Top: & Other stories, Jeans: American Vintage (similar here): Belt: Topshop, Bag: Paradise Row, Sandals: Birkenstock

This weekend just gone it was one of my best pals 30th birthdays and we headed off to Center Parcs to celebrate! It's not somewhere i've ever been before, even as a youngster, but the main attraction for me was getting away for a few days with a group of pals to literally chill the fuck out, switch off, get drunk and have a laugh - and that's exactly what we did. I barely took any photos whilst I was there (aside from the standard blurry birthday selfies etc.) and although I did post a few times on my Instagram feed, it was pre-shot content and there was no hanging around on my phone scrolling for three hundred years post posting. I basically refrained from sharing any stories and I forced myself to properly switch off. Although, as you all know, I absolutely love my job and I adore creating content to share with you all, it was so nice and so needed to have a little break and be present with my pals and enjoy every minute. Rarely do I go on a trip away and actually have a holiday in the sense of not creating content the whole time. It was nice to have conversations about everything and nothing, go for long walks, drink too much prosecco and not feel the need to document every inch along the way or worry about needing to. I mean it's like second nature to me and of course I love sharing, my brain never stops ticking thinking of the next idea/ image etc, so it really is a conscious effort to slow down and switch off. I love creating and being online but I just think every now and again it's really lovely, and so important for yourself, to take some time out and just enjoy being IRL. A weekend with friends (and one severe hangover might I add - not so lovely) where my mind isn't constantly thinking about outfits and images and the million and one things to tick off my to-do list was a welcome break and i've come home feeling re-freshed and ready to get stuck back in with lots of ideas and motivation!

In other news, my second post from Italy chatting all about our stay in Florence and sharing my film pics will be live over the next couple of days so keep an eye out for that! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend whatever you got up to :)

Rachael

x