This is taken from my weekly newsletter which hits inboxes every Monday morning. At the beginning of each month, I add in an Editor’s letter which you can read below and check out the other elements you can find in my weekly newsletters.
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Monday 4th September 2023
Hello, and welcome to the September edition of the OC Newsletter. We haven’t caught up since the start of July, so I hope you had a lovely summer.
I think the last time I wrote, I had just been to Amsterdam for a few days. So, I guess it’s time to catch you up on my American road trip.
I’ve recently realised that road trips or seeing more than one place at a time during a holiday, is my most favourite way to holiday.
I can safely say that the East Coast road trip we embarked on at the end of July is up there with one of my favourite holidays, ever.
Being able to tick off some new states and cities and seeing parts of America I’ve always wanted to visit (plus returning to some of my favourite places) was amazing.
But I won’t lie to you, now that we’re in September and I have no travel plans until the end of December, it actually feels quite good.
I can finally get into some sort of routine without thinking about the next time I’m flying somewhere or heading away on a trip. I can get into a rhythm with the gym, with my eating and also hold back on my spending for once.
This summer my boyfriend and I have made some big plans for our future and things have gotten exciting again. You might be able to guess, but 2024 is shaping up to be a very exciting year indeed and the planning for that starts here.
So this month ahead, I’m hoping to build a routine that I can stick to, and also get into a content routine as well as a life routine.
For once, I have all of my September blog posts drafted and scheduled to post, so I can spend more time focusing on YouTube. I have a lot of content covering our road trip that I need to edit, and I’m excited to be able to share it.
So keep your eyes peeled for all the content to come your way this month!
As always, you can follow my 2023 journey over on Instagram @orlaghclaire and I will be back next month to update you on how my new routine is going.
Orlagh Claire x
What I’ve Been Watching
Nashville (Prime Video)
This is a comfort watch for me. It’s now my third time of watching this series from the beginning, and I love it just as much as the time before.
I’ve been to Nashville, Tennessee twice now and it’s my second favourite city in the US (after New York). The atmosphere, the constant live music, the southern people, I love all of it.
It’s making me want to go back to Nashville again because I miss it so much. And you know I’m easily influenced to book a flight.
What I’ve Been Listening To
Digital Diary by Hannah Elise
I’ve been watching Hannah Elise’s New York vlogs for the last few weeks and gave her podcast a listen. When I say she has the nicest podcast voice I’ve ever listened to, I could listen to her for hours and not want to turn it off.
She’s honest and real on her podcast which is probably why she’s such a popular creator. Enjoying so far.
What I’ve Been Reading
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
This book was all over my social media and booktube during the summer.
I spotted it in a This Works store for £2.50 so I had to pick it up to see what the fuss was all about.
If you liked The Silent Patient, then you’ll love this. I read it within 48 hours and couldn’t put it down.
I know Freida McFadden has a lot of books in her catalogue, so I can’t wait to read even more of her work.
Where I’ve Been Eating
Yokocho, Soho
For my boyfriend’s birthday meal, I booked a surprise dinner at Yokocho in Heddon Square.
Since we’ve been talking about Japan a lot recently and how much we really want to visit, I thought I would bring him to the closest thing available to us in London.
A really cool location with a lot of ramen options, it definitely felt like we weren’t in London for a while.
Where I’m Going Next
Nowhere
I’m going to be staying in London for the next few months (with a trip up north for Thanksgiving thrown in), and won’t be jetting anywhere on a plane until I go back to Ireland for Christmas.
Saying this, I might have booked a trip two nights ago for New Year’s Eve as I like to do… but I’ll save that for a future newsletter.
Recent Podcast Episodes
49. Does A Dream Job Exist?
I’m debating if dream jobs actually exist and questioning whether what I think my dream job is, is actually my dream job. Can you have a job that you love, or is it just there to put food on the table?
48. Where I’ve Been So Far in 2023 and Why I’ve Been MIA Recently
I’ve been MIA for the month of May so thought I would give a little update on what’s been happening and where I’ve been.
Recent Blog Posts
Why Your Job Shouldn’t
Define You
A lot of people define themselves by their job title. ‘I’m in Marketing’, or ‘I’m a chef’, and while there isn’t anything wrong with this, we are also a lot of other things.
There are so many other endearing qualities about ourselves outside of work that mean much more.
The 6 Books I Read in
August, 2023
Thankfully my reading improved this month. After a few consecutive months of reading four books at a time, I was starting to lose my groove.
But with some great books in August, I feel like I’m finally out of my reading slump.
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