The Vienna Diaries~ The Fun is Done

I'm so sad to be back from Austria. So sad.
It had felt like the whirlwind journey would never come to an end but that's the joy of travel- each day is new, exciting, interesting and most of all a chance to grow.

The first month was spent learning the basics of German. I took an intensive A1.1 course at the university's language center. This is where I met (almost) all the North Americans I knew in Austria and FYI, there are loads of them in the country- who would have guessed! A lovely, lovely Canadian girl who actually moved to London this past September- just 10 minutes down the road from my Dad's place. What a small world right?
The course itself was fairly easy to follow with regards to speaking and reading. The grammar, however, was where most of us struggled. For those of you that don't know German grammar is a b*tch. The course ran for the entire month of February, 3 hours each day and went by faster than I had originally expected. Soon we had passed our examination and were walking away still not being able to speak German :(.
Also in this first month I met three people I became undoubtedly close with throughout my whole stay. Taz, Iyana and Nica. They were the three that shaped my experience in Austria and when Taz and Iyana had left for home, I truly felt like I had lost my family.

The best memories I hold from living abroad range from the tiny special moments to the nights spent wild and free. The cooking adventures with Taz and the Phil dates with Iyana were amongst my favourite. As we all lived in one big extremely nice student building we were there for each other 24 hours a day. You could get home at 6am from a heavy night clubbing and find a group of friendly faces vibing to some music offering not only tunes but pizza! When the major sports matches were on you could be sure to have a beer and fajita party hosted by the accommodations events team to loosen up.

Whilst in Vienna I had planned to do lots and lots of travelling but I'm slightly ashamed to say I just got caught up. I only left Austria once and that was on a random trip to Budapest with my sister, Tara. In fact, thinking about it, part of the reason I didn't leave was because I was nicely surprised with vists from family and friends. I had originally thought no one would come and visit... it turned out I had 6 visits in total!

Looking back, although for the most part I didn't want to leave- towards the end I was happy to say bon voyage. End of June had come, my exams were over, my room was packed up, my winter things sent back to the UK and my backpack and suitcase packed for the next non-stop month of travels. I had spent the last two months of my stay in Austria feeling rather low, mostly because my two very bestest friends there (one who has become my boyfriend) had left and now the summer was in full swing. I ended up spending a lot of my days studying, exploring and going for hikes but it hadn't been the same as having them there.

It now being winter in London, I do think a lot about Vienna. It holds a special place in my heart and although I wouldn't choose to live there again, I would definitely visit- without a second thought! I have unfinished business with Austria and I know they are waiting for me haha!

Peace&Love,
Willow

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Erdotarcsa, Hungry: I'm a Language Assistant!

After packing up my Viennese life and hitting the road, I found myself three hours south-east, in Budapest! I had planned to spend around 14 days learning about Hungarian culture and exploring the country before I jet off to Cairo to meet with my love.
Before I left Austria, I had managed to arrange a volunteering experience through workaway.info with a company called Angolfalu, an English language summer camp based an hour outside of Budapest. They required English speaking resident summer camp assistants to speak English with the campers. I applied for the post straight away and within a few weeks, I was living in a beautiful small castle nestled in the quiet and rather charming Erdotarcsa.

Erdotarcsa is a small village located in the Nograd county of Hungry, with a population a little over 600. It is extremely peaceful and made the perfect environment to 'get away from it all' and enjoy the therapeutic benefits of being in the countryside. Time seemed to stand rather still in this small village as the local 'high street' consisted of a post office, a corner shop and a pub- which was someone's home that they had opened up to the rest of the village. The backdrop of course was chickens flapping about and the loud sound of flexing in the distance- something which my new friend Kata explained to us clearly. 'Flexing' though I'm sure I have the spelling wrong, was the sound of Hungarian country people welding. A sound that cannot be mistaken for anything other than the Hungarian countryside as you will undoubtedly hear it in any Hungarian countryside you visit!

On arrival in Budapest, I was met by a very friendly man named Krisrof who was going to be the camp leader. He mentioned to me that we were waiting for just two more volunteers, both American and then we would be off. I couldn't help but ask how many students would be attending the summer camp in the coming week and to my surprise, there were only 5 individuals. So this meant that altogether the 9 of us would be having a fun intimate week of English learning- woo hoo! It sounded rather daunting at first as in all honesty I had no experience teaching English, however, I had a heap of experience volunteering with young people in schools. I figured out that possibly it will turn out to be a blessing in disguise as working alongside a small group of young people meant each and every one of them would receive direct help on their language skills. After nipping to the loo, I was greeted by the two other volunteers, Tom and Sonia both from the USA except Sonia was living in Spain. Tom had just graduated and was doing what loads of American graduates do- travel Europe over summer (no judgements passed Tom!) We all hopped in the minivan and headed to our new home.

That evening, once all the campers had arrived we sat down for a nice evening meal which I must say was greatly appreciated on my end. I hadn't eaten a proper big meal in what felt like forever, as you see when you live alone and are a student who loves travelling everywhere all the time your money tends to go towards cheap flights and climbing mountains rather than a three-course dinner each night. I'm not saying it's the best way to be as I believe good eating habits are so important though I must admit that week I spent at the summer camp, my body adjusted rather quickly to the regular meal times and buffet portions. And that was for every meal may I add including breakfast! We chatted and got to know each other a little bit, of course in English and then settled in the common area for some evening card games.

The highlight for me had to be the camps visit to the local sunflower field. I had never been to a sunflower field before and it was truly magical. Such noble plants reaching far taller than any of us... smiling up to the sun or shying away from the rain. Such beauty we are surrounded by!!!!

Over the course of the week without going into too much detail, our days looked a lot like this:
8:00am Breakfast
9:30am Chill Out & Chat
10:00am Language practice in groups on the chosen topic; i.e family, school, careers, sport etc
-Use of Pool, Sauna, Tennis Courts & Castle Grounds-
1:00pm Lunch
2:30pm Language practice in groups
-Use of Pool, Sauna, Tennis Courts & Castle Grounds-
4:00pm Group Debate/Afternoon Walk/Games Afternoon
6:30pm Dinner
8:00pm Chill Out/Movie/Campfire

So not only were us volunteers receiving 3 buffet meals a day but also accommodation and use of all facilities within the castle grounds. All in exchange for our time and enthusiasm! Thank you workaway.info and thank you AngolFalu!!!

The week went by rather fast and soon I had made some lovely new friends. We had chatted about everything from education systems across the world to strange supernatural experiences. We had played a lot of board games and watched some heated World Cup matches. I had also developed a secret admirer amongst the students and had to carefully explain I was soon heading to Egypt to meet my boyfriend. My flight to Egypt was in fact in a few days and I wanted to catch the best of the Budapest before I left so I bid my farewells and caught the train back to the city.

Thank you to AngolFalu for giving me this fantastic opportunity and thank you to all the lovely students who taught me a lot about Hungarian culture... I hope I helped improve your English!
If you are interested in doing a volunteer placement with workaway.info just click the link and sign up! There are over 1000 different placements in Europe alone. If you would like to attend an AngolFalu summer camp in Hungry, follow the link!

Peace&Love,
Willow

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IBIZA

I went to Ibiza with my two best friends on the 9th July 2017, for one week. It was an experience I won't forget and I know they won't either.

Arrival
Flying in was no hassle, it was the coach journey to our hotel that turned out to be the bummer. 7am and three young lads are blasting techno rave music, then grime, then more techno at the top of their speakers. It was ridiculous and of course due to the lack on seating on the coach, I ended up squashed up next to them. We eventually arrived at a decent looking hotel and we couldn't complain due to the amazong deal Billie had found; 400GBP per person for an all inclusive week! I usually am not the biggest fan of all inclusive as I feel it tends to mean you feel obliged to stay locked up at the resort but in Ibiza, believe me, we needed to save every last penny we could.

Those Lads
So those lads were a nuisance and for the days coming they continued to be, so much so that they even got their own section on this piece. They would walk around ignorantly blasting music through those silly speakers completely disregarding the fact that majority of the lyrics were swear words and the majority of the people around were families with their 5 year old children. When asked to turn the volume down they would simply yell back, 'but we're in Ibiza!' I'm moaning about these lads but in all honesty, over the course of the week we actually became rather well acquainted with them. Considering they were the ONLY other people our age at the hotel we kind of had little choice in the friendship that developed over the coming week. It had resulted in the guys lending or leaving us their devil speaker (I can't quite remember which one) so we had connected to it and been having our jam session alone whilst relaxing/getting ready etc. When they asked for it back, it wasn't long till they were causing problems down by the poolside again and lucky for us, our balcony overlooked the whole pool area. I decided to reconnect to their speaker whilst they blasted their songs and pissed everyone off, but instead, surprise the unsuspecting dummies with some embarrassing tunes to fuel the party. In the mix was Barbie Girl, Crazy Frog, Twinkle Twinkle and so on... As childish as it may seem it was absolutely hilarious and whilst Billie, Olivia and I hid behind our balcony laughing our heads off switching from song to song they looked at each other all wide-eyed and confused trying to gage an understanding of WTF was going on. Of course, they eventually figured it out it was us and did not find it as hilarious as we did, but we were still invited for pre-drinks later on.

The Smoke Up
I distinctly remember the night we decided to go smoke up with these lads from the hotel. That's because I felt like I was dying... They bought some green off a random 'Looki Looki Man' on the side of the road and I had a feeling it could be bad news. Not too long after rolling, smoking and panicking I was sat in a chair on the lads balcony with my eyes rolled back and my mind wilding out. I caught my breath a moment later to find everyone circled around me, staring with fear in their eyes.  The guys were all high as anything and lucky Billie and Olivia didn't know how to smoke properly- their innocence meant they didn't get high and could look after me. I remember laying down in Olivia's arms whilst she stroked my skin gently calming me down. I was demanding I listened to soft Jazz music and had the lights on so I could see everything going on around me. Billie was also pandering to my demands of cold water and cuddles. I eventually calmed down and we walked back to our apartment, just above theirs. That night I slept and woke up the next day feeling fine again, just a little off key- I couldn't thank my lovely best friends enough and I knew that night had been a testament to our friendship.

The Clubs
The clubs in Ibiza, wow. Where do I begin? There are completely out of this world. Well in comparison to anything I've ever been to. The club strip itself is a little crappy and it's only until you venture to Playa d'en Bossa and the surrounding areas. That is where you will lose your mind, quite literally. Ibizan clubs are called super clubs for a reason. They are huge- say 4x the size of a fairly large club in the UK and the sound systems are immense. Most of the big clubs in Ibiza have insane decor, matched seamlessly with the trippy strobe lighting and the incredible dancers- as I type this I can't help but get taken back to our time spent at HI, the newest superclub on the scene (previously Space) that stole my heart and not just because of the DJ responsible for spinning tracks while I took a piss. Yes, that's right, they have DJs actually in the toilets. All I can say is the superclubs in Ibiza are an experience that can only be lived- there is truly no point describing it in great detail because they are a wonderland of ecstasy, each fantastic in their own way. And no, you don't need to be off your nut on d r u g s to have the time of your life (no pills entered my mouth) but it is recommended ;). We didn't visit every club on the island because well, that shit is expensive AF but I would love to go back (with my entire student loan lol) and go everywhere we didn't. Oh and be prepared for a shock 3 single shots of anything WILL cost you 30EUR on average (prewarning as a favour because I could of done with one before I offered to get a round).
BTW- Out of the well-known places we visited, Ocean Beach actually turned out to be the cheaper of the lot (don't get me wrong, it still was not 'cheap' per say), possibly because it was a beach club? Who knows. All I'm saying is give it a chance, it is not as pretentious as it seems.

The Beach
So we did manage to fit in some much needed beach time whilst in Ibiza, however, the beach we visited (which was a short walk from our hotel) was not one of the prettiest on the island. It was busy with tourists and the water was not as clear as other beaches on the island. Nevertheless, we made a point to visit a few times as what's a holiday to the Balearic Islands without a dip in the sea? We decided to take part in some water sports which I'm sure everyone will agree is always a load of fun, especially when the guys working there are hot Spaniards with sunkissed skin and a cheeky sense of humour. The three of us hopped onto the float thing that drags you around while attached to a speedboat and went for the ride of our lives. Till this day I've never been dragged (yes dragged) around the Mediterranean, or any sea for that matter at such a speed. We were practically flying, with our fists tightly clenched to the tiny handles that were supposed to keep us onboard. After all three of us had a turn at being thrown completely off the float we headed back at full speed. I couldn't help but notice the cute guy with the dark sun-drenched skin and friendly smile. He was working alongside the others and I figured I had a fair chance. I started asking questions about what it's like to work in Ibiza as I had loved my time on the island. They, of course, suggested as I was English I should use my language skills to be a club or bar promoter but instead I was curious to the requirements necessary to actually help out at the watersports stand. More specifically THEIR watersports stand. Haha. I got my phone out and up came google translate in an attempt to translate to the cute guy that I wanted his number. Instead, I chickened out last minute and typed in some shitty question about work. He responded as best he could and we said our thank yous and left. For the remainder of the day I spent my time laying on a somewhat sharp rock, in plain sight of the stand. Whilst trying to look like a mermaid I struck my best sexy-sunbather-who-is-not-bothered-if-you're-watching pose and allowed my skin to soak up the D. Vitamin D. The good news: He completely took notice of me (I think). He was glancing my way every 5-10 minutes, diving in the water, showing off all whilst I lay there being a beached whale. Eventually, after around 2 hours (I knowww) Billie and Olivia were ready to head back to the hotel. Certain that he was going to swim over after his shift and ask for my number, I stayed put. FIVE minutes PLEASE I mouthed over. Of course I meant at least fifteen. Sadly, he did not swim over, nor did he even attempt to hand signal me his digits but I did manage to get a goodbye wave as I clambered down the rocks and back to the sand section. We headed back but my dreams were not shattered. The next day came round quickly and whilst Olivia and Billie headed to do some shopping, I decided to spend my final chance visiting my boo. Except this time was all very different. He was there again, working hard as usual and I found a small spot- on the sand this time- in plain sight. He definitely noticed me in my bright pink bikini and we had a... a moment. Not long before the second had passed a prettyish Spanish woman came over, in her early thirties and dressed in a massage uniform. She worked at the beach bar that also happened to have a massage table (random) so I assumed she was going to offer me a massage. Boy do I wish that was what came out her mouth but nope, her business with me was just beginning. She opened up the conversation with 'chit chat' about her son. He was a beautiful little boy, around 4 or 5 years old, running and splashing in the shallow waters of the sea. She quickly moved on to showing me pictures of her cutie pie son and though he was sweet, I couldn't help but think, 'surely you have work to be getting on with because I know I do.' She must have read my mind as less than a minute later she mentioned her boyfriend. Yes, boyyyyyfriend. Now I'm sure you can guess where this story is heading so I will make it short and sweet. Turns out that particular beach was the place in which her whole 'family' spent the day, every day. While her son played, she worked and so did her boyfriend... the watersports guy. She flicked through family photo after family photo of the three of them at the mall, or the three of them eating ice cream or a whole bunch of kids climbing all over him. Him. My potential bae. May I mention I had no idea (obviously) that he had a girlfriend let alone a kid (joke, the kid was not his but still) and may I also mention he was definitely at least 6/7 years younger than her. Hey, I am not one to judge however he was a potential bae! I knew if I really did want to do some homewrecking and be selfish I could have tried to work my magic but I figured it's really not me. Plus, God punishes those who sin and so does anxiety so there you go. I patiently (and politely) sat through her boycotting of my (not so) sinister plan to steal her sexy boyfriend and the conversation ended with an exchange in Facebooks. Brilliant. I knew it was time to throw in the towel. Ibiza had done me good. Good and proper. And our flight was awaiting us the next day.

Peace & Love,
Willow

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The Vienna Diaries~ Kelsie Visits

Yesterday was my gorgeous twinny cousin Kelsie's 22nd birthday. Oops, I almost wrote 16th there haha but she is definitely 22 (don't judge by height hehe). We were pretty much like sisters growing up and then she moved all the way north of England, to Scotland while I stayed down south in London.
It was so lovely to see her and I couldn't believe she was making the effort to come all this way to see me and my new city. We hadn't spoken for a year or so and we hadn't seen each other for about 5 years. I hadn't actually realised it had been that long, so it was really special having her with me.

Kelsie flew into Bratislava airport as there were no direct flights available into Vienna on the weekend she had planned to visit. I was supposed to meet her at the airport but in my true style, I was running late and missed my coach across the border. Poor Kelsie had a super low battery and managed to catch a train from the airport to Wien Hauptbahnhof where I met her and we made our way to my student halls.

The next day involved lots of sightseeing, which we all know means a load of walking.

It was a good idea until...

Ouch...

By the late afternoon, we were exhausted so we decided to head inside for some food and get ready for the Friday night fun to follow...

I had been told about a nice hip-hop event some friends were DJing at and so we headed to Praterstern where the event was taking place. The music was so so good but sadly the venue was a lot like a shed. We just thanked the bottle of Gin we had finished earlier and boogied the night away.

Saturday was a sunny but chilly day. We had a slow morning and then took a drive up to Cobenzl, 2/3rds up the mountain that overlooks Vienna. We brought some drinks, some music and a ball to wack about. It turned out to be extremely cold once up there but we made the best of it, as with good company always comes good vibes.

 

That night was a bit less shed like and a bit more messy drunk-extremely sober. Sadly we were the extremely sober ones... We headed to another DJ event to have some drinks and meet some friends and from there went to Pasage, one of the more 'boujee' clubs in Vienna. Maybe we weren't drunk enough but my gosh was it far from 'boujee'. More like messy drunk 17 year olds falling about the place to semi decent music. Kelsie wasn't impressed and to be honest neither was I. We tried to make the best of an awkward situation, especially as we had paid entry but after an hour or so, we left.
As we had left so late to head out we ended up getting in around 5am. Kelsie was leaving the next day and we hadn't organised her transport back to Bratislava, while Kelsie slept the little she could before the exhausting trek back home, I sat up trying to find a coach or train that wasn't completely booked up, back to Bratislava. Turns out none of the available trains would get her there on time for her flight, as so the only option was the 8am bus from the Hauptbahnhof. She managed to get an hour or two sleep and by 7:10am we were running for trains to reach the correct bus stop.

It all happened so fast and before I knew it, we were waving goodbye.

Thank you for making the effort to come and visit me Keke, it really meant a lot. <3

Peace&Love,
Willow

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The Vienna Diaries~ Cassie Visits

A day with Cassie.

I saw this beauty standing in the distance, in blackish jeans and a cute coat, cordry was it? She was waiting by Praterstern station tram stop and looking out into the distance. Vienna. Only thing missing was a pretty setting rather than Praters concreate view. I crept up behind her as I do all those I approach from behind (without sounding creepy haha) and gave her a huge hug. Cassie jumped a little and we both began laughing, I knew our wonderful day had begun.

I went to school with Cassie for 5 and a bit years... ages 11 till 16, untill I dropped out of Sixth Form. We caught the train to and from school everyday together (along with some other wonderful people) for around 4 of those years in which we build a more solid friendship than we had probably anticipated at the time. 

Who knew we would end up sat at Aida in Stephansplatz, Vienna smoking a cigarette and sipping on a Wiener Melange. 

We began the day doing all the cool touristy things. That included walking in and around the 1st district, Stephansplatz and so on, taking a trip to Schönbrunn Palace, strolling through Meidling Shopping Centre (not much to see at all, but sometimes that's nice) and rounding up the day with Hunterwasser's Apartment design. 

The day was fruitfull as we rekindled a spark in our friendship that was longing to be ignited. I heard about her new found love and she sympathised with my usual dramas. I had a great day and it was filled purely with laughter and shitty tour guide skills.

Thank you for visiting me, beautiful lady. May all your dreams come true.

See you in Japan <3

Peace & Love,

Willow

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The Vienna Diaries~ My First Day

I haven't written anything about my move to Vienna, apart from the odd scribble in my diary and now I find myself sat in bed at 3am wondering why...

I moved here on the 1st February and it's now the 5th March. Sheesh. Over a month and here I am, sat reflecting and writing down my thoughts.

My First Day 1/02/2018

I caught the westbound central line train bright and early from Loughton to Stratford. I remember thinking about how this is my last time in such a familiar and almost routine location for at least the next 5 months. I waited for Vinny to arrive as I had got there quite early (for once) and when we met each other he grabbed my hand luggage and one of my suitcases and off we walked to the platform. I had previously struggled with my 2 overweight suitcases and 10kg backpack so was therefore reminded of how much I will miss this ever so important man in my life.

Once I was checked in and past security and was able to sit and watch the planes taking off. I was completely alone now and I felt a little odd. I still didn't feel like I was moving countries. I had packed, said my goodbyes and I was then waiting for my flight to be called in this tiny duty-free airport, yet I still did not understand why I felt so calm. Possibly I was just exhausted as I only had around 2 hours sleep but even still. The reason I mention this slightly confusing feeling is because I still somehow feel it. I am so at home in Vienna, however, I feel like I haven't moved countries at all, but rather taken a nice, long break that keeps going on and getting better. 

I eventually boarded the plane and slept for the whole journey. I arrived in Vienna at around 3pm and decided to catch the train as I knew that a taxi would be the easy and expensive way out. I dragged my 2 suitcases down to the station and spent about 10 minutes trying to figure out which ticket was correct for where I was heading as well as why on earth google maps was telling me to leave in an hour rather than straight away. Despite the fact that I had changed the language to English on the machine it turned out to still be a struggle for my tired brain and after jabbing at the touch screen overs and overs, a ticket was spat out and I headed for the platform. I looked at the monitor and could not figure out which train was heading to my stop. Google maps was telling me to leave in an hour and it hadn't clicked that I had just forgotten to change the time on my phone (as I had taken it off automatic whilst in Morocco). I decided to take a chance and go to the platform most people were getting on- the 1st platform. It was a smart choice too as I made it safely to Traissengasse Station and was then able to complete the final leg of the journey, the 7 minute walk from the station to my new home... The Fizz. Unfortunately, it was raining fairly heavily and I arrived looking like a washed-up Londoner. 

My room was (and is still) so so beautiful. I am staying in a student dorm that is quite literally kitted out with everything. It has a music room, 2 study rooms, a cinema room, a rooftop terrace, large common area (with hammocks!), shared kitchen and dining area for everyone downstairs, kitchens and living rooms on every 2nd floor and not to mention my own room that has a private kitchenette and bathroom. We can use the amenities downstairs by popping to reception, that includes pool tables, Fussball tables, Playstations, extra beds, BBQ's and everything else you may want or require to live comfortably. Ok, so I'm done showing off and I am so happy to be here, even if it did mean I pay a little more than other students in Vienna. I am still paying less rent than I was in London for something a 20x the quality and comfort. 

I was shown to my room and after sorting out the legal bits was left to relax... or not. There was, of course, no bed linen, food, pots or pans, toilet paper or anything. My suitcase had been stuffed to the brim with clothes and shoes and so a trip to the nearest supermarket was required, but I was beginning to realise how exhausted I was. The linen-less bed looked so inviting and I didn't care too much about my hunger. I was wet, cold and tired! I eventually decided that I should just do what needs to be done now- or as much of it as I could in order to avoid more stress tomorrow. I headed to Wien Mitte, Landstrasse, a shopping centre 7 minutes away by train, in order to buy a duvet, pillow and some bed sheets. I ended up spending hours in Interspar trying to work out the measurements and find some decent food to take back. Everything felt like such an ordeal, especially when I didn't understand a word of German. I really was the ignorant foreigner that did not speak the native tongue and couldn't communicate even to ask where I could find the bread. Most people do speak English in Austria or at least Vienna so in all truthfulness it was not a huge issue, but what I struggled with was the slight embarrassment I felt when trying to be respectful and at least attempting to use my limited knowledge of German to communicate. As it was I walked around Interspar with my phone in hand and google translate bright on the screen. Such a simple and usually enjoyable process for me had turned into stress. I had to get a taxi home as my trolly was filled to the brim with shopping bags and there was no way I was catching the train again, especially in case it started to rain. I called an Uber and within 5 minutes I was picked up. The driver was super friendly and basically the third or fourth person I had had direct contact with since arriving in the new city. He did not speak a word of English and found it hilarious when I attempted to be polite and converse with him. I remember being asked questions in an Austrian German accent to which my reply would be, 'errmmm ja- Entschuldigung, I don't understand, meine Deutsch ist schlect'. The driver would throw his head back with laughter and then proceed on to asking me more Deutsch questions. When I would ask some English questions he would simply shake his head showing that he hadn't the faintest idea what I had said. The slightly strange and painful experience was eventually over and I had never been so happy to rest my head. My new bed, my new room, my new city- Vienna was my new home and all I could think about was sleep.

Peace&Love,
Willow

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Verona & Venezia; An Unexpected Friendship, My First Magical Day in Verona & The Centro

This post is a complete diary entry... enjoy!
I wish to begin this chapter of my story by explaining that sometimes in life you just have to go with your gut. Follow what you feel is right and wonderful and yes, everything should be ok <3

Back in March I met two guys in a bar in Shoreditch whilst at my friends birthday party. I was tipsy and my friends and I all roped them in to dancing with the four of us. Nothing creepy... just young people being young and socialising etc. I decided to keep in contct for watever reason; I guess mysekf and the guys just got along well. They seemed like humble, friendly guys and they were also our age... so why not exchange instagrams? 
Both their names were Youness ans I ended up chatting lots with one of the Youness's. His family is from Morrocco but he grew up in Verona, northern Italy. 

One day I messaged him asking if I were to visit Verona would he be have the time to show me around his city with his friends, just for a day or so. Youness replied, 'of course!' Within a day he had messaged me again explaining that he had told his parents I was thinking of coming to visit the city and they had said they would be happy to host me for 'as long as I would like!' I of course thought how kinid and generous this family was, inviting me- a complete stranger into their home, I had to reply that, 'I would love to!'
Within a week I had booked my flights to bella Verona with Ryanair for £50.00 return in late June, ready to visit Youness and his bella famillia!

I was nervous on arrival, but I had come to know Youness' personality fairly well, although I guess you never really know what someone is like till you live with them haha! He came to get me from yhe airport (how kind) with the other Youness and his two sisters (Sofia was 6 and a TOTAL CUTIE <3). 

They had borrowed Youness' parents car and it was the same as my Dad's at the time, so it reminded me a lot of home. I recieved such a warm welcome and the guys were so relaxed, just like normal which put me at ease and made me feel much less nervous. We ran some quick and funny might I add, errands on the way home which were as amusing as Italy itself. Although it is a 'first world country' it drives a little less 'first world' than England! The scenery was charming, but I knew I hadn't seen anything yet. We were going into 'central' later on!

Once we reached the house, Youness' mother was awaiting my arrival and she was sososo excited! I was extremely nervous stepping out of the car and into the apartment but I honestly had no need. Never and I repeat never has a stranger ever greeted me with such kindness, warmth and genuine happiness to see me. I was almost confused! I've never met such friendly and loving people. I'm an excited bunny rabbit myself and didn't realise there were more people out there (especially other adults) that were like me! Even though we couldn't understand each other we were both speaking so much to one another! I said my hellos and gave my small presents to everyone. I also met Youness' shy 13 year old brother who gave me a quick wave and disappeared again, hehe. 

As I didn't have lots and lots of time we decided to go out and get some food and then head into the city centre. I waved ciao in 35 degree celcius heat, ( I had also got changed as oh my gosh it was boiling hot) and we left for the city.

At the shopping centre where we were getting some food, Youness and I sat whilst waiting for the other Youness. My Italiano was bad and his English was good (but he was shy to speak) and we were both still getting used to each others company so we filled the silence with a strange song about a pineapple pen. 

Looking back I had no idea what he was singing but turns out everyone in London knews this song as it has millions of views on YouTube haha! I must live under a rock!

Once Youness arrived we got some fast food, chatted, attempted to charge my camera battery and then headed to the bus stop where we realsied we still had 30 minutes till the bus. Trying to decide what to do, we met a Congolese Italian guy that had family in England and could therefore speak English well. He was funny and we all chatted away. While I nipped to the toilet, he decided to show off and play a song on the piano in the shopping centre. Bene, bene! Hahaha.

We got the bus and soon were half way to the city centre of Verona. At Verona's trainstation we met another guy Ismail, Youness and Youness' other friend who was to join us on our trip. He was also sooooo funny omg and none of us ended up paying for the bus- once again reminding me a little of home and my usual antics.

Once in the beautiful Centro of Verona finally the real touristy fun began. I remember feeling as though I had just stepped into a story book... Romeo and Juliet for that matter! Haha! It was truly incredible and also very very italian... whatever that means. I was with three 'strangers' wandering the street of northern Itlay questioning what I had done in life to be so lucky to have brought me into Youness' world. To be honest, I hadn't experienced it yet... his familia are what really stood out for me this whole trip.

We began at the Arena where, like many italian cities there was an old style round theatre like building made frim old brick work. It looked exactly like what you would see in a film about the Roam Empire. Beautiful of course! We didn't go indife becuase there was a lot to see and you probably had to pay quite a lot. I was on a budget and didn't expect the guys to want to pay to enter all these places either. Now knowing Youness better, I know if I had mentioned it, he would have gone in with me and probably offered to pay also! 

We continued wandering through the pretty italian streets, stopping regualarly for photos (of course) and looking inside shops until we came to the place that gives Verona its name, 'The City of Love'. Juliet's balcony from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. You begin by walking through a tunnel like structure that is covered with Love Letters to Juliet (just like in the movie 'Letters to Juliet'). It was very busy with other tourists but it didn't take away from the magic. I had to write something about love and stick it up on the wall so I turned to my one true love; 'Fall in love with travel, the world and nature' as you can't go wrong and this is of course so true. 

Once taking pictures got boring (a lucky one with Juliet's breast of course) we proceeded to one of the larger plaza like areas where there was a market going on. I bought a necklace and a bracelet for myself and got some tasty Gelato mmmmmm. 







We began journeying over the bridge and up this huge hill. Baring in mind it was literally almost 40 degrees celcius we were all sweating like crazy. 

Thank goodness I had changed when I arrived as the heat was practically unbearable and I had been wearing a long black cotton jumpsuit. There were fountains with drinking water dotted all over Verona and so once at the top of the hill we all splashed ourselves and had something to drink. I soaked my head as my thick hair often made me feel 10x hotter. 

The views at this place were amazing. I am still quite unsure where exactly we were but I am guessing at some kind of viewpoint. You could see the whole of Verona and it was just incredible. 

My first experience of Italy so far was one that even now I am struggling to pt into words, purely due to the people I was surrounded by, the weather and the beauty everywhere you looked. 

After seeing all the sights we slowly made our way back to the train station ready to eat some lasagne. I was so hungry as was everyone else. Later Youness had planned to take me to the 'Luna Park' which I had imagined to be some fesitval of some kind but turned out to be a popular fun fair for the locals. We made our way and was picked up by Kawta and Sofia Youness' older and younger sisters from the train station. 

Peace&Love,
Willow

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