadn't missed the last train
Train back to Luzern
Grabbed some food
Bus back to Luzern hostel
Sleep!

FRI 19th MAY
Awake early-ish & breakfast!
Walk to the Lion monument and get lost- of course- spend some time taking pics
Walk into town stopping at sights and taking pics
Bus from one part of town to the station
Decide to catch the later train and check out the Luzern Art Museum
Grab some Lunch
Train to Interlaken Ost (planning on going up Mt. Schilthorn but the rain was too heavy)
Train from Interlaken Ost to Bern (no rain yay!)
Tram from Bern station into Bern town center
Spend the afternoon exploring Bern, shopping & taking pictures
Tram around the city (went a little further a field)
Dinner at a nice restaurant
Tram back to the station
Train from Bern to Luzern
Bus from Luzern station to Luzern hostel
Chilled at the hostel then get ready to head back out
Bus to the town center
Walk around and eventually find Max's bar!
Spend the evening making friends, drinking and having fun
Walk back to the hostel as the buses are finished (long walk)
Sleep!

SAT 20th MAY
Awake bright and early for check out & Breakfast
Bus to the town center
One last wander around Luzern
Train from Luzern to Basel
Tram from Basel train station to Basel city center
Spend the afternoon wandering around Basel & lunch!
Tram to Basel Art Gallery 
Tram back to the train station
Bus from the train station to the Euro Airport
Fly back to London!

Peace&Love,
Willow

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