Albufeira 2019

Hi lovelies,

I’m backkkk!

First of all, my sincere apologies for being inactive on this site recently, but as you all know (from my endless rants on Instagram), I’ve got a degree to get!

So far this academic year has not been the easiest, but I really can’t complain because despite the constant weight on my shoulders, no tears have been shed! But I will get into all of that in another blog post, sometime soon!

Today, however, I’ve decided to come out of my shadow to share the highlights of my trip to Albufeira, Portugal.

One of my childhood friends turned 20 this year, and to mark the occasion, some of her friends and I, decided to embark on a girls trip to celebrate.

We flew from Dublin Airport at 7:40 and arrived at Faro Airport around 10:40.

When we arrived in Faro, we were collected and driven to our accommodation

For the duration of our trip we stayed in the Club Ouratlantico Apartments. These apartments were in walking distance to all local amenities, making it a lot easier for us to explore everything Albufeira had to offer!

DAY ONE – FRIDAY

After a morning full of traveling and very little sleep, we decided to take it easy on ourselves and just wander the streets of Albufeira.

We eventually found ourselves at the beach, Praia dos Alamães. While walking along the beach, we stumbled upon the Beach Spot Restaurant. Despite being confused by the menu at first, we ended up getting lovely food and drinks here for a very reasonable price! The restaurant was situated in such a lovely ‘spot’ on the beach, which offered such a beautiful scenic view, from the upper outdoor terrace.

Later that evening we decided to go and explore the Strip. The ambiance of the Montechoro strip was very lively and friendly. It had so much to offer, from bars to corner shops and everything in between. With every step we took, we encountered hawkers, who did not shy away from sharing their latest enticements.

Our first evening in Albufeira was very random, to say the least. It consisted of karaoke, fish pedicures and a miniature pig we all will never forget! But like they say,

“The best memories are usually unplanned, random and spontaneous”.

DAY TWO – SATURDAY

Breakfast was definitely my favourite meal during this holiday. We got breakfast in Urban Pizza on the Saturday and Sunday because it was just that good!

The freshly squeezed orange juice was exactly what we all needed to start our one and only full day in Portugal.

On Saturday we headed to Aquashow in Quarteira. We bought our tickets at a local shop on our way to the aqua park because the vendors sell them at a cheaper rate. The tickets were €26.10 per person. This ticket gave us free access to all rides in the park.

The first ride we went on together was the water rollercoaster. I was genuinely so surprised at how much I enjoyed this ride considering I have a fear of heights and drowning. The park is designed with everyone in mind, so even if I wasn’t feeling as brave as I did, I could have had just as much fun on rides that didn’t involve speed, heights or water.

That evening after a good rest, we decided to get dressed up and head back to the strip for our final evening in Albufeira.

Dinner was then, followed by strolls down the strip and an ice-cream date.

We were travelling back to Dublin on Sunday evening, so we all woke up extremely nostalgic. The trip had just gone by so so fast! We had such a fabulous time in Albufeira, and enjoyed everything little thing it had to offer.

Here’s to more adventures in 2020!

Love, Nyasha x

The Pressure of Young Success

Hi lovelies,

It’s been less than a week, but it honestly feels like forever since I sat down at my laptop with the intent to blog. I actually miss having all the time in the world for blogging – but now I’m back to routines, time tables and managing college assignments, what a dream!

Whilst getting ready for work, last Sunday I decided to incorporate something new into my morning routine; listening to a podcast! Considering I had a lot of catching up to do, I decided to tune into ‘Stallion’ a podcast hosted by Agnes – Clara Dikoum (available across multiple platforms).

While scrolling through her podcasts, a particular one titled “Pressure of Young Success”, caught my attention. With college back in the works, and graduation 2020 on my mind, the thoughts of success and what to do next, are constantly lingering in my head.

It’s crazy, isn’t it. We go from being children who couldn’t care less about what’s to come, to young people, who desire control in every phase of our lives. If you are anything like me, your mind begins to time travel – and ever so vividly, at that. You begin to imagine yourself 5 years older, financially stable, with a house, car, husband, and a secure job you love. All of which don’t occur overnight but somehow you begin to desire, that this could be your reality.

In May 2018, a survey undertaken by the Mental Health Foundation, found that six out of ten young people, between the ages of 18-24, have felt so stressed by the pressures to succeed, that they began struggling to cope with life’s demands.

Although alarming, these figures don’t even surprise me in the slightest.

In a world that is populated with pressure, not only from your family and friends, but also celebrities, influencers, ‘instagram goals’ and much, much more – it is so hard, not to get sunk into the idea that success occurs over night.

On a daily basis, we are fed unrealistic expectations of what life should consist of, how we should be living, or what stage of life we should be at.

For some of us, our goals are set to be completed by the age of 25 and for others it could be 30.

This mindset however, can be so unrealistic and detrimental for our futures.

I’m not saying you can’t be successful by the age of 30 – Forbes 30 under 30, already argues otherwise. However, it is important to remember that success is not always measured by power, status, fame and/or money.

The word success is described in the Cambridge Dictionary as “the [achievemnet] of … results wanted or hoped for”. These results are not limited to time and can be achieved on the straight or narrow path, depending on the individual and their resources. By staying determined and consistent, and by accepting failures, set backs and obstacles, we each have the ability to come out on top.

Don’t let other people’s definitions of success define you.

“Love the life you have, while you create the life of your dreams”

Love, Nyasha x