But first, a little about my story…
My story is one of self-discovery. When I was young and growing up, I always thought that to be successful in life, I had to stroll into an office wearing a suit like it was shining armour and work in buildings where it had a pointy top and you had to crane your neck to take it all in.
As I left my paralegal job in the summer of 2014, (I was there for the shortest time ever) I reflected on what wanted to do with my life and realised how wrong I was to pursue a career that was never for me, even if I enjoyed studying it from afar. Society, peers and family have all led me to believe this was the only way to achieve a rich and comfortable life. What they failed to tell was the price – the anxiety and the stress.
But even so, as I write and reflect on the path I had chosen that summer in 2014, I am grateful for the experiences I’ve had because, without it, I would never have become the intrepid London explorer I am now, and this blog would never exist.
But it does, and now, reader, I want to share with you everything I know about London. Feel free to join me as I take in the bars, restaurants and things to do in this city I call home and perhaps you might take a step down the path less travelled like I did.
- I was born and raised in London to Thai parents. No, I can’t speak Thai properly, but I can eavesdrop and understand everything in a Thai conversation. At home, my parents speak Thai but I respond in English.
- When I was 11, I was shipped off to boarding school in Warwick to continue my secondary education. I was there up until 18 before returning to London to start my degree at Queen Mary University.
- I studied my law degree for 3 years and then continued my legal studies right up to postgrad at UCL. I specialised in International Commercial Law, particularly dry shipping law, and did my dissertation on Marine Insurance. Don’t ask me for legal advice – those days are truly over!
- I have a CELTA qualification that allows me to teach English as a Foreign language anywhere in the world.
- I studied Japanese right to an intermediate level. Don’t ask me to teach – I’ve forgotten everything.
- I am a big Football and Rugby fan. Because of the grief I got at school, I became a closet Spurs fan for most of my adulthood until recently. I also played rugby for school for 7 years. I am still counting my lucky stars how I managed to play without breaking anything!
- I am an avid photographer and I only started in 2015. It’s never too late to start a new hobby.
- During my spare time, I love to go out running (very slowly!) photography (of course!), exploring, and want to try my hands at bartending. I am very open to learning new things. I’ve even tried knitting (and still trying!). I am quite outdoorsy so, anyone who wants to climb mountains with me, hit me up!
- I learnt to play the piano for one year in my last year at uni. I suck, but can still read music and if I had the time to practise, I like to think I can bust out a few tunes. I was able to play this tune from Yiruma at one point.
- The hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life? Walking 100 km from London to Brighton for Blind Veterans UK. Nothing comes close to pushing my limits mentally and physically than that challenge. Despite that, I want to do it again! Since then I’ve done a couple of 10km runs for Cancer Research, The Great Newham Run (I finished in the London Stadium!) and I’m running my first ever half-marathon in May 2018.
- Finally, I am a big Londonphile and love everything that makes us up this wonderful city. I am particularly into the food and restaurant scene but it can be anything that grabs my interest – museums, festivals, budget things to do, theatre, attraction – absolutely anything.
