How To Spend Two Weeks in Thailand (Itinerary & Full Travel Guide)

2023 was the year I finally travelled to Thailand, the country on my travel wishlist since 2000 that I'd somehow never quite managed to visit. In this post, I am rounding up my overall experience: my itinerary and how it worked out, what I did, where I stayed, how I got around and my advice and practical tips.

Coffee Subscription Review: The Local Coffee Club

Last autumn, I was excited to try out a new-to-me coffee subscription service. The idea behind The Local Coffee Club is that each month, they send you a carefully selected bag of coffee from a roaster that is local to you. Currently, they have subscriptions for Bristol and Bath, London, Scotland and South Wales — and an 'everywhere' option in case the service isn't yet in an area near you.

Five Travel Stories from 2023

In 2023, like in 2022, I travelled outside the UK less than in the beforetimes. Travel, and especially flights, have become even more expensive since COVID and Brexit, so it's been more important than ever to make each trip count. It has also meant I've continued to explore more of the UK, especially Birmingham and the West Midlands, Brighton and Sussex, Margate and Oxford, but also a first (and certainly not last!) visit to Glasgow.

My Top 5 Books of 2023

In the second of my end-of-year round-ups, I'm highlighting my five favourite books from among all of those I read in 2023. It was a relatively slow year for reading (for me): I read 77 books, including a couple of re-reads, and I wasn't feeling inspired for much of the year. This meant I defaulted to my usual reading favourites: crime and psychological thrillers and books set in New York City (where the photo below was taken). Sometimes both!