Reflecting on 2014
January – My year began in Paris, as all of the best years of my life have done so far. I was so eager to return to my beloved city that I brought my flight forward to spend New Year’s Eve breaking in the year with my best friends in the city of light.
February – spring arrived astoundingly early in Paris and so the streets were budding with cherry blossom rather prematurely, these photos were taken on the 2nd February along la Promenade Plantée. I also returned to London this month to spend a weekend with my best friend as I was feeling homesick for England. I spent my days perusing the fresh farmers markets and photographing the macaron-coloured apartments in Notting Hill.
March – I celebrated my birthday with dear friends brunching at Ralph’s and returning to the beautiful Japanese and English rose gardens at the Albert Kahn museum. It also appears to be a month rich in day trips according to my photography archives where I visited the highly recommended Chateau de Sceaux and Chateau de Chantilly.
April – in April I pushed myself entirely out of my comfort zone and did something I’ve never done before. I left my camera in Paris and ventured to a remote village not far from Nice and the French Riviera where I embarked on a brutal detox. It was both emotionally and physically gruelling and perhaps one of the hardest things I have ever done having all amenities stripped away from me. I conversed solely in French, ate an all vegan and raw diet, survived on dandelions for lunch and almonds for breakfast and exercised every day. Never have my lungs breathed in such fresh and pure air nor have I felt so alive as I did during that month.
May – I hosted my second Pierre Hermé brunch in May, this one was in celebration of the beginning of Spring and was the perfect excuse to gather a few of my favourite people under one roof. I relied heavily on caffeine as the weeks ensued as it proved to be an intensive period of final year exams. Luckily I had friends and coffee dates to get me through.
June – June was to be my final full month in Paris so I made sure to make the most of every single second and can honestly say that I lived every day and evening to the max. It was the month that I truly embraced the Vélib’ biking system and solely used this mode of transport to get around. Gone were the days of the sticky métro, replaced by cycling to the beat of the city which energised and excited me. Among the highlights were the Prix de Diane horse races, the Chateau de Bagatelle and the Chateau de Fontainebleau.
July – July was a big month for me; I graduated from university and celebrated at the exquisite gold-adorned British Embassy in Paris where the graduation ceremony was held. It was a bittersweet day as it was the day I left Paris for good. I then spent a blissful week in Greece and later traveled through Italy with my closest friend, passing through Rome, Florence and Venice.
August – I returned to England in August for some much needed down-time where I began de-cluttering and organising my life. I found a full-time job in a solicitors office and prepared myself for the routine of a 9-5 job. I also took the time to explore more of England learning to appreciate its natural beauty, spending time in Bath and around National Trust sites.
September – Despite starting my new job I moved around an awful lot in September travelling to London where we saw the installation of ceramic poppies in memory of the war and dined in the highest restaurant in the UK. I also spent a week on the Isle of Wight at a festival watching a few of my favourite bands. At the end of the month I spent a long weekend in Copenhagen where I had the most incredible and slightly life-altering experience.
October – I returned to Paris in October for a few reasons. I had to tie up some loose ends in the city, wanted to catch up with friends that I dearly missed but also to do a few photography shoots with the beautiful Kim. My final evening was spent at the stunning Chateau de Versailles where the sunset will forever be engraved into my memory.
November & December – both of these months flew by with work and deadlines filling up my days not giving me time to catch my breath before Christmas! I ended the year in London reunited with my best friends from all over the world.