7 Things We Could Learn From Germany

So, last November (2014) I toured across Germany with a touring theater called Wilde Shamrock with two guys, Vinny and Ricky. We traveled to schools and venues across the land performing plays and music gigs. The audiences would improve their English, learn about Ireland and most of the time, their laughter assured us they were entertained! Throughout the 4 weeks we traveled thousands of miles and stayed in tens of towns. On the way, I got to meet some amazing people and learn so much about Germany, having never been before despite studying the language in school. There are a few things that stuck out about their way of life that I wanted to take home with me, here are some of them!

1. Take Your Shoes Off 
This is a rule almost every home I went into in Germany abides by. Quite hilariously, no one warned me about it! So the first house I stayed in, I was tromping all over the place in my ankle boots, introducing myself to everyone and wondering why the hosts kept looking at my feet. "We don't wear shoes indoors here," Vinny whispered to me. So I tip toed out to the hall and left them with the rows of shoes I somehow missed when I came in the door. 

It was hard to get used to, and some houses were fine with it so every house I entered, I had a ritual of checking to see if there were shoes by the door or were they on the feet of the people who lived there. If the rule didn't exist, I opted to keep my shoes on as my socks were cheap and not very cosy to walk around in plus I never thought of bringing slippers with me on my travels! And I really dislike walking around barefoot. On days where I was wearing fluffy socks though, it was the best thing ever! And there are so many pros to taking your shoes of at home;

• You instantly feel more relaxed and at home, even if it's not your home!
• Your shoes get less wear and I'm sure the time spent out of them adds up and they'll last longer?!
• Wearing shoes all day, is bad for your feet. They need to air! So let them breathe and they'll be less smelly too.
• You can put your feet on the furniture without being yelled at.
• Let's face it, the carpets and floors will be a whole lot cleaner, won't they? 

So buy yourself some comfy socks or a pair of slippers and take your shoes off at the door.

2. How to Drive
For a country that usually has no speed limit on the motorway, you'd think there'd be collisions and pile ups everywhere! But no, out of the 5 other countries I have experience in the passenger's seat of a car in, Germany is by far the safest country to drive in. One of the reasons behind this is not any lucky ninny can get behind the wheel with a full license. First you need to complete 14 theoretical driving lessons, then do 12 mandatory on the road lessons split between driving on country roads, on the Autobahn and in the dark. Plus you also have to do a first aid course before you can even think of getting your hands on a full license. How crazily smart is that? Yes it sounds like a pain in the hole regarding money and time but at the end of the day, they're more prepared for the unexpected. I'd sooner trust someone who studied at a German driving school when driving through Cavan at avoiding unexpected sheep on the road than I would someone with an Irish license. No offence, but seriously! The way drivers in Germany treat cyclists is another one to take note of and learn from. See the next point!

Genius I tell ya!

(They also have these super genius digital signs every few hundred meters or so on the autobahn which warn drivers of accidents up ahead or roadworks and display a speed limit drivers must adhere to, to cope with such conditions. Then the signs let you know when the speed limit no longer applies and you can go back to driving as fast as you like!)


3. How to Treat Cyclists on the Road
There are cyclists everywhere in Germany and they're treated like the road users they are. They have designated cycles lanes almost everywhere and no one walks or stands in a cycle lane or, as I almost learned the hard way had I not been pulled back, you'll be run over! If you're cycling in Ireland, and in particular, Dublin, you need to constantly expect people to walk out in front of you because...well, they most likely will! In Germany, it's the pedestrians that need to look out for the cyclists because if you're standing in the cycle lane, they'll most likely just cycle you over. And having a broken arm from a cyclist running you over is a whole lot less 'cool' than being hit by a Jaguar.

If there's a meme of it, it must be true.

If Ireland had the same respect for cyclists on the road as they do for cars, the roads will be a whole lot safer. Then it will even appeal to people more as it wouldn't as risky. More cyclists = less car users = less CO2 emissions = a healthier planet. Plus more money in pocket, plus exercise and fine looking legs! Win win!




4.  Be an Honest Customer

Cafés leave these blankets for
people to use and no one
steals them either!

I noticed when in a pub, café or restaurant in Germany that for every drink I ordered, the waiter/waitress made a small mark on the coaster under my glass. When paying the bill, they would come over and count the marks on each person's coaster and charge them for that amount of drinks. Yes, in bigger pubs and restaurants, they'd have it all in the till already and it simply made it easier for knowing who owed what for drinks, but in smaller pubs they did it too. No one swapped coasters with anyone else or tore theirs up. You could easily get up and leave without paying and not get caught, but this was unheard of. Then I thought, could you do this in Ireland and not have people take advantage of it? Honestly, I don't know. Most of the time we use the coasters for 'magic' tricks or tear them up because we're extremely fidgety people. But I'd like to think if places did start doing something like this, we'd have some respect and pay for the 10 drinks we ordered instead of 3. When it comes to supporting businesses in this day and age, we gotta be good! (However I do believe the banks here don't count, so don't be afraid to take their pens...)

5. Allowing Dogs Inside

The door of a hairdressers. Dogs allowed!

As an avid animal lover, one of the first things I noticed in Germany was the friendy, accepting attitude towards dogs. I was sitting in a café in a town called Amberg, having flown into Germany the night before, and I saw someone walk by the window with two gorgeous big dogs. As usual I cooed and cawed until they past. The next thing, in walks the owner behind me and walks by me sitting at the table with the two magnificent dogs!! I loved it. It's just so cool. Over the next four weeks, from Munich to Bramerhaven, there were dogs chilling in cafés, pubs and buildings all over the place. I never saw any strays, they were all accompanied by someone who had them on a lead or sitting at their feet, so it wasn't a case of dogs wandering around restaurants begging at tables. It just added a whole sense of homeliness. I hate walking by places and seeing dogs tied up outside, it breaks my heart even though most of the time they're probably fine. Germany just felt like a happier place for dogs with their lack of 'No dogs except guide dogs allowed' signs.

I don't need to vouch for why we should let people take their dogs into cafés and whatnot in Ireland. Everyone loves dogs plus they'll be more likely to be taken places and for walks with their owners. So come on Ireland! Raise your puppy not to be extremely hyper and maybe I can bring my dog, my Buddy, somewhere for lunch! Imagine how nice that would be!!! I vote for dogs. A vote for dogs is a vote for us. That is all.

6. Reliable Public Transport
Vinny told me of a time he was waiting at a train station somewhere near the border of Germany, close to Switzerland and Austria. An announcement rang out over the intercom in German and everyone started huffing and complaining. It announced the same thing in a few different languages and more and more people showed their aggrivation. Thinking, 'Uh-oh, did the train break down? Is there gonna be an hour delay?' Eventually, the annoucement was made in English saying the train was going to be delayed by two minutes. Two minutes.

TWO MINUTES!!

That goes to show you how efficient and reliable the public transport is in Germany and I experienced it myself when taking buses and trains.

In Ireland, the bus stop you're waiting at will tell you your bus is due in 10 minutes, then when it gets to 1 minute it will disappear off the system only to flash back up 5 minutes later saying the same bus is due in another 6 minutes and the bus will eventually arrive about 15 minutes later. Sadly, this is no joke. Public transport is a nuiscance. So Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann and Iarnroad Eireann, get your ass/transport in gear!

7. Be Nice to our Planet, Be Environmentally Sustainable
Our first roadtrip in the daytime was from Erlangern to Amberg, the day after flying into Frankfurt. Seeing the landscape of a new country is always exciting for me, I suppose it's because I haven't been to that many! So I was looking out the window, examining all the things that make the country different to Ireland; we were driving on the right side of the road  (as opposed to left, not wrong!), there was no Irish on the signposts, only German, and there were wind turbines everywhere. Everywhere. The more we drove, the more we'd see. Then I saw fields of solar panels everywhere. After doing my research, I realized Germany is one of the leading countries in Europe when it comes to environmental sustainability, and we need to follow suit. An investment in renewable energy will save us money in the long run and reduce our use of fossil fuels which is currently around 90%. We need more turbines and we need more solar panels.

This gorgeous view from the car was constant

    Among all these sightings, forest after forest thrived across the landscape too. I learned that one third of Germany consists of forests and over the past five decades, they've added one million hectares of forest back to the land. How does this compare to Ireland? Well, a 2012 article stated our land is less than 10% forestry, the second lowest in Europe and planting has slowed down with no signs of speeding up. Long ago, Ireland would have been primarily covered in forest. Yes, some may blame English rule for cutting them down to build their ships and it's like we're half waiting for the UK to give us some compensation money to replant them or something. Regardless, I don't think we're going to get pity money from any country any time soon in this climate. What's clear is our lack of forest is because of human activities. And we need to fix it. Why? 

• We'll reduce our Carbon Dioxide emissions and if we hit the EU's target, we'll escape hefty fines.
• The environment in general will benefit, primarily animal life. 
• Tourism will benefit. Research shows Ireland's landscape is one of the main attractions for tourists. Using personal experience and talking to tourists, many thought there'd be more forests than there is. More forests = more tourists.
• More tourists = money into the economy. Especially into more rural areas that need it. 
• Employment: If the government gets a loan or takes something out of their hefty salaries and pensions, they could put it to employing people to plant trees and perhaps maintaining forests, spreading awareness and educating people. A large but worthy investment when we escape EU carbon emission fines.

So. Forests. We need them. End of.

And may I remind you of the previous point addressing the number of cyclists there are?! Germany is amazing when it comes to taking care of the environment and Ireland looks ridiculous in comparison. For a country that is great for recycling, we really suck when it comes to everything else.

Jayziz, I could do with a cup of tea now! These are just a few things I think Ireland could learn from Germany, and maybe other countries could take heed too. Of course, Germany is not perfect and there's a few thing I'd like to teach them. Like, why can't you sell proper crisps?? There isn't anything even closely resembling a Tayto crisp or a Hunky Dory. And ye could do with learning how to make a good cup of tea! (Ostfriesland is excluded from this, their tea is pretty amazing.) Making cycle lanes a bit more obvious will also help reduce the number of poor unsuspecting travelers like me getting runover by a bicycle. Having the lanes just a shade darker than the rest of the path can be a tad unclear! Just saying...

Anyway, I'll be going back to Germany in April to learn more about their ways and maybe teach them how to make a good cup tea.


Until next time, I'll sign off with a picture of me and a giant nutcracker that actually works. Thanks for reading and Happy Travels!

Grá, 

Ceara (:

6 Reasons To Be A Tourist in Your Own Country

(I wrote this post's title on my phone and auto correct suggested 6 Reasons to be a 'tortoise' in our own country. I know what my next post is going to be about anyway...)

Recently a friend of mine from Switzerland that I met while volunteering in South Africa came over to visit our Emerald Isle for the first time. I offered her the choice of staying with me and allowing me to guide her through the best of Dublin and the country side. However instead of guiding, I ended up holding that map with her and exploring places in my own country that I've never seen before. 

  Ireland is a very small country. The culture doesn't change with the landscape. You barely have to go 100 meters and you meet someone you know and haven't seen in years. For these reasons, I'd never think to really put on tourist mode as I feel I'm not going to see anything new and those landmarks we have I'll eventually get around to road-tripping to one day. I get used to the place I'm in and never think to look around with new eyes. I think everyone reading this can say you've had someone visit you at some point and you had to turn on tourist mode. You instantly become more active as you're going out, eating and drinking in nice places and bringing them to the historical, pretty or famous places you know of. You do this instead of going to the same pub or club or sitting in watching hours of movies you never heard of on Netflix. When tourist mode is on, several wonderful things can occur. Here are some of them;

1. You Notice More
Places and scenery that are mundane to you suddenly show signs of beauty. As an example, my friend Janina, stopped to take pictures of a pub in Dublin that had beautiful hanging flower baskets outside them. This was a pub I passed often and yet never stopped to admire these well looked after flowers that added so much life to the street otherwise consisting of concrete. I often take pictures of the strangest things when abroad like huge doors, fancy gates and markets. If you look around your home locality with tourist mode on, you'll see these strange things pop out at you.

2. Meeting People & Other Travelers 
By visiting attractions and going on tours you'll meet people from all over the world. These travelers come from all walks of life and have some amazing stories to tell. They can also give you tips they've learned on the way and if you get on well there may be a contact in a future city/place you travel to or even better, a couch! 

3. You Can Help
Like I said, doing touristy things leads you to other tourists. You'll often witness a bus driver or tour guide getting asked for directions or help and often it's 20 questions from 20 groups at once. If you are familiar with the area you might be able to answer some of their questions which would in turn help them and the bus driver. That's your good deed done for the day and you never know, you could get a job out of it!

4. Knowledge
Everyone knows traveling abroad teaches you so much about the country you're in from its history to the language. A lot of people will say they also learn about themselves. It is no different in your own country. You may know some of the stories behind where you go but guides will teach you more. You'll see things you never noticed before, be brought to places you never thought to go and perhaps learn from the travelers you're in company with. There's no better time to put that French you learned in school to the test either!

5. Save Money

I know as much as the next person what it's like to have no money but want nothing more than to escape and see new things. Go on holiday at home and you won't need to pay for flights. If your visiting local areas you won't need accommodation. No travel insurance is needed, your loyalty cards will still work, there's no charge for withdrawing money from the ATM, no need to change currency, if you have a local student card you'll get discounts almost everywhere, you'll know where's expensive to eat so you won't get ripped off, and all those discount vouchers you have but always forget about can be used once they're valid! Oh! And you won't arrive home to find a phone bill closing in on a four digit cost because of roaming charges. Now how many of the above things would still apply if you were abroad? Close to none or none at all. I know it's no Ibiza, but if you can't afford a foreign holiday, just take a few days off and be a tourist at home.

6. You'll live. 

Me feeling the wind after climbing a cliff.

There's living i.e. eating, breathing, excreting. And then there's living i.e. savouring, appreciating, loving, seeing, smelling, listening, tasting, learning. I don't know about you but I can nearly always tell a tourist from a local by the way they walk. Locals walk fast and bustle through the streets in a constant rush, they rarely look up/around and can often look sad/angry/upset/bored. Tourists have a slower pace. They stroll around, not a bother on them! You can see them looking up at the buildings and sites that they pass. They take pictures and see things we don't. They don't stick to a rigid routine. We should make the time to slow down and look around like we do when we're in a new place.

If we lived with tourist mode on in our home country, imagine how much happier we could be? Imagine taking the relaxed, appreciative approach to life and how better you could feel? Just taking things easy, not letting the stress of work get to you. I think it's something we should remember to do more often. 

Eh...

I'm not saying you should pretend you don't know where you are or get a map, put on an accent, ask every second person for directions, walk around with a fanny pack, your camera around your neck, your phone in a pouch around your neck or buy Irish souvenirs for your Irish friends/family. I'm simply suggesting you turn on tourist mode at home so you can meet new people, learn and appreciate your surroundings. Break away from your usual routine and don't give time to any stressful calls or e-mails from work etc.

Apologies if this post is cheesy but after my recent 4 day tourist mode in Ireland, I know I'll definitely continue living with tourist mode on.

Until next time, grá,

Ceara (:

How the film 'Taken' potentially saved my life. . .

So the title says all really. For anyone who hasn't seen the film, it's about 2 girls who travel to Paris from America and get kidnapped after sharing a taxi home with a good-looking french man who turns out to be a part of a huge human trafficking scandal. After watching the first time I told myself I was never going to Paris! Of course the film is blown out of proportion in some ways (I don't think anyone's dad would be as awesome as Liam Neeson in this, not even mine. Sorry dad, love you still!) but there are still many harsh truths depicted in the film. This would include the existence of human trafficking not only in Paris, but all across Europe and the rest of the world.

     My experience differs a lot from the film (thankfully!) but it's still kind of scary to think what could have happened had I not been aware of how easily abductions can happen. It occurred when I went to Italy for my godson's christening in September 2012. After the christening I decided to go to Rome by myself for 2 days before we flew back home. I had not been in Rome since I was 8 years old. I spent 3 months there on our first ever holiday abroad when my dad was working over there so I longed to go back to the city and re-explore the place that means so much to my childhood.
     I was staying in a hostel and had been walking around sight-seeing all day. As the evening came and the darkness rolled in with it, it started to rain. This meant the streets weren't bustling with tourists/locals as much as they would be if it were dry. Considering the rain was more of a heavy drizzle and the air was warm, I had no problem walking around and ticking each landmark that I wanted to see at night (for the lights) off my list. And of course I'm Irish too so a bitta drizzle wasn't going to get in my way, would you be mad?! 

My view having walked around the corner. 

     I was using my trusty tourist map to get around, but the streets are easy enough to navigate so I had no map in hand while walking around the corner into Piazza di Trevi to the beautiful Trevi Fountain. I wasn't dressed like a tourist but the long ginger, curly hair and glow-in-the-dark pale skin kind of gives it away in most cases! There was about 30 people at the fountain which is nothing compared to what it was like when I went there the next day on a dry night. This time I'm sure there were more umbrellas than people. I noticed a young man talking in a group that I had to walk by to get to the front of the fountain. They all appeared to be friends, I thought nothing of it, I was just taking in my surroundings. 
      While standing at the fountain, taking pictures and enjoying the view, I saw the man I noticed with the group approach from the corner of my eye and stand a few feet away from me on my left facing the fountain. He said 'Hello' to me, but as I wasn't looking at him and my hair was down (I allowed that to hang by the side of my face so it would seem I have no peripheral vision which made it easier to ignore him) I pretended not to either hear what he said or show I knew he was talking to me. After a few attempts of saying hello in different languages he took a step closer so that he was about 2 feet from me and said 'Hello!' directly at me. I felt I couldn't ignore him any longer so I turned and said 'Hello!' right back. He was slightly taller than me, a skinny fella, light hair, sallow skin, bright eyes, crooked teeth, not the best looking chap. He proceeded to ask why I have no umbrella, there was some small talk. He offered to take a picture of me in front of the fountain, which I accepted as all my previous landmark photos were just selfies with me and the building masked behind my frizzy hair. He took a few photos (not a great photographer might I add!) and he handed back the camera. He asked if I was here by myself and I said I was with my family who I'm meeting soon (lie). I asked him where he was from and he said Milan. I asked if he was here with friends and he said no, he was alone. At that point the caution bells that were tinging in my head burst into alarm bells. He wasn't here alone, he was here with a group of other young men. I just knew from the way I saw him talking to them earlier that he knew them. He asked if I would like to go for coffee to which I politely declined. He insisted and tried to talk it up as if this coffee would be the best experience of my life. This is also only after about 4 minutes of small talk, not even. I told him my family were waiting on me in a restaurant (lie) in the hopes that he would just give up and leave me alone so I could get back to enjoying the Trevi. He wouldn't give up though so I left him as I told him I had to go meet my family (lie) as he continued with protests. 
      I walked hastily away and down Via del Lavatore and went into Al Picchio, a beautiful restaurant which turns out was my favourite place to eat out in, 12 years earlier. I just went into it this time because it wasn't too far from the Trevi so if Milan Man tried to follow me he'd see me going into a restaurant. Plus I liked how it looked on the outside! 

It's pasta made of potatoe. Irish mind BLOWN.

     That was all the interaction with Milan Man I had. In the restaurant and for the rest of the trip I didn't really think much else of it. I was hungry and was mapping my route across Rome for the following day. What affected me more then was how pitiful and surprised the waiters were that I was dining alone. They removed the place mat across from me while looking at me like I was a child whose puppy had just died. The cheek! I was also trying gnocchi for the first time so I had practically forgotten about it. Food does that to me sometimes!
      On hindsight though, thinking about my interaction with Milan Man, I could have completely overreacted. He might have been just a sincere guy chancing his arm at a date with an Irish girl or just trying to get to know some travelers. I could have just been paranoid. Maybe he wasn't going to get me involved in human trafficking in some way. Maybe it might not have been as drastic as that. Maybe he wanted the 'ride' as some would say! To me, that is definitely something I still did not want. Maybe nothing would have happened if I went for that coffee, expect for a chat.
      But then again, maybe I could have died. Who knows? No one knows. All I know is I did not get a good feeling off this guy and I went with my gut. One thing I do know is I certainly do not regret not going for coffee with him just to be nice. I honestly don't know though, if I would have made the same choice had I not seen Taken.
      It's crazy to think what a fictional movie can teach you. I never doubted the existence of human trafficking but I never thought it would consist of 'nice' people luring you into a false friendship or sense of security. If I had not seen the movie, I would like to think I would have made the same choice. I hope I wouldn't have been naive enough to accept a date with a stranger in the capital city of a foreign country I was only familiar with. [I definitely would have turned down the coffee though. I hate coffee. Hot chocolate person all the way!] Many close friends who know me, know I find it extremely hard to say no to people, especially when it comes to turning down a guy. I either just go along with it for fear of hurting their feelings or run away and cut off all contact with them. [That's awful, I know, but I'm working on it!] So I honestly don't know if I would still be here or not had I not been recently exposed to human trafficking in Europe. 

Like I said, not the best photographer!

     That photo of me in front of the Trevi fountain could have been the last photo taken of me. Again, I know other people have more exciting stories of when they were actually kidnapped or robbed from or jailed and can laugh about it now, but it's always better to be safe than sorry, right? Would you have done the same? When it comes to travelling alone, especially as a female, you're always better off not taking any risks.
     Good advice to the lone female traveler would be;

• Always be alert when traveling, especially walking around at night. Be aware and take in your surroundings. You don't always have to be on edge, just alert.
• Don't get drunk when you're on your own in a city, even if your drinking with a group you just met. 
• Don't let men buy you drinks, they usually want something from you in return and could easily spike you. 
• Walk around with confidence. If you can't avoid interactions with strangers you don't want to talk to, speak to them confidently and don't be afraid to reject their offers. (This is also why I tried not to walk around with my map out all the time.)
• Lie (with confidence). Say you're travelling with family/partner/friends if needs be.
• Carry a safety whistle and/or pepper spray if you want, for extra protection.
• If you're walking around on your own, try not to wear provocative or revealing clothing. Dress for the climate but try to be smart about it. I know nobody asks to be attacked and we are able to wear want we want but always consider your surroundings and safety.
• Read up on where you're going before you get there and what kind of illegal activity goes on there so you know what to avoid.
• Always, always trust your gut feeling. If you don't like the vibe you're getting off a person or place, leave.

You can adhere to the above advice and still have a damn good time. I certainly did! I think to live is to travel. And you need to be alive to live so look after yourself. ;) 

So inadvertently, Liam Neeson kind of potentially saved my life! Damn. I'm sure there's potential for Taken 3 there. . .

Any feedback, questions, advice, thoughts are kindly welcomed. Have a great day and happy travels!

Grá.

Ceara

x

I took this picture as I left the fountain. His umbrella is out of sight. Beautiful fountain though! A must see in Italy.

Bikini Bodies - A Misleading Farce!

Every year, before we even have had the time to source pain killers to help us through our New Year's celebration hangover, magazines already have their Spring issues in print. As Spring leads to Summer (which I'm hoping you already know) so many magazines, fashion/beauty blogs and online articles etc. are already talking about what to wear as the weather gets warmer, how to lose some of those pounds gained from eating your weight in mince pies and how to get the most amazing 'bikini body'. 

So, what is a bikini body? Surely if you have a body and put on a bikini, you are then the definition of a bikini body? On searching for a definition of this term, the description I repeatedly came across went something along the lines of 'a body that looks sexy in a bikini.' 

1. Feel good, look good.
First of all, if you have the confidence to strut your stuff in a bikini and feel happy in your own skin no matter what shape, size or colour your body is then you're sexy, you have a bikini body and I salute you! That's not an easy task for everyone and there are women in their thousands that actually work to get the 'perfect' bikini body and still end up feeling self conscious. Screw the saying 'Look good, feel good.' If you feel good then that shines through you and you look good.

2. It's not all on the outside.
However I know from experience, it's never just about yourself. In situations like this you will probably compare yourself to others around you and think 'Their bikini body is better than mine.' Now, it's important you note that what you see on the outside is not always important. Skinny Joe on the beach over there looking great is actually really unhealthy and can't run 100 meters without needing to take a break and have someone massage his ankles. Then you have Chubby Charlie over there who looks slightly overweight but could actually lift heavier weights than Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and easily outrun Skinny Joe! You see what I'm getting at?

3. You can't please everyone.
If you're working on your bikini body to impress others then I'm sorry to break it to you but you won't be everyone's taste. Some people aren't attracted to others with toned abs. Some people aren't attracted to people with love handles. Some people aren't attracted to people with an 'innie' bellybutton. So quit trying to please everyone or fit yourself into a worldwide farce of a perfect body because there is no such thing and it's impossible to make everyone happy. Just be happy with yourself!

4. Tan before you go where you're going to get a tan...wait, what?

The amount of work that lots of ladies I know out into their summer holiday body is crazy. One of them being to get a tan before they get there, usually via sun beds. Why? If you're going to a sunny country then surely you'll get a tan there? Won't it feel like you're cheating too? Plus that amount of concentrated UV light all over your skin is not healthy. Especially on fair, Irish skin! Plus you'll stick out like a sore thumb among us fair folk before you leave. If you can't tan and don't wan't to stick out of the crowd while you're over there then first of all, a tan probably wouldn't suit you anyway, and second of all, you might not be recognized in your passport photo if you look like a different nationality. Just saying!

5. Dieting could do the reverse of what you want it to.
On top of tanning there's dieting. Now there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with cutting bad food out of your diet and eating healthily. But just eating less food and not getting all the nutrients and calories you need daily is unhealthy. You might think it's great because you drop a few pounds and look great, but when you go on holidays, one of the things you'll be doing is eating. Well you should be anyway, food is a huge part of culture and your whole travel experience! So you'll probably be back to eating the same amount of calories (or more) from before your diet and the weight will pile right back on. (To understand why this happens click here.) Don't cut out food/calories that you need, maintain a healthy diet on top of exercise and you'll feel and look great!
-I would also just like to comment on Kate Moss' famous quote; "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." I highly disagree with this. She's obviously never tasted my veggie lasagna, or the pizza in Naples or even had french toast with syrup!! Screw skinny. Food is great and makes me happy. I love food. You should too!

6. Let's exercise for Summer!! YEAH! Aaaand, rest... for the rest of the year...
Of course there'll nearly always be a work out regime created to get your bikini body ready for summer and one thing about this really bugs me. Why is there so much pressure to exercise for your image and only for Summer?! Why not constantly talk about exercising for health and do so All. Year. Round. This is why I extremely dislike the idea of a bikini body. Understandably people are aware that the weather will be warmer hence they'll be taking trips to the beach, going on holidays or just going on a good swim and quite frankly, if you were to wear jeans or jumpers to any of the above, not only will you get people thinking you must have grown up in a volcano but you will also probably get heat stroke. Most likely. So, you will be wearing less clothes and you might be wearing a swimsuit or bikini or any outfit with a bit more on show than usual and fair enough, you want to look good so you exercise in advance. Then when it gets colder and the layers of clothes compete with those of an onion, a lot of people stop caring about that body that very few are going to see hence reduce/stop the exercise. Bikini body leans towards getting fit and healthy just for summer. How about staying fit and healthy all year round? And heck if you want to go swimming in December then you put that bikini on and still feel and look great!

These are the main 6 reasons why I think the idea of a 'Bikini body' is a misleading farce, and I didn't even get to 'bikini bridges' or the waxing and plucking and shaving preparation! If you agree, awesome. If you don't, please tell me why!

My message to all you ladies who still think they are not worthy of wearing a bikini I say this; you're mostly worried about what other people will think of you. Realistically, no one cares! This is how I get past most insecure issues I have; realizing the only one who notices or cares about what I worry about is ME. No one else cares!! So just put that bikini on and walk with your head held high. And if you don't want to wear one, then don't! All I ask is that you be healthy, be happy and forget about what anyone else thinks or says. Focus on yourself and enjoy that sun.

This meme sums up how I think you get a bikini body:

Message!

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Grá,

Ceara

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