The Beauty Backpacker

31/12/2025

29/12/2025

Twixmas, forever my fave time of the year. An unusual moment of pause for us Type A / fire sign / FOMO-filled Elder Millennials. I’ve been living in my pjs, and my Oura ring is showing never before seen levels of Restoration. So yes, the big end of year Reel is (likely) coming. As well as this moment to celebrate a holiday season that felt so very New York, with a light dusting of Florida.

1. The first snowfall, in Central Park❄️
2. Winter light💡
3. Early morning snow⛄️
4. You-can’t-take-the-girl-out-of-FL excitement levels 🌴
5. It looks like a postcard🗺️
6. Rockefeller tree🌲
7. Dyker Heights Christmas Lights ( you can do a tour!)🧑‍🎄
8. New York, as seen from Dumbo🌃
9. 🎶
10. 💃🏻
11. Christmas bar with my gal🍸
12. Bed-Stuy reunion👯
13. Sipping wine in 🍷
14. Christmas in TSP🎅🏼
15. Xmas singalong. TY for the insider tip, ❤️
16. Sunset in Alphabet City🌇
17. Festive dinner at 🧀
18. A brief Tampa trip🐊
19. Which means, Cuban food☕️
20. Plus, a Latin jazz gig with the fam at 🎷

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30/11/2025

It’s almost December. But despite how manic the last quarter of Life has felt, I couldn’t let my favourite season pass without honouring a few of my favourite moments in this new era. And few cities do autumn quite like New York. Plus, or perhaps finally, I feel like some roots are starting to sink into the ground here. As always, this is just a highlight reel of the last few months, but also a surprising revelation that I’ve done much more than sit behind a screen after all. Soon, friends will arrive (London guests!), and Christmas will creep in, for me, autumn will always be the most beautiful pocket of the year.

1. Leaves adrift, in Tompkins Square Park
2. beautiful book club
3. At none other than the stunning
4. A LOT of karaoke, lately
5. A walk home with fresh flowers + a new (used) book
6. Annual Dog Costume Parade in the East Village
7. THAT Thriller dance at the NYC Halloween Parade
8. My NYC partner-in-crime
9. Dua! And my first gig at
10. A gorgeous Bulgarian meal at chez
11. The city’s charm, slowly winning me over
12. Exploring every single coffee shop in my hood
13. Same shot, different city
14. , a book lover’s dream
15. Perhaps the best scones I’ve had in my life
16. A hike at
17. Local taco spot in Alphabet City
18. A blissful spa experience at
19. Water tower, by night
20. Nueva Yol

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18/10/2025

This was my first ever trip to the island of Menorca, a most perfect destination for my only solo trip of the year. Unlike the more renowned Balearics, this island is a little more rustic, quiet, unassuming. Largely ignored during Franco’s dictatorship, and now very much protected by the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Menorca remains pristine and rugged, in a way that feels truly special in this new age of Instagram.

I based myself in the centre of the island, which made my explorations a little tricky without a car, but nothing stops a determined explorer. Each pocket of the island offers up a unique beach, and the horse trail that circumnavigates Menorca allows visitors to hike to its most untouched corners on foot. This is a truly a gem of the Med, and the most perfect place for a solo traveller to just stop, drop and BREATHE.

1. Cala Macarelleta
2. Hiking there
3. Swimmers
4. Cloisters in Cuitadella
5. Chapel there
6. Snails on my doorstep
7. My beautiful boutique hotel
8. Poolside
9. Daily brekkie
10. Making the most of the rain in Ciutadella
11. Local old school pharmacy
12. That colour contrast
13. Mar y montaña
14. Solo hikes being so much joy



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21/09/2025

A return to my beloved London; a glorious two weeks exploring a new pocket of the city, returning to my beauty haunts, ticking spots off the bucket list and joyful reunions all round.

1. Percy Pigs and the FT
2. Union Jack
3.
4. concert
5. Lights will guide you home
6.
7. My fave meal deal
8.
9. Back together
10. The classics
11. Wandering West
12. Morning rowers
13. Tube strike
14. The big red bus
15. Jet lagged reunions
16. Clapton!
17. Lots of pub nights
18. Bestie dinner at
19. My airport + adventures gal
20. Goodbye, for now

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27/07/2025

NEW COUNTRY ACTIVATED. I may still be settling into my new home, but when your bestie tells you she’s going to be a hop, skip and a jump away, you book a flight to meet her. And so that’s how I suddenly found myself exploring Ontario - and loving every minute. Here’s what we got up to:

1. Beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake
2. A stop at Niagara Falls, ofc
3. Boat tour next to the falls
4. Sunset near the falls
5. It had to be done
6. Craft beer sampler
7. ice wine cellar
8. Tasting
9. Interiors there
10. It’s giving peak summer
11. Beautiful
12. Wood-oven pizza there
13. Flowers in the light
14. Niagara-on-the-Lake’s high st
15. I mean, come on
16. Along the water
17. GNO
18. Downtown Toronto
19. My favourite colours



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Have you been to Canada?

20/07/2025

So, now it’s really official. New York is on the grid. I’ve found it really hard to keep up with my monthly recaps in this transitional phrase, so you’re getting big three month dumps for now. And since I hit exactly three months in the Big Apple this very weekend, there’s no better time to recap — and reflect. This change has been tough, insanely busy, and not without countless tears, but as I find my feet day by day, I’m also patting myself on the back for taking this immense leap (of faith). Here are a few of the highs:

1. My first city selfie
2. Bagel bliss
3. LES gardens
4. Graffiti in Dumbo
5. All the NY energy
6. Shakira
7. Bestie bagel brunch
8. Two weeks with this one
9. Dog walks in Bed-Stuy
10. The one and only
11. I’ll find my local, at any cost
12. Spotted on my local walks
13. A sunset return into the city
14. Impromptu ramen date night
15. So v New York
16. Monday night pizza spot
17. Baby’s first gig at
18. Finally,
19. Why, thank you



New York adventures, New York travel, New York living, New York trip, best of New York, Things to do in New York, Moving to the USA, Life transitions

Are you ready for my NYC content?!

02/07/2025

The last (and perhaps best?!) stop of our whirlwind Portugal tour was none other than Porto. That beautiful Northern city that deserves every inch of its hype. It’s perfect for flaneuring, along its quaint alleyways, across that magnificent bridge and through its world-renowned port caves. I adored every dish (most especially those oysters) and every sweet sip of its local tipple. If you’ve never been, add it to your bucket list stat. You won’t regret it.

🇵🇹♥️

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27/06/2025

Unplanned trips = the best kind of travel. We missed our flight back to London (a story for another day) — and so we decided to just keep backpacking through Portugal. Our next stop, Sintra, was entirely new to me. And wow, this mountaneous city BLEW ME AWAY. We got rained out (again) but this only made it more magical. It felt like a journey through an enchanted cloud forest, with castles to take cover from the storm. It’s the kinda place where you truly ask yourself: should I live here?! The answer is yes, yes you should.



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Is this magical city on your bucket list?

23/06/2025

Lisbon. A city that speaks for itself. I hadn’t been back in about 15 years, and why ever not? The Queen of the Sea truly delivered, despite getting rained out for most of our stay. It’s magical at every angle, the seafood feels delivered straight from the sea (bc it probably was), the vinho verde is as crisp as wine can get and the locals make you feel local on first sight. It’s the perfect little city break — for solo travellers and with a travel companion alike. Let’s just say Lisbon will be seeing me again v soon.



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Have you been to this magical city?

21/06/2025

Well, if you can believe it, she’s back. Two months into New York City, and only a few months behind on content😆 I recently posted a Story about a term I recently learnt, change fatigue, and it resonated a lot with my fellow adventurers. Also, come to find out, there’s no bigger change that uprooting your country, city, home life and job, all in one fell swoop. Throw in a flat reno and becoming a first-time landlord, and I was just about ready to collapse. This all felt so easy in my 20s. Less so in my 40s. But here we are, building new roots, and settling into my home, day by day. Inch by inch. But — did you think I’d let my London farewell go by undocumented? No chance. So here are my condensed March + Aptil highlights: two v v special (if manic) months I’ll never forget.

1. Gals trip to Belfast, more on this soon👯
2. Tree-hugging🌳
3. A special London visit🥰
4. Incredible facial w/ 🧖🏻‍♀️
5. A moment of respite from my flat renovation🔨
6. Two weeks through Portugal, more on this too 🇵🇹
7. London’🇬🇧
8. Playing tourists❤️
9. Adorable Rye 🌺
10. Solo getaway at the gorg 🛁
11. Sunning in Camber Sands 🏖️
12. Chic impromptu tour at 🍷
13. Packing up my whole life 📦
14. The views, always giving🌅
15. A final Sunday roast 🥘
16. Evening on the marshes 🌞
17. One for the road 🍺
18. My London gals 💛
19. The most emosh goodbye (for now) ✈️



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Are you ready for the return of Beauty Backpacker?!

12/03/2025

February highlights, here we go. And there were some special (dare I say, once-in-lifetime) moments across this gorgeous month of love 💕💖💓

1. the moment after receiving my British passport🇬🇧
2. me, on a podcast (a *pinch me* mo)
3. Trafalgar Square, shining in the sun
4. delicious treat at
5. wandering the
6. finally,
7. a visit to the fascinating
8. plus, its gorgeous back garden
9. a flash of y2k fun at
10. galentine’s
11. finally scoring a table at
12. dispensing poetry at
13. a delicious + beautiful lunch at .london
14. the Hackney sharks🦈
15. the first of spring sun
16. a wine bar, just below Charles Dickens’ home
17. , my new fave local spot
18. ice cream and wine at once?! a dream at
19. the marshes, always
20. she’s off again



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Who else is soooo ready for London spring?