2019 Painful Catch Up.

Photo by Lê Tân on Unsplash

I completely forgot I had this blog open! I thought I'd deleted everything and merged it with another blog!

Thankfully, I didn't. However I will be back dating a post AND hopefully uploading to YouTube, a VLOG from a trip last year.

2019 is the year I do NO camping.

I cannot tell you how much I wish that I could pack up my car  and head to the coast for some R&R. But it's not going to happen.

So far this year I have been to London three times. I'm heading to Edinburgh next month and in September I'm road tripping California, having a day in London and then a week in a cottage in Cornwall.

There's a lot of driving and very little stopping that month.

2020 though, because why live in the present when you can think of the future, I shall be getting a new tent, (more on that explained in my Cornwall post.) I shall also be making a list of places I want to visit, see. Because I still haven't seen Durdle Door and I really want to.

I plan on having my main holiday in Cornwall, but hope to have some long weekends elsewhere along the way.

2019. You're being an adventure, but give me my tent back!

Cornwall Camping. July 2018

I do love roughing it. My auntie would be so proud!

Okay, I know I'm not and I know she'd be devastated but what's wrong with a bit of camping luxury?!

My home for the week, overlooks... kinda... the sea and is situated in the south of Cornwall. Chycarne Holiday Park wasn't overly busy and I got my pick of pitches. Thankfully, people were going or had gone out and so they didn't have to see me struggle with the tent.

It's not the first time I've put it up alone, but I think my tiredness and the sun really tried to kill me off.

I also ended up spinning the bed round so I was feet down the slope. Other than that, welcome to my humble abode. Cast of Bugs Life, an added freebie.

Day One of my trip, took me to the gorgeous, clear waves of Kynance Cove. How can you not fall in love with that view and it's on British soil... kinda thing.

I spent a little while here. Reading and people watching. I was surrounded by happy families and couples and I will admit, i felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb, but I have to remind myself that once I leave, I'm not going to see them again!

Over the next few days I explored a new beach every day and tried to indulge in the best of Cornish. Scones with clotted cream at Wavecrest at The Lizard
Cornish ice cream.
Cornish Pasty.
When in Rome, or Cornwall you have to embrace their finest cuisine.

On one trip out, I decided to call in to a cute little cafe and wound up eating a tofu salad as well as a smoothie. I ate healthier than I had in years. by choice! And I can't fault it at all! So if you're in St. Agnes, call in to Genki for a rest and refuel.

The below is a seagull. Cute ain't he?!
That is until he starts eyeing up your pasty and you end up hiding in a corner to eat it.

On the day I went home, I spent the day at the beach that the campsite overlooked. I was in my element. A quiet beach. My travellers journal and my camera.

Now, If you're here after my 2019 post, you'll know that this was written a year after I took this trip, hence the vagueness of it all. However I found my VLog and it's linked below if you want to see the actual trips thoughts!

Talk About a Flop

 Back in April I was meant to be heading out on my first adventure for 2018.

But let me tell you, it didn't happen! In the weeks running up to the day, I had the flu, I think for about 2 weeks.

The week of the trip we got snow on the Monday. Yay, already off to a good start. On top of my 3rd week of the flu. I was determined to go though... in my head.

But the fact I wasn't sleeping and if I was sleeping I was basically upright already but a bump in the plan with having no solid surface in the tent to lean against. Lying down hurt and and made me cough and from coughing at that time I'd managed to pull muscles on both sides of my ribs...

It hurt to breathe, roll over, get out of bed, never mind driving for hours, sticking a tent up and kitting it out.

By Wednesday morning, although I was feeling better than I had, I knew there was no point in going at all as I was coming back a day earlier to attend a 2nd birthday party. Apparently I'm not allowed to miss a Paw Patrol party first thing on a Saturday morning.

I was narked, tired and in need of a holiday, but I guess I'll just have to wait until July.... hmmph!

Countdown to a whole new set of adventures.

Thankfully the snow (at least around home) has disappeared and in a few weeks I'll be on my way to the camp site for my 1st camping trip of 2018.
I don't know how it's managed to come around so quickly, but as with everything, you blink and it's here.

I'm no where near prepared for it physically. Mentally I have all the plans perfect but sometimes I don't have the time to get my sh*t together until last minute.

It's not always about being prepared for camping in general, but also about the things you plan on doing while you're away and anything else you plan to do.

Leading up I want make a P.O.A for the trip so I know where my days will go. I’m not saying they’ll be planned to a T but I want to know where I’m heading. I also plan to document my trips by journaling what I get up to.

I am a lover of scrapbooks in general with so many on the go that I’m way behind with only about 3 at a push being complete.

With journaling though I want to document it as it happens and plan on making a travellers journal and take my Instax printer along for the ride to print as I go.

Although I’m visiting a place I’ve been numerous times through my life, there are places I’ve never been. I want to be able to live them out in the future through the notebook because it’s so easy to forget and never remember everything.

I’m not planning no big trips this year and so I hope I can get more camping under my belt as well spend quality time writing in general with a clear head.

Have you got any trips planned this year so far??

Solo Camping Was The Best Thing I've Done

 
Growing up I was never a camper.
In fact my dad pretty much put me off the idea of 'having to faff about' putting the tent up, being cold, not having a home away from home.
Just the thought of camping in my adult years sent a shiver of dread down my spine because of the imagery that had been drilled in to my brain.
So, when I decided I wanted to get away more and explore the UK it wasn't at the top of my list.
After a chance finding of a tent in the house and a few other things I actually started to think more about camping BUT then I faced the dilemma of who to go with.
Now due to various friends lives/family/jobs it's not as simple as making a decision to go camping, packing up the car and going.
To be honest the thought of organising it made going away feel claustrophobic to me.
But as with most things, this didn't go out of my head and I went back to the idea for a few months until I logged on line and did research.
That was when I realised that brave people actually went camping alone, survived and offered encouragement to others.
After a quick natter online with a few people I actually booked my first site, ordered essentials and waited patiently for the time to arrive.
I was scared to hell though.
As I'm preparing for camping in 2018 I thought I'd write a post on how camping has benefited me so far, even still as a newbie. I also want to offer words of encouragement if you're thinking of doing the same, and what I have planned to do in the upcoming year.

1. Don't let anyone talk you out of it.
The first person who tried to do this was my dad. I'll admit I'm his little girl so he worries about me no end and because of that i make sure I call him daily when I'm away.
When I first told him I was going camping, as I unpacked my delivery from GoOutdoors he was adamant I wasn't going.
Even now when I tell other people I'm going camping on my own they ask, "Why?" and give me the look you'd give someone if they had two heads.
Under no circumstances do you let anyone talk you out of it or make you feel like you're weird for camping alone. 1. I'm as safe camping as I am in my own home in my opinion and 2. There's nothing wrong with being content with your own company. Sorry I/You don't need to rely on other people.

2. Start off small and work your way up.
I had a 3 man dome tent initially that I couldn't stand in and it held the bed and the basics. I also didn't have electric and I'll admit that I was bored to some degree.
That being said I hated the idea of going back to reality.
Camping was actually okay, it was the entertainment that I needed to work on and also the fact I needed an essentials camping kit so I didn't forget anything in future... Like bed socks, and pillows .

3. Let the site know you're going solo.
This was something I do every time regardless of how many times I've been and plan to go. I always ask the site to stick me somewhere close to them (just in case) but a little out the way so I've got my own privacy. It actually gives my dad some reassurance when I go too.

4. Get out before you chill out.
The first camping trip I took and loved completely was my trip to Kings Lynn because I got up, had breakfast, went out, came home and wrote.
Writing is such a huge part of what I love doing but I hardly have the time or energy to go it when I'm home from work. But on that weekend I actually went out and explored, went back, got the wine out and the netbook out and wrote so much more in one night than I had the whole month during Camp NaNoWriMo. My head was clear and I'd not wasted a single moment of my time away.

5. The outdoors brings out my creative side. 
I want to capture everything and see all the beautiful wonders of the UK through photography. I've invested (sorry bank account) in a better camera and will be starting a course soon to help me use it... so that I can take better pictures. I love photography and scrapbooking too so it'll help me capture so many more memories than I did before.
For each trip I'm making a travellers notebook to write about this, that and the other as I go about my days too.

6. Adventure time.
Before each trip I grab previously mentioned notebook and make a list of the places I want to see. Then I google the locations and see if I can make a plan for that day and jot it all down so when I get there I'm not stuck or wondering where to go and what to do. Google can become your BFF during this time because you'll discover places you've never heard of.

If anyone can think of any hidden gems to discover in the UK let me know in the comment section. I would love to learn and explore them!

Weekend Camping in Kings Lynn ⛺

When I first decided to start camping, I was 100% for the whole "roughing it" adventure.
But I also like my luxuries and that's why I now have electric to run my laptop, a cool box to store food better & wine. I've also got carpets and blow up furniture to relax before bed.
It's basically home away from home now, just on a smaller scale!

Before leaving I had no major plans in place as to what I wanted to do, I just knew I wanted a break and at night I wanted to chill in my tent with my kindle and laptop, reading and writing. I'd also wanted to write whilst out and about but I need a plug to use my netbook at the moment because the battery is useless and I didn't order a replacement until the day I was leaving.
I got to the site just past 6pm and was popped on a plot next to the toilet block which although wasn't a busy or big field, people were coming and going all the time.
Thankfully Ed and Phil came to my rescue and kindly helped me put the tent up which I was truly grateful for.
The whole weekend they'd check on me if I saw them which put my mind at rest with me being there alone. It was nice to know I was checked on, if that makes sense.
At around 8pm I made my tea which I ate most of the weekend

Menu for the Weekend

Breakfast

Sausage and Egg McMuffin 

Lunch

Pasta Bolognese

Tea

Minced/Ground Beef, Spag Bol Sauce and Gnocchi.

And then I popped open the wine and settled down in my mermaid blanket to write.
Around 10-11pm I snuggled under the duvet and slept until 6:30, waking  up to a beautiful day.

By 11:30 I was parked up again (after getting there an hour earlier and realizing i'd left my purse in the tent) at Sandringham House. I had no plans for what I was doing in the day but I love a good royal home.
I walked up to the house and had a wander through a garden where a lovely American couple took my picture.

You're not permitted to take pictures in the actual house but it really is amazing and the history in its walls is a royal WOW!

Following that I had a wander around the museum because I'd paid £15.50 for the privilege, I was certainly going too, however if you don't go in the house it is cheaper.

After a slow walk back because I was beginning to get hungry - and the tea room only had cold food, and restaurant was busy - I popped my nose in to the church...

I called for some shopping and went back to my tent for food and get a bit of writing done, which I did quite a bit of, I have to be honest.
While I was writing I got to a point where I was describing stepping in the sea... so I hopped in the car and found my nearest one, only to get there and not see the sea because it was too far out... or is it in?
Anywho I just sat for a bit and headed back to the site, calling at Rising Castle which was just shutting up :(

 

Back in the tent I made food, wrote, snacked on popcorn and then had a shower before calling it a night in the tent with some more writing and wine.
I woke up Sunday morning, packed my tent up - and actually got it back in its bag - and was home for 12pm.
I really do love these mini escapes and now I'm all sorted with my net book I hope to get a few more in around my next two trips.
I'd love to get a cool box that keeps food fresher and hopefully get a bigger table with a way to sort out my things so they're not bagged up in the tent too. But that'll be something I work on over time.
I can't begin to explain how amazing the weekend has been.

Kings Lynn Camping and Caravan Park

Sandringham Estsate

↑↑ Tent Upgrade ↑↑

I'm sure I've said this before but the only reason I committed to going camping was the fact my mum had a little 3 man dome tent in the front room along with a ready-bed which in my opinion is pretty much the basics of camping.
Tent & bed.
It was also a good chunk of initial output I didn't have to spend, especially when it could be a one hit wonder with me.

*Not my actual tent but extremely similar. I've lost all of my original trip/tent pictures.

It was super easy to put up for a solo camper but it was basic. Because it was small I literally had room for my bed and a little bit of storage and at night it was either sit on the bed which made me feel like I was going to bed or sit outside in the cold. There was no in between. Due to the height too and me being 5'9 it wasn't ideal to be bent/crouched all the time.
To top it off there wasn't an electric zip. I didn't think I'd need electric but then I realised that when I'm camping I'm cut off from distractions and it's the perfect time to write.
It was however perfect for testing the camping waters.

So that's when I invested in the Sendero 4 from GoOutdoors, which with my discount card cost £99.00. I also grabbed myself a carpet which is too big for the tent but by simply folding some back under it fits perfectly and then I used B&M picnic rugs for the bedroom area and I have to say I love it.

The last trip I took was in this tent and because the lovely people at Kings Lynn Caravan and Camping park helped me, I have no idea if I'd have got it up. But, that's a challenge in my eyes, to get it up on my tod.
I'm also planning on making the kitchen area more livable (and not bagged) because it's a royal pain in the ass storing stuff like this.
The tent had a few minor leaks through the night but it was raining quite bad thanks to British weather being awful. Nothing to make me demand a refund or anything like that, but a little dripped in.
I'm so happy with my investment and can't wait to get back out in the tent once more this year while also planning next.