Well hello to you my reader chums! It has been a year since I launched my freelance writing and social media business, The Violet Network. I feel incredibly lucky with the year I've had, the lessons I've learned, the connections I've made and the clients I've acquired. Despite the hard times, I've enjoyed the ride so far of being a business owner and can't wait to see what another year brings.

It's no doubt that freelancing is hard work - I didn't go into freelancing thinking it'll be easy but I didn't think it was going to be as hard as it was. Finding work, networking, building packages, doing my own marketing and getting the work-life balance right is challenging. Although the rewards are great, it takes a lot of courage and motivation to make it worthwhile.

If you're starting your freelance business or new to the business world, here are the lessons I learned in my first year of business.

Networking is key

I wouldn't be where I am without the people I've met along the way. From the creative community in my home town to other marketers and business owners. The local events have helped me build confidence, meet clients and learn the best ways to run my business. I've been lucky enough to get my best leads through people I know and word of mouth for those recommending me. The more people I meet, the more I learn and the more I can put myself out there with new faces.

Personal branding is essential 

Putting myself out there has helped me learn what I stand for and am passionate about, and help people get to know the real me. Creating a personal brand takes courage, consistency and good planning, and it's something I've thoroughly enjoyed. It has meant thinking of fun ideas and sharing my honest thoughts, experiences and opinions, which has helped many understand who I am and what my business is all about. Being consistent has helped me grow my following, gain some great connections and put my stance out there in the business world.

A work-life balance is crucial 

Finding the time to take breaks and switch off is difficult as a business owner because everything to do with freelancing is constantly on my mind. But, I've managed to get better at the work-life balance, creating boundaries, booking regular breaks, having an organised schedule and when I close my laptop, it means the end of the working day. Having that balance supports my mental health and makes me more productive.

Enjoy the rollercoaster 

Freelancing is a roller coaster and highs and lows are inevitable, it's either feast or famine with workload and enjoying the journey is all part of it. Granted during the low periods it's hard to enjoy the rollercoaster as it feels like the high periods will never come again. However, trying to enjoy the journey, trusting the process and putting in the work means you'll come out stronger, more knowledgeable and ready to take on anything.

Keep going 

Everything worthwhile in life requires hard work and freelancing is just like that. Despite this level of hard work to gain success in my freelancing business, I adore working with people I love; it's the most incredible feeling in the world.

Learning never stops 

Being a freelancer is all about learning, whether it's honing your craft or learning more about running a business. Each day is a life lesson and business lesson from mistakes you make to building professional skills. The more you learn, the more you can build on your success. After a year of learning it makes me even more excited to see what's to come.

I've made myself proud

This year has been full of doubts but when I look back at everything I've achieved this year, I'm incredibly proud of myself and grateful for those who took a chance to hire me or collaborated in some way. I've achieved many goals personally and professionally, from the projects I've completed and how I've pushed myself out of my comfort zone in many ways.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Are you new to freelancing?

Thank you for reading <3

 Well hello to you my reader chums! I cannot believe I'm writing a post to celebrate 11 years of my blog, Della Loves Nutella. That's over a decade of sharing my thoughts on my own corner of the internet from my experience of mental health, my travels, and book reviews to lessons I've learnt so far in my twenties.

I've loved every minute of using this blog as a creative outlet, an amazing tool to develop my writing, creativity and build on my digital marketing skills and be involved in the blogging community.

As an anniversary post, I thought I'd share all my favourite things about blogging over the years. I'm excited to see what happens with another 11 years of this blog. It's so amazing to me that I began this blog at 16 and now I'm nearer to 30, turning 28 in June. 

Every time I write an anniversary post, I can't help but feel incredibly grateful that I've got this space on the internet that is mine to share all my thoughts and experiences. 

If you're new to my blog or a loyal reader for years, here are my favourite things about blogging.

Writing about the things that make me happy

Writing is my biggest passion and I love how this blog has allowed me to write about anything my heart has desired. I've shared my mental health journey, my travels across the world, my self-love journey, books I've adored, memories I've shared with loved ones and topics I'm passionate about, such as confidence and budget travelling.

Writing is therapeutic to me and it can help me process thoughts and experiences, such as living with anxiety and overcoming insecurities. I love sharing any thoughts or topics that pop into my mind, and over the years, I've really seen how those interests and passions have evolved.

Documenting parts of my life 

One of the best things about social media is an online log of my life and one of the things I've loved about blogging. Most years, I've shared my goals, lessons I've learnt, where I've travelled and books I've loved. I've also shared mental health experiences, pictures of friends and family, and tips to navigate my twenties. My blog has kind of been like an online diary at times, especially when I first started writing on it as a teenager. I sometimes love going back to my 2013 posts and reading my blogs as I was so innocent and young.

Reflecting on life lessons through my writing

Growing and evolving is all part of being human and having a place online to write about those reflections has been gold. From lessons I've learnt from friendships, and relationships, loving myself and developing my confidence, I've written some amazing thought-provoking articles, processing my thoughts and experiences.

Working with brands I love

I don't work with brands anymore and mainly use this blog as a place to write my thoughts and experiences. However, over the 11 years, I've worked with some brands I've adored and been sent amazing PR packages from brands. I feel lucky that my little place on the internet was significant enough to receive such presents and that brands enjoyed what I have to say. 

Chatting and connecting with other bloggers

The blogging community is one of love and support and I'm grateful I've been a part of it for such a long time. Over the years, I've had the chance to connect and chat with many bloggers, collaborating with them, guest blogging and running competitors. I loved reading other blogs and receiving such lovely feedback from other bloggers. It gave me another motivation to continue blogging.

Improving my writing and digital marketing skills

Having a blog has been a great asset to my digital marketing career and building my freelance business. I ran this blog before I even got my first marketing position and it helped massively in building my creative writing and SEO skills and learning more about content marketing. It's also an asset that has helped me gain jobs as they saw it was a fab project to run on the side.

That I've gained a regular hobby 

Hobbies are incredibly important and I'm happy I've had a dedicated hobby for over a decade and committed to it for such a long period. I've loved how I've always had something to come back to every week.

I hope you enjoyed this post. How long have you been reading my blog?

Thank you for reading <3

 Well hello to you my reader chums! Portugal is a country that just keeps on giving with its sunny skies and warm weather, historical wonders, panoramic views and delicious grub. Although I had visited the country before, I knew there was so much more to it than first meets the eye. 8 days is a wonderful amount of time to see 3 different locations, the best sights and get a feel of the country's culture and overall vibe.

If you're planning a long break to Portugal, here's my guide on seeing the best of Portugal in 8 days: where to go, featuring Porto, Sintra and Lisbon.

Porto: 4 days

Day one

I fell in love with Porto when I arrived in the city as it has a modern, hipster appeal, gorgeous weather and plenty of activities to keep you busy over 4 days. Plus, it's a hub for day trips with many northern destinations in Portugal not too far away.

Clerigos Tower

To get a gorgeous look at the city, climbing Clergios Tower is a great place to start your venture around the city. Tickets cost 8 euros and I'd recommend booking them in advance as it can get pretty busy, especially in peak season. The climb can be steep and claustrophobic so I would bear that in mind if heights or tight spaces worry you. The view of the city, especially on a blue-sky day is glorious.

Wander around the city and get your bearings

Porto has hidden gems wherever you look, from quirky coffee shops, independent stores, characteristic roads, parks and beautiful art dotted around, and the best part to see it all is to wader. With any location, everyone has their favourite spots but this is your opportunity to find the places you love and get your bearings where the main attractions are.

Igreja Do Campo

Porto is renowned for the staple blue mosaic tiles with plenty of buildings and art featuring them. The Igreja Do Campo is famous for its exterior, showcasing the stunning blue and white tiles, ideal for the perfect candid photo backdrop. Inside, there's a church, just as beautiful (if not more beautiful) than the outside. 

Porto Cathedral

I adore cathedrals and roaming around them and Porto Cathedral blew me away. It gave me a Hogwarts vibe and the exterior was just majestic in every way. Entrance is free but you'll need to pay 3 euro for any extras, such as the cloister.

Day two

Bolhao Market

I love a market and to get a taste of the local culture and this place hits both nails on the head. Bolhao Market serves up all the produce for a grocery shop, plus drinks, bakery items and hot food. You can grab something for breakfast, smoothies on the go or local produce for a food shop, cooking up a meal in your Airbnb.

Explore Riberia

Riberia is completely different to the main hub of Porto, located on the water's edge and boasting colourful and rustic homes throughout. It's a charismatic area of Porto to explore, roaming around the independent shops, stunning riverside restaurants and market stalls. 

Go to Mercado De Gaia 

Over the river from the main part of Porto is a strip of shops, restaurants, market stalls and the Mercado De Gaia. This is like a typical indoor food market of dreams with plenty of choices from pasta to sandwiches. I'm still dreaming of the focaccia sandwich I had here and would love to eat it again and again.

Gardens of Crystal Palace

To experience a taste of nature in the city, the Gardens of Crystal Palace is a manicured garden, perfect for sitting and eating ice cream, reading your book or sunbathing. As it's a free spot, you can spend as long as you like here, walking around the wonders of the green space.

Liberia Lello

I'm a book lover and when I heard about this bookshop, I had to visit it. I have to admit, it is incredibly crowded so you don't get the usual peace of a bookshop, but the beauty of it is something else. And, they even offer special editions of classic books, such as The Wizard of Oz.

Watch the sunset over the city

Sunset is my favourite time of day and seeing it over a city is everything to me. The best place in Porto to see the sunset is Jardim do Morro as it's set perfectly above the river and the city. Especially as most nights, they have live music here so it adds to the ambience.

Port and chocolate tasting 

Portugal is home to port and I couldn't leave the country without trying it. Although, I wasn't sure I liked it and that's why I decided to try it at Vintevinte with a chocolate tasting as well. I was right in that I didn't enjoy the port, but the chocolate was absolutely delicious! You can book port tastings throughout the city, whether you'd like it at a local bar or at the nearby Douro Valley.

Day three

Day trip to Douro Valley

As I said, Porto is the ideal location for many day trips up north, such as Douro Valley. The Douro Valley is the heart of where port and port wine is created and a must-see when you're staying in Porto. You can easily get the train down to one of the towns within Douro Valley and explore as much as your heart desires. We got the train to Regua and spent our time exploring the town, going to the museum there and wandering along the natural beauty of the rolling hills. Here, you can also book tours to sample the port and the other wines on offer.

Day four

Day trip to Braga 

Porto is also easily accessible to Braga by train, which is a sweet town with a few sights and humble appeal and a bus ride away from Bom Jesus Do Monte (a must-see). In Braga, you can spend your time walking around the shops and the cathedral and chill in the many coffee shops. A bus ride away is Bom Jesus Do Monte, a religious retreat with a gorgeous church and open green space. I loved it here as we could just sit and take in the gorgeous lake, marvelling at the buildings.

Sintra: 2 days

Day five 

Explore the historical old town

Sintra was a charming town to spend a couple of days and explore the main sights. The old town area isn't big at all but there are a few gems to see, such as the quirky stores, restaurants, coffee shops and museums. It's lovely to spend time wandering here and grabbing some souvenirs for you or your loved ones.

National Palace of Sintra

Sintra is renowned for some phenomenal sights, such as the National Palace of Sintra. Tickets cost 13 euros and the palace is located in the historical centre. This palace is a gorgeous spot to learn more about the history of Sintra. 

Quinta Da Regaleria

Moorish Castle

The thing about Sintra is all the sights are pretty far away from each other and you have to get on a bus to see them. There are different bus routes for different sights and I'd recommend Moorish Castle as one of your top choices. This castle gives you a stunning glimpse of Sintra and beyond as you climb your way to the top. The stone castle has walkways which wind up into the heels and if you get a blue sky day, the sights are even more beautiful.

Pena Palace

Day 7

Praca do Comercio

Lisbon is an hour's train ride from Sintra and as the capital city, it's a little pricier than the other locations. Praca do Comercio is set on the harbour and has a little beach area and plenty of waterside restaurants to enjoy. It's also the entrance into the main hub of Lisbon with gorgeous shops, restaurants and cafes.

Wander around the city

Lisbon is a colourful and rustic city with trams everywhere and a charismatic look, compared to modern Porto. With that in mind, there are plenty of areas to wander around, such as Alfama. Take a browse around and discover your favourite gems in the city, from tucked-away shops, independent coffee spots and local restaurants.

San Jorge Castle

San Jorge Castle is one of the most popular sights in the city and it's worth buying your tickets in advance for (15 euros each), otherwise, you may end up queuing for a while. The historic castle is located up one of the many hills in Lisbon and is wonderful to walk around. You'll witness the significance of history as you admire the structure and see the gorgeous city views as well.

Lisbon Cathedral

I love a cathedral as I've mentioned and Lisbon's sits on one of the corners of the city and doesn't shy away from beauty. It's definitely worth ensuring you visit this cathedral just to say you've done it.

Pink Street

Pink Street has become some sort of tourist hotspot with the iconic 'pink street' and the range of bars and restaurants available throughout. It's a great location to wander at night, and grab some dinner or a refreshing drink after a day of city exploring. 

Timeout market

If you're a foodie, the Timeout market should be top of your list. This market is a food lover's paradise with a variety of cuisines, drinks and desserts. It features some of Lisbon's best restaurants, allowing you to sample food, from classic Portuguese to gelato.

Day 8

Head over to Belem

Belem is near Lisbon and offers many sights, such as the Belem Tower and the Jerónimos Monastery. You can spend the morning here, exploring these sights. The tower isn't massive but it's great for a view of the water and ticking off another sight on your list. The Jerónimos Monastery is one of those buildings which blew me away with its beauty.

LX Factory

The LX Factory is a great way to spend your last afternoon in Lisbon and Portugal overall as it's a hub for arty shops, cafes and restaurants. You can find yourself a gift, grab the iconic chocolate cake at Landeau or have some lunch.

Take a tram ride

The city is the heart of trams and you can't leave here without jumping on a tram, whether it's the classic 28 route or one of the more modern rides.

I hope you enjoyed this post. When are you planning your trip?

Thank you for reading <3

 Well hello to my reader chums! Gili Trawangan and the rest of the Gili islands are raved about online and across the media, boasting their paradise status. For me, Gili Trawangan has to be one of the most overrated places I've visited.

Dreaming about clear-water beaches, hot sunshine and the best marine life, I thought Gili Trawangan would blow me away, but it showed me the detrimental effects of tourists and the climate crisis. 

If you're considering travelling to the Gili Trawangan, here's my honest experience of the overrated island.

The journey

The experience of this island didn't start off on a high with one of the worst and most stressful boat journeys I've ever been on. The journey from one of Bali's ports was the busiest I've seen a port of that size - it had hundreds (or what felt like thousands) of people with luggage and impatient energy. A few different boats were heading over to Gili Trawangan and the system was incredibly disorganised with multiple boat companies and times. It seemed like forever for our boat to arrive and ended up being the last boat in port. 

The journey itself wasn't too bad, what I really expected from a cheap boat ride in Asia. It was loud, overcrowded and not the comfiest of seats but to be honest, on a backpacker budget, it's what I thought. I think I'd be a bit unsettled if it was a luxurious honeymoon and they were throwing my luggage around like it was nothing. The boat took 1 hour and 15 minutes which despite the delay made good timing.

The accommodation

This is where the issues really began as arriving on the island feeling stressed and overly hot from a delayed boat, I wanted to put my head on a bed and rest up before getting on with our day. However, when we got to the hotel which we thought we booked, the owner said that the place was fully booked and we didn't have a booking. Due to this and our frustration, we had to book the only place left on the island which wasn't a ridiculous price (but still four times what we originally paid). This accommodation granted was lovely, private and even had a communal pool. The only thing I would say is I think it was pricey for what it was compared to what we had booked for a similar level of luxury at a smaller price tag.

The beaches/marine life

I was most excited about Gili Trawangan for the beach scene and going snorkelling, seeing the phenomenal marine life and what was beyond the island waters. However, I've never been so disappointed with what lay beneath the waters. The beaches weren't exactly spacious as most of the sands were covered in sun loungers, and parasols, like a resort rather than spots to make the most of the soft sands.

The water was clear but not as clear as I thought it would be and you could tell the quality of the clear waters has been affected by too much tourism and the mass of boats that go in and out of the island every day. Also, this goes with the marine life. Unfortunately, as I snorkelled, I could see the dead coral reefs below me and the remains of what once was paradise for the underwater world. When you swim further out, you can see various coloured fishes, yet it wasn't the 'wow' factor that I expected compared to more untouched places, such as Pink Beach on Komodo Island.

The island itself

The island has the effects of tourism all over it. The front of the island looks quirky with its strip of restaurants, Instagram brunch spots, spas, ice cream shops and tour hire places. Whilst, behind that strip, the unpaved roads and shack-like houses emerge of residents who have the island as their normal, everyday life. As it was rainy before we got there, muddy puddles were everywhere and you could only ride around on bikes, meaning it wasn't the 'luxury' you'd expect from a 'paradise' island.

The only positive I would say is the places you can eat and drink at are fab and that gave the perfect holiday vibe, quirky bars and mini golf added the fun element to the island. But for me, it wasn't enough to override the over features of the island.

The tours

As an overpopular island, known for pub crawls and snorkelling tours, the range of water activities is endless. Snorkelling tours are the most popular and honestly, a massive disappointment. As they try and cram so many people onto a boat, you end up touring with 20+ people and when you arrive at a snorkelling spot, it's overcrowded and sometimes, you can barely find what you're meant to be looking for, such as turtles.

The overall vibe 

Overall, Gili Trawangan was overrated in many ways from the beaches, marine life and general vibe. It didn't have the 'wow' factor that many travel magazines and Instagram accounts chat about. I expected relaxation and dream-worthy experiences, but I got the opposite. The crowds stressed me out, I didn't feel entirely safe moving away from the tourist strip and generally, I left feeling disappointed. Despite enjoying some yummy brunches, and soaking up the gorgeous weather and sunsets, there are many better places in Asia to grab the wow factor.

I hope you enjoyed this post. What was your experience of Gili Trawangan?

Thank you for reading <3

 Well hello to you my reader chums! Feeling insecure is more common than you may think and everyone has insecurities personal to them, whether it's certain features or traits. Struggling with insecurities is normal and a part of everyday life. 

If you're struggling with particular insecurities and unsure how to overcome them, here are some tips on overcoming your insecurities. 

Create a list of positive affirmations

Affirmations have honestly been a blessing and something to reaffirm a positive thought of myself, whether I'm feeling low or even feeling good about myself. Positive affirmations are great to boost me up when I'm not feeling great and when I'm feeling good as a good reminder. These affirmations are different for everyone, from hyping up how you look to your personality traits.

Speak to people about your thoughts

A problem shared is a problem halved and speaking with others about how you're feeling and thoughts you have can give you the reassurance you need. They may offer you guidance on how to change your thoughts, share their personal experience, hype you up or give you a listening ear. The most important thing is opening the conversation as then you can ask for exactly what you need from the specific person, whether it's your partner or sibling.

Read other people's stories and experiences

Everyone has a story and a journey they've been on, especially with insecurities. Some people gain insecurities from experience and others inherently always have it, and learning about that journey can gain some perspective. This perspective can give you some tips, advice and guidance but also help you understand how strong you are.

Accept everyone has flaws including you

Nobody is perfect and having flaws is what makes you human. The sooner you understand that everyone has flaws, the sooner it can help you learn to accept and love your insecurities as they're the things which make you who you are. I used to have terrible body confidence and large insecurities about what I looked like but over time, those insecurities lessened and I've learnt to accept who I truly am.

Create a more positive image of yourself

A positive image of yourself is key to thriving and overcoming your insecurities. It's so easy for us to dislike who we are and compare ourselves to everyone around us as that's what society tells you to do. However, positive messaging and learning to love yourself, builds your self-esteem, self-love and that positivity to live a content lifestyle. 

Learn techniques to self-soothe

We all self-soothe in different ways because we're all unique and have different triggers. Some people like to get out and about, exercising whilst others prefer to journal their feelings or channel it all into creativity. Whatever the activity, there are many methods which can help you self-soothe and you can learn how to do that through trial and error. Over the years, I've tried many ways to soothe myself, some have worked and some haven't, or made me feel worse. Keep going until you find your method for all types of circumstances.

I hope you enjoyed this post. What tips would you add?

Thank you for reading <3

 Well hello to you my reader chums! As many of you know thrillers, especially crime thrillers are my thing and when I was recommended this book on my trip to Bath, I couldn't wait to read it. I actually ended up reading it in only a few sittings as I couldn't get enough of the hard-hitting plot.

If you enjoy a crime thriller and an honest, first-person perspective, here's my full review of The Last Thing to Burn by Will Dean.

Plotline

Set on an isolated farm in the UK, a woman is trapped by the monster who kidnapped her over seven years ago. The everyday motions she goes through and the punishment he gives her if she doesn't obey his every order. He films her every single move meaning that when he's away from the house, he knows what she's up to. When she discovers she's pregnant, she strives to protect her child no matter the cost and begins planning an escape away from him. In the meantime, another woman is kidnapped into the farm and it's down to her to escape with the woman and her child - but will she save them all?

Characters and relationships

Told from the perspective of 'Jane', the name her kidnapper gives her, I really came to grips with her raw feelings, the everyday emotions and what she has been through. The rules of the land she has to live, the pain she feels, the abuse she tolerates and the punishment she endures. It's an honest and heartbreaking account to hear the trials she deals with every day by this monster. 

'Jane's' relationship with her monster is honestly hard to describe or write as at times I could feel her pain and desperation for how he treated her. It made me so angry to see a human treat another human being in that way like they were absolutely nothing. 

'Jane's' relationship with her child, however, is the most beautiful thing to read. It really does show the power a mother's love will have to protect their child and sacrifice everything to do just that. The love she shows for her daughter broke my heart in every way as I wanted to leap onto the page and help her out. 

Overall thoughts

Overall this book is an intense page-turner and one which is impossible to put down. I could have easily read the entire book in one sitting as I desperately wanted to know she gets out and ends up okay. It's a gripping book, a psychological thriller showing the rawness of humanity and the desperate things people will do when they're truly suffering. 

It's a book highlighting the awful truth of what happens to victims of human trafficking and the abuse they endure every single day. Even though this story is fiction, I know it's based on many of the real stories of people who are kidnapped, trafficked and abused. If you read it, expect that sense of desperation in the words of 'Jane', the fear factor on every page and feeling every kind of awful emotion as you make your way through the story.

Ending

Like always, I won't give away the ending and honestly, with this book, I wasn't sure which way it was going to go. I sat in hope throughout the entire book as I wished for a happy and content ending. Luckily, the ending is positive and hopeful, everything this novel needs.

I hope you've enjoyed this post. What's next on your TBR?

Thank you for reading <3