Since I have been studying in Bournemouth for the last couple of years, I've visited a lot of nice places in Dorset. We are lucky here to be surrounded by lots of beautiful places, and to be right by the sea. I've put together a list of all of my favourite places in Dorset that I have visited so far. There's still some places I haven't been to and things I haven't done, so I'm going to be making a bucket list for my final year of university. I may post it on my blog and tick it off as the year goes by so keep a look out for that.
Places you need to visit in Dorset after lockdown
Bournemouth Beach
Obviously, I have to put Bournemouth Beach as the first destination on the list as I live in Bournemouth. It's one of my favourite places to go in the country. It's such a lovely beach to visit all year round, that's why it's so popular. There's also lots of things to do nearby like the Oceanarium and the arcade.
Sandbanks
Only 3 miles from Bournemouth Beach, Sandbanks is one of the most expensive places to live in the UK. Sometimes, I like to go there just to drive past the huge houses there. It's half beach, half harbour at sandbanks and it's just an all round nice area.
Hengistbury Head
Still on the beach, Hengistbury head is a great place to go for a walk and you will usually see lots of cute dogs. It's basically just a big hill on the beach and once you get to the top, you can see amazing views of the sea and you can see all the way to Christchurch and Mudeford too.
Poole Harbour
I really love going to Poole harbour and pretending I'm rich and deciding what boat I'd have if I was. Maybe one day, I can dream! They usually run cool boat trips from Poole harbour too, with some going to Swanage and Brownsea Island. I would check that though because of Covid.
Corfe Castle
Corfe Castle had been on my list of places to visit for a while and it's such a lovely village. The actual castle is really high up so has great views of the rest of the village.
Swanage
Swanage is just your typical seaside town which I love. There are lots of little independent shops there and it's just a really pretty place. The arcade there is really fun too!
Sculpture by the Lakes
Earlier this year I was lucky enough to visit Sculpture by the Lakes near Dorchester on a PR trip. It's such a tranquil place and a really great day out. Read all about my trip to Sculpture by the Lakes.
Tyneham Abandoned Village
Tyneham is a village that was abandoned during World War II and no one ever returned. It's an interesting visit but is a very little place so it doesn't take very long to look around. I believe it is only open to the public for visiting on Saturdays but it's really interesting to see.
Durdle Door
Durdle door is one of the most beautiful places in the whole of England in my opinion. I don't feel like I need to explain this one - the picture says it all.
Do you live near any nice places to visit? Until the lockdown is over, stay safe x
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Related Read: 48 Hours in Hastings
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I recently asked on my Instagram for questions that could form a Q&A blog post and I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of questions I received.
I was asked all sorts of questions about blogging and just about life in general, so without further a do I will start answering them!
Get to know me!
1. How did you get into blogging?
I started my blog in 2016 while I was in college. Back then, it was just a way of me writing my thoughts and I didn't know how long I'd actually stick to writing. It wasn't until this year that I've started keeping up with regular posting and this year has been my best year stats and opportunities for things like reviews and press events.
2. What are your tips for coping mentally at uni?
This is a hard one because university can be really draining sometimes. My advice would just be to force yourself to stay motivated and on top of everything. A lot of the time I won't feel motivated, but as soon as I get the tiniest bit of motivation to do work, I will force myself to try and do as much work as possible, just to make the most out of feeling motivated.
It can be so hard to balance everything so I would recommend keeping a diary and staying really organised. If you feel like you have your life together, you will feel better about university. And if you don't, then it's a fake it til you make it kind of situation. Read my tips on how to stay organised at university for more information.
3. What is your favourite trip away that you have been on?
Definitely either my trip to Sorrento, my trip to Amsterdam, or the Christmas markets in Germany. I find it so hard to pick a favourite because then were all so different. I hope to go on many more trips away but then it would make it even harder to pick a favourite!
4. What's the best food you've had abroad?
I have had some really good food abroad but I'd have to say the pizza in Sorrento was the best. You just can't beat Italian pizza!
5. Who is your favourite blogger?
Again, so hard to pick a favourite but I can give you my top 5 in no particular order:
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This is my first ever tag blog post so I was super excited to try it out! Thank you to Laureny Loves, Liz Loves and Nic's Adventures for the tag. You can see their posts here:
Laureny Loves - The Hallotober Tag
Liz Loves - The Hallotober Tag
Nic's Adventures - The Hallotober Tag
The Rules
- Thank the person who tagged you and link to their post
- Put the rules at the beginning or after introduction
- Answer the 13 questions
- Tag 13 people to do the tag
- Delete Question 13, add a new number one question of your own
- You are free to use the tag image somewhere in the post
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Cheese is one of my favourite things ever and I would literally have a cheese night every night if I could. But as I want my jeans to still fit me, I will have a cheese night every so often as a treat. Because it's one of my favourite things to do, I will share with you my favourite cheeses to have on a cheese board. I will admit, I am not a huge wine connoisseur but I will work on it.
Disclaimer: I am not working with the companies mentioned, I just really love their products.
High end soft cheeses to include on your board
Brillat Savarin - I only discovered this cheese last year. We had it at Maul's cheese and wine bar in Salisbury and bought one from there as it was so amazing. It was pretty expensive, it was a wheel smaller than a camembert but I think it was around £8. However, if you love brie-like cheeses it is definitely worth it as a treat. It's similar to a brie, but instead of being made with milk it's made with full fat cream, so you will only need to eat a little bit at a time anyway. It tastes amazing with honey!
Tunworth - Tunworth is basically the British version of a camembert. We had it cold and it seemed to me creamier and a little softer than a camembert so I'm not sure how it would work if you wanted to melt it. However, I believe this is £8 again in Waitrose so I'd recommend using a camembert to melt as it's a lot cheaper and you don't want to ruin this cheese. Again, great for a treat if you want a high end cheese and tastes amazing if you like brie and camembert.
Lyburn Garlic and Nettle - A flavoured cheese is a must for a cheese board and this one tastes amazing. You can buy this one from Lyburn Farm in the New Forest, so it is pretty local for me. Definitely use your favourite flavoured cheese on your board, they have some in supermarkets, I've had the chive one from Tesco before which is nice.
Budget friendly soft cheeses to include
Brie - Obviously! My favourite is the round Castello brie that they have in Tesco for about £2 but I do love any brie, use your favourite.
Camembert - I feel like a melted camembert is a centrepiece and if you are having a cheese board with lots of other cheeses you might not need it. It's good to have as the main even though, with a couple other bits to go with.
Port Salut - This is good for anyone who doesn't really like strong cheeses, it kind of reminds me of a babybel. This is around £2 I believe, depending on which supermarket you go to.
Smoked Mozzarella - You should definitely choose a smoked cheese to go on your board and this is definitely a good one. It's quite mild so will be good for anyone who doesn't like their cheese too strong.
Boursin - amazing soft garlic cheese to put on bread or biscuits. Always a staple for me!
High end hard cheeses to include
Kirkham's Lancashire - This is a bit like a cheddar but obviously it's made in Lancashire. You can get this from The Fine Cheese Co for £5.80. It's a little more tangy and earthy than a cheddar so it's good if you like cheddar but want to try something with a more unique taste.
Stoney Cross - This is from Lyburn Farm again. It's a little softer than a cheddar and tastes a little more earthy and tangy. Definitely a good one to try if you want to support a local New Forest farm shop.
Budget friendly hard cheeses to include
Cheddar - Everyone's favourite, every cheese board needs a cheddar and you can get lots of different kinds so it's whatever suits you. I do like a classic cathedral city but a lot of local cheese companies will have some form of cheddar if you wanted to support a local supplier.
Red Leicester - I have to admit, I always forget about Red Leicester cheese, but it tastes amazing and is good if you like mild cheese again.
Stilton - You either love it or hate it but every cheese board needs a blue cheese. I haven't really found the right blue cheese for me yet and I don't really like stilton too much, but it's just the easiest option for a budget blue cheese. Replace this with your favourite blue cheese if it's another. I am still on the hunt to find a blue cheese that I like the taste of.
Manchego - I only tried this for the first time recently and really enjoyed it even though it is quite hard an crumbly and I'm more of a soft cheese girl. It's a bit like parmesan but not as strong and you can eat it on it's own easily. I find parmesan too much to eat by itself but I love it on top of pasta!
Pair your cheeses with your favourite wine and charcuterie. I mainly drink prosecco or rose wine but there are lots of reds that go really well with cheese. I like to put different breads, biscuits and meat with my cheese, so just pick your favourite. The best thing about doing your own cheese board is that you can make it personal to you with all of your favourite things on there.
What's your favourite cheese? Let me know in the comments.
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Related Read: 5 Cocktails to Try at Home
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Since I have finished my internship in August, I have had some time to myself over the summer. In that time, I spent 48 hours in Lincoln, and I have also recently been to Hastings in East Sussex.
My boyfriend, Joe, is from Hastings when we aren't at uni together so I go there to visit him from time to time when he's at home and I really like it there.
It's right on the sea and Joe's house is walking distance to everything so I got a lot of steps in. When I drive into Hastings I get to drive along the sea front which is so pretty and it always seems to be nice weather when I go there.
When I arrived in Hastings, we did our usual walk around by the beach and through the town. We have a little tradition of going to this little local seafood shop by the beach and getting some food so we did that on the first day and sat on the beach for a little while.
I also love to get an ice cream when I'm near the sea so we did that too, after eating our seafood. Hastings has so many local seafood restaurants and fish and chip shops, you really can taste the difference in freshness with it being a seaside town.
In the evening, we went for a few drinks but didn't stay out too late.
The next day, we went to the seafront again and played some minigolf. Joe won, I am still yet to beat him but it's going to happen one day!
After spending the day out again, we went to a seafood restaurant in the old town called Whites. The old town in Hastings, is more individual restaurants, shops and pubs as opposed to the new town with things like Primark and Pizza Express. I really like that they have both options.
We had a huge seafood platter which is unlike me because I'm really fussy with food. I just wanted to try it because we were right by the sea and I thought I'd like most of it. All of it was so nice apart from oysters, I don't think I'll eat one of them again in a hurry.
After we ate so much food, we went for a few drinks on the pier. Hastings pier is quite big and since the social distancing rules have come into place, they put a DJ set on the pier with a bar and tables for drinks. I have never had drinks on a pier before so it was something new for me.
Just before leaving on my last day there, we went on a dog walk at a really pretty country park called Fairlight, it had such amazing views to the sea.
I quite like writing about places that I visit in the UK, so I will definitely be doing more 48 hour style blog posts whenever I go anywhere now.
Where's your favourite place to visit for a weekend away?
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Related Read: 3 Days in Suffolk
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*AD - PR sample. I have received this product for review but all opinions are my own. For more information, see my disclaimer.
I recently received the Master Mindset Diary starter kit from Amanthis. Amanthis is a small stationary business that aims to create affordable stationary.
The diary runs from August 2020 until August 2021, so it's perfect for studying. When I first flicked through the diary, I noticed that each month has a calendar view of the month for you to write things in if you just wanted to see what you had on in the month. There are also weekly pages for planning your availability week by week.
Each page has a positive quote on the top, which I really love and before each month there is a quote to keep you going. My favourite thing about the Master Mindset Diary, is that it isn't just a space where you can plan your time, it also has positive affirmations, space to write goals, productivity levels, moods and achievements.
I'm going to be using my Master Mindset Diary for university, blogging and just life in general because it has already started helping me to plan for the new academic year.
In the starter kit, I also got some Goal Getter pencils, a couple of pens, a list pad and a finance tracker. I will definitely be using the finance tracker while at university this year.
I do really like a diary and most of the time, I prefer a January - January one but this mid year diary is going to help me so much in my final year of uni.
Do you like using diaries to keep organised?
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Related Read: 5 Steps to Becoming More Organised at University
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This post contains affiliate links so I will earn a small commission when you buy through these links. Please see my disclaimer for more information.
As a lot of you may know, I have been blogging on and off for over 4 years. It was kind of just a hobby for me as and when I felt like it, and it wasn't until the coronavirus lockdown until I started blogging regularly. After regular blogging since April 2020 and putting in more hard work, I am proud to announce that I received 10,700 blog views for July 2020. This is a massive success for me since in April, I had just over 1000 blog views for the month. Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading and supporting my blog over the last few months.
How did I achieve this?
I still wouldn't call myself an expert when it comes to blogging and I know that there are people out there with a lot more views than this. I am still always trying to learn more about it, but I'd just like to share with you how I got to 10k monthly views in the hope that I could help some current or aspiring bloggers.
It's also important to keep organised and you can do this by using The ULTIMATE yearly blog planner from Of a Glasgow Girl.
Sharing my blog everywhere
After writing and publishing a blog post, I would promote it over every social media channel. I will create an Instagram story of the post, prompting people to click the link in my bio to see my blog. I will also share the blog on my Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and sometimes LinkedIn if it's relevant to my audience on there.
The main source of my blog traffic comes from Twitter. I will share 3 blog posts a day on Twitter, including new ones and old ones. I schedule these posts using Buffer. Make sure to tag in retweet accounts when tweeting blog posts as the blogs will be retweeted and will reach more people.
Here are some of the blog post retweet accounts I tag:
- @bournemouthbloggers and @sotonbloggers - make sure you use your local equivalent of this if there is an account for it.
- @bloggerstribe
- @cosyblogclub
- @BloggersHut
- @theclique_uk
- @GoldenBloggerz
- @unpredictedpage
- @_kayleighzara
- @cosyblogclub
- @theclique_uk
- @BloggerDreamsRT
- @TRJForBloggers
- @BloggersHut
- @LaurenyLoves
Some extra blogging resources
- The Google Analytics Cheatsheet mini E-book for beginner bloggers
- The JAM PACKED Blogging Planner and Journal
- E-Book Work Book Canva Template
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This post is an interview with Robyn Moss, third year Psychology student at the University of Lincoln. Before her degree, Robyn was living in Salisbury, Wiltshire, but decided to move 3 and half hours away to Lincoln for university. Read on to learn about her experience of moving away from home.
1. Why did you want to move far from home?
Originally, I wanted to move far from home for university to have a fresh start and push myself to be independent, not having the option to easily escape my problems and go back home. Of course, I also wanted to reinvent myself and explore a totally new place.
Lincoln, however, was a very unexpected choice of mine as I only picked it to fill in my last choice for university. I couldn’t think of anything else and I’d never actually heard of it before, but when I went to visit all of my uni choices, much to my surprise Lincoln happened to be the only uni that really felt like it was for me. If you have never visited, read all about how to spend 48 hours in Lincoln.
2. Were you worried about moving and why/why not?
I wasn’t really worried, I was more excited. The only thing in the back of my mind was, if there was an emergency, I wouldn’t be able to get home easily. Other than that, I didn’t really have any worries. I already knew I vibed with the city and any doubts I had were overruled by excitement.
3. How long did it take you to settle into your new place?
I was pretty much settled the moment I moved in. Of course, it was hard for the first five minutes of watching my parents walk away, and not knowing when I'd see them again. However, you snap out of that pretty quickly due to not having time to dwell on it. You have to unpack, decorate your room and get to know your new housemates, so there’s no time to think about anything else.
You and your housemates are all on the same boat and it’s exciting for all of you and you support each other. I got on really well with most of my housemates to begin with which helped my feel settled initially but after a few days living with them, I realised they weren’t for me which was a struggle and did lead to me needing to change apartments. However, as soon as I found my group and created my own uni family, I felt settled again.
I believe that the people you surround yourself with at uni are the key to settling and you won’t always be lucky at first, but there’s no harm in moving apartments if you don’t vibe with your initial flatmates. Most people manage to get on just fine though, it’s unlikely that you won’t get on with at least one person in your apartment.
4. Is there anything you would have done differently?
Not really. I’m grateful for the lessons I have learned, and any issues I had were out of my control. I do wish I’d been to more parties and gone to freshers events, but that wasn’t possible due to my job. I feel that I would have benefited a lot more if I’d have socialised more during freshers week as it took me a while to find my group of friends. Once I’d found them, my uni experience became 100x better.
Where to find Robyn
Instagram: @robynmossx
Thank you so much to Robyn for sharing her story. Have you ever moved far away from home? Let us know your experiences!
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Related Read: Top Tips for Starting University
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This post is a collaboration with Planning with Em. This post also contains affiliate links so I will earn a small commission if you buy through my links. Please see my disclaimer for more information.
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*Image 1 from Pixabay.*Image 2 from Engin Akyurt on Pexels.
Just a little update on me - I have now finished my year marketing internship ready for starting my final year of university in September. I am trying to get a little bit of a summer by doing things before I go back to studying. The first thing I did after finishing was visiting one of my friends, Robyn, who lives up in Lincoln and goes to university there.
It was very hot there and I had to put sun cream on because
of how pale I am so it kind of felt like a holiday, we’ll call it a staycation
as that’s where it’s at at the moment! If you want to read more about travel,
see my favourite travel destinations. I am living in Wiltshire at the
moment so it took about 3 hours and 20 minutes to drive there, but I felt like
it went pretty quickly.
Day 1 in Lincoln
After arriving in Lincoln, we had a walk along Brayford Waterfront
and took some cute pictures. We then walked up the steep hill to the cathedral.
There is a reason why it’s called steep hill and it is not an exaggeration! But
once you get up there the views are pretty good, and there are lots of cute,
independent cafes on the way up.
It was quite a hot day, so we had to go back to shower and
get ready before going out for the evening. We booked into Zizzi for dinner and
it was a Monday so we got that Eat Out to Help Out discount! After that, we
went to the Slug & Lettuce for some cocktails. That was the first time I
had been out for drinks since the lockdown and it was actually a lot less scary
than I thought it would be.
Bars do seem to be closing earlier now than what they used
to. So, after leaving Slug & Lettuce we got some end of the night food from
a chip shop. I had to try the cheesy chips and gravy because I’d never had it
before being a southerner and they were so nice even though they looked kind of
gross. Proper comfort food. I have to say, the north does takeaways better.
Day 2 in Lincoln
Day 2 was a chill one after a busy first day. We had a lie
in and went to McDonald’s, classic after night out food. After that, we went to
Boultham Park, which was really nice. We sat by the river and saw lots of cute
ducks and swans. Again, I had to put on sun cream for this.
Once we had sat there for a while, Robyn wanted to show me
round her uni so we walked around Lincoln University which was quite cool, it
was really quiet though due to it being summer and Covid-19. I like nosying
around other universities so I can compare them to my own.
In the evening, we just chilled and watched some TV because
I was getting up early to leave the next day. It was one of the hottest days
when I had to leave and my car has no air conditioning so I left at 8am to try
and get home before the hottest point of the day.
I really enjoyed going to Lincoln and really want to visit
more places in the north as I haven’t been to that many places up there. It is such
a pretty place and I hope to go there again soon.
Where is your favourite place to visit in England? Let me know in the comments! Special thanks to Robyn for letting me
stay with her and looking after me so well.
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Looking for more day out ideas in the UK? Read all about my trip to Sculpture by the Lakes in Dorset.
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