The Power of: Saying Yes (when you feel like saying no)

If you can preface a travel post by saying "I'll never forget that moment when..." then you know you're doing something right.

I've had these photos saved in a draft blog post since I first blogged about Switzerland in early 2017, but I knew that this profound personal experience deserved something more than just a visual diary. 

As you may recall, my first stop after arriving in Europe was Zurich, something that was not on the top of my bucket list. On the second day of being in the city, we visited my friend's friend who had relocated there for of her husband's job. I still remember that anxiety and discomfort of going to a stranger's home and meeting someone new for the first time. If only I was better at saying no, I thought. Given that we were only there for a few days, I could've explored the city on my own instead of tagging along to my friend's catch up. I kept this internal turmoil to myself (as always) and tried my best to socialise. 

The next day, my friend said she was planning to meet up with her friend and her three kids again to go swimming. The discomfort of meeting someone new has slightly faded after the first encounter, but I still felt like an outsider tagging along (and the thought of having to be in my swimwear gave me the sweats). I imagined myself going all the way to Zurich to swim in a YMCA pool. But again, I decided to say yes and went along. 

As you can see from these photos, saying yes gave me an experience that I never expected to have.

We all ended up hopping into the car and drove to Walensee, located about an hour outside of Zurich. When we got there, we took a cable car up the mountain. 

Holy freaking moly. It was one of the best views of nature that I've ever seen. 

Once we got off the cable car, we walked along a few paths until we reached a picnic area. Insane greenery and mountain views greeted us at every turn - I couldn't believe that this place was so easily accessible to the people who lived there. We spent the afternoon drinking fresh glacier water and picking (and eating) wild blueberries. 

By the time we went back down the mountain, I had won over the three kids and we were playing together on the play equipment (which just casually had an expansive view of the Swiss countryside) and swimming in the glacial lake. By saying "yes", I got to venture to a part of Switzerland that I didn't know about and experience what the locals get to enjoy.

From that moment on and all throughout my exchange, I decided to say yes more often (even when I really felt like saying no). Once I started consciously saying yes, I became more aware of how often I felt like saying no. This most often occurred in social events when I didn't know anyone well (like birthday parties), or when I just didn't feel like going out. Despite the fact that I am an introvert, I realised that this fear (that turns into a 'NO') had been stopping me from unique and enjoyable experiences. 

So here's to saying YES (assertively in capital letters) more often, even when you feel like saying no. Learn to be mindful of when the irrational fear wants to take over and stop you from having a good time. Say to it, "thanks, but I'm just going to feel the fear and do it anyway", and enjoy every unique experience.

City Guide: A day in Bath, UK

I am excited to finally present another city guide on this blog (see other city guides here and here). Over a year has passed since I spent 6 months abroad in Europe. I was trying to cram in as much of Europe as I could before I had to leave, as I knew it would be a while before I could return again. Bath, UK was the very last city trip that I took before I headed back to Sydney.

I found Bath to be an easy, effortless trip from London. I spent a great day wandering around the town by myself, ticking off the major sights but also popping into shops for some last minute shopping. Even though I was alone, the day passed happily and quickly.

Main language spoken English / Currency British pounds / Best explored on foot

How to get there

Bath is located in southwest England, about an hour and a half train ride away from London. If you are travelling from London, the train is by far the quickest and easiest way of travelling to Bath. I caught the Great Western Railway and booked a ticket in advance via trainline. The return journey cost me 54 pounds (with a 16-25 Railcard).

You can also travel to Bath by bus - this is a much cheaper option but the journey will take twice as long. I also considered joining a sightseeing tour that combines Stonehenge with Bath, as Stonehenge is located only about an hour's drive away, but I was a bit over sightseeing and preferred to explore at my own leisurely pace.

How long to spend there

Because Bath is not a big town, I only spent the day there and was back in London at night to catch a last minute booking to Aladdin the musical. Leaving London at 10 am, I spent about 5 hours in Bath but didn't feel rushed.

Planning ahead

As this trip was a relatively spontaneous decision near the end of my time in Europe, I didn't do much planning before the day. I booked my train ticket online last minute (I prefer buying online than buying at the station on the day of). I had previously read about Bath in the Cereal online guides, however I did not prebook any tickets to any attractions nor carry out any further research. Bath is an easy town to wander around and explore.

After a quick breakfast and heading for the 10am train, the first thing I attended to in Bath was obviously to try out its coffee. Recommended by the Cereal Guide, I visited Colona & Small’s Speciality Coffee and took a corner seat to people watch while I sipped on a hot flat white.

The Roman Baths

Despite not wanting to do much sightseeing, I still wanted to tick off the world heritage site, the Roman Baths, off my bucket list. As I visited Bath on a weekday, I was able to buy a ticket to the Roman Baths (around 15 pounds) without having to queue up. The ticket comes with a free audioguide which was great for learning about the ancient thermal springs (that still flow with natural hot water today). My tip for visiting galleries and museums like these is to always get the audioguide. It truly enhances the experience when you get a better understanding of what you’re seeing.

Abbey Church Yard, Bath BA1 1LZ

The Bath Abbey is also located right next to the Roman Baths (although I didn't go inside to have a look).

Pulteney Bridge

I was extremely excited to visit Pulteney Bridge and the River Avon, as it was the filming location for Les Miserables when Javert falls into the Seine (#nerdalert). I decided to buy a takeaway salad and had lunch whilst sitting on a bench overlooking the River.

Along Pulteney Bridge is a row of shops and cafes (it reminded me of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence). One of them was a concept store called Found. I really enjoyed the shops in Bath, as many of them were homeware and concept stores such as Graham & Green and the more commercial but beautiful Anthropologie.

Bridge Street, Bath BA2 4AT

Enjoying my lunch next to the River Avon.

The main reason why I wanted to visit Bath was to admire the Georgian architecture. It’s so...English! In particular, I visited the Royal Crescent and the Circus (which are located near each other), both historical streets designed by prominent architect John Wood.

At one point I decided to walk down a private driveway and was greeted by this amazing view.

Walking back to the centre of Bath, I also visited the shops in and around the Corridor.

Hope you enjoyed this guide! Click here to read more travel posts.

Botanical Garden at the University of Zurich

As I edit these images shot way back when I was in Zurich, I'm trying to articulate my love of botanical gardens. 

This was my first European botanical garden (the second was in Madrid). Botanical gardens are easy for me to blog about because I don't want to do too much to the images - no over-editing or post-editing; just let the images speak for themselves. The details of every different species of leaves and flowers faithfully captured by my Olympus. I think what I find attractive is that a botanical garden is a highly organised and planned collective human ode to nature. A thousand species are gathered from all over the world and carefully cultivated in one space, living in harmony via measured and precise living conditions. Greenhouse domes are built to allow maximum European sun whilst the plants thrive in an artificial humidity. The patterns that plants make are intoxicating to stare at. At every corner I find a new surprise of species unknown. How amazing it is to stand in a microcosm of what the natural world has to offer.

Address: Zollikerstrasse 107, 8008 Zurich (entry is free)
For more information, visit here.