In an otherwise fairly dreary month, a few lively events help to brighten the days in Belgium before spring arrives. The main event is Carnival with many cities around the country holding celebrations in the lead up to Ash Wednesday. This was my first year attending Carnival and I went to two different cities: Malmedy and Aalst. The celebrations involve local groups dressing up in a wide variety of costumes - there was everything from Le Petit Prince to La Folie Douce (après-

Already one month into 2026, January has flown by! It's been a quieter month with less working hours than usual and more time at home sheltering from bad weather but having lots of free time has allowed me to find lots of things I like doing nearby and I've got into a really nice routine. I celebrated New Year in Edinburgh with all the traditions. I did the Loony Dook in Portobello in 2°C with an icy wind but clear blue skies. It was absolutely freezing and I thoroughly enjoy

Last year I moved to Belgium to work as a language assistant for the year. This required insane amounts of paperwork and research. This post shares my experience with getting a work permit and visa, travelling to Belgium from Scotland and finding accommodation in Brussels. Getting a Belgian visa was an extremely lengthy and costly process. I got confirmation of my work placement at the beginning of May 2025 and began the process immediately. This first involved getting an Int

During the final three months of 2025 I was based in Brussels, Belgium. I started work as an English assistant with the British council in higher education in schools in Brussels and Charleroi. I moved into a room in Brussels. I visited other cities in Belgium and further afield. I tried out a range of different activities in Brussels and met lots of new people. My first couple of weeks in Belgium mostly involved getting the practicalities sorted out and settling in. My top p

This post is a recap of May-September last year which is the time that I was based in Scotland. I arrived home from Corsica not knowing what the next stage of my life would look like. I went to a couple of job interviews before ultimately deciding that I wasn't ready to settle down in the UK just yet and accepting a second year as an English assistant abroad, this time in Belgium. I didn't need to be there until the end of September so I then started planning the next few mon

Another year down, here we are in 2026, time to reflect on the past year! It's been a good one, once again filled with change and adventure. This was going to be all one post but I had too much to say so I've split it into three: Corsica (January-April), Scotland (May-September) and Brussels (October-December). This 1st part will cover Corsica (and places visited from Corsica) which, at this point, all feels so long ago that it's hard to believe it was only last year. Parts 2

Here is a quick round up of 10 of my favourite fringe shows this year. There was so much to be impressed by in Edinburgh again this year and there were many weird and wonderful displays of creativity and talent. After going to more than eighty shows in August, trying to narrow down to just ten has been challenging but I've made my choices and here they are! *sorry for the extremely late publication but I had it in drafts and it might as well be published! This sh*t happens al

In July 2025 I took myself up to Blair Atholl with my bike and my tent. This was my first solo camping trip and my first solo Munros. The main aim was to do the 5 Munros that are accessible from Blair Atholl. From the train station these all have a pretty long walk in so I brought my bike with me too. The journey up was actually really easy as there is a direct train from Edinburgh. I had been patiently waiting all summer for a patch of good weather and, when it came, it cam

Having enjoyed my time as a language assistant in Corsica last year, I decided to reapply for the programme for a second year. I thought I'd try Belgium this time for a change of scene and to experience a new French speaking country. I was delighted to be assigned to teach adults this year, in a Haute Ecole (a sort of university-college) in Brussels and an evening language school in Charleroi. Following a long and arduous visa process I finally made it to Brussels on the 30th

2024 was a year of change. I graduated from University, finishing the studying chapter of my life, and began a new job in a new country. 2024 had three phases for me: "Aberdeen" from January to May, "summer" from June to September and "Corsica" from October to December. In Aberdeen I was finishing off my degree and making the most of my last few months at university. In summer I spent some time at home as well doing some travelling, some volunteering and some work. In Corsica

This summer I worked at the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival for the first time and it was an amazing experience that I hope to be able to repeat next year! I have attended fringe shows for many years but it is only recently that I have spent more time at the festival and experienced the full festival atmosphere in Edinburgh. I love the festival and all that it brings to the city. It is a chance to see performances of all kinds and to see Edinburgh come alive with arti

Hi! I haven't posted on here in a long time but I have recently moved back to France and started a new job as a primary school English assistant for the British Council in Ajaccio, Corsica and I wanted to share my experience so far. Getting here I quickly discovered that Corsica is not the easiest place to get to, especially off-season, so it is sometimes necessary to get a little creative with travel arrangements. There are multiple options to reach the island by air or sea.

Spending two months in a new continent came with many new and wonderful experiences. Of all the things I tried during my time in South-East Asia, these are five of my favourites. Snorkelling I went snorkelling as part of a day excursion to Ang Thong Marine National Park in the Gulf of Thailand and it was one of the most incredible things I have ever done. Starting from Koh Samui early in the morning, we took a speed boat out to the islands in the national park. The water was

At the beginning of August I took a short trip to visit Helsinki and Tallinn. It was my first time in both Finland and Estonia so I was really interested to explore and see what the culture was like in these two countries. They were both so different to the places I have travelled to in the past and it was really fun to learn more about them. This is what I did with three days in two cities: Day 1 I started in the centre of Helsinki. The city was really easy to get around wit

1. Aqua Jade Style: dance Favourite video: Mamma Mia Dance Workout I love the energy that Aqua Jade brings to her videos. She always gives 100%, even dressing to match the theme of her workout. She posts new videos 2-3 times a week and has covered a huge range of incredible music from 50s rock n’ roll to 90s boy bands to The Greatest Showman. Her routines are varied and fun and easy to follow. 2. Heather Robertson Style: HIIT, cardio, weights Favourite video: Fierce Full Body

As I quickly discovered, teaching can produce all kinds of interesting experiences. I primarily taught individuals studying English as well as group classes of up to five people. I generally worked with the same students on a regular basis over a number of weeks or months so I got to know them pretty well. I had every type of student: chatty, shy, beginners, advanced speakers, children, adults, lawyers, company directors, retired people... the list goes on. I had such a range

When I'm working the opening shift I wake up at 7:45 and cycle into work for 9am. I generally arrive around 10 minutes early so I open up the language school. This involves disabling the alarm, switching on the lights, the heating, the computers, the printer and the television, cleaning the boards and tables in the classrooms that were being used the previous evening, putting the tables, chairs and plants outside and generally just making sure everything is looking ready for

My favourite day in the Basque Country so far was a Sunday a couple of weeks ago when I went with my flatmates and a friend to Fontarrabie, a town just across the border in Spain. We parked a little outside the town and walked along the coast where there is a great walking trail. It was a really sunny day and we had amazing views of the sea all the way along. The path was very up and down so each time we emerged from a dip we were rewarded with a new view of the coastline. We

I'm running a half-marathon! Not a sentence I ever thought I'd say but here we are. I've signed up to do the Biarritz half-marathon on...

At the beginning of February I spent two nights in Paris as a stopover on my way from Lausanne to the South West of France. I arrived by...