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theveryhungrylondonerFebruary 22, 2016

A Guide to Solo Travel: The Practical Stuff

While I was home for Christmas I went to a family gathering at my aunt’s house (for those that know me, no this was not a Barrows Bash…. it was the other side of my… View Full Post

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theveryhungrylondonerFebruary 11, 2016

4 weeks in Japan in 5 moodAways

This post is sponsored by moodAway. Back in November I spent four weeks in Japan travelling by train from Yakushima, a small island off the southwestern corner of the country, to Sapporo on Hokkaido, the… View Full Post

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theveryhungrylondonerFebruary 9, 2016

Quiet by Susan Cain and becoming comfortable being an introvert

A few years ago I made a decision: to stop pretending I enjoyed “nights out” and to just not go on them. I was 27 at the time, and quite frankly bored of being in… View Full Post

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theveryhungrylondonerJanuary 27, 2016

Japanese onsens and British nakedness

When was the last time you saw someone naked in a non-sexual way (excluding your partner)? Include images in magazines, on TV shows and in movies. You can’t remember can you? And a few months… View Full Post

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theveryhungrylondonerJanuary 20, 2016

Hello, it’s me…

(Sorry, I couldn’t resist that title) So, how are things with you? It’s been a while hasn’t it? So sorry. My bad. Yet before I resume my usual erratic blogging programme (FYI I have officially… View Full Post

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Hello, and welcome to my tiny corner of this big ol’ internet!

I’m Fiona, and I used to be a food-obsessed literary agent living in London. Now? I’m not so sure.

After six years of giving it a very good go, I finally realised that my hunger wasn't the sort that could be satiated with Hawksmoor short-rib French dips.

So I left. In February 2015 I packed a couple of bags and headed off to Asia. Solo, indefinitely and with the hope that new faces, landscapes and adventures would satisfy me in an entirely different way.

And it kind of worked.

I now live in Bali (for the moment). No longer a Londoner but still, as ever, hungry.

Where am I?

Current Location: Bali

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Instagram

  • *Waves awkwardly* Why hello there! Sorry I've not been around these parts much recently. Hit a bit of a low in October and just needed to strip everything back to essentials for a few weeks while I sorted myself out. I'm slowly getting back on track, and will be back to regular posting soon (not that I was ever that regular. I have Instagram IBS). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ But for now, I just wanted to say hi, especially to new followers who have someone found me over the last month or so - I hope, for my egos sake, I don't suddenly lose you all by actually posting! While I've been quiet on here I have actually quite busy IRL the last couple of weeks or so, and have a lot to fill you in on. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ But in the meantime, what about you? What have you been up to? What have I missed? Any news? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ P.s. I've since finished this scarf and it is so snuggly! @woolandthegang is brilliant for knitting kits to make things you actually want to wear / use.
  • I've just sent out the latest edition of There Are More Ways (you can subscribe via the podcast page on my website) which was all about going against the shoulds, inspired by my conversation with @simpleandseason on Monday's episode of There Are Other Ways. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This whole week I've been thinking a lot about all the things I do because I feel I should. And even though it is something that I'm very aware of, I still find them creeping in. As I said in the email shoulds are pesky little things that can follow us around without us even knowing. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So my question today is this: what are you doing because you feel you should? It could be either in your business, or in your life. And can you let it go?
  • Why is it always the days you have the most to do that are the hardest to get going on?? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ My to-do list has out-grown its page but somehow I can't seem to get my brain into gear this morning. What do you do when you've got so much to do you can't seem to do any of it?
  • Another day, another Frome doorway... ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Season two of There Are Other Ways is finally here and the first episode is with the amazing @simpleandseason. I've realised the reason I love creating a podcast so much is that I'm a bit (ok fine, very) nosey, and I love finding out about other people's thoughts, dreams and day-to-day lives. I basically just asked Kayte all the things I wanted to know about her! We ended up talking a lot about going against the shoulds in life and in your business, and why it is so important to do the things you really want to do, as supposed to the things you feel you should do. I really enjoyed the conversation, and I hope you enjoy listening to it! The link is in my profile.
  • Autumn is literally blowing itself in through the window. #coffeeandseasons
  • Back in June it felt like this summer was going to last forever, now suddenly it feels like every sunny day is precious and could be our last. I woke up this morning to brilliant sunshine, so I'm going to make the most of it with a long walk today. I might be getting excited about the prospect of cosy nights in, mornings tucked up in bed listening to the rain, and the sting of cool air on my cheek, but summer is still here and needs to be enjoyed! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What is everyone up to this weekend? Any Bank Holiday plans? (P.s had this photo on my phone for a while, not sure this is still in bloom!)
  • Is it too soon to start posting photos like this?? When can we officially go full autumnal on our feeds?? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I sent the first of the There Are More Ways emails yesterday, all about mindful consumerism, inspired by my chat with @caitflanders in season one of There Are Other Ways (you can still sign up to receive it via the link in my profile). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Writing the letter, and pulling together the resources and exercises made me look at my spending and consumption habits again and there's definitely some things I need to work on! I'm not pretending to be the most mindful of consumers, but I am trying and I think that's important. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (One of the best, and most mindful, purchases I've made recently was this speckled mug from @funderhill. I swear it makes my morning coffee taste so much better!)
  • I've had my head down a lot over the last few weeks. I spent most of the summer feeling very confused and lethargic, but it feels like the fog has begun to clear so I'm making the most of it and working hard. But every time I have got up from my desk and gone out for a walk, I've been struck by just how beautiful and peaceful where I live is. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This, plus the fact that I've started recording episodes for season two of There Are Other Ways, has reminded me just how much I really believe in choosing, actively, how you live your life. It's so easy, for all of us, to just to muddle through and go with what's expected. But if I had continued to do that I would still be living in London, and working in a job that didn't fulfil or satisfy me. My life now is no easier (it often feels a lot more challenging!) but at least it is one I've chosen, and one where I really know what it is I'm working towards. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This is also why I decided to launch There Are More Ways - companion emails and a bonus mini podcast series - inspired by the conversations I have each week with my guests. I wanted to find a way for us to think a bit more about the topics that come up in the podcast, and to take something a bit more concrete away from them. It's only £12 for all 12 emails and mini-episodes (I purposefully wanted to keep them cheap so it wasn't too much of a barrier to entry) and you can purchase it via the link in my profile. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So how about you? How are you living life a little differently?
  • Every evening, for about half an hour, the light in my bedroom is magic. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Yesterday I shared a short feedback form with my email list and on here (the link is in my profile - if you also have the time to fill it out quickly). I’ve never done anything like this before and I was really worried that a) everything would think I was stupid, and b) no one would fill it out. But I've been really touched by the amount, and the generosity of the responses. People have said some really lovely and very helpful things! So thank you. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The one word that came up the most in the section about my Letter & Notes emails was "honesty", and the reflection that that was what people valued about them. Out of all the feedback I got, this was the thing that made me smile the most (along with the, fair few, people who said "errr Fiona, you never tell us what you actually do!!" Noted.) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ There is so much gloss in this online, creative space, and sometimes it can feel like every other business is born into this world full-formed, thriving and wildly profitable. I quite often think "can I actually say that?" when I'm writing my letters, but I almost always keep it in because I really believe that there needs to be more honesty about what it takes to build a business. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So, let's be honest! What challenges are you currently facing? What are you really struggling with?
  • A home with a hidden doorway. Surely every introvert’s dream? #whphidden ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I love summer and the sun, I really do, but I’m not going to lie, when I woke up this morning to the sound of wind and rain on my windows, I smiled. I love a rainy Sunday as it takes away any pressure to do anything, really, except read and snuggle under blankets. And my Sunday morning ritual, of hot coffee in bed with the Guardian on Saturday supplements, feels better with rain lashing against the windows and the need for a duvet, than it does with sticky sheets and a sweaty back!! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What’s your Sunday morning ritual? Was anyone else secretly pleased to hear rain this morning?

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