Author: kateemoxon

kateemoxon http://alifeofmoxie.com 20-something content writer living and blogging in Leeds. I love to travel and make a damn fine brew. https://alifeofmoxie.com/
Leeds Dock

Leeds Diary Dates: July 2017

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Can someone tell me how we’re halfway through the year already? It feels unacceptable that it’s July, especially as the weather recently has been distinctly un-summery. Instead of breezing around in floaty dresses, I’ve spent the last fortnight cowering from the rain under my slightly broken umbrella that is way too frail to cope with the winds around Granary Wharf.

That’s not to say there haven’t been some bright moments in June – I attended a fab rum event at Call Lane Social for Leeds Loves Cocktails, tried out the spectacular brunch at Ham & Friends, and went to The Botanist this week to taste a few highlights from their new summer menu. The best day of the month was watching one of my oldest friends get married – the venue was amazing, my friend looked the happiest I’ve ever seen her, and everyone spent a large portion of the day sat outside in the hot sunshine getting slowly drunk. It was perfect.

So what’s coming up in July? It’s actually looking like a fairly quiet month in terms of stuff I want to go to, which actually suits me just fine as I have a new job and a weekend in London to keep me entertained. Here are a few things I’d like to show my face at… Continue reading →

Statue in Plaza del Carmen, Camaguey, Cuba

3 Ridiculous Stories From Travelling As a Woman in Cuba

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I’ve always been fairly lucky as a a female traveller. I’ve rarely encountered hostility or harassment as a result of being a woman with the audacity to travel without a male chaperone, and while women shouldn’t have to feel grateful for being left alone to go about their business…that’s not the world we live in. So I have always appreciated my good fortune.

But in Cuba, things were a little different. For a start, there was the catcalling. This happened to varying degrees depending on which city we were in, but at its worst it seemed that every corner we turned there was a new shout, and we hated feeling forced to look at the ground, to pull our jackets across our chests and make ourselves smaller. But there were also the more subtle things – the men in bars who would not take a hint, the unsolicited advice, the slightly incredulous “So it’s just the two of you?” comments. It wasn’t the majority by a long shot, but more so than anywhere else I’ve been I encountered men (‘not all men!’) who just didn’t seem to want to believe that two adult women could travel around without any help. For the first time in my life, I felt like travelling was a feminist act.

If you’re still not convinced, let me tell you a few little stories about my experience as a woman backpacking in Cuba. Cringes guaranteed. Continue reading →

Tapas at Ambiente, Leeds

6 Leeds Restaurants I Always Go Back To

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When you live somewhere for a while, even a big city with countless culinary options, you find yourself wandering back to the same places for your dinners, your morning coffees and your after-work drinks. Sometimes I feel guilty for doing it, like I’m being incredibly dull and unimaginative returning to the same restaurants when there are currently new places popping up in Leeds almost every week. Surely I should be trying to get reservations for that launch night, or clamouring to be the first person in the new bar everyone’s talking about?

But there are some places that deserve repeat custom. When you’re in a rush, stressed from a long day or nervously heading out for a promising date, there’s something undeniably comforting about sitting down and knowing that, whatever else happens, you’re going to get a great meal. Here are the restaurants in Leeds I go back to again and again. Continue reading →

Convent of St Francis of Assisi in Trinidad, Cuba

Two Weeks in Cuba: The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful

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Way back in April, I jetted off to Cuba for a two-week adventure around a country that has been on my bucket list for years. With no solid plans in place beyond three nights of accommodation in Havana, one of my best travel buddies and I improvised our way around Cuba with no internet for a whole fortnight, staying in casa particulares arranged by our host in Havana and car sharing between towns in ancient collectivos (if you don’t know what either of those terms mean, check out my know-before-you-go guide to Cuba). Once we’d subtracted flying time we had thirteen full days to see as much as we could – this is how we chose to spend our time.

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Leeds Diary Dates: June 2017

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Right now I’m sat in bed with a mug of tea and my book, enjoying a relaxed bank holiday Monday. It’s been a quiet but beneficial bank holiday, spending time with friends in the sun and catching up on some much needed sleep, and though I’m not looking forward to going back to work I at least feel equipped to deal with it.

So what’s on the cards for June? Well, I’m trying to organise myself a little solo getaway for summer, even if it’s just a few days off for a city break, and I’ve got an exciting but terrifying work project to tackle at work. In my free time I’ve got some great events to distract my brain with – here’s where I plan to be this month…

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Street in Havana, Cuba

The Know-Before-You-Go Guide to Cuba

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When I was planning my trip to Cuba, I found that there was an infuriating lack of information available online. While I’m used to being able to find basic information about transport, visas and things to do on official websites, Cuba is annoyingly lacking in these and I ended up piecing together most of what I wanted to know from various blogs that often contradicted each other or were quite obviously out of date.

So I’ve put together my own ‘know before you go’ guide to let you know what I learned while planning my trip, and while living it! Cuba is chaotic and unpredictable and full of surprises, but we found that it was quite easy to get by once you’ve picked up a few key facts. Here are the important things you need to know…

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View from hilltop, El Nicho Waterfalls, Cuba

Where Have I Been?

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I’ve been a little absent from my blog recently, and I thought it was time for a catch up. I’ve been tweeting and Instagramming, checking my notifications, occasionally scribbling in one of my notebooks, but every time I go to click that big blue ‘Write’ button on my blog dashboard I shrink away from the command and turn to something less daunting. This post is more personal than I would usually get on my blog, but it’s been brewing in my head for weeks and maybe it’s the thing I need to write to get my mojo back…so here goes.

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Leeds Diary Dates: May 2017

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After a busy and, to be honest, pretty rough time in April, I am so ready to say hello to a new month. There was so much going on in Leeds but due to spending the middle two weeks on holiday in Cuba, all the excitement of Leeds International Festival and the Digital Festival pretty much passed me by. Not that I’m complaining – two weeks offline in Cuba was just what I needed and I came back just in time to go to my first Live at Leeds with my best friend by my side.

May will see me heading to Tenerife for a 3-night hen party (and I assume far more drinking than I’m now used to), and spending the rest of the month doing post-holiday catch up with friends and checking out some Leeds Indie Food events. Let’s see what’s on the agenda in May…

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Leeds Diary Dates: April 2017

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Spring is finally here, and even though we lost an hour of sleep I’m so glad to finally see the daylight sticking around until after 7pm. I’ve been looking forward to April for a long time, because on the 9th I’m jetting off to Cuba for 2 weeks! Cuba has been on my bucket list for a few years now, and I can’t wait to put my out of office on, grab my backpack and enjoy a couple of weeks exploring with one of my best friends.

Of course this means I’m not going to be in Leeds a lot, but luckily for me a lot of the best upcoming stuff isn’t happening until the end of the month. Take a look at my event picks for April.

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Book Reviews | March 2017

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After last year’s failed attempt at reading 52 books in a year, I’ve scaled 2017’s challenge back to 40; a more manageable target that so far I am still managing to lag behind on. I have a preference for pretty, lyrical prose that demands I take time to appreciate, which usually means I take longer than average to finish a really good book. The usual distractions of social media, Netflix and blog browsing also take their toll, but reading has such a calming influence on my mind that I am trying to cut down on my screen time and reach for books instead. Here are the books I’ve enjoyed most in the first few months of 2017. Continue reading →