I’m going to India!

Posted on September 11, 2016 by charlottewatts

So I haven’t made much noise on this site for a long time. I suppose it has become mostly about travel and sadly there hasn’t been much of that going on my life right now.

But that’s all about to change! I’m currently sat in Mumbai airport waiting for a flight to Goa.

So watch this space because the first post of the trip is about to come.

Why I am migrating.

Posted on February 25, 2015 by charlottewatts

I was faced with two scenarios very recently. The first found me sitting on the London Underground on one of the coldest days of the year. And as I sit on the underground I can’t help but feel angry; angry at all the people around me in their worlds playing free-to-play games, being conned into the monotony of life. When I look around I see no smiles and when I smile to myself I get no smiles in return. The whole train carriage lacks empathy. Why? And then it hit me. Exhaustion. I was tired, their tired. Tired of living their lives, doing the daily grind and is this really a life we all want to lead? For what reason? To keep the world spinning? The world will continue spinning no matter what we’re doing and time will keep going and life is what will happen while we’re not looking.

The second scenario placed me as an outcast on a plane from Helsinki to London. Myself a young girl in her twenties dressed in holiday attire surrounded by middle aged business men in thick black woollen coats. As I looked at them I see the image of my father and the man he used to be in the time he worked in London.

When I was about 13 my parents asked me if we could move away, my brother and I said no. When I was about 14 my parents asked me if we could move away, my brother and I said no. By the age of 15 we were almost ready for the question to be asked and this time we said yes. Nobody asks the same question that many times unless they are desperate.

I understand it a lot more now, how hard it must have been and why he choose the path he is now on. When I look at these two scenarios, I just look at the people and I never want to become that way. I’m so proud of my father for having the courage to see this and be able to move away. The only thing stopping people from leaving is fear and if there’s something my parents have taught me it’s to not let fear get in the way of your dreams. I know now more than ever that this is what I want.

Day Thirty-Four – Auckland – Futuristic Art

Posted on January 2, 2015 by charlottewatts

Arriving in New Zealand was far more break taking than I could have expected. It’s somewhere I’ve always wanted to go to and somewhere new but the past month in Australia made me forget that and I wasn’t quite prepared for how it made me feel. The weather was perfect and the scenery was green and I like Auckland. I think it gets a lot of stick but it has everything a city can offer without the congestion at an eighth of the size of London. I felt happy and excited to be here.

I couldn’t check in to my hostel until 2pm so had all day to kill and I was exhausted. So I headed over to the art gallery and checked it out. I would definitely recommend it and if you’re anywhere around it until 5th February, there’s a light show on displaying art work created through light.

The light show is something I would definitely recommend if you’re in Auckland up till February. Its so interesting to see light used in art particularly as it is a modern thing and hopefully it will be something that will become more common in the future. It’s crazy how a single light bulb can excite the imagination and can change your mood in an instant. If you don’t catch the show in Auckland, it’s moving off to Sydney next so you can catch it there.

The rest of the gallery was free and equally as good. There was a huge section on Robert Ellis, a New Zealander painter. He focuses mostly on abstract landscapes and how they can shape our lifestyles and cultures and vice versa. It’s interesting to see Robert Ellis’ theories on landscape, development and art. How art can contribute to our perceptions of development and rethink our boundaries. Another must see.

By the time I had finished at the gallery, I could check in to the hostel so went right in and slept to catch up for the days of debauchery and travel. By the time I woke up more people were in my room and I went for a few drinks with them before yet another long sleep.

Day Thirty-Three – Alice Springs to Auckland – Airline Rush

Posted on January 1, 2015 by charlottewatts

I only had the morning left in Alice to do some last minute sightseeing and then head off to Auckland.

Ed and I headed to the telegraph station to check out the first settlements of Alice Springs. Alice was originally set up as a telegraph station to pas messages through from Darwin to Adelaide. It was pretty cool so see what it may have been like in the late 19th century and how much life has changed in the past 100 years through the invention of cars, Internet and most importantly, air conditioning.

We then quickly drove to the Tropic of Capricorn to get a cheeky photo before rushing home, cramming everything into my bag and heading out to the airport. I said my goodbyes and fly off to Adelaide.

Flying into Adelaide I saw the forest fire which burnt down hundreds of homes. Although disastrous it was an awesome sight. After arriving in Adelaide I ran to my next flight, boarded and waited. About an hour after we were meant to depart we were all made to disembark due to a fuel leak on the plane. So I waited for 5 hours until my next flight to Melbourne.

Arriving in Melbourne later gave me an hour and a half to collect my bag and re check. Only my bag didn’t come and I spent the next 45 minutes organising for it to be sent to Auckland. They handed me a washbag and sent me on my way giving me 45 minutes to check in and get I my flight but I managed it and I was on my way to Auckland.