Hayley Lately // March 2018

Hayley Lately is back! It’s been a hot minute (also known as five months) since my last Hayley Lately post. A lot has happened in this time. You know, I just visited 14 countries solo, spent six weeks at home on Magnetic Island and moved to Melbourne. That’s all ;)

Instead of the weekly updates I was doing while living the expat life in Vancouver, I’m beginning my monthly recaps again. Basically because I have no time, and my life is not as exciting! Keep reading to find out a little bit more about what I got up to in March.

---

LIFE LATELY

March was one of my most hectic months…ever! At the end of February I finally found a room to rent in a two bedroom apartment in lovely Richmond. Melbourne’s real estate is seriously cutthroat. I must have messaged over 150 people on three different rental websites and saw 10 rooms until I got lucky. So the beginning of the month was spent furnishing my room and spending all of my money at Ikea and Kmart. Both shops are 10 minutes from my house, which may be a good or a bad thing. We’ll soon find out!

While I became an Ikea pro, I was also (kind of successfully) juggling three jobs. I’m back working as a barista for a couple of days, and the rest of the time I’m writing. I got another freelance writing contract through a website called Skyword, which has been fantastic. I also didn’t think I was juggling enough obviously, so I’m back working at Etihad Stadium starting this weekend. No, I don’t know how I’ll fit it all in either.

To be honest, I’ve been so focused on sorting out my life in March that I have been a bit of a hermit (more than usual). However, I did revisit my old stomping ground of Docklands. I can’t believe how much construction has happened in less than two years. 

READING LATELY

Re-enrolling at the library was one of the first things I did after my move. I know, I’m a nerd. But I also hate spending $15 on books when I can get them for free. I’ve got to save money where I can now I’m back in Melbourne ;) Anyway, I didn’t read a lot in March. I finished The F Word, which is an easy-to-read chick lit novel based in LA. I also finally finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, because I saw the movie is being released later this year. To be honest, I didn’t love it, but I’m excited to see how it’s portrayed on the big screen.

Seeing as I haven’t done a Hayley Lately post in awhile, I want to mention another new author I’ve been enjoying. Gill Paul writes fantastic historical fiction. I’ve read The Secret Wife and Women and Children First: The Untold Story of the doomed Titanic. If you like historical fiction, I highly recommend them. I can’t wait to read more.

Are we friends on Goodreads yet?

BLOGGING LATELY

I’ve been pretty good so far this year with posting at least once a week. I’m trying to write more informative posts, as during my European travels I got so many great tips from fellow travel bloggers on Pinterest. Seriously, if you’re not using Pinterest as an alternative to Google, start now. There’s so much good information on there! Ok, enough about Pinterest. If you missed them, these are the blog posts that went live.

♥ How to spend 24 hours in Zagreb, Croatia

♥ 20 things to do in Dublin, Ireland

♥ My 15 favourite solo travel destinations around the world

WRITING LATELY

Last month, I switched from writing Canadian content to writing about Australia for The Culture Trip. If you’re curious, you can find all of my recent articles here. But some of the best things I’ve written lately include posts on Mullet Fest, Australia’s most scenic drives and Australia’s most beloved commercials. That was a fun one to research.

WATCHING LATELY

I am behind on a lot of TV shows. But the ones I have been watching every week include Blindspot (still a favourite), Designated Survivor (great cast) and Timeless (has historical elements and is filmed in Vancouver). Just this week I’ve also started catching up on both The Good Doctor and Madam Secretary, which is another favourite with excellent casting. In February, I binged Queer Eye in one week and then told my mum to watch it immediately. I’ve never had a show make me laugh and cry so much. If you’ve watched anything good recently, let me know in the comments!

That’s a wrap on my March. I’m going to make sure April includes more time out exploring Melbourne, and less time sitting at my computer! I hope you all have a great Easter weekend.

Follow along: Facebook | Twitter | Bloglovin’ | Instagram | Pinterest