Jump

This is a jump. 

It’s been 3 years... whoops. Life’s pretty crazy though. I loved writing these posts but (obviously) I took a long break. I guess a lot’s happened since my last post. I’m no longer ‘the new girl’ and I’m actually about to graduate. Ugh that’s weird to say.

My final exams are coming up. As you can guess, I’m procrastinating. I should be studying right now... oh well. I think I’ll be okay.

I’m pretty damn happy to be honest. I can’t wait for summer. Once my exams are over I’m going crazy. I’m going to festivals, Greece, Holland, Germany, England, Poland, Hungary, Austria ahhh. The list goes on. I can’t wait. 

I’ll try write about my travels. This was a travel blog after all even if i only wrote a few times. 

The last few years have been a blur but hopefully I’ll be  able to continue writing here and get my head on straight...

Much love, 

CinderEllen. 

New

Moving to a new place is very daunting. Moving to a new country is even more daunting. I've just moved from the other side of the world and it's very, very daunting. I start school in three months and I currently know no one that will be in my grade. But it's also very exciting. I get to try new opportunities that I would never have got the chance to try in my old town. I get to expand my friend circle, meeting new people every day. I get to see new places that were much too far away before. My point, is I could let this new change upset me, worry me, make me angry, but I don't want to. I'm choosing to embrace it. I know it won't be easy but I think this period in my life will help shape 'me' further. I will keep pushing forward and hopefully keep anyone reading posted.
CinderEllen xx

Also please comment if you do read, I would love to hear from you :).

Koh Tao - Thailand

Koh Tao is a beautiful island off the east coast of Thailand. It's quite small but there is so much to do.

I spent 5 nights in the island but it seriously felt like 2 weeks. It has such a good vibe.

The only way onto the island is by ferry. But it's a very enjoyable ride, whether you go on the slow boat (3 hours from the mainland) or the fast boat (1 & 1/2 hours).

Koh Tao is close to another, slightly bigger, island called Ko Pha Ngan. Which I would recommend visiting as well.

We went snorkelling around koh Tao one day and it was absolutely brilliant! We just asked one of the small boat drivers if he would take us around to all the best snorkelling stops. It didn't cost much and he was 'ours' for the whole day. The island has amazing snorkelling spots and the water was so clear. The best time to go in the year is March/April as the rain season just finnished and the water has been cleared. I would highly recommend this day out to anyone going to koh Tao!

The island is a great spot for travellers, families or retirees. It has such a wide range of places to stay, places to eat and places to visit.

From rustic hostels to 5 star resort and everything in between everyone can find the perfect place to stay. Whether you want to stay a month and rent an apartment or just a couple of nights. The cheapest hostel on the island is around 5£ (from memory) a night for an air conditioned room.

But the island isn't just for tourists. There are loads of locals living on the island too and we were able to get a taste of their culture as well.

There is also a wide range of places to eat - from westernised restraunts to traditional Thai.

I would highly recommend a visit to koh Tao.

~ this post is not sponsored.

These are some of my photos from koh Tao.

Cultures

I've been thinking a lot about languages and cultures. It's amazing how different peoples beliefs are and it's so beautiful and humbling how so many cultures and beliefs have stayed throughout humanity.

I sometimes think what the world would be if everyone spoke the same language and there was no different cultures. In a way it would be good - there would be no racism and people would be able to communicate better.

But it's so incredible how, living in Europe, I can get on a plane, fly for two hours and be in a completely different place- different languages, beaches, cities, people and living in general.

I love the fact that people can be part of so many different groups through friends and families.

And it's so exciting learning and exploring new cultures.

My favourite thing about traveling is that I can explore and see so many different ways of living. I can learn so much by embracing what other communities and cultures have to offer. 

Gap year

I've practically taken a gap year this year. Not intentionally, it wasn't really planned. I've not even finnished school but when you move the the other side of the world it's hard and especially in my case - the school years are different so I finished school for the year in December last year. I would have to half start a year and then start it again 6 months later. Does that make sense?
Anyway, my parents love travelling so we are going around Asia for two months. I wanted to start writing what happens down I just didn't have anywhere to put it. What better place than the Internet where the whole world can see it?
I figure I'll have a lot of time on my hands as I don't start school for another 5 months or so (my parents have been homeschooling my sister and I but they are hardly close to teachers).
I hope to post a lot more on here and keep up to date with my travels.
This is a photo of where we are now: Ao Nang Beach, Thailand.