You’ll know by now that I love a good old reminisce and after attending the Ice Lolly Ibiza themed Blog At The Beach Event I started to chat to some of my blogging friends about my last trip to Ibiza. It was the typical girls holiday, three of us crammed in a room on a cheap package holiday, not quite Ice Lolly Site standard! We partied and sunbathed on the daily, we didn’t have mobiles so we called home using the payphones to let our parent know we were surviving. We didn’t take multiple photos to document the trip, I have about 5 I think! Oh and straighteners weren’t a thing then so frizzy humid hair was the order of day! It was when Pete Tong had legend status, when Euphoria complications were the only things to listen to and Dave Pearce had all the dance anthems. Judge Jules was the DJ to see and Darude Sandstorm and Spiller (feat Sophie Ellis Bextor) Groovejet (If this ain’t love) were the soundtracks to our life. We went to all the big clubs and all the big nights and generally lived out best lives. It was the year 2000 and I was a young 18 year old just generally loving life! It’s safe to say that holiday taught me quite a few things about myself, some more valuable than others and I thought I’d share some of the more valuable things I learnt!
1. Self Confidence. I’d never considered myself ‘pretty’ until this holiday, when in Manumission (THE club night to be in Ibiza in 2000) I spotted the most attractive guy ever, and as he sauntered over with his friends I remember thinking aww he fancies my friend that’s nice for her, I was never the one the boys liked through school but it was me he started to chat to, it was that very moment I realised I needed to stop thinking bad things about myself as my feelings about my appearance were impacting my personality too so I wasn’t pretty on the inside either. It’s weird how it took one guy to set me on my journey but it did just that.
2. Garage , Hip Hop and R&B are my ultimate jams. Not so much of an important one I know but we found a bar that played all the garage classics and I was in my element, yes I enjoyed house and euphoric dance but nothing compared to Sisqo and his Thong Song! Id applied for Uni’s in towns where I knew they’d have an R&B scene and this holiday made me realise I had to go to Kingston Uni for that very reason! (That and the said guy in point one was from Croydon and said Kingston was a great night out!) so it was life changing in a round about way
3. I need time alone and that’s okay. I’m quite the introvert at heart and so just need down time to think and reflect. I learnt the best way to do this was to go for a walk on my own, before heading back to the hotel to get ready for the night ahead. I’d never noticed this as this was my first proper trip with just my gals but it’s something bear in mind on the daily now. So if you meet me and I’m a bit quiet that’s usually why
4. I won’t settle for second best or being treated like crap. I soon realised that my relationship at home wasn’t the healthiest and after the third day of being shouted at for cheating on him (which I hadn’t) I decided enough was enough and we broke up. I realised I was stronger than I’d previously thought and that I could make myself happy I didn’t need someone else to validate my self worth
5. I’d never have another holiday quite like that one. I learnt some valuable lessons in those two weeks, not only was I surprised I survived, I had seen some incredible sights (the sunrise across the sea whilst swimming in my clothes being the best!), met some incredible people and learnt that I was kinda incredible too. Ibiza had some of my heart from that point on. So much so I really want to go this year! I want to experience the grown up Ibiza but also I want to take the time to reflect on myself whilst of course enjoying magical sunrises and sunsets and partying the night away! I just need to find a cheap deal and some gals to go with me! Who’s up for it!?