Driven By Curiosity

ULTIMATE Germany Van Road Trip Itinerary + Campsites (2 weeks)

2020-08-12T10:21:00.000+01:00

In this blog post, I am sharing with you our 2-week Germany road trip itinerary. We went all across the country in a camper van, driving over 2000km, exploring many hidden gems in Germany. As a German, I haven't seen as much of Germany as I'd like to so this road trip was the perfect opportunity to discover some new places in my home country.

This is our full 2-week itinerary:

We started and ended in Dresden, Saxony.

Major stops:

Schwielowsee, Potsdam (4 nights) Camping site: Schwielowsee-Camping (our favourite campsite of the trip)

We did lots of cycling tours and visited Sanssouci Park and Palace in Potsdam.

Steinhuder Meer, near Hannover (1 night) Camping site: Wohnmobilstellplatz Steinhude Bruchdamm

We did a little boat tour across the lake and ate some very yummy fish.

Aachen

On our way to Mosel, we stopped by Aachen to visit the Aachen Dom and explore the city.

Reil Mosel (1 night) Camping site: Wohnmobilstellplatz Reil Mosel

For sure one of the most beautiful areas in Germany. Quite busy during summer tho, hence, we only stayed for one night.

Rottenburg (2 nights) Camping site: Camping Paul Walther

We did the Zollernburg Panorama 16-km hike with a gorgeous view on Burg Hohenzollern. Highly recommend, for sure a highlight of the entire road trip.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber (2 nights) Camping site: Campingplatz Tauber-Idyll

Beautiful city, very German. A bit touristy so we'd recommend exploring later in the afternoon/evening.

Altmühltal (2 nights) Camping site: 7 Täler Campingplatz

We had a chill lake day at the Brombachsee and did a cycling tour along the river Altmühl.

How we organised/booked everything

We had the first campsite booked in advanced. We also booked most of the other ones a day or two in advance, simply by calling them. Although we enjoyed being spontaneous, looking back we'd plan and book a little more in advance. Just so it's not as stressful throughout the vacation. Because summer holidays were starting during our road trip the campsite was quite busy and some of them were fully booked. So calling in advance is for sure recommended.

Corona-restrictions

Luckily there weren't many restrictions throughout our travels besides wearing masks to washrooms and public spaces as well as social distancing. Some campsite, unfortunately, closed their washing and showing facilities or reduced capacity. However, it was all manageable and no issue for us. :)

We loved our Germany road trip and cannot wait to go back and explore more. Going by van or motorhome is an ideal way to explore much of Germany in little time - we definitely recommend.

Don't forget to check out my YouTube video of our road trip.

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Hugs,

Laura x

5 Best Coffee Shops in Aberdeen, Scotland 2019

2019-12-05T13:29:00.001+00:00

I have been studying abroad in Aberdeen, Scotland since September 2016 so I've had quite some time to explore the coffee shop culture. Being an absolute coffee-shop lover, I want to share with you the 5 best coffee shops in Aberdeen to study or go for a date or just indulge in some new coffee flavors and pastries. Also, follow me on Instagram @Laura_Langheinrich to get updates on my fave restaurants & coffee shops. Hope you love this post <3

Cafe Society
466 Union St, Aberdeen AB10 1TS

Big windows, fairy lights and delicious cakes and treats (highly recommend Rocky Road). Cafe Society is a nice place to study for a few hours (they have plugs) or to try a seasonal coffee like a gingerbread latte or pumpkin spice latte.

The Craftsman Company
2 Guild St, Aberdeen AB11 6NE

One of my favorite places to go with my laptop (they have plugs, free wifi and a lot of seating space) and work for a few hours. For drinks, I love their chai latte and mocha - they even roast their own coffee and make their own craft beer. Open until late, this place turns into a stylish bar with live music at night.

BioCafe
39, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen AB25 1NQ

This is for sure more a restaurant than a coffee shop but I still had to include it in this post. BioCafe is the first refined-sugar free restaurant in Aberdeen offering an array of delicious vegetarian and vegan meals. I went there for brunch and lunch and both meals were so good (big portion size as well, which I, of course, appreciate #foodie). They also have delicious cakes and desserts.

Foodstory
13-15 Thistle St, Aberdeen AB10 1XZ

You cannot talk about coffee shops in Aberdeen without mentioning Foodstory. Foodstory is one of the most popular restaurants and coffee shops here, for a good reason. Their vegan and vegetarian food options are amazing, they serve delicious coffee (my favourite is the oat milk latte), have lots of seating available, create a gorgeous atmosphere with fairy lights and plants, and they have a very cool zero-waste store upstairs.

The Cult of Coffee

28 Esslemont Ave, Aberdeen AB25 1SN

Last but not least, the best coffee shop in Aberdeen is by far The Cult of Coffee. This is a perfect place to have a catchup with a friend over some delicious coffee and cake. Literally, their coffee is ah-mazing (especially the cappuccino). The atmosphere is cozy, with plants and big windows - they even have a fireplace when it gets colder.

Have you ever been to Aberdeen? If yes, what is your favourite coffee shop?

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4 days in Budapest: Best coffee shops + must-see places!

2019-08-26T08:28:00.000+01:00

I recently spent 4 days solo traveling Budapest and I want to share with you all the things I did as well as my fave coffee shops and restaurants. You can easily do all the things within 2 days - I spent a lot of my time working in coffee shops as well as a full day attending an event. After years of traveling, I now love this kind of laid back travel much more than the *ticking-things-off-the-list* hurry from one sight to the next way of traveling. Be a bit more chill, slow down, put the bucket list away, hang in some coffee shops and enjoy the culture - it's such a great way to get to know the people and places off the beaten path. Hugs, Laura x

Watch my full travel vlog here:

THINGS TO DO

Walk across the Széchenyi Chain Bridge

Go up to the castle using the Budavári Sikló (a funicular railway)
Explore the area around the castle
Walk along Donau to the Shoes on the Danube Bank Holocaust memorial

Take photos at Fisherman's Bastion
Admire the Hungarian Parliament building
See the St. Stephen's Basilica
Explore the Ruin Bars and Jewish Quarter (so many cool restaurants and coffee shops are here)

COFFEE SHOP AND RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATIONS

Eat Langos in Karavan Street Food Budapest

Have a coffee at Little Melbourne Cafe
Sip on a homemade lemonade in Vintage Garden (a bit overpriced and wouldn't recommend the food, but the lemonade was yum and the cafe is super Instagram-worthy)
Try a vegan Burger in the Vegan Street Food Garden
Work from your laptop at Solinfo Cafe (free wifi)

Try Hungarian pastries from a bakery (have cash on hand as they usually don't take cards)
Have a raw vegan treat at Naspolya Nassolda
Get a Gyros at one of the many Kebab places

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2 week Ireland Road Trip Itinerary + Destinations to Visit Along the Wild Atlantic Way

2019-06-17T14:44:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone,

Today I want to share with you our 2 week Ireland road trip itinerary. My family and I went on an epic Ireland tour, discovering top destinations along the Wild Atlantic Way including must-see places in Donegal, The Sheep's Head, Cork & Dublin.

If you haven't yet, make sure you check out my Ireland Travel Vlog on YouTube which perfectly sums up our road trip in mp4 - epic views, nature and hikes!

First of all, here is a map with a rough draft of our route - as you can tell we had 3 major destinations where we stayed - Dublin, Rossnowlagh and The Sheep's Head. To get around we rented a car which we picked up after our stay in Dublin. During our stay in Rossnowlagh we went to the Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival which took up some of our time.

Destination 1: Dublin for 3 nights

Staying at: Sky Backpackers Hostel (next to Arlington Hotel)

Destination 2: Staying at a cottage in Rossnowlagh for 7 nights
Destination 3: Staying at a cottage near Bantry on The Sheep’s Head for 6 nights

This is our detailed 2-week itinerary and what we did each day:

DAY 1: Arriving in Dublin & Explore City Centre
TIP: Get brunch at Brother Hubbard!

DAY 2: Trinity College, Merrion Square & Shopping at Grafton Street

DAY 3: Road trip to North-West Coast

DAY 4: Glenveagh National Park (15km hike)

DAY 5: Beach hike in Rossnowlagh & Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival (also for day 6-8)

DAY 6: Studio Donegal (Handweaving & clothing from Donegal) & Muckross Head

DAY 7: Ben Bulben looped walk, Rosses Point Beach and Harry’s Pub

DAY 8: Slieve League Cliffs & Last day of Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival

DAY 9: The Carrowmore megalithic complex & Strandhill

DAY 10: Road trip along the west coast to Sheep’s Head & Cliffs of Moher
TIP: Dinner at The Snug in Bantry

DAY 11: Hike to The Sheep’s Head (17km)

DAY 12: Killarney National Park (Hike: Lakes of Killarney, Meeting of the Waters, Torc Waterfalls)

DAY 13: Mizen Head Hike

DAY 14: Day trip to Cork

DAY 15: Hike Seefin Mountain in Kilchrohane

DAY 16: Drive back to Dublin and flying home

My favourites were definitely the hike on The Sheep's Head as well as Slieve League Cliffs.

Have you ever been to Ireland? Leave your best travel tips in the comments of this post!

Hugs, Laura x

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Rome in Winter 3-Day Travel Itinerary 2019

2019-01-28T15:28:00.000+00:00

My mum and I spontaneously decided to hop onto a plane to Italy and explore antique Rome offseason in January which turned out to be an incredible choice. We spent 3 nights in Hotel Milton Roma which we can highly recommend as it's only 15 minutes walk from the Colosseum and offers a delicious breakfast. We booked our flights so we'd have half a day on arrival and half a day on departure, making our trip 3 full days. Of course, we were not able to see all of Rome because it is simply a huge city with so much culture and history - you'd probably have to spend months and you wouldn't see it all. Anyway, we were able to explore most of the tourist attractions as well as a few spots off the beaten path.

Day 1 (half day)

Lunch at Hosteria I Buoni Amici
Walk by Colosseum, Forum Romanum, Monumento a Vittorio Emanuele II (go on top for a great view across Forum Romanum and Rome)
Coffee at Bar Rossana
Wander through Trastevere and have dinner in a traditional Pizza place

Day 2

Colosseum, Palatine Hil, Forum Romanum (you need at least half a day for this; consider a guided tour as particularly Forum Romanum is huge!)
Eat Pasta Carbonara at L'Angoletto Romano
Pantheon
Gelato at Gelateria Della Palma with 150 gelato flavors

Day 3

Explore Piazza Navona and fountain of four river
Admire Castello Del Angelo
Get a Maritozzi Romani con la Panna at Parenti (SO GOOD!)
Guided tour through the Vatican (Vatican Museums, Sixtine Chapel, San Pietro) + Climb the top of San Pietro
Walk back across Piazza San Pietro
Get dessert (I'd highly recommend trying Canoli) for later at Antico Forno
Have a Margarita Pizza at Margherita

Day 4 (half day)

Admire the Trevi Fountain
Climb the Spanish Steps
Walk by Villa Medici with a great view across Rome
Enjoy view across Piazza del Popolo from Pincio
Wander along Via del Corso for some shopping

Read my blog post all about the best cheap eats in Rome here!

Hugs, Laura x

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5 Top Affordable Eats in Rome 2019

2019-01-28T15:27:00.002+00:00

Spaghetti alla Carbonara at L'Angoletto Romano

Via Monterone, 14, 00186 Roma RM

Not far away from Pantheon, this restaurant offers incredible pasta and other typical Roman foods. Highly recommend you guys try the spaghetti alla carbonara - it's heavenly.

Hosteria I Buoni Amici

Via Aleardo Aleardi, 4, 86100 Roma RM

Far off the tourist crowds, this traditional Hosteria is well worth the 10 minutes walk from Colosseum! The atmosphere is super local and the employees were very charming.

Osteria Pizzeria MargheRita

Via Praga, 11, 00144 Roma RM

Not far off Pantheon and Trevi Fountain, this restaurant is more on the modern side, however the Margherita pizza was still on point! And also not that expensive compared to other restaurants close to big tourist attractions.

Parenti

33, Via Ottaviano, 00192 Roma RM

On your way to or back from visiting the vatican, you MUST try a Maritozzi Romani con la Panna at the dessert restaurant and bakery Parenti. Absolutely delicious and our favourite pastry we tried on our entire Rome trip.

Gelateria della Palma

Via della Maddalena, 19-23, 00186 Roma RM

If you need a little dessert after the spaghetti carbonara, head over to this gelateria which is fairly close to Pantheon. Choose from 150 gelato flavours! A bit touristy and crowded but well worth it.

Check out our 3-day Rome itinerary here!

Hugs, Laura x

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Best Instagram-Worthy Coffee Shops in Toronto 2018

2018-12-16T10:15:00.001+00:00

Living 4 months in Toronto for study abroad, I made it my personal mission to try out as many Instagram-worthy coffee shops as possible during my time there. Toronto is a city with diverse, colorful neighborhoods and a vibrant cultural scene, including hundreds of gorgeous restaurants and coffee shops. Literally, on Queen St. you can just hop from coffee shop to coffee shop for days and you'd not run out of options! Here are the 7 best coffee shops in Toronto to study or go for a date, or just indulge in some new coffee flavors and pastries. Hope you love this post <3

Balzac's Liberty Village

43 Hanna Ave #123 (other locations too)

Gorgeous marble and dark woods interior and delicious coffee and snack options. I ordered an iced chai latte which was the best chai I have ever tried - so flavourful! I also tried their mocha which I highly recommend. For food, I had one of their bars (I cannot remember how it was called exactly) which had nuts and chocolate in it and was so yummy.

FIKA Cafe

28 Kensington Ave (Kensington Market)

Tried their gluten-free hazelnut praline brownie and a classic latte - loved it! They don't have tons of sitting space but it's such a cute place. Also, Kensington market is such a cool, Instagram-worthy neighboorhood to explore so a quick pop-in to FIKA is highly recommended.

Versus Coffee

70 Adelaide St E

Loved this place, the staff was so friendly. I tried an iced Chai which wasn't as good as the one from Balzac's, however, I also got a Marshmellow fireside latte and that was amazing! I saw on their Insta that they serve colorful lattes which I didn't get to try but I can imagine they are super cute and yummy.

Jimmy's Coffee

15 Ossington Ave (other several locations)

The vibes in this place are so vintage and cool, I really liked it. I tried their lattes and can recommend them. Also tried one of their bars (again, can't remember what it was called but it was something with peanut butter) and that was yummy!

The Sydney Grind

2883 Lake Shore Blvd W

Although not located in the city center, this coffee shop is SO worth a visit. I only discovered it in my last week in Toronto and I am so happy I did! I had their white and dark mocha, and I also tried their Tim Tam chocolate cake as well as their lamington. OMG literally amazing.

Forget me not Cafe

506 Adelaide St W

My first coffee shop experience in Toronto, and it was great! It's quite a small coffee shop so it can get busy but I loved the shabby-chic vibes. Got the Nutella latte and highly rate it.

Tucana Coffee

1413 Dundas St W

Okay, this coffee shop really got me because they had crystals *don't judge me*. It's not a place to sit and chill with your laptop as it's more a to-go place, however, the neighborhood it's located in is so cute that you can just take your coffee with you as you stroll around.

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5 Day New York City Itinerary - New York December 2018

2018-12-15T12:00:00.002+00:00

New York City has been my #1 dream destination for as long as I can think. I am so grateful to have ended 2018 with this incredible 5-day Christmas trip to New York City including tons of sightseeing, Instagram-worthy spots, cheap eats and stunning views. Hope you enjoy <3

Watch the full travel vlog! <3

DAY 1 - Midtown and Upper East Side

Times Square

Rockefeller Center

Grand Central Station

Empire State Building

Madison Square Park

Flatiron Building

Famous Original Ray's Pizza

Irving Farm Coffee

The Palace Hotel (Gossip Girl film location)

5th Avenue (From Rockefeller Center to Plaza Hotel at Central Park)

Times Square at Night

DAY 2 - Lower Manhattan, Chinatown and Brooklyn

9/11 Memorial

Zucker‘s Bagels

Brooklyn Bridge Park

DUMBO

Sweet Moments in Chinatown

DAY 3 - Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan and SOHO

Brooklyn Bridge in the morning

The End Cafe Brooklyn

Staten Island ferry to see Statue of Liberty

Battery Park

Wall Street

Eileen’s Cheesecake

By Chloe

DAY 4 - Midtown and Central Park

Top of the Rock

Bryant Park

Central Park Wollman Rink Ice Skating

The MET

Harlem Shake

DAY 5 - Chelsea and Greenwich Village

Citizen of Chelsea Cafe

Doughnut Plant

Chelsea Market

Bleecker Street

The Butcher’s daughter

Magnolia Bakery

Jr's Pizza and Brew

DŌ, Cookie Dough Confections

Check out my blog post all about the best cheap eats in New York City here!

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10 Best Cheap Eats under $10 in New York City (Budget-Friendly and Instagram-Worthy)

2018-12-15T11:33:00.000+00:00

Food is one of my fave aspects of travel (or actually, of life). Whenever going to a new destination I love exploring local cuisine and trying out all kinds of foods, restaurants and eating experiences. However, I am usually on a budget and I've gotten quite good at finding affordable yet Instagram-worthy and yummy places to fill my belly. Hope you enjoy <3

Watch the full travel vlog! <3

Famous Original Ray's Pizza

811 Lexington Ave (Upper East Side)

Slice for around $4

There are many Pizza shops around NYC, this one was our fave. It is very likely that one slice will fill you up because they are honestly gigantic. I also tried the garlic dough balls which were yummy.

DŌ, Cookie Dough Confections

550 LaGuardia Pl (Greenwich Village)

1 Scoop for $4

*Sugar coma warning* Get this sweet treat to share with someone because even the dessert queen (me) could not finish this scoop by myself.

Food Trucks

Everywhere

Most things are around $2-4

Literally my fave thing in NYC. On every corner you get those cute food trucks that serve all kinds of foods - our faves were defo the big pretzels! They also have iced coffee that looked very yum, hot dogs, burgers - all the fast food stuff ;)

Doughnut Plant

220 W 23rd St (Chelsea)

Donuts for $3-4

I tried the Brooklyn blackout donut which wasn't the most amazing donut I've ever had (still good tho), however, my friend tried the Banana Peanut Butter one which was yummy.

Harlem Shake

100 W 124th St (Harlem)

Cheese Fries for $4

Milkshake for $7

Burger for $7

Our fave restaurant! The milkshakes are to die for (I got black & white both times we went and it was so good), the cheese fries are heavenly and the burgers are good too (although a bit too greasy for my taste). Also, we loved the retro vibes in this diner.

Magnolia Bakery

Banana Pudding for $5 (Greenwich Village)

West 11th Street, 401 Bleecker St

Such a yummy dessert. We got a small size which was just perfect to snack on whilst strolling along Bleecker street. They also had adorable cupcakes and a blueberry bar thingy (can't remember how it was called) that looked so good!

The End Brooklyn

522 Metropolitan Ave (Brooklyn)

Health Drink for $9

If you want to treat yourself to a health drink (idk what's in it exactly) try the Lavender one! I got the Merbabe one and it was quite disgusting haha - the lavender one my friends got were got tho.

Q&N Food

107 E 125th Street (East Harlem)

Bagel & Coffe for $3

Breakfast buffet for $8

Best food place ever. We went here almost every morning and were amazed by the food every single time. They have a huge breakfast buffet with the most delicious sweet and savory foods. You can get a big box of food for around $7, such a good deal!

Sweet Moment

106 Mott St (Chinatown)

Shaved Icecream for $7

A super Instagram-worthy place. Not the cheapest, but a small portion of this ice cream is definitely enough. We tried tiramisu, matcha, and mango-cheesecake flavours.

Eileen's Special Cheesecake

17 Cleveland Pl (SOHO)

Mini Cheesecake for $5

I got the Strawberry mini cheesecake and loved it. It's a great way to try out typical NYC cheesecake without getting a huge slice and falling into food coma afterward. They also had hot cocoa which we didn't get but it smelled yummy.

Check out my 5-day NYC itinerary here if you are interested in what other things we did besides eating (although that was a huge part of the trip as you can tell).

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A Day Trip To Dunnottar Castle - Stonehaven, Scotland

2017-10-17T08:32:00.000+01:00

"Remember to explore."

Hello everybody!

Last weekend one of my best friends from the Netherlands and I decided to visit stunning Dunnottar Castle in Stonehaven, which is about 20 minutes drive from Aberdeen.

Dunnottar castle is a hilltop castle ruin located on a rocky headland about 3 kilometres south of Stonehaven. Back in the 17th century Dunnottar castle was used to hide the Scottish crown jewels from Oliver Cromwell’s invading army. If you want to learn more about the historical side of Dunnottar Castle, check out their website.

Dunnottar Castle in an absolute must-see on your Scotland trip. Just look at the pictures - can it get more epic than that?

We spent about 2 hours at the castle. The entrance fee is £7, but definitely worth it. I think that you can easily do Aberdeen, Stonehaven and Dunnottar Castle in 1 day. If you have less then 1 day in the north east of Scotland - skip Aberdeen and Stonehaven and just see the castle.

My friend and I had a wonderful time exploring the magnificent castle and admiring the impressive scenery. I hope you guys like the pictures. Kisses, Laura x

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Wanderlust List - 10 Places I want to visit in the next 5 Years

2017-09-10T09:00:00.000+01:00

"She has wanderlust in her eyes. You can see it from worlds away."

Hello friends!

Recently I got a scratch off world map for my room to track my travel adventures. I realised that I only visited 11 countries so far (excluding Germany cause that doesn't count) which made me think about what countries, cities and places I want to visit in the next few years. In my phone notes I always keep a travel destination list just in case I have a sudden idea or someone tells me about an amazing place that I need to visit. To start checking off a few travel destinations from my bucket list I am sharing with you 10 places I want to visit in the next 5 years today.

PS: The beautiful imagery is from my favourite place on the internet - Pinterest. The pics are not mine (although I wish, but I will hopefully soon be able to take pictures of those places myself).

1. ROME

Although I have been to Italy twice I never got to explore its historic capital Rome. In Latin class we often talked about Rome's ancient sights and its impressive role in history, which made me want to go to Rome since then. Also as a fan of Dan Brown's Illuminati I am so curious to see Vatican city and all the historical churches. On my bucket list here: take a picture with a handsome Italian on his Vespa, visit all popular sights and eat tons of pizza, ice cream and lasagna (just like in "Eat Pray Love").

2. CUBA

Someplace I have never been even close to is the caribbean sea, which is a dream destination for almost everybody. Beside the beautiful turquoise sea, white sand, palm trees and fresh coconuts I am really drawn to Cuba and its vibrant capital Havanna. Not gonna lie here: Dirty Dancing 2 really made me want to experience the lively, colourful and exotic Cuban culture. Things to do: take a ride with one of the old & colourful cars and dance Salsa with a local in a typical Cuban club.

3. THAILAND

Pretty new on my bucket list (ok, let's be real: every country is kind of on my bucket list) is tropical Thailand (spot the alliteration here). I want to try Thai food, go on a motorcycle trip, stroll across a colourful market and chill by the blissful beaches (alliteration number 2). Oh and how can I forget: I really want to see elephants of course.

4. VIENNA

A place not as far away as Cuba and Thailand is Austria and its beautiful capital Vienna. Everyone who has been there tells me how lovely and impressive the cityscape is and we all know how much I love taking photos of pretty buildings. And don't get me started on Austrian food because I am in love with Sachertorte, Kaiserschmarrn and Leberknödel.

5. ICELAND

An undeniable must-see for all lovers of epic nature and stunning photography is the land of fire and ice: Iceland. I don't think I have to say a lot about the breathtaking nature that is shaped by bold contrasts. And what better starting point for a trip to Iceland than Aberdeen? It is quite far up north which is why the flights are not too long and also not that expensive. On my bucket list here (beside all the other mesmerising natural sights): see the Northern lights.

6. FRANCE

There are so many places that I want to visit in France: from pulsating Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Marseille to the glorious palace of Versailles, little fairytale villages in the Provence, the romantic capital Paris and Disneyland Paris of course. Strictly speaking: one trip to France will definitely not be enough. However before I go I really want to learn at least little bibs and bobs of French so that I won't be completely lost. Things to do here: eat a lot of baguette, crepe, croissants, cheese, macaroons - the list is endless.

7. WARSAW

A less popular travel destination but definitely not less worth seeing is Poland. I chose Warsaw for this post because it is Poland's capital, however there are also many more places to see: Krakow, Danzig and the Masuria region. The great thing about Poland is that it is also really affordable - from flights to accommodation and food.

8. TUSCANY

Do you guys know the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun"? Well, if you like "Eat Pray Love" you will most definitely also enjoy this romance about a woman who, after being cheated on by her husband, starts a new life in a rural Tuscan villa. So far I have only been to the Garda lake which was already pretty amazing so I suppose that the Tuscany is just as beautiful. Same as in Rome: eat tons of Italian food and take photos of Vespas (preferably red ones).

9. PRAGUE

A city that is only 2 hours drive from where I live in Germany but I unfortunately never visited is Prague. With baroque palaces and cobbled streets Prague is said to be just as beautiful as Paris when it comes to its magnificent architecture. Me and my Instagram feed very much enjoy a trip to a pretty city like Prague (how basic was that). And same as with Poland - Prague within the Czech Republic is affordable, so perfect for students like me.

10. NEW YORK CITY

And last but (oh god) definitely not least: the city of my dreams. For years I have been wanting to go to New York City, the American dream per se. Walk across Brooklyn Bridge, admire the world-famous skyline from the Top of the Rock, vanish in the bright lights of Times Square, feel like Blair Waldorf and see the Breakfast at Tiffany's Apartment. The list of must-dos in NYC is long. One trip to New York isn't enough anyway because I want to experience NYC in summer, autumn and around Christmas time.

What is on your travel bucket list? Kisses, Laura xx

A Getaway to the Saxon Switzerland National Park

2017-08-19T08:39:00.000+01:00

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."

Hey friends! How is everyone’s summer? 😊

In the past few weeks my parents and I did a ton of exploring of our beautiful home - the ore mountains. I shared tons of pretty footage on my YouTube channel which you should definitely check out if you want to learn about some hidden spots in Saxony & must-see places for your next Germany trip.

Anyway, this week we decided to go on a rather spontaneous trip to the Saxon Switzerland. The Saxon Switzerland is a National Park close to Saxony’s capital Dresden. It is a well-loved spot for climbing, hiking, cycling and all of that fun stuff! The landscape is stunning and I honestly didn’t think that I would find such beautiful nature so close to my home. It really reminds me of the Yosemite National Park (the most amazing place I ever visited), it is just a little smaller of course 😉.

In this post I wanted to share with you some impressions of our short holiday in the Saxon Switzerland. We only really had 2 full days and 1 half day there but we tried to fit in as much as possible, so we did a bike tour along the river Elbe (it was so nice!) and we also did a hiking trip to the Bastei, Schwedenlöcher and Amselsee. All in all we had a wonderful time and it definitely wasn’t the last time that we visited the Saxon Switzerland. But enough talking (or writing to be correct) - see the beauty yourself! 😊

Before we get started with what we did on our trip I wanted to show you our beautiful accommodation. We stayed at an old farmhouse where we could sat outside for breakfast each morning enjoying the wonderful weather and an even more wonderful view. It was seriously so nice!

After we arrived and unpacked we got on our bikes and headed to lovely Rathen, a fairytale village alongside the Elbe Cycle Route. We ate some yummy ice cream, enjoyed the warm temperatures & sunny weather and of course the stunning view across the river Elbe with the Sandstone Mountains in the background.

In the evening we went to a nearby town Pirna, which welcomed us with a pretty sunset, lovely architecture and an overall charming cityscape.

We began the next day bright and early to go on a hiking tour. The weather was awesome and our first stop was the Bastei - a popular viewpoint in the Saxon Switzerland. I think we can all agree that the view is absolutely stunning. Just a little warning: if you are afraid of heights the Basteibrücke might be a rather adventurous sight for you (but the view is definitely worth it!).

Then we went (what feels like a thousands) stairs downhill (fortunately, I would have died if we had to go up those stairs 😧) to the Schwedenlöcher and the Amselgrund. I didn't take a lot of pictures down there but I linked some for you to see!

Our third and final day was spent cycling along the Elbe - we stopped by the cute village Schmilka and cycled through Bad Schandau, Königstein, Rathen and Wehlen. The Elbe Cycle Path is honestly so nice and even if you don't like cycling that much, you will enjoy it!

I hope you like the pictures as much as I do! If you even get the chance to visit Saxony make sure you visit the Saxon Switzerland - a definite must-see spot in Germany for lovers of stunning nature and great photography ☺️! Kisses, Laura xx

A Day Trip To Nuremberg | Germany Travel Guide

2017-07-29T11:30:00.001+01:00

"Let's find some beautiful places to get lost."

Hi everyone!

One of my best friends Sarah and I went on a day trip to Nuremberg, one of the most historic and picturesque cities in Germany and a definite must-see city on your Germany trip.

We took a ton of pretty pictures which I want to share with you in this post! I also made a short but sweet Nuremberg travel vlog for my YouTube channel - feel free to check it out!

So here are some things to do, things to see, must-do activities (whatever you want to call it) on a day trip to Nuremberg! Let's get started shall we? 😊

Walk along the picturesque Weißgerbergasse and take some pictures for your Instagram!

It looks literally just like out of a fairytale book.

Then, make sure you visit the "Kettensteg", Europe's oldest Chain Bridge. From there you have a wonderful view across the river Pegnitz.

Eat some typical Nürnberger Rostbratwurst, Sauerkraut and Brezel for lunch! I recommend going to the „Goldenes Posthorn“, a great alternative to the popular Bratwursthäusel.

Enjoy a stunning view over Nuremberg from the Sinwell Tower of the Nuremberg Castle.

The pretty red roofs combined with the old, medieval architecture are just mesmerising.

I hope you guys love the pics as much as I do! For more travel pictures make sure you follow me on my Instagram @laura_langheinrich! ☺️ Kisses, Laura xx

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Travel Scotland with a Caravan: 10-day Road Trip Itinerary

2017-05-30T10:49:00.000+01:00

"To move, to breathe, to fly, to float, to gain all while you give. To roam the roads of lands remote, to travel is to live." - Hans Christian Andersen

Dunnottar Castle, Stonehaven

Hello everyone!

One month ago, me and my parents set off on an epic 10-day Caravan Road Trip through Scotland. Alongside a 10-day Scotland road trip itinerary with Scotland road trip ideas, scenic drives in Scotland, walking trails in Scotland and what to see and things to do when touring Scotland by car or caravan, I want to share with you some of the beautiful images my mum and I (as lovers of photography) took on our travels.

Admiring wild glens and rivers, lonesome highlands, thick woodlands, majestic mountains and a magnificent coastline, my parents and I quickly fell in love with this small yet multifaceted country.

If you are just as amazed by Scotland’s beauty as I am, feel free to watch my Scotland Caravan Road Trip Travel video I lovingly made for my YouTube channel.

We started our road trip in grey Aberdeen and explored parts of the Scottish northern coast on an amazing scenic drive. Following that we visited stunning Dunnottar Castle in Stonehaven, an epic castle ruin on a dramatic cliff top.

Loch An Eilein

On the next day we headed to the Cairngorms National Park visiting The Queen's summer residence, Balmoral Castle. After a few hours drive through the majestic highlands, we arrived at the Loch An Eilein in the late afternoon. We took a circular walk around the Loch, admiring the ancient Loch An Eilein Castle on the middle of the crystal clear sheet of water. So if you want to go hiking in the Cairngorms National Park, this is a lovely circular walking trail for beginners.

Loch Cluanie

Early in the morning we left peaceful Loch An Eilein and headed towards Inverness and Loch Ness. Although it was really pretty, we preferred our lunch stop Loch Cluanie over the legendary Loch Ness (sorry Nessie!). Before we set off for the Isle of Skye, we stopped at famous Eilean Donan Castle which we afterwards think of as a stunning photo location but not really worth paying entry to go inside.

Cuillin Hills, Isle of Skye

We spent the night on a camping side in the middle of the Cuillin Hills because we wanted to start our trip through the Isle of Skye as early as possible in the morning.

Fairy Pools, Isle of Skye

This intention turned out to be really clever as we arrived at around 8.30 am in the morning and had one of the most popular tourist attractions on the Isle of Skye - the Fairy pools - all for ourselves (and we were able to find a parking space for our huge Caravan).

TIP FOR CARAVANS: Park on the upper parking lot (the first you come across) because it is much bigger and not as nerve-wracking as the tiny lower parking lot.

Along the North Coast of the Isle of Skye

We explored the north coast Isle of Skye, stopped by Staffin Bay and the Kilt Rock View Point and climbed halfway to the Old Man of Storr (it was really steep and exhausting).

Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glenfinnan

As a massive Harry Potter fan I obviously wanted to visit the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct and the Jacobite Steam Train (real-life Hogwarts Express). The view was truly magical.

Near Lower Falls, Ben Nevis

Steall Falls, Ben Nevis

On the next day we did an incredible hike to the Steall Falls at the foot of Ben Nevis (also seen on Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), exploring epic landscapes and enjoying breathtaking views. This is surely one of the best hikes in Scotland!

Ganavan Bay, Oban

Following the stunning hike at Ben Nevis, we did a coastal walk near Oban to the Dunstaffnage Castle. Just a little warning: if you want to do the same hike as we did, be prepared for some serious adventure and don't be scared of heights.

The Whangie, Kilpatrick Hills

Next day, next hike. Citing Walkhighlands (the best website for hikes in Scotland), because they put it into words so beautifully: "The Whangie is a bizarre rock-feature in the Kilpatrick Hills and has wonderful views towards Loch Lomond, the Highlands and the Campsies".

Ben A'an, Callander

Our last day in nature before we our last destination Edinburgh was spent hiking to the peak of Ben A'an overlooking this more than stunning landscape. Admittedly, for someone who is not used to hiking, this hike was quite challenging but definitely worth it when you can enjoy this gorgeous view on top. A perfect end to a wonderful trip and a huge recommendation if you want to go hiking in the Trossachs National Park.

Royal Mile, Edinburgh

Before we headed home to Germany, we spent one day in Scotland's historic capital Edinburgh. We spent the 24hours walking through the ancient streets, admiring the beautiful buildings, eating some yummy food and taking lovely pictures. If you are interested in some more pictures of Edinburgh (which is definitely one of my favourite cities ever), check out this blogpost I did when I visited Edinburgh around Christmastime.

All in all, Scotland fascinated us with its mesmerising landscapes of blazing lochs and endless expanse that are rough yet beautiful and for sure some of most stunning natural wonders in the world. This road trip was definitely not our last trip to this amazing country that has so much to offer! Kisses, Laura

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What Being a Cheerleader in University is Really Like

2017-03-18T17:00:00.000+00:00

“Bows and bling is a cheerleading thing.“

Last weekend I had my first ever Cheerleading competition alongside my amazing squad, the RGU Cobras. As a dancer I always wanted to try out cheerleading as well as it seemed so much fun. So obviously I was really excited when I found out that the university I was going to had a cheerleading squad.

I have been a university cheerleader for 5 months now and I didn’t only have the best time but I also learned a lot about cheerleading itself and what it meant to be a cheerleader. Annoyingly, some people have many prejudices towards cheerleaders and don’t recognise cheerleading as a “real“ sport (just saying: the International Olympic Committee's executive board recognised cheerleading as a sport). Today I will therefore give you some insights into what it really means to be a college cheerleader and hopefully motivate you to join your university cheer squad as well!

Joining cheerleading is a commitment

We usually train 2 times a week. Every two weeks we even train at 7 am (!) in the morning. However, before competitions, we train several times a week and sometimes even daily. As cheerleading is all about working as a team and being able to rely on each other you also can’t just be like “Nah I can’t be bothered going to cheer today“ because if you don’t attend training none of your other group members will be able practise the stunts. It is all about managing your time and fully committing to your team. Beside training, being a university cheerleader also comes with the social side. There will be loads of fun night outs and fundraising events to join, which will bring you even closer as a team and create really amazing memories.

Being a cheerleader is hard and sweaty work

I have never done cheerleading before. And trust me when I say: it is so much harder than it looks. I didn’t really have any arm strength before joining cheer which is why after the first couple of cheer sessions I was so sore! My arms and shoulders were actually dying. Cheerleading is a great way to get a workout in - you will get strength training from stunts and tumbles and conditioning from dance routines and warm ups. The best part about it is that it, similar to dance, is a very enjoyable way to get a workout in because you don’t really focus on the workout side of it.

Joining your university cheerleading squad is a great way to meet people

Just as with any other society or sports club you join, being part of a cheerleading squad makes it so easy for you to meet new people and make friends as you all have a shared interest. Also big events such as adoption nights and competitions or the weekly team night outs are a great opportunity to bond with each other and to start conversation.

Being a cheerleader is quite expensive

Probably the only downside of joining cheer is that it is quite costly. You will have to pay for joining, the uniform, training kit, competition fees and not to forget: the night outs. However, I would encourage everyone to let money not stop you from joining cheer. Make it happen somehow - save some money through meal prepping your food or budgeting your money on a monthly basis. Money really shouldn’t be a reason not to join because all in all…

Cheerleading is so much fun

Joining RGU Cobras was one of the things that made my first year at university absolutely incredible. It is just such an memorable experience with many unforgettable moments. Also, what a nice memory is it to look at your cheer uniforms in some years? I am literally just all about it! And: how cute is our bow? It is honestly worth joining cheerleading just for the bow!

Have you joined any societies or sports clubs at your university? What clubs would you like to join in the future?

For next semester, I am thinking about participating in the language society. Let me know in the comments what other clubs I should join next year! Kisses, Laura

Follow RGU Cobras on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rgucheerleading/

Like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rgucheerleading/

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A Local's Guide to a Weekend in Amsterdam

2017-03-10T13:04:00.000+00:00

“In the world through which I travel I am endlessly creating myself.“

Last weekend I got the chance to visit beautiful Amsterdam alongside one of my dear friends from University. I have never been to Amsterdam before and I seriously had the best time as my friend (she is a local) was so kind and showed me around. I got to discover some cool non-touristy, off-beat and alternative spots, which I want to share with you today in this 2-day Amsterdam itinerary.

As a lover for videography I have been creating videos of my travel adventures for years now and I never published them. However, as I know that most of us prefer watching a video over reading text, I put up my little, cute Amsterdam video on YouTube for you to watch. Feel free to comment, like, share - I appreciate all kinds of feedback!

SATURDAY

Stroll along Bloemenmarkt and Albert Cuyp Market

Start your Saturday Amsterdam adventures by strolling along the Albert Cuyp Market, a street market located in the city centre of Amsterdam that offers everything typically dutch. Definitely try dutch pastries such as fresh, warm and delicious “Stroopwafels“ (caramel waffles), “gevulde Koeken“ (marzipan cookies) and “Poffertjes“ (mini pancakes).

Next stop is the Bloemenmarkt, the world's only floating flower market, which is about 20 minutes walk from the Albert Cuyp market. Enjoy the colourful flowers, take some pretty pictures and buy some yummy cheese.

Have pancakes at MOOK

To be honest, I was pretty full after those delicious pastries on the Albert Cuyp Market. However, as the Netherlands are known for their pancakes, my friend recommended “Mook Pancakes“, a really instagramable pancake place 20 minutes walk from the Bloemenmarkt. It is such a cute place that offers a lovely variety of organic pancakes and fresh made juices. I also felt like it wasn’t that touristy which is always a plus.

Wander along the canals of Amsterdam

Amsterdam is one of the most picturesque places I have ever been to. Lovers of pretty places and cute imagery will have no problems spending hours and hours walking around the streets and along the canals taking pictures.

The highlight for me was driving around Amsterdam on the scooter with my friend. Definitely the best way to explore the city! (I didn't actually drive, I just posed for a picture)

SUNDAY

Visit the Anne Frank House

The Anne Frank House is a standard must-see place in Amsterdam.

Have lunch at Bagels & Beans

Another recommendation from my kind friend was to get lunch at “Bagels & Beans“, a really cute and picturesque coffee place (25 minutes walk from Anne Frank House). For the fact that the food was super good and it was situated in the city centre right beside a canal I also found it quite affordable which is always a plus for poor students like me.

Explore the Rijksmuseum

You might have a hard time deciding between the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh museum, 2 huge art museums situated on the Museumplein. Following the advice of my friend, I personally decided on the Rijksmuseum where I was able to admire some masterpieces by Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and Johannes Vermeer. A nice surprise to me: free entry for under 19-year-olds.

Walk along the Hooftstraat

On your way from the Rijksmuseum to the Vondelpark, walk along the most expensive street in Amsterdam. The "Hooftstraat“ offers everything from Gucci and Cartier to Chanel and Prada and is just a really pretty location to take pictures.

Relax in the Vondelpark

After this museum day you might be feeling some relaxation, which is why you should get some ice-cream from the Ice bakery and set off for a chill time at Vondelpark, a vast park in the city centre of Amsterdam.

I am so thankful that I got to experience Amsterdam along my lovely friend.
I will definitely come back to this beautiful place.

Apologies from me for being really MIA lately on my blog. I was lacking inspiration, ideas, cute pictures - all of that jazz. Thanks you for patience! Kisses, Laura

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My Life is NOT Perfect! Dealing with Future Anxiety, Rejection and Comparison

2017-02-15T17:47:00.000+00:00

“Anyone can find the dirt in someone. Be the one who finds the gold.“

Hey loves! Long time, no see. Lately I have been a little bit MIA here on my blog, mainly because I have run out of pretty photographs, my schedule with university, internship and job is quite busy and I was just lacking inspiration and motivation to blog. Also, my overall mood during the last few weeks was just not the best and shaped by many ups and downs.

Being at university I have experienced a lot of overthinking, questioning and wondering - much more often than what is usual for me. I have also been going through many applications for part-time jobs and internships, which the former didn’t go that well unfortunately. All of that has brought up feelings of rejection, comparing myself with others as well as future anxiety. When people look at my social media and my blog, they sometimes think that my life is more perfect than it actually is. On social media we tend to only show the happy moments - travel adventures, achievements we are proud of, night outs with our friends - we create a highlight reel of our life. And truth to be told, that is all it really is. I only post the positive, because I think that this is what inspires the people most. What I don’t realise is that this is exactly what triggers comparison. We compare ourselves people that don’t even exist in that way. We get jealous over illusions. I know that everybody has to deal with those thoughts and feelings at some point in their lives. Therefore I would like to write down some of my thoughts and share with you guys, why my life is NOT perfect either.

REJECTION

“Trust that when the answer is no, there is a better yes down the road.“

Coming back to Scotland after Christmas, I was so motivated and keen on getting my first ever part time job, so I sent out loads of applications and even got some interviews. Unfortunately, I never succeeded at scoring the job. And with me never having to experience that kind of rejection before, it obviously sucked a lot. I was really upset, I cried my eyes out and I annoyed my friends with messages that were only consisting of crying emojis. I don’t think that there is anything that can prevent rejection from hurting so bad. It is is absolutely okay to be sad and also completely normal to be fed up with trying, at least for some time. However, what I think then makes the biggest difference between successful and unsuccessful people, is that successful people get over themselves and keep trying. I know that you naturally don’t want to do it, but in order to succeed you just have to force yourself. I once read this quote which was something like “What makes people successful is that even when 10 doors get slammed in their face, they put on a smile and walk happily to door 11“. People who succeed, are the people who fail most, as they are the ones who try again and again. Did you know that Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper for “lacking imagination“ and “having no original ideas“? Rejection doesn’t define you. It re-directs you to something better.

COMPARISON

“The fastest way to kill something special, is to compare it to something else.“

As millennials we spend majority of our time scrolling through social media and seeing what everyone else is doing. That naturally triggers comparison, which sadly makes us feel bad about ourselves. Comparison is the biggest thief of joy. Lately I compared myself quite a lot to my friends, seeing how they are successful at finding a job, scoring internships and getting good grades at university. However, I always try to remind myself that you can’t compare your university courses, your grades or your jobs - you can compare nothing at all. You have to learn that you can’t compare yourself to others, because everyone is unique and everyone has their own unique lives under different circumstances, with different values and different talents. The key to deal with comparison successfully, is to only evaluate your doings and accomplishments in your personal set of opportunities, and not in someone else's. Everyone gets their own unique paths to choose from. So it is not about what path the others choose from their selection, but which path you choose from your selection. It is about what you make out of your chances, not what others make of theirs. You must only focus on yourself.

FUTURE ANXIETY

“Our anxiety doesn’t come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.“ - Kahlil Gibran

In the last few years I have grown into a person, that values having everything planned out. I love organising, planning out my time, having routines - being a little bit of a control freak, you know. It has its good sites: getting stuff done, being organised and productive and having an inner ambition and motivation. However, it also has its bad sites: overthinking, overanalysing and overdoing. Some weeks ago, I somehow got really stressed out about the upcoming summer in Germany as I don’t have a summer job yet and I also haven’t scored any internships. I started getting anxious so much, that I started crying and my chest felt really heavy. The only thing that helped me in that situation was writing down all my thoughts and making (as vain as that sounds) a pro and contra list about if it is really the end of the world if I don’t have a paid internship in my first year of university. And I obviously came to the conclusion that it was not! I wrote down in my journal: “It is the fear of a future that I haven’t planned and the fear of regret that I might waste my time“. To be fair, the thought of the unknown can be quite daunting, and not wanting to regret anything is understandable as well. But sometimes you just “have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future“ - Steve Jobs. Because “maybe happiness isn't in the choosing. Maybe it's in the fiction, in the pretending: that wherever we have ended up is where we intended to be all along.” - Lauren Oliver. (Yeah I am quite obsessed with my quotes). What I just want to say is that you don’t need to have it all figured out to be able to move forward. Sometimes the most amazing things happen unplanned. You never know what will be tomorrow.

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My University Study Routine During The Semester

2017-02-01T12:46:00.000+00:00

“Push yourself. Because no one else is gonna do it for you.“

At Robert Gordon University Aberdeen the second semester of the academic year 2016/2017 has just started *yay* although I am pretty sure that there are mixed feelings towards this fact. However, I am excited for the new semester with my timetable looking fun and being filled with interesting subjects such as short film making, social media, email marketing, SEO, writing skills and much more - a lot that I can apply and benefit from when working on this blog. As teaching starts again, so are lectures, workshops, tutorials and study sessions at the library.

Last semester a few of my friends approached me how I am always so organised and up-to-date with the lecture materials during the semester and how I get the motivation to not leave it to the last minute before the exam. Personally, I consider myself having indeed a quite effective, productive and strategic daily study routine during the semester as well as during exam time. Therefore I thought it might be helpful to walk you step by step through my study routine as it may inspire some of you guys to take a more thoughtful and strategic approach to studying. Today I am bringing you my strategy to productive and efficient university studies during the semester as well as some good study habits for college, which is both PART 1 of my study routine. I obviously know that everybody studies differently and puts varying effort and priority in/on studying. So even if you can’t apply my strategy to your studying habits in detail, just see it as an inspiration to think about your study strategy and how you could make it even more time-saving or effective.

Before the lecture: Study the given materials

At my course we get the lecture slides and additional research or reading material some days ahead of the lecture - I think most universities are doing it that way. I would highly recommend you to do as much reading and work on the given materials as possible before the lecture as I find it being more productive overall. I know it can sometimes be hard to get yourself together and start studying before you are actually “forced“ to do it (the night before the exam). When that happens always remind yourself that studying doesn’t get easier when you postpone it. At a later point in time you will still be the same person, with the same amount of work and the same wishes of what you would rather do.

What to do some days before your lecture:

copy the notes from the slides the professor will use in the lecture into a separate word document (or on a piece of paper, whatever you prefer) as it will be much easier to follow your own compensated, summarised and well-arranged notes during the lecture

PRO TIP: for journal articles it is often enough to read abstract & summary in detail and skim over the rest

During the lecture: Listen and only add bibs and bobs

I find that when I prepare for the lecture in advance I can concentrate more easily during the lecture as I already know what the professor is talking about and I can therefore follow his thoughts better. When I don’t prepare in advance, I often feel overwhelmed with information as I can’t keep up with copying the slides, listening to the professor and jotting down notes all at once and I tend to give up and switch off.

However, when I am prepared I always keep up, take in the information and I only have to:

add little pieces of extra information the professor is giving away to your prepared notes, however: don’t waste time re-arranging your layout listen carefully and attentively to the professor

After the lecture: Combine

What is great about having prepared everything in advance is the relief you get knowing that you don’t have to get through that whole big mountain of reading material after the lecture when you are tired and exhausted. It honestly is the best feeling to be able to almost tick off that topic immediately after the lecture because now I would advise you to just:

add the extra knowledge/industry examples/references you got from the reading materials and additional resources to the corresponding paragraph or subtopic of your lecture notes
perfect your layout and make everything look neat and tidy

Phone case - New Look / Planner - Filofax / Notebooks - John Lewis 4 Quick Tips for Effective Studying

Set a timer on your phone at 30 minutes and work through that time without interruption. I find that most of the times I easily get into the workflow, then simply ignore my timer and just continue studying. So the timer a perfect motivation to get started because as it gives you the prospect of a break.
Use the same fonts and colours for each: your headings, sub-headings, definitions, bullet points etc. It makes your notes so much more organised and it also looks quite pretty. I always choose the colours of my headings in the order of the rainbow colours. I know, quite weird.
Find your productive time. We all study best at different times - so whereas I get most things done in the morning person, others might be night owls. Just try studying at different times of the day and keep track of when you get most stuff done. When you ultimately find your “productive time“, always try to do your studying then as it will be easier and quicker.
Make sure it is bright and light. When the lighting in the place I am studying at is dimm and dark I often can’t concentrate, I get tired and I get a headache. Make sure your place has good lighting - I love to study in front of a big window.

I really hope that this little guide can simplify and optimise your studying process during the semester and acts as a little motivation. However, I have to admit that I think that ultimately there is no trick, hack or tip that can replace the honest and true ambition to learn. I think that I study so well, not necessarily because of my strategy or my habits, but because of my will, endurance and high standards I demand of me.

So wanna know the real secret for succeeding in university? Stop doing sh*t you hate.

Wise words by the one and only.

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4 Healthy Habits of Successful University Students

2017-01-27T12:05:00.000+00:00

“Some days you eat salads and go to the gym, some days you eat cupcakes and refuse to put on pants. It is called balance.“

Just as every other person I set myself some new years resolutions mainly focussing on my health, well-being and career. For me personally, it doesn’t make any sense to change my habits drastically from one day to another as I just can’t stick to them, which is why I am slowly starting to integrate a few simple, easy and healthy habits. I know that they aren’t revolutionary or unique in any way, however I still think that those are really beneficial on helping me to be happier and healthier on a daily basis.

Budget your money
I recently decided to sit down and create an overview over my monthly budget, necessary spendings (rent, gym, phone, laundry) and what I need/want to do with the rest (food, leisure, savings) as I felt like I was constantly out of money although I did not even spend much on anything else than food. However, writing everything down I realised how much money I actually have to spend regularly (f.e. for rent - which is beyond overpriced here in Aberdeen) resulting in me not having much left for food or leisure. In order to be able to start saving for travel and being able to afford clothing without feeling guilty I especially felt the need to budget my grocery spendings, because this is where I spend most of my “leftover“ money (monthly budget minus necessary spendings). And this is really what creating an overview over your spendings does - it helps you realise what you need to spend on, what you don’t need to spend on and what you actually do spend on.

Do Meal Prepping

With me so far spending £70 on food weekly (!) I decided to start meal prepping my meals in order to save money when buying groceries. Not only is this time-saving and healthy but also does it save me tons of money as I’m (hopefully) not tempted to buy extra bibs and bobs for my meals. I decided on going grocery shopping (mostly to Lidl and Asda as it’s the most affordable) and doing meal prepping on Wednesdays and Sundays - on Sunday I meal prep for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; on Wednesdays I meal prep for Thursday, Friday and Saturday; and Sunday will be my funday (Mac n Cheese Galore). I have a whole Pinterest board on healthy and yummy recipes where I will most likely find inspiration for my meal prep - so feel free to check it out and follow.

Start a gratitude journal

Having always admired people who journal on a daily basis and with me being a big sucker for cute stationery I chose one of my new years resolutions to be about starting a gratitude journal. I found 2 adorable rainbow-coloured notebooks in the John Lewis sale for £ 3,50 (John Lewis seriously has the cutest stationary - click *here* for similar notebooks) and with my goal in mind I couldn’t resist getting them. Honestly, I didn’t really do much research into journaling beside watching a Youtube video here and there so I just decided to go for it. So now, every morning I write down 5 things I am grateful for like f.e. my parents, my friends, my organised room, my mermaid blanket or my new flowers - genuinely anything that comes to my mind at that very moment. My goal with this is whenever I have a bad day, some sad thoughts or suffer homesickness (which unfortunately happened quite a lot recently) I can flick through my gratitude journal and realise how happy I should be considering the many things I can be grateful for.

Posts: Get organised: how to plan your week

Keep track of your fitness progress

Almost everyone sets themselves a health related goal for the new year, which I did as well by getting a gym membership and deciding to eat in more conscious and healthy way. What really helps me here is writing down everything from what I eat to what exercises I do and when I meal prep in my other rainbow coloured journal from John Lewis. For a little bit of creativity I use this notebook as a bullet journal, which basically means that I design the layout, charts or whatever I want in it myself - it’s quite fun if you like drawing and doodling. To keep track of my foods in terms of calories and nutrients I use the free app “myfitnesspal“ which is super convenient as it has a bar code scanner and you can adjust the size of servings easily. When you first get the app you simply type in your current weight and height, your goal weight and how much you exercise/move on a daily basis - and the app calculates your daily calorie requirement. With the app being on your phone you will most likely have it with you wherever you are so even if you are out and about you can conveniently keep track of your food.

I also wrote a post about having an efficient study routine in university!

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5 Things You Should Know Before Dating A Dancer

2017-01-21T09:43:00.000+00:00

“Dance is a sport no matter how much glitter is involved.“

Since “5 Reasons why you should start dancing in 2017“ turned out to be the most popular post on this blog *yay* I thought I should create another post dedicated to dance as there is really so much worth talking and knowing about. So I guess it would be quite cool to continue with that whole “5“ theme, therefore here is my “5 Things you should know before dating a dancer“.

We say “I can’t, I have dance“ a lot

If you ever had a dancer as a friend, you might had to hear this a lot as this is probably a dancer’s most used saying. But trust me, dance is such a time-consuming hobby/job with dance trainings several times a week and dance shows on the weekend, so don’t expect us to be available 24/7. Admittedly, I sometimes sneakily use this as an excuse to simply stay at home and watch series in my bed series rather than going out (who else is guilty of that?) - sorry guys.

We have tons of hair and beauty products

Glitter, bobby pins, fake lashes, hair extensions, tons of hairspray, red lipstick, hair ties - you will find them everywhere. Also as we drench ourselves in glitter when doing a show, be prepared that everything will sparkle and we will just spread glitter everywhere. So the saying “Leave a little sparkle wherever you go“ is more than true in this case.

We dance everywhere

If a song comes on that we have a routine to, we will immediately start marking our choreography no matter where we are - in the supermarket, in the club or in the car. So when you want to date us you definitely can’t be embarrassed, you need to join us on the dance floor and you have to believe in our multitasking skills as we can dance and drive simultaneously (hopefully).

We love movie nights especially with dance movies

After some time with us you will probably remember every line of “Burlesque“ without even realising it. You will no longer watch “How I met your mother“ but “Dance Academy“, “Hit the floor“ and “Dance Mums“ as in our understanding there is nothing better than tutus and glitter.

We love to eat

A lot. Like a lot. We don’t eat like a bird at all - we feast like a bodybuilder. After several hours of dance, which is basically straight cardio, we very much appreciate a yummy dinner with lots of food. And dancers, do we not all know the views we get when going out to eat in stage makeup?

If you are a dancer, definitely share this post with your friends, crush or boyfriend - they will know those facts just to well. Wanna read another dance related posts? Check out my 5 reasons why you should start dancing in 2017. Kisses, Laura

Winter In The Ore Mountains

2017-01-18T16:12:00.000+00:00

“Kindness is like snow - it beautifies everything it covers.“

Being back in grey Aberdeen makes me miss my beautiful wintery home - the ore mountains in Germany, that have tons of snow lately making me want to be there even more. There is just something about snow in that whatever it covers seems so peaceful and quite. Over Christmas my parents and I went on as many walks through our winter wonderland as possible, trying to capture a piece of the beauty with my camera. And as those photos are just too lovely, I want to share them with you today as a little reminder that you should always appreciate what is around you, because so many things become beautiful when you really look.

Why I Chose to Study Abroad

2017-01-14T10:47:00.000+00:00

“Two roads diverged in a wood,

and I - I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.“

Robert Frost

For the last several months many people have asked me, why I chose to study abroad in Scotland. And as I think that this might be something some of you could be interested in as well, I am writing this post today, in order to share with you what made me set out on this journey. With this post, I aspire to inspire you to get out of your comfort zone. I know from own experience, that this can be terrifying and daunting, but nevertheless one of the best things you can do.

For free education

Why did I choose Scotland for my study abroad adventure? I get asked this question a lot, but is pretty easy to answer: I chose Scotland, because as an EU student, you get your tuition fees paid - so basically, Scotland is the only primarily English speaking country where studying is free. I didn’t know about that until one of my lovely friends decided to study in Scotland and told me about this amazing free education. (Let’s just hope the Brexit doesn’t interfere with this awesome opportunity.)

To work on an international level

I chose a course in a foreign country, because I strive to work on an international level in my career sector of media, marketing, advertising and PR. I hope that a Media degree from a Scottish university can give me better career perspectives and a broader knowledge than a Media degree from Germany. Not because I think German universities are bad - I simply had a hard time finding a high rated media course at German universities as they tend to focus more on traditional and technical courses like f.e. medicine, law or technical engineering and offer incredible courses for those kind of studies. And I also assume that accomplishing my studies in the lingua franca English, which as the most spoken language in the world is self-evident for international work, could raise my chances for great international employment opportunities.

For wanderlust

“I want adventure in the great wide somewhere. I want it more than I can tell.“ Belle from Beauty and the Beast

This quote from one of my favourite Disney movies Beauty and the Beast describes this reason for choosing to study abroad quite well. You have to know, that I come from a tiny little village on the countryside in Germany and although I love my hometown, I have always wanted to go to somewhere vibrant and lively - like a big city or even better, abroad.

Posts: Edinburgh's must-see places, Why so many people love Scotland, Where I travelled in 2016

To have tried it

I’m honestly not sure if everybody can relate to this point, but it’s just regarding the mindset I have basically about everything in my life - if I tried hard, gave my best and did everything possible, it is okay when I fail. Because then it just wasn’t meant to be and I can accept and live with it. But if I failed, because I didn’t try hard enough, I would constantly ask myself what if I had tried harder? Would I have actually reached what I wanted? And that uncertainty and regret would make me extremely unhappy. So this mindset was actually the decisive factor for me to apply for studying abroad as well as my motivation on my way to my unconditional offer.

To feel the fear and do it anyway

Many people were very sceptical about my decision to study abroad and assured me that I had probably made the wrong decision and that I would be very homesick. And obviously when moving to a foreign country, you have never been before, all by yourself, it is normal to overthink your decision. I also had some moments when I was questioning my plans and when I thought that it might just be okay to ditch them and to study in Germany like all of my friends do. But those moments of uncertainty were then outweighed by the fact that I had worked so hard to get this place and that not many people get this far and are able to do what I was about to do. I have to admit, after coming back to Aberdeen from Christmas holidays at home I felt quite homesick and lonely, because living alone in a foreign country demands a lot. However, it also gives you so much back - strength, endurance, confidence, experience.

Because life really begins at the end of your comfort zone.

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How To Plan A Road Trip In California

2017-01-03T12:02:00.002+00:00

“Because the greatest part of a road trip is not arriving at your destination. It's all the wild stuff that happens along the way.“

Looking back on my travelling adventures in 2016, I have to admit that our road trip through beautiful California, USA was definitely one of my favourites. I basically planned our whole road trip myself, which is why I feel like I have quite some experience now. Therefore I want to share with you my favourite California road trip ideas and stops as well as our 3 week California itinerary.

1. Choose a route

As you can probably imagine - planning a 3-week road trip demands a lot of time and effort. What really helped me with planning is taking advice and inspiration from people who have already done a similar road trip, may that be talking to my friends, reading travel blogs, scrolling through Pinterest or watching some travel Vlogs on Youtube. The internet is full of awesome insider tips, you simply need to take the time to look for them.

PRO TIP: A great travel guide book I can recommend for my German readers is the DuMont Reise-Handbuch Reiseführer Kalifornien: mit Extra-Reisekarte - a detailed and truly helpful book with a lot of great tips from sights, accommodations and places to eat to general insights about things like ESTA, renting a car and giving tips in restaurants.

If you need some inspiration on how a 3-week road trip could look like, here is a little self-made map of the one we did. From vibrant cities and breathtaking landscapes to wonderful people and delicious food - our 3-week-long road trip had it all. What we loved is that we had enough time at every destination to really enjoy it, didn’t sit in car all day and could also schedule some relaxed days by the beach.

OUR ROUTE

Arrival in San Francisco

San Francisco - 3 nights

Yosemite National Park - 4 nights

Las Vegas - 2 nights (day trip to Grand Canyon)

Los Angeles - 4 nights

Santa Barbara - 3 nights

Monterey - 3 nights

Santa Cruz - 2 nights

Departure in San Francisco

Book flights and a rental car

Flights

We booked our Lufthansa flights from Germany to San Francisco and back over one year ahead of our departure due to the prices being quite reasonable. Therefore I would definitely recommend you to start looking for flights as soon as the dates are out (mostly 1 year in advance) and also to be flexible in your airport choice. In our chase a flight from Frankfurt to San Francisco and vice versa was more expensive than adding a domestic flight from Dresden to Frankfurt and then to San Francisco, odd right? And by starting in Dresden we even saved time as the flight from Dresden to Frankfurt was only 1 hour long whereas a car ride would have been 6 hours! So definitely make sure you check different airports, airlines and times as during the week flights tend to be more affordable.

Rental car

I got our rental car through the website https://www.billiger-mietwagen.de, because it was simple, easy and you could cancel up until 24 hours before lease free of charge - so just in chase you find a better offer from another website, you can just cancel this one. We were 3 persons and got a mid-class SUV for about 700€ for 3 weeks. For insurance we went with the one that was inclusive to the offer, which was: comprehensive and anti-theft protection: without self-participation (by reimbursement), liability 1,000,000 USD. We would recommend everyone to choose a SUV over a normal car as the roads in California are not the best all the time. Size wise, the mid-class SUV was fine, although quite tight for the ones sitting in the back (but nothing too crazy). Also the petrol in the USA is cheaper than (at least) in Germany, so overall the car is not the most expensive part of the trip.

Another note: be prepared that the guy on the car rental station wants to sell you upgrades (car classes or insurances) and make sure you say “No, thank you“ because your chosen car size and insurance should be absolutely fine.

Book accommodations
Whether to book everything in advance or to look for an accommodation there is up to everyone themselves. However, we found it really relaxing not having to run around and look for an affordable and good accommodation as we booked everything except our last week (Santa Barbara, Monterey, Santa Cruz) in advance. And even for our last week we booked our motels 2 or 3 days in advance via our smartphones, so basically you could have done that from home as well. On that note, booking accommodations quite some time in advance can be very beneficial as especially during summer weekends, popular National Parks like the Yosemite National Park (our favourite stop of our road trip) can be quite crowded and good/affordable accommodations can be booked up quickly.

For our accommodations we wanted a clean place for a good price so we usually stayed in Motel 6. For Yosemite National Park I just browsed the internet for some lovely B&B’s and for Los Angeles we chose to try out Airbnb which was a quite cool experience, as we stayed in a rather nice house and neighbourhood.

MY TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE & EASY PLANNING

Start planning far ahead of time: I started over 1 year earlier, which enabled me a broad choice of accommodations, flights and other offers and an overall stress-free planning process.

Start your trip with demanding activities: when you want to do a road trip that is several weeks long, one of the best advice I can give you is to do the exhausting and demanding activities like big cities and National Parks in the FIRST weeks of your trip and leave the more chill and relaxing ones like beach days for the end. Why? Because when you are not used to travelling this many places in a row and not to forget: driving such long distances, you will get exhausted after 1 or 2 weeks. We where really happy that we decided to do Yosemite National Park more in the beginning of our trip as we still had energy to do hikes and physically demanding activities - something we couldn’t have done in our last week of our trip when we where a little bit exhausted and rather spend chill days by the beach or wandering through the smaller cities of the west coast like Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz. It’s important to schedule relaxed days with probably only 1 or 2 activities because it doesn’t make any sense do rush and be stressed all the time.

Don’t sit in the car all day: Especially because the distances in California (and the USA in general) are quite far, you don’t want to spend all your time in the car rushing from one place to the other. Of course you want to see as much as possible during your trip, however for us it was more important to experience the places deeper than just visiting the standard tourist attractions - and for that, you simply need some time.

Don’t spend too much time in the cities: This is more of a personal preference but for me, what really made California breathtaking were not cities like Los Angeles and Las Vegas, but mesmerising landscapes such as the Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park and Big Sur. Admittedly, San Francisco and Monterey where absolutely wonderful but somehow cities for me are just not as multi-faceted, varied and diverse such as natural sights. Therefore I would suggest planning on more time for National Parks rather than cities: we f.e. spent 4 nights in Yosemite National Park, which we absolutely needed and only 2 nights in Las Vegas with a Grand Canyon day trip in between, which were just enough as well.

Remember little things: Beside flights, a rental car and accommodations, don’t forget to get an ESTA-visa as you need this to be allowed to enter the United States. Also (if you are a little nervous and it’s your first time travelling to the USA) make sure your read about the questions they ask you at your arrival and what you generally have to expect. Furthermore, a credit card is absolutely vital for travelling through the USA as you basically pay everything with it. Make sure you have the phone number of your bank with you at all times just in chase something doesn’t work - for us one time our credit card was blocked in a store and didn’t work anymore, for those cases always have some cash with you. And lastly definitely get a travel insurance, because I can tell you from experience that you don’t want to pay a fortune in US hospitals: I fell down in Yosemite National Park and scratched my wrists, knees and ankles; my parents had to pay 136$ to get my wounds cleaned and bandaged in a medical centre. Luckily we had a travel insurance so we got the money back.

If you have ANY other questions, make sure you put them in the comments or message me on my social media because I would be more happy than help you planning your own road trip through California. Kisses, Laura

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The Best Part About Coming Home After A Trip

2016-12-28T14:03:00.000+00:00

“The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave and even better to come back.“

Staying home over Christmas I am very much enjoying my beloved home, the ore mountains, and taking loads of pictures with my mum. Therefore I am sharing with you some lovely photos my mum took of me when we did a little wintery walk through my hometown as well as some thoughts I lately had about coming home after travelling.

See the place you came from with new eyes

After coming back from 3 months abroad I realised that to truly value and appreciate your home, you first have to leave it for some time. The place you are coming back to doesn’t feel the same as it did when you left, because you start to see it with different eyes. What used to seem boring, now appears peaceful and idyllic. People you used to look up to, aren’t your role models anymore. Travelling adds so many new dimensions and colours into your perception, it’s truly mesmerising. That’s why I say: chase you dreams, but always know the road that leads you home.

Nothing changes but you

“It’s a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. You realise what’s changed it you.“ - F. Scott Fitzgerald.

To recognise how much you developed, changed and evolved as a person, a good way is to come home to your old, familiar surroundings. What has become a habit during travels, will show when you are back home and apply those new habits to your old ones - things you had probably never done by yourself, seem no obstacle anymore, what used to seem annoying and compulsive, now is a normal thing that needs to be done (for me that is definitely doing the dishes myself :D). Personal developments you would have never recognised as such on your travels now show up, which I think is really important to keep on track with the development of your character and individual habits.

Get excited for your next adventure

Just as travelling makes you appreciate to be home again, so does being home makes you excited for your next travel adventure. For me, anticipation is one of the best things about travelling: the excitement when looking for new places to explore, booking flights and packing my suitcase is just my favourite.

Where I Travelled In 2016

2016-12-21T08:46:00.001+00:00

“We have nothing to lose and a world to see.“

Looking back I can safely say that 2016 was one of the most exciting years - from my 18th birthday, to my graduation, to the start of my study abroad adventure and lots of amazing trips and travels, which I want to share with you today. I can’t remember any other year where I got so many amazing opportunities to pack my suitcase and go on vacation as in 2016, and obviously I have so many pictures that are just too lovely to not showcase them here on my blog.

Mallorca

After our graduation in mid June, my best friend and I headed on a rather fabulous all-inclusive girls trip to Can Picafort, Mallorca. We stayed at the Hotel & Spa Ferrer Janeiro in Can Picafort, which my best friend recommended as she already stayed there some years ago, and it was so lovely - great rooms, perfect location (not even 5 minute walk to the beach), delicious food, friendly employees and all of that for a really good price. After our stressful exam time we just needed relaxation and a little bit of luxury, which we absolutely got on this wonderful trip - we were reading, tanning, swimming, sleeping, relaxing and of course eating all day by the pool, in the evening we took some nice photos by the beach and we also made a gorgeous day trip on a catamaran to see some of the beautiful island. On this note I really have to say that Mallorca is so stunningly mesmerising - I feel like it’s image of the “Ballermann-Party-Alcohol“ island is not doing justice to the wonderful nature and the true beauty of this place.

Hamburg

In the beginning of August I then went on another girls trip with some of my best friends from school to lovely Hamburg. We stayed at the Generator Hostel, which is fairly cheap considering it is right in the centre of Hamburg, next to the main train station and not even 5 minutes walk from the main shopping street. Before that trip I have already been to Hamburg once and I loved it so much that I wanted to go back there so badly. Hamburg simply has the perfect mixture of everything - the charming harbour, the modern city, the historical “Speicherstadt“, really good food and not to forget - the incredibly magical musicals! When you get the chance to come to Hamburg, please invest your money in a musical ticket - I promise you, you will not regret it. Last time when I was in Hamburg I went to “The Lion King“ and this time to “Aladdin“. Let me tell you guys, it was m a g i c a l - goosebumps and tears all the way through the shows, because it was simply stunning.

California

If you have been following my blog for a bit longer or just have clicked around you might have probably spotted my two blogposts I have written about our vacation in the USA - they are about the breathtaking Yosemite National Park and glamorous Los Angeles. If you haven’t read them yet, I would definitely suggest you to check them out because they have some pretty amazing insider tips as well as stunning photography in them. However, in the end of August my parents and I headed on a 3-week adventure to sunny California visiting San Francisco, Yosemite National park, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Monterey and Santa Cruz. And I think the photos absolutely speak for themselves - it was incredible.

Posts: Why you will love Yosemite National Park, 5 Things to do in Los Angeles

Scotland

Only 4 days after we came back from our travels through the USA, I set out on the most scary yet exciting trip I had so far - my journey to my study abroad in Scotland. I have been here for 3 months now and although I haven’t seen a lot of Scotland yet, what I have seen, I have loved a lot. Contrary to most people, I think the British architecture with all its grey terraced houses and chimneys is quite nice - probably because it reminds me so much of Harry Potter. I also absolutely adore how Aberdeen is by the ocean and I only have to take a 30 minute walk to chill by the beach. I was also mesmerised my the beauty of Scotland's capital Edinburgh, which we visited on a day trip in Christmas time. I’m very excited to explore more of Scotland in 2017 as my Pinterest travel board is packed with Scottish travel destinations, each looking absolutely fantastic and picturesque.

Posts: How to make most of a day in Edinburgh, A Scottish Lovestory

Where have you travelled in 2016? What are your travel plans for 2017?