Where Sophie Goes

Hello everybody, my name is Sophie  and welcome to my blog 'Where Sophie Goes'

My Blog is so named this because I go places. I Get about a Bit. That sounds wrong. 

I'm a Holiday Rep. Hi! 

There was one day in my 21st year of life when I got this fantastic opportunity to work abroad. Living, and earning in the sun! The dream right?

Obviously I took up this amazing offer, and shortly after I was zoomed off for 7 months in Cyprus. 

I was then to pack my bags and spend a fabulous 11 months in Lanzarote.

Then 7 weeks in Lapland.

Then another 3 months back on the rock of Lanzarote.

Then 7 months in Ibiza.

Another 7 weeks in Lapland.

That brings us to now. 24 years of age, 3 years of adventures under the belt, and the next in view is Summer 2016 in Kefelonia (a small Greek Island, Yes, I had to Google Map it too..)

My life is exactly where I want it to be. I never had itchier feet as I do today, and I love it!

I adore my job, working for the public, and the fact no 2 days are the same.

I love the lifestyle, of being thrown into a team of strangers, and in next to no time, you are all like family, and make friends for life.

I can't get enough of the free time and days off, exploring new places, knowing the country like the back of your hand, and experiencing things some people only dream of..

I love the cultural experiences, not only visiting, but living in different cultures, learning the languages, eating the food, and befriending the locals..

And of course, don't you think I'd forgotten, In true Rep-Style,

of course I love the crazy nights out that turn into 7am-ers,

the waking up to an apartment that looks like something from 'The Hangover'

Swimming out to sea at 6am to watch the sunrise,

Being Sledged home in Lapland singing Christmas songs,

and consent fear, yet love of lining out salt, lime and downing half a bottle of Tequila.

So back to the point, this blog of mine is just for me, to document a few things from my life, so I can look back and think 'Yeah, that was pretty F***ing awesome'.

Thanks for coming along and reading, I hope you enjoy and I'd love to share all of my adventures with you!!

My Second Winter in LAPLAND

Not quite sure how to sum up this special winter season into words. So I'll just give you one:

Wow.

I'm not going to lie, on my way out to Gatwick airport, I had the biggest nerves, I had done this season before in Lapland, and my memories weren't the freshest. I remember being tired, stressed, drained, and just overall, a little bit sad. But boy was I wrong to feel these nerves!

Yeah okay, I'm not going to say it wasn't hard work, because again, I felt that stress, that drained feeling and being so over tired, but this time around, it all seemed worth it.

I think the biggest reason behind all of this has to be the little team I was blessed with. I have always, and will always say this, it doesn't matter where you are in the world, but if you have a wonderful team that feels like your family, you'll have the best time. None of us really conversed during the training period. I met fabulous people there too, and if I'm honest, I was absolutely gutted when I was told I would be placed 3 hours away from those people, but all we then needed was that first night out together, and we were instantly family.

From Dance offs, Karaoke, Spanish blokes, Finnish blokes and Chicken on the floor (all berry-Juice influenced, obviously), this season in Levi started out with a bang (-ing headache, but fun all the same).

The customers started flooding their way in, and looking after the hotel with the most arrivals in Lapland, we surely did not have a minute to spare to eat, sleep, think or breath. But it was all very much so worth it. (This obviously having a helping hand in losing 14lbs in 6 weeks)...

There was hard days, and surprisingly, there was easier days, but all of which I will never forget,

And all I can say is, if anyone ever has the opportunity of visiting or working in Lapland,

Do it, as it'll be that magical place that will stay in your heart forever.

My Beautiful Summer

Wow, what a six months to attempt to summarise within a single blog post. If only there was a way of creating a Mary-Poppin-Style blog post, where it could fit in absolutely everything, without it seeming to contain much at all and using up too much space. 

The friends I met and lived with were the best I could've asked for. We made a comfortable little family within our little home and it has been the summer of peace, self acceptance and love.

Yep, I find myself catching the Grease bug - 'Summer Lovin''...

Long story short, I met this guy, and without a chorus of backing singers, what we got up to was nothing short of a romantic movie;

- We went to a peaceful little hippy-bar on the beach and watched the blood moon set over the sea.
-  We went to a beautiful, classy bar to when it started thundering and lightening intensely. He then drove me away on his scooter to the top of a woodland hill, overlooking the town to watch the terrific storms above our heads. The forks of lightening lighting up the sky and to top it off, the blood moon made an appearance- seeing this kind of became our thing.
- The moon being a running-theme of our relationship moments, there was the night with the Lunar eclipse. That night too had forks of lightening. He took me up to the roof of a hotel with a drink to lay down, looking up. It started raining, so we kissed in the rain. Cliche.
- We arranged a day off together where we hired a car and went around the island to places I had never been. He booked us into a beautiful 4* hotel for the night and had a yummy Italian meal.
- He picked me up at midnight once and whisked me off to the beach, with a bottle of wine and a blanket packed. We had a beach wine-nic.

There was many moments of kissing in the rain, kissing in the sea, absolute 'take-me' moments, and my stomach had constant butterflies for the past 6 months. All I can say is that, although the whole season we knew it was going to have to come to an end, I wish it didn't have to.

I have seemed to be able to think a lot more clearly now, after this summer, and have learned to think with a more positive attitude, being so grateful that those moments happened, we will see each other again, and just remember the memories instead of wallowing in the fact it's over.

I am so happy it's unreal.

I've found a new me this year, and i'm never going backwards again.