Cambodia

Phnom Penh > Siem Reap > Sihanoukville > Koah Rung > Coconut Beach > Koh Rong Samlon 

Cambodia removed me from my usual environment which offered the opportunity to step outside, clear my mind and view things in a different light.

Be grateful each and every day for the travel experiences you’ve had and you’ll be proud of yourself for making them happen. You may have to defend your decision to travel the world solo but every day you wake up and do exactly what you want to do. You make friends, you can start afresh and you are free. 

All these beautiful places made me feel so small beneath trees, minuscule before oceans, and insignificant beneath an infinite expanse of space that my mind is not capable of fully visualising. This is one scary and amazing thought and one I only came across in southern Cambodia when I stopped teaching, volunteering and exploring and just relaxed and soaked up where I truly was in the world. And that happened to be around 6200 miles from what I called 'home'. 

Koah Rung

If you happen to find yourself in Koah Rung then I would definitely recommend the UFO rave. This picture was taken afterwards at sunrise. 

Koah Rung

Coconut Beach

Fishing Trip

Koh Rong Samlon 

Koh Rong Samlon 

Appreciate your insignificance

Whenever I travel by plane or have a few minutes spare to people watch, I get lost in my own gaze, staring into the oasis of land below, or the cluster of busy people and I realise how just huge our planet is and how many people really live on it. I realise how “insignificant” each and everyone’s existence is. When I write “insignificant” I feel like it its viewed negatively but it somewhat seems encouraging. I mean, you can only imagine how tiny us humans are in proportion to the size of this planet and the multitude of opportunities that lie out there. This thought makes me realise that whatever worries, doubts or insecurities are going on in my own head are also happening inside everybody else’s as well. If I delve deeper into my thoughts I think that nothing I ever do will really and truly matter and that, in some opinion, can be beautiful, freeing from pressure. 

If I fail I could move to a different city, a different country or a different continent. I could find anonymity in the endlessness of opportunities on this planet. The thought of the fact, that there is SO MUCH more out there than the problems we tend to create in our heads, is something that really helps to put things into perspective.

Although at first this is a terrifying thought and maybe a negative one, but by having a positive outlook and understanding of the vastness of nature, comfort can be found within this. The fear of powerlessness and insignificance will fade as you can gaze inward to find the universe’s worth, believing it has a plan for you. The universe always finds a way, find peace within divine timing, believing that maybe the infinity of what lies within is far grander than that outside.                                   

Cambodia

Phnom Penh > Siem Reap > Sihanoukville > Koah Rung > Coconut Beach > Koh Rong Samlon 

Whilst Traveling there will be things that you’ll witness that you will not understand. Ask questions. Don’t be judgmental about things that are outside of your own cultural norms, however horrifying, remember it is their culture. Just because something seems unfortunate, dire, or distributing to you does not mean that another person from the other side of the world will view it in the same way. I admit, I found it hard not to impose my opinions where they are not justified. Instead, I tried to be honored that I got to witness so many cultures around the globe, gather the good, and remember the bad as you create your own cultural views.

My journey started in the buzzing city of Phnom Penh. The mixture of modern and traditional elements of the city allows for an eclectic mix of experiences. From here I took a night bus to Siem Reap where I taught English in four amazing schools which was a truly unique and rewarding experience. Siem Reap is also the home of Angkor Wat, one of the seven wonders of the world where the 4am wake up was worthwhile to see this amazing sunrise over such an important part of history. I also visited a waterfall which is pictured above and an elephant sanctuary which is although one of the highlights of the trip for me it also taught me a lot and opened my eyes to the cruelty which these beautiful animals face. 

Although appreciating Asian culture the one thing that is completely unjust and unexceptionable is the riding of elephants which happens on any given day throughout south east Asia. Tourists pay to climb on top on these animals who have previously been tortured by a human being. Their subjugation is secured through beatings, stabbings with hooks and tight captivity, this gory process works best on baby elephants separated from their mothers. These poor elephants are forced to bear tourists on their backs all day where although they are big animals they are not built for riding so the process is extremely painful on top of the fact they are frequently deprived of rest and water breaks. It is not the fault of the tourists and I am in no way blaming them for their innocents towards the horror, but instead glossy holiday brochures and websites who glamorize riding pachyderms for the benefit of their own pocket. 

But beyond ethics, there are safety considerations that should compel travelers to rethink elephant rides. Elephants that harm or even kill are often resold to new owners and renamed to obscure their identities, this recycling process back into the tourist trade is so new handlers can keep collecting cash from visitors — who are often more concerned with Facebook “likes” than animal abuse.

These photos were taken at the Save the Elephants  organisation. This amazing foundation is a non-profit organisation which is dedicated to providing care and assistance to the captive elephant population. Through sponsorship they are able to rescue and rehabilitate the elephants where they can live a life free from suffering.

            Angkor Wat at sunrise. 

A school in Siem Reap. 

Ta Prohm. 

Phnom Penh.

Phnom Penh.  

Siem Reap Jungle. Blessing trees. 

Adventure may be dangerous but routine is lethal

TRAVEL, IT'S THE ONLY THING YOU CAN SPEND MONEY ON THAT WILL MAKE YOU RICHER

This high visual society in which we have grown is supported by Instagram, a leading app where anyone can share anything. Stalking accounts can make the the average person want to break out of the mundane office job and start exploring every corner of the earth, so with this I have added some below.  

Inspiration therefore, can be taken from a few of my favourite travel Instagram accounts where they use an extent use of visual story telling from a range of global locations. For me, the chance to travel is the yearning of adventure, to experience and to see. After finishing university and still not having a clue, this opens the perfect gap to take a break from education and open up the opportunity of a refresh of perspectives. 

“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

JACK MORRIS 

https://www.instagram.com/doyoutravel/

Debi Flugge

https://www.instagram.com/debiflue/

COLIN CABALKA

https://www.instagram.com/ColinCabalka/

LOUIS COLE 

https://www.instagram.com/funforlouis/?hl=en

Brights

Brights. There is no reason why anyone can not pull it off, i feel it it is just having the confidence to do so.

I lack confidence in a variety of areas in my life but when it comes to fashion i feel a sense of freedom when expressing my self where i don't feel as shy about wearing something a little more 'out there'. This outfit is taking on this bright hoodie trend that is all over the high street in a subtle and relaxed way by hiding this neon pink hoodie under some plain black mom style dungarees.


Jumper - Primark
Dungarees - Asos

Some looks inspired by this trend include 

Asos are nailing it with the large array of florescent hoodies they have on offer at the moment. I was torn between this orange number i have been eyeing up but felt a lot more confident and comfortable in my trusty pink.

 

On the Catwalk 

These super Brights will be pushing the pastels out this season. The past few summers have been haven for the subdued pastel tones but that is about to change with the high octane tones and primary shades which come through with these collections. I am especially loving this Marigold dress by Rejina Pyo - 

X

London Fashion Week | February 2017

My favrouites from the week:

Topshop Unique

“The high street chain is a millennial's heaven.

This chirpy and low-price brand has nailed was founded in 2001 and welcomed into London Fashion Week in 2005. They are renowned for the captivating energy and array of celebrity models such as Cara Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn. Where Kate Moss was once the Topshop poster girl, now her half sister Lottie Moss has taken over in this beautiful daisy print sweater with the pop of pink peaking out from underneath.  

I love the short satin skirts and the variation of the longer length dresses with a slit up the side; these were paired with the visible bra and a beautiful fluffy shearling coat worn over what looked like a striped sweater and a pair of underpants- amazing.  

House of Holland

Henry was catapulted into the fashion limelight after graduating from London College with the introduction of 'fashion groupies' slogan tees featuring catchphrases including the famous 'ugu Gareth Pugh' and 'get your freak on Giles Deacon'. 

House of Holland designs have a London girl aesthetic which inspires the variety of cultures and mind-sets within. This collection is very western inspired which is definitely something we can expect to see in the upcoming seasons on the high street. 

Burberry

Christopher Bailey is the Chief Executive Officer for this global brand. This luxury fashion brand is one of the most desirable in Britain which enables them for the unique and enviable position in terms of recognition. 

The clever and so beautifully deconstructed trenches are heavy and the ivory cable knits are pairs with the extravagant sleeves we are used to seeing with shirts and lace dresses. Christopher Bailey creates herringbone tweed tailoring and outerwear whist also finding the time for intricate jersey cut sweatshirts and loose cargo pants with appliqued stripey t-shirts. 

Thank you for reading!
Ella x

Embroidery

We all know Gucci started this amazing trend followed by designers such as Alexander McQueen and Roberto Cavalli where embroidered appliques have been added to patterned fabrics to create nearly three dimensional effects.

Designers were not subtle with this trend, covering a mixture of textures with this delicate embellishment. Leather jackets, boots and bags are just some of the floral-esque designs covering the current runways. The use of leather and denim create a strong statement which are now commonly found in many highstreet shops where jeans are decorated creating a strong statement to an everyday basic. 

Whilst this is certainly a year round trend it lends itself to the upcoming spring month with the crisp and cooler air welcome opportunities to wear a clean white embroidered shirt with a lighter wash of denim. The trend gives itself an expensive and delicate feel with the high detail stitching which embraces the standard floral designs we see every year with a remarkable on trend twist.   

Here are a few of my favorite designer inspirations followed by my own high street take on the trend. 

Shirt- ZARA

Choker- Primark 

Fur Coat- Topshop

Bralet- Primark

Shoes- Primark