Thank you for stopping by and taking time to get lost with The Wee Wanderer!

I hope to share with you my love of travelling, best destinations, top food & drinks stops, favourite hotels, my photography journey and lifestyle choices along the way. I hope you find them helpful in your own lives and travels! 

You can also check out my shop for handmade Macrame pieces which can add a lovely boho feel to your home! 

 

What is The Wee Wanderer Blog?

The idea behind ‘The Wee Wanderer Blog’ started two years ago, when I spent the summer travelling around Europe by train. I kept a travel journal to ensure I remembered all of our favourite destinations, delicious food and our funny moments along the way. At the back of the journal I made a list of potential names should I decide to create a travel blog & ‘The Wee Wanderer’ was so special and individual to me that I had to choose it! You can find out more about how to travel Europe by train here.

What does ‘Wee Wanderer’ mean?

I actually wrote a whole post about this which you can access here. In short, ‘Wee’ is Scots for small, little and refers to my height – being only 5 foot 2″ I have been called ‘Wee’ all my life! ‘Wanderer’ – I’m sure you will know if you are like-minded and love to travel as I do. To wander is – as I see it – to walk, off to explore somewhere new whether you have a plan or not, are following a map or wandering freely…

 

What about the #aweewander hashtag?

My dream for #aweewander is for people who are travelling or experiencing a new place to share it with me via the hashtag on instagram or facebook so I can experience it with them and share in their joy. For me, there is nothing like that moment when you first see somewhere you have planned and dreamed of seeing. I will always remember the moment I turned my head on the boat, on the river seine to see The Eiffel Tower for the first time and I only wish I had a video to share that moment with you. I started #aweewander to share with you that special moment and encourage dialogue and sharing with like-minded souls. I also share #aweewander shoutouts on my instagram posts and stories for those who use the hashtag or those who inspire me! You can find out more about it here.

Are you a full time blogger?

I am a full time teacher at heart and by day. So my blogging is reserved strictly for evenings, weekends and holidays! It is difficult to find a balance at times and I’m sure anyone else who juggles full time work with a hobby/ extra studies or a blog will testify to this! I still have so many tips and ideas to share with you so as long as I do, The Wee Wanderer will still be about!

How can you travel so much?

I am lucky that I was living in mainland Europe, in Spain for the past 5 years which opened a lot of travel opportunities for me, from cheap train tickets to quick flights. Also, luckily, teachers are fortunate with their holidays throughout the year and this offers more opportunities to travel whilst still working full time.

 

Where is your favourite destination?

This is such a difficult question! Simply because I love different places for different reasons! I love the food and sound of the language in Italy, the colourful towns in Poland, the scenery in Slovenia and Spain will always hold a special place in my heart! I have a real love for different, ornate architecture and in Europe you are spoiled for choice! Of course, ‘The world is wide’ and I long to see more of the world just like the ‘tiny snail on the tail of the greyblue humpback whale’. (Julia Donaldson) (One for you teachers and parents out there!)

Where have you travelled?

So far I have travelled to…

Europe:

Scotland, England, Northern Ireland, The Republic of Ireland, Wales, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Austria, Greece, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Vatican City,

Greek Islands: Rhodes, Crete,

Spanish Islands: Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote,

Italian Islands: Sardinia.

North America: 

The United States of America, Florida, New York City, Mexico

(As you can see there are still many continents on my wishlist and I hope to travel to those one day!)

Who do you travel with?

I enjoy travelling with my friends and family! I travelled with a partner for years but this year I travelled solo for the first time and I loved it! What an incredible experience it was! I think it is something everyone should experience in their lifetime and that is why I wrote 31 reasons why you should travel solo! Click the link to read more!

How do you take your photos? 

This year I did a bit of research and I invested in a mirrorless Olympus Pen PL8. I find it has great quality RAW & JPEG photos, the ability to change lenses, yet it is compact and portable to take when travelling. Before this (& if I don’t have my camera) I use my mobile ASUS. I also love to use my polaroid camera which adds that vintage vibe and is great for sharing with family and friends or adding to you very own wall display!

I either take the photo myself (usually of architecture, landscapes) or frame it and then give it to a friend to snap one with me in it ‘for the blog’. Occasionally I give it to a stranger, but this really is hit or miss haha but sometimes you do get a goodun’!

I did work with @bbprojectbcn for the day where they did my make up, supplied me with cava and chocolates then drove me to cool locations in Barcelona with a professional photographer Viktoria who took some amazing shots and made me look so much better than I usually do! If you are interested please let me know and I can pass on the details! You can see one of the photoshoot photos below at Port Olympic, Barcelona.

 

Do you attend/ organise meetups? 

I have met some amazing women and friends through the blog which is one of the best things about it! I have met @secrettomyworld @oliviarosebcn @wtfbcn @alittleblondeinparadise @daniishifman @mytraveltricks @ssolalessa all in my time living in Barcelona! During my time in England I was able to attend some blogger events which were amazing! So much fun and lovely to meet local bloggers like @Sorsata and her lovely twin, @honestlyjessa_ @foodbabyblogs and more! Last year I joined the girls of @Bloggerswhobrunchscotland and made such wonderful friends there too – Some being @_little.green.bird_ @lillasuranyi @veganfoodie_gems @ninabambinaa @denisewmx @ginanddomic and more lovelies! Last year I also met the loveliest bunch of heros who started The Glasgow Lifestyle Magazine! I was aboslutely delighted to be featured in their first published issue and I can’t thank @inc.business @iconicbeautyboutique and @petraswardrobe for putting the magazine together! It was a pleasure meeting the other contributors and altogether such a wonderful thing to be part of! If you are travelling or have an event and would likt to meet please just message! It would be a pleasure!

Can I start a travel blog too?

Yes! You can and you should! Whatever your passion may be, travel, food, beauty, fashion – do it! I was greatly inspired by my wonderful friend of 5 years Emily @thisisthemilk who started her blog the year before I did. I loved hers & followed others but was unsure about starting one myself because of all the competition and full time bloggers out there. But after speaking to a friend who simply told me ‘Well, yours will be different because you are different’ (Thanks Heulwen) and it’s true! Put your own spin and personality into it and enjoy it! I’m still doing this a year later and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I do making it!

 

What’s your biggest blogging achievement?

Within the first 6 months of launching my blog I was nominated by Seeking the Spanish Sun to receive The Liebster Award!!! I was absolutely delighted! Nothing thrills me more than when people read my blog, use the tips and tell me how much they loved them! You can read more about how I accepted the Liebster Award here. It was so lovely to be recognised and have the opportunity to share the love too!

I am lucky enough to add to this as this year I was featured in the first published issue of The Glasgow Lifestyle Magazine! I can’t thank @inc.business @iconicbeautyboutique and @petraswardrobe for putting the magazine together! It was a pleasure meeting the other contributors and altogether such a wonderful thing to be part of!

Thank you!

Thanks for taking the time to read! If you want to hear more about how this all started you can! I did an interview with the truly lovely @wanderlustandpasta in her ‘Share the Wanderlust’ section of her website.

You can view it here: My interview with Share the Wanderlust

 

Start each day with a positive thought…

 

The Wee Wanderer x o x