How have I lived in the UK for five years and never visited Oxford? As fate would have it, my UK visa program, now called The Global Talent Visa (formerly Tech Nation Visa), was hosting an event at the university and a group of us decided to go earlier to see more of Oxford. This happened in late January 2020, before COVID-19. Our day ended up being so much fun and I wanted to share some highlights with you, should you want to plan a day trip to Oxford!
I am a big believer in reflecting on your year. Why? At the end of the year, it’s easy to forget what truly happened over the past 365 days. As a result, I started looking back on my year. My process involves looking back month by month to reflect on what was happening – both good and bad – across my personal and professional life. I go through my calendar, my camera roll, this blog and my business site, JessicaGioglio.com, to help jog my memory.
Why do I do this? I want to fully process and reflect on all of the things I did across work, my travels, times with friends and family. I find that I have a tendency to forget things that happened or to summarize my year if I do not thoroughly reflect. I also believe that in order to be mindful about goal setting for the following year, you need to have an honest assessment of how the previous year went.
Instead of doing this privately for 2019, I wanted to use this blog post to share my process with you. In this post, I’ll share my 2019 highlights and key learning’s with you. I’ll also summarize how my reflections are shaping my 2020 goal-setting process. Are you ready? Let’s jump in!
One of the benefits of living in the UK is that I get to take day trips to fantastic destinations that are close to London. I recently took a day trip to Dover Castle, the largest castle in England. Described as the “Key to England,” due to its defensive significance throughout history, Dover Castle not only boasts a rich history, an incredibly well-preserved tower, and beautiful grounds, making it a fantastic place to spend a day. In this post, I’m sharing my experience visiting, plus tips and lessons learned. I’ve also embedded a video chronicling my day at Dover Castle at the end of this post. Let’s dig in!
Every year, London Parks & Gardens Trust hosts a special event called the Open Garden Squares Weekend. During this weekend, you can buy a ticket and explore private gardens throughout the city. These gardens range from beautiful squares to office buildings and a few historic landmarks. As someone who loves parks and gardens, I could not resist the opportunity to peek into some of London’s hidden gardens. Here are the highlights from my day, plus tips on how to make the most of your Open Garden Squares Weekend!
