Hello!

And goodbye to 2017. This is my last post this year! That's so sad, and also IN TWO DAYS IT'S GOING TO BE A NEW YEAR. THAT'S ABSOLUTELY INSANE!

This year has been really great for me. I know, I've had a few breakdowns throughout the year, but let's not dwell on those too much. They're in the past. Let's focus on what's been good, because there's been a lot of good!

What I Got For Christmas

Hello!
I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and got everything that you asked Santa for! You might remember a few weeks ago, I wrote a post about not knowing what I wanted for Christmas. I ended up getting some really thoughtful gifts this year, and I'm so grateful for my friends and family for gifting them to me. I'm so lucky to have them in my life, and I'm also so glad that the people I gave cards and gifts to also seemed to really love what I got them. It's just made my 2017 that extra bit special. (Spoiler; the next post to go live on my blog is about why 2017 has been a great year.)

My Plans For Sherbet Aurora

Hello!

My post on Tuesday had a lot of negative vibes attached to it, and again, I'm really sorry about that! Today is a more positive one, and its about my plans/hopes for Sherbet Aurora in the coming year.

I Can't Afford To Do That

Hello!

How are you doing today? I hope you're well! And I'm really sorry that this post is likely to sound a bit like a rant, this has been something that's been building up for a little while, and it's just little comments that have been getting me down and now seems like a really good time to talk about it, considering I only have £50 in my bank account, £10 in my purse and another £50 in my savings, and I'm trying not to spend any of it. It's going well. Not.

My Ideal Guy

Hello!

So. I am single. Very single. And a few months ago, one of my friends joked that because I'd written 'my dating profile' a year or so ago, that I should write a blog post about my ideal guy. I laughed it off as a stupid idea, but I'm out of ideas for today so... HERE WE GO!

Now before I actually start, please don't take this 100% seriously. Because it's not supposed to be taken seriously. I've liked people who fit into the 'categories' and people who don't. People are people and we shouldn't live life trying to fit others into boxes.

Why I Graduated A Year Early

Hello!

As you may be aware, last year I was at university. I graduated 'in absentia' this year on account of me being on holiday while the graduation ceremony was taking place, so the photos I've used in this post are from my HND graduation instead, just in case you're wondering why my hood probably isn't the right colour!

Being a university student was something I'd been working towards ever since I left high school in 2012 (SERIOUSLY HALF A DECADE AGO.) I'd always imagined that I'd be studying Geology or something Earth science related, because my dream has been to work with volcanoes, but my grades at school weren't that great, so I ended up going to college to study Travel and Tourism instead. The idea behind this was to gain tourism knowledge, then head to university and obtain a business degree so that I'd have business knowledge in order to start my own Geological Tour Operator. This is still a goal of mine, or, just to work in Geo Tourism in some aspect. I digress.

Un Petite Article En Français

Salut!

Aujourd'hui je voudrais écrire une article en français. Mon français n'est pas très bien, mais je vais essaier.

Cutting Ahead

Hello!

You might remember a few months ago, I posted a blog titled "A Hair Raising Scheme".  The idea behind this was that I was looking to raise some money for my long-term travel plans, that I wanted to start at the beginning of next year, and that one of the ways I was looking to raise money was by cutting off my very long hair. I'd even set up a Go Fund Me page and raised... £5. That plus a lot of other reasons made my plans change very quickly and I'm now looking to stay in my job and take all my holidays instead so that I still get to travel out of it, but to also have money to keep me afloat. It's a good plan but I'm still a little bit down about it.

All I Want For Christmas Is...?

Hello!

Today is December 2nd. First of all, wtf?! Second of all, this is when everybody starts asking me what I want for my Christmas, and where I disappointingly have absolutely no idea whatsoever. #Spoiler?

I haven't known what I want for Christmas for a really long time. Money? Happiness? My dream job tied up all pretty in a wicker basket with a blue ribbon? I really don't know. But maybe that's a good thing.

A Lifelong Dream Came True

Hello!

When I was 10 years old, I had this dream. It was a really random dream, and I think it might have come from a McFly song... But, I really wanted to learn how to surf. It was ingrained into me, it was like my ultimate life goal, it was the thing I wanted the most in life, but it was also something I kept kind of on the downlow. Because I grew up in central Scotland. There's nowhere there for a 10 year old to surf without travelling a distance. Also it's really cold here. Not a good idea.

I Went Inside a Volcano | Lanzarote Highlights

 

Hello!

Last week I was in Lanzarote, and I already really miss it. It's possible that I'm already looking up costs of flights to fly back again for a few days before Christmas (may also be so that I can SURF again. THAT'S A SPOILER FOR ANOTHER POST!)

I stayed in Puerto del Carmen, and while taking a walk around with my step sister, Kirstin, I spotted an excursion called "Lanzarote Highlights", which was being offered by Low Cost Tours (not a sponsored post). If you know me quite well, or you follow me on twitter or instagram, then you'll probably be aware that I really like geology, and in particular, Volcanoes. So, when I read this leaflet and read exactly what was being offered to me, I couldn't restrain myself (I think Kirstin might have seen a Gail-shaped cloud of smoke as I ran back into the excursion office.) The trip was booked for November 16th, where I paid a 13 Euro deposit, with a remaining 46 Euros to be paid on the coach. I was excited.

Happy Birthday, Sherbet Aurora!

Feel free to sing the happy birthday song...

Hello!

On November 3rd 2014 I began to create my first ever blog (Tumblr doesn't count here!), inspired by my friend, hannah.

With a bright blue background, Life of Gailypi was born. It wasn't very good, and I've actually hidden a bunch of those posts because they made me feel physically repulsed, but my first post that you're able to see is called "Why I'm In A Mood" and its about my Mood Box experience from Her Velvet Vase! I like to think my photos and my writing style have evolved a lot after this post, even if I tried to go back and edit them all a few months ago.

Why I Love... Jasmine

Hello!

You might remember a few months ago I wrote a post titled 'Why I Love... Saph' and I said that it was a new series I was looking to do. I also said that it was something I wasn't going to be doing regularly so that once a post came out, it would be a nice surprise for whoever the subject was. Well, now's the time for the next in the series, and that person is the wonderful Jasmine, aka Kkochsongi.

That Time I Jumped Off The Pier | Bournemouth

Hello!

And before you ask, I was harnessed in, don't worry!

As I'm sure you're very aware, last month I flew down to Bournemouth to visit my lovely friend, hannah. There wasn't too much planned for our time there, but it was going to be a mix of a pre-birthday celebration as well as me just needing a little break from all things work related. It was nice, and I had a lot of fun!

Girls' Afternoon | Snow Factor

Hello!

Ski season has started up again, and I'm sure you probably all remember that a few months ago I wrote a post all about my Snowboarding lessons with Snow Factor (located in Soar at Intu Braehead). Well, a couple of weeks ago, they held an event called Girls' Afternoon, which meant 2 hours on the slope for £22.70 (a 30% discount!) followed by cakes in Bar Varia (bar/restaurant upstairs) which were free when you bought a hot drink.

My Struggles With Vegetarianism

Hello!


So, I've been a veggie for around 2 months now (check out my last post about it here) and on the whole, I've really enjoyed my time with it, but that doesn't mean that it's been straightforward.

I'm sorry

Hello!

So. I took an inpromptu month off from blogging. I'm sorry. My internet was down and I've been working a lot as well, to a point I've been too tired to blog despite bringing my laptop with me on my lunches... To start with at least, then I just lost all my motivation for literally everything...

A Relaxing Night

Hello!

I've been a bit stuck for blog ideas lately, but thankfully, the Body Shop came to my rescue by releasing some samples of their new facemasks. This was something that was actually brought to my attention through my friend, Russell, who picked up some samples for his girlfriend (so thanks, Danielle!)

Need For Mead | Linidisfarne

 

Hello!

Last week I got a random message from my friend Robin asking "R u free tomorrow for an impromptu road trip?" Intrigued, I messaged back that I was free and asked where we were going. Turns out there's a cool island called Lindisfarne, near Berwick-upon-Tweed who sell some really awesome mead. (I didn't mean for that to rhyme.)

My Best Friend: Honey

Hello!

I'd talked about writing a post about this about a month ago on twitter (if you don't follow me, then you probably should do. #ShamelessSelfPromo) anyway. I have a teddy, her name is Honey. She is very, very old and to many people, she's probably just another tattered little toy that should probably have been thrown out a long time ago BUT THOSE PEOPLE ARE WRONG. Honey is probably one of my best friends. And let me tell you why that is.

Let's Talk: What's Been On My Mind

Hello!

I've decided to have another semi-serious post today because y'know, I'm super srs lyk dat, yo.

I've had a lot on my mind recently, so I hope you're okay with me just typing some things out for you.

High School & Depression (CW)

Hello!

Today's post is a serious one. It's not that I'm tired of writing positivity posts, it's just that sometimes... I need to be serious. And this probably isn't going to be a fun one to write.

Most of you probably know that I've dealt with anxiety and depression in my life, because it's not something that I'm silent about, and in fact, I'd consider myself to be an advocate for speaking up about the stigma attached to mental health issues. Normally, these posts centre around my anxiety, but this time, I think it's important to talk a little about my high school depression.

A Day Out In New Lanark Heritage Site

Hello!

Last week, my grandad and I took a trip to New Lanark to visit the mills. I'd never been there before, but the information he was given about the area seemed to be really interesting, and I was really looking forward to tagging along. (Plus, you know, it's really good for my blog. Let's not sugar coat this.) New Lanark holds a 4 star Visitor Attraction rating, and also a Gold for the Visit Scotland Green Tourism Award.

What Does "Be Excellent To Each Other" Mean To Me?

Hello!

I use this phrase a lot. I talk about using this phrase a lot. We all know I use this phrase a lot. But what does it actually mean to me? Of course, the most obvious answer is that it's just a reference to Bill and Ted, but does it go deeper than that?

I'm Going Vegetarian

Or, trying to, at least. Maybe somewhere in between vegan and vegetarian? I don't know. Anyway.

Hello!

So yeah. Big lifestyle change coming right up. You're expecting me to give you a lecture now on animal cruelty or about the meat industry and honestly, no. And it's a bit of a prejudiced view to have that that's how these kinda posts go, but I'm guilty of it, too. This has been in the works for a really, really long time. Longer than probably my closest friends probably realise.

Why I Love... Saph

Hello!

And, surprise! I've decided to start a new kinda series on my blog, it probably won't be a regular series, but it's a way for me to spread a little bit of positivity, make somebody smile and also give back a little for things I recieve. Money doesn't make the world go round, but a little bit of kindness can go a long way.

I decided to start this off with my lovely blogger bae, Saph, aka Simply Saph. So,without further ado, here is why I love Saph.

Snowboarding with Snow Factor

Hello!

Wait, this is Tuesday, why isn't Gail writing a travel post?

About that. I feel as though I've been really trying to push myself to come up with travel posts, and while I got a few, it's too much work trying to think of new things to write about. Also while looking at the views the travel Tuesday posts were getting, coupled with my motivation for writing them it seems to be the best decision for myself and for my blog to just write about whatever twice a week, probably more positivity and lifestyle, and then get travel posts written when I have the opportunity to go travelling. I hope that's okay with you.

Taking A Chill Pill

Hello!

I don't know if I'm starting to turn into a travel and positivity blog lately? I'm not complaining about it, I enjoy writing positive posts, I just worry I'm going to run out of new ideas soon. Oh well. Today I wanted to talk a little about my new mindset, specifically, why I'm learning to zen out, or just chill.

8 Hours In London

Hello!

So, as I'm sure you're all aware, back in April this year I travelled down south to visit Lucy, from Bethan's Blog. What you may not realise is that on two of the days of my visit, she was at work, and so I had free reign over what I wanted to do. I decided to get some uni work done on the Monday, which... Didn't really go too well, whoops, but on the Tuesday, I thought I'd take the opportunity to travel to London for a few hours.

How Do I Stay So Positive?

Hello!

Ask anyone who knows me, I'm a positive person. Even in the darkest situations, I always like to make people laugh or get them to see the silver linings. And I really enjoy writing positive posts, because I truly see a difference in those who I share them with, and I can see other people beginning to think positive, so I thought I'd write a little about how I manage to stay positive like .... 97.5% of the time.

I Am Not Yours To Share | Revenge Porn*

Hello!

A year or so ago, there was a huge drama in my home town. Somebody was taking random girls' pictures and posting them onto a revenge porn website. I was lucky that I wasn't one of them, but by me saying this, you'd assume that they were indecent images and so that 'they deserved it'. Well, the original pictures weren't, and regardless of that, they didn't deserve it.

You see, revenge porn can take numerous different forms, such as photo manipulation, but the most common one is by leaking people's 'nude's and videos that they sent to their friend, partner, etc in confidence. Which is wrong, and a massive breach of trust.

A Post About Falkirk

 
Hello!

I’ve been wondering about what to write for my Travel Tuesday posts for a while, when I realised, my home town is a tourist town, plus it’s had a bit of media recently, because the Queen recently visited! So, while I don’t live there at the moment, I thought it would be nice to write a bit about it.

My Flaws: Why They Make Me Perfect

Hello!

So, I've not really been feeling myself the last few days. I've felt really down, about my life at the moment, about my blog, about a lot of things. I've watched Point Break this week more than I've ever watched a film consecutively, and I've been trying to make small changes to see if they've make me feel happier.

Regardless of that, I had an idea on a bus journey about things that I view as being my flaws, and given that I feel down this week, it seems the perfect time to celebrate my imperfections, and spread a little positivity at a time that I need it most. So, without further ado, let's dive straight in.

Why I'm Excited To Go Travelling

Hello!

Making a new travel post every Tuesday is more tricky than I thought it was going to be, considering I don't go anywhere due to trying to save my money. But, I'm really proud of how I'm doing so far, and it makes me really think each week about what I can write about!

This week I thought I'd write a post about why I'm so excited to go travelling next year!

Why Do I Love Bill and Ted?

 

Greetings, my excellent friends!

I'm sure you're all aware that my favourite films are the Bill and Ted films, and I'm pretty sure you're all fed up with me going on and on about them on Twitter, Facebook and in real life too. In fact, I bet even if you haven't seen the films, you know enough random facts to be able to hold a conversation with me about them!

I'm not going to apologise for this, because Bill and Ted have made me into the person I am today. Which is cheesy AF, but also true. I'd like to tell you a bit about why I love the franchise as much as I do, and why I need there to be more that 2 Bill and Ted pop vinyl figures, and why I need Bill and Ted 3 to hurry up and go into production! I've been waiting so long, so much longer than McFly album 6 *insert frustrated face here*.

My Short Trip To Millport

Hello!

Today is a relatively short post, because there isn't a whole lot of travelling going on in my life at the minute. I'm still working out a budget for when I go travelling, and I don't want to start planning anything until I know how much money I'm gonna have. Saying that, however, at the weekend I had a rare Sunday off work! In fact, not only did I have the Sunday off, but my granda was free, my uncle was off work and my mum took the Sunday off from car booting, and so my granda suggested we take a trip over to Millport, on Great Cumbrae - one of the Scottish islands just off the coast at Largs.

Why I Don't Drink Caffeine

Hello!

A while ago I did an experiement where I went through a whole month without drinking fizzy drinks, sweets (dessert didnt count - only snack sweets) and pizza. (YES. I WENT A MONTH WITHOUT PIZZA.) to see if I could break a habit, because it apparently takes 22 days to break one. I chose sweets to encourage me to eat healthier snacks, pizza to encourage me to eat something new, and fizzy drinks after I recalled a Chemistry experiement my friend conducted at high school that I took part of, where the higher the amount of caffeine I took in (pill form), the slower my pulse was.

A Hair Raising Scheme

Hello!

Tuesday's come around again so quickly, hasn't it? Today's post is a little different, and has a loose connection to travel.

You all know that I'm planning on going travelling at the beginning of next year, and you also know that I'm in the process of trying to save some money in order to make the most of the time I'll be away and, well... I've set up a go fund me page.

Now, I'm not asking you to donate just so that I can live a life of luxury, of course not, so I wanted to let you know why I've made this page, and how you can help.

Things I've Learned From Others

Hello!

This is a post idea I've had for a really long time, and it's something that I know I can add to later in the future as well. We all evolve as we begin to meet and interact with new people, and that's not a bad thing. Personally, I'm a completely different person to who I was 5 years ago. Even just two years ago! And the change has absolutely been for the better. I like who I am now, even if there are still a few things I'd like to change about myself. But, this post isn't about that. It's about celebrating the parts of me that I owe to a few of the people I've met so far in my life.

I also want to point out how much influence music has on me. If you tell me your favourite song or band, I'm more inclined to listen to it, because it helps me feel like I can get to know you a lot better. And, chances are, I begin to like that song or band, too.

6 Ways I Prepare For A Coach Trip

Hello!

I take the coach a lot. Like, an awful lot. I've written a review about my Megabus Gold experience, and I've travelled frequently with National Express as well. But to be totally honest with you, I can't stand getting on the coach. They're long, they're clammy and they take forever - which isn't fun when you're a person who can't sleep on public transport very easily.

Parlez Vous Une Langue Étrangère....?

Hello!

Sorry this post is a wee bit late, I'm up in Inverness staying with my best bae, Jasmine, to celebrate her adorable daughter's FIRST birthday. Rinoa is ONE. HOW?!

I haven't done a language post in a little while so I thought, "well hey, maybe I should talk about how I'm getting on learning a new language!"

Gailypi's Excellent Adventure

Hello!

Thanks for joining my second 'Travel Tuesday' post! I almost didn't have a post for this week - which would have been outrageously idiotic for me, so today's post is a relatively short one, but also one which I feel may be of interest to a bunch of you.

Pizza Punks | Review

Hello!

A couple of weeks ago, I went to Pizza Punks with Morag after we went to the She Reads Comics event at Forbidden Planet, Glasgow. Now, I really, really like pizza, and I've been to Pizza Punks once before and I really liked it. Morag has also ordered deliveries from them for a while, and we were struggling to think of where we could go together for food we both like and can eat, so this seemed like the perfect option.

EasyJet | An Airline Review

Hello!

I really enjoy writing my airline reviews, and I really hope that you guys do, too! I really hope you get something out of them. I do put a lot of effort into them, because I'm trying to keep them as informative as possible, but please let me know if there's anything you'd like to see included into them, or an airline you'd like to see me review, and I'll see what I can do! (Lol, rhyme.)

A few weeks ago now, I took a flight down to London Luton Airport with easyJet, and this is what I've noted down to talk about with you.

Professor Brian Cox Live | A Review?

Hello!

I have a confession to make. I'm a giant freaking nerd. There, I said it. Science is, and always has been, one of the things that has absolutely captivated me. I remember when I was younger, my brother got given a telescope as a present and I was extremely jealous, but also joined him and my dad while using it to look at the moon - and one of my most vivid memories of this time was looking at the moon and seeing these string like ... things bouncing about. ALIENS!!!! I thought.

It was my hair.

The Jobseekers Stigma

Hello!

So, this is a post I've had in my mind for a while now, but I can't remember exactly how it's come into fruition in my mind. Though, I feel like it's important to talk about.

We know that unemployment rates are high, and there's so much talk about benefits - benefits getting cut or benefits not going to those who actually need it. In short, there's a lot of talk, and rightly so. There is also a stigma attached to one particular type of benefit - and that's jobseekers. We know the stigma, but in case you're unaware;

Space Smells? | Barrhead Travel

Hello!

Last month, on March 2nd 2017, I was given the honour of being invited along to a press event for astronaut, Brian Duffy, the 268th person to go into space, who was visiting Glasgow. Brian Duffy is part of the Kennedy Space Center and talks to schools, with a aim of inticing the next generation of scientists and astronauts. This event was hosted by Barrhead Travel.

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get this post up, I've been struggling a lot with uni, but here we are!

The event was being hosted at the St Vincent street branch in Glasgow City Centre, and oh my god. I told my friend Morag that if I hadn't have been walking there with her, I probably would have walked right past the store - because it's not the red and blue branding that I expected. Instead, the shop had a more luxury feel to it, with the store front being in black and gold, and inside there were canopies set up with the travel advisors sitting inside. To get to the travel advisors, customers have to walk over a little bridge that goes over a "river" in the middle of the shop. It was all really cool, and I appreciated the little attentions to detail.

About My Tattoo

Hello!

So. I got a tattoo. It's my first tattoo. You've probably worked that out from the title already, though. I got it when I went down to visit Saph, who made the appointment for me (thanks bae!)

I'd thought about them for a while, but any idea I've had, I quickly grew bored of and thought 'phew, thank God I never went through with that!'. Plus, I know my mum isn't fond of tattoos, and that has grounded me a lot when it's come to them.

British Airways: An Airline Review

Hello!

On 17 February 2017 I flew down to London Gatwick (and then made an onward journey by train) to visit my lovely Saph. I flew with British Airways and my god lemme tell you, I was so excited. I don't know why, but I've longed to travel with BA for so long! I'd always pictured them to be the more expensive way to travel, especially considering that this journey in particular was a short haul, domestic flight from GLA-LGW but instead a quick search on Google showed that BA was actually cheaper than easyJet! Granted that this was as a hand baggage only rate, but it was enough to convince me to book with them.