I am extremely lucky to have so many family members all over the world, which makes travelling to exotic places so much easier for me. In December, I took some time to venture over to the city of Naples in Florida, a Gulf-Coast region lined with white sandy beaches and clear waters and dolphins; literally a paradise. My Grandmother lives over there and I thought it may be nice to spend some time together before Christmas. A chance for me to catch up on my Christmas shopping as well as spend some birthday money on myself and chill after by placement in Gran Canaria.

I’m no stranger to this part of the world, as I am fortunate enough to travel here maybe 2 or 3 times a year, and I look forward to each trip as if it were my first. I absolutely love this place.

Naples itself is quite an expensive city. It is a particular hit with the retired, mostly the ‘snow-birds’; people who spend half a year living in the Northern states of the USA who travel south for winter to the warmer climates and relaxing lifestyle. So I do find yourself repeating my life story to a different resident each day at the pool or beach, telling them about my plans for the future and reminding them that obviously I have grown if you last saw me when I was 6 years old.

Oh my gosh I ate so much food. American cuisine (if there is such a thing) is 100% my favourite food in the entire world. However, it doesn’t agree with me and I put on like 76 stone in 10 days. It was so worth it though. I ate my body weight in ribs and fries, and managed to fit in 3 massive American breakfasts and a couple of ginormous steaks. Probably not my best move just before Christmas.