Square one: The recent graduate, futile self pep talks and one very worn-out refresh button.


July 2015. The tally so far stood as following: Laptops broken: 1 (we're not counting all the other years okay). Mama noodles packets ravaged: 55. Cups of tea: stopped counting. Glasses of morning wine: didn't bother trying to count. All-nighters spent with head in a book (on table): more than is acceptable. And one more…

This is a story about my massive red suitcase with flowers on it that nearly fell apart but didn’t aka Ode to a faithful friend


Hello It’s been a while …and already talking in clichés For those of you who know me, you might be thinking “where has she been?”, “Sam, you have a blog?” or “Did she ever make it through Italy without turning into Big Momma?” To that I will say: 1. Read on 2. Yes, unbelievable I…

Moving to Modena; Meet the Girls Who Saved My Spanish, and My Sanity.


Moving in with people you’ve never met is a bit risky to say the least. Finding individuals who will put up with your messy kitchen routine, shower ballads and constant burping can be difficult, but I considered myself lucky last year with all the flatmates I had, who didn’t seemed to mind too much when…

New Year, New Me – Saying ¡Sí!


I retreated home for Christmas last year, welcomed by Lidl’s weekly stock of mince pies – I went from being homesick to almost physically sick; I tried explaining to Mum that they also eat food in Spain, but that didn’t seem to deter her from fattening me up like the honorary Christmas Turkey. Despite not…

Uni Life Part 2: Becoming Andaluza


Valentine’s Day last year, my heart was left broken. Granada had me completely enamoured, under its bewitching charm and in a state of enraptured stupor. The city, it’s people, and of course, the tapas, had me so fazed I sometimes (more like every day spent there) forgot what I was supposed to be doing (talk…

Uni Life Part 1: The UGR Misfits


So as you would have already realised from previous posts, university life in Spain was not all it was cracked up to be. In fact, aside from having a decent café with Alhambra beer on tap, I do not have many positive things to say about my time spent in la facultad de filosofía y…

Uni Galz On Tour Part 2: ¡Estupendoooooo!


I’m alright as hostesses go, but people who know me will tell you I am more feeder than tour-guide. Day Two of Uni Galz On Tour, I took my guests for a walk to the city centre, via Triunfo. It’s not until you show others around a place that you realise how much you really…

Uni Galz On Tour Part 1: FOUR IN A BED


Even though university was getting a bit ‘meh’ in Granada (poo hadn’t quite hit the fan at this point), I still found myself completely enamoured by Spain and the astounding city I was lucky enough to call home. During my time at university in Portsmouth I was #blessed (and still am!) to have a close…

Going MAD


October last year saw the peak of our Granada days; the sun was still out, beach trips were still a regular thing, and I still had enough pesetas to carry on living la vida loca. Carys and I had decided it was time to be spontaneous again (the haircut thing hadn’t really gone to plan)…

#homecomforts – Tips for Surviving Homesickness


Probably not the most cringe/cheesy/OMG Kill Me Now Pls Facebook status I’ve ever published whilst intoxicated, but it’s definitely up there. I wrote this a month into my stay in Granada. Pathetic as the title reads, I didn’t miss home per se; la vida Erasmus doesn’t allow it; there are just too many things to…