friday find: Carpe Diem’s summer space

I have never been a fan of overly fancy nightclubs that require putting on heels, booking a table and ordering endless bottles of vodka and Red Bull. To me, a great night out needs not more than a bunch of good people, a large dance floor and great music.

Which is why Carpe Diem bar/restaurant/club, one of the most popular places to enjoy a friday night here in the northern suburbs of Tunis, quickly became my second living room when I moved to Tunisia the first time around.

Last night, its amazing outdoor space (and the base coming from their sound system) made my heart beat faster.

Carpe Diem states that it is only for good people, and that includes everyone who is up for a good time – at Carpe Diem you will find busy bees in suits with laptops as well as students, brides-to-be celebrating their last night out before their big day or tourists – it’s really just a bunch of happy people having fun and enjoying good vibes.

The outdoor space comes with enough places to sit (and in case all the benches and poufs are taken, you can always find a spot on the grass for the ultimate festival vibe), a menu that offers not only a wide selection of drinks, including their house wine and a variety of cocktails, but also some good eats, like burgers and fresh sushi, and – most importantly – a spacious dance floor that allows you to get into the good groove provided by superb DJs or live bands.

If you’re looking for some breezy buzz and happy faces all around, I definitely recommend discovering Carpe Diem’s summer residence that lets you make the most of Tunisia’s mild summer nights.

– Find Carpe Diem on Facebook and don’t forget to follow my journey! –

adding sparkle and starting over

On a cloudy and grey day with not much going on, moving abroad can seem like the ultimate thing to do: Getting far away from the usual routine and the gloominess that it brings.

We all have those moments – being bored, feeling that we should add a certain sparkle to our life or even wondering whether we’re on the right track.

If you long to press reset and completely start over: great!

But like painting your old desk in a new colour can make you just as happy (if not even happier) than buying a new one, you might feel that applying a few changes to your current life will already be enough to add that extra bit of excitement that you’re looking for.

Either way, taking a look at what is currently going on in your life and analysing it can help you identify what amendment might have the power to make your eyes sparkle.

I’ve put my personal take on this topic in below graphic, which hopefully helps others make the right choices as well. In three steps it takes you from the status quo to an action plan for serious life improvement.

So – grab a pen and some paper, write down what you do during a typical week and get started!

credit: icons by madebyoliver , Round Icons , Simple Icon, Baianat and Iconnice  from flaticon.com

 

moving abroad 101 – part ii

In my moving abroad 101 I am sharing my personal experience and tips for anyone who is planning a big move to a new place far away. Part ii focuses on the importance of having prospects and a vision.

Define what you are looking for
If it’s the white sands of the beautiful beaches, bare in mind that you are likely to be working long hours and not be able to spend all day outside very often – unless you find a job that fits your dream of spending every day with your feet in the sand.

Try to be realistic about what you want from your new life, but also honest about what you are missing in your current one. Having a clear idea about what it is that you are looking for will bring you closer to finding it and protect you from major disappointments.

Have prospects
Moving to a place just to “see what it’s like“ is a risky move. I’m not saying that it can’t be an amazing experience or even an absolute success, but having an idea about what you want your new life to be like and about what you would like to do with your time really is helpful.

Even if you haven’t found a dream job in your dream home yet – at least knowing what you will be doing for the first months and where your income will come from takes away some of the anxiety.

– part iii will follow soon! –

moving abroad 101 – part i

I have always loved discovering new places. After spending one year of my studies experiencing life in different countries and absolutely loving it, moving abroad was a very natural thing for me to do after my graduation.
In this moving abroad 101 I will share my personal experience and tips for anyone who is planning a big move to a new place far away.

Plan a longer stay
Try to spend as long as possible (ideally a few months, but definitely more than 3 weeks) in the place you would like to live in before moving there permanently. This will allow you to develop a routine, which is the first step to experiencing the new place as a home. Also, you will expose yourself to the small daily struggles and that might occur.

Observing your mood and reactions during this stay will give you a good impression of how it feels to actually live in that place and also give you an idea about whether and how you will fit in there long-term.

See the place in off-season
Summer holidays are usually great and the destination often appears magical and makes you dream of moving to that place. In winter, not only the weather, but also your mood, the mood of the people living there and the general vibes can change more than you might expect. Seeing the place in off-season will help you get a more realistic image of life in your possible future home.

If you still feel happy and excited about moving to your tropical dream home after you have experienced it in bad weather or if your heart still beats faster when thinking about moving to that cultural hotspot after spending a month there without the festivals and parties that summer brings, then you know you are good to go!

– Stay tuned for parts ii – vi ! –