I packed my bag and in it I put.........

I'm going away on a trip that less than a year ago I would of never dreamt of going on. The mere suggestion of a hostel and a night train would of been dismissed quickly as 'not me'. In all honesty I don't think anybody would of even have entertained the idea with me in the first place. Me and high maintenance went together as easily as strawberries and cream.

Cue a difficult few months, a new appreciation for life and a particularly miserable lunch break in February and I had been coerced into 'backpacking', in its loosest sense. I even wanted to ditch the backpack part ..... apparently that isn't the point. 

A flight is booked to Prague. A return flight is booked from Zadar.  The intervening period is less planned. 

For someone who likes to plan with military precision this is disconcerting to say the least. The Charge of the Light Brigade comes to mind and we all know how that ended.

The travel plan so far involves Prague, Vienna, Budapest (most excited about the baths) and some Croatian island hopping for a week of relaxation. Obviously on a budget. If anyone has any tips/places to visit it would be much appreciated. I love food

Giddy with excitement I did order a map and yes, i have pinned it to my wall and marked places with a gold star : )

The travel bible.....

Obviously my aim is to make this trip slightly more glamorous. I didn't sign up for totally slumming it. Did I? Inspired by Abbie's post on swimwear I started the hunt for the perfect bikini. This is the Goddess Monroe bikini by Seafolly. It didn't come cheap but is far more substantial than the string offerings of the high street.

And as a true beauty junkie I have begun to amass an array of travel sized products........waxing, gel nail and eyelash extension appointments may have also been booked. Baby steps for the unseasoned backpacker....

I may have also ordered a sneaky pair of Havianas from Sarenza this morning using the 30% discount code from Lilyloveslola . Travel essential, right?

If anybody has any travel essentials please let me know, i've ordered a money belt and a travel towel.

Can a leopard really change its spots? We will see......

The spending diary double bill is up tomorrow, don't worry i hadn't forgotten and as predicted far worse than week one.

Elle x